Skip to main content

Google reportedly making a small Pixel to replace the iPhone 14 Mini that never was

Google is said to be building a new small-sized Pixel, according to a new report. After the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro launch, the company’s next moonshot is into the small phone market recently vacated by Apple. There it is expected to put flagship components like high-resolution cameras and a Tensor chip into a smaller body than the currently massive ones Google sells.

The new report comes from prolific tipster Digital Chat Station over at Weibo. There are few specifics other than the code name “neila” and that it’ll share the same design as the recent Pixels both on the front and the rear.

Someone holding the Google Pixel 5. In the background are yellow flowers, slightly out of focus.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

Small phones are a curious beast. Despite a surge in demand for them you can see on certain online circles, they rarely do as well commercially as their larger counterparts when put into the market. This is often because of a cavalcade of factors, including the size of the chassis, limiting the battery size that can be used, missing camera components due again to physical size, and a smaller screen that makes it less useful for media consumption. Of course, small phones are more comfortable to hold — and if you don’t consume media on your phone much, that may well clinch it for you.

It isn’t clear if Google is to drop its Pixel to below 6 inches, as we can see on the Zenfone 9, or whether it plans to reduce the size of the Pixel to the 6.1-inch standard the iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy S22 sport. Either would be much smaller than the “Pro” Pixel and allow a decent enough variation in size. Google once sold its Pixels in both regular and XL sizes. A  truly small Pixel would be a return to form.

As an aside, one of Google’s best Pixels to date was a small phone. If the company can recapture the lightning in the bottle that made the Pixel 5 special, then it might be able to carve out a sustainable niche somewhere for its mobile ambitions.

Michael Allison
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
Google Pixel Watch 3: news, rumored price, release date, and more
Someone wearing the Google Pixel Watch 2 with a yellow/green fabric band.

Though the first Google Pixel Watch suffered from some technical issues, the second generation Pixel was a big improvement. For the most part, it fixed the issues of the first model and was a much better smartwatch because of it.

This year, we should see the Google Pixel Watch 3. Though we’re still some months away from any official announcement, there are already a few things we can talk about. Here’s what we know so far!
Google Pixel Watch 3: release date

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the Google Pixel 8a
The Google Pixel 8a's screen.

Everyone loves a bargain, and it's hard to argue that the Google Pixel 8a is anything but. With a flagship processor and one of the best phone cameras around, the $499 smartphone has the specs to make it a steal. But Google hasn't just crammed great hardware into the phone, as it also has one of the cleanest implementations of Android 14, all of Google's current AI roster, and an incredible seven years of software updates to boot. It's a cheap phone that can go the distance, and one we are more than happy to recommend.

But it's not perfect. The battery is a little weak, as is its charging ability — and the less said about the cheap-feeling plastic body, the better. So even though it's a strong phone, there are a number of alternatives that could pull your eyes away from Google's latest midrange phone.

Read more
Google is doing something incredible with the Pixel Watch 3
Leaked render of Google Pixel Watch 3 XL.

It seems going XL is in vogue at Google’s design labs. We recently came across leaks claiming to depict the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google's all-out big-screen flagship that will be its answer to the Pro Max and Ultra phones out there. A similar treatment is in line for the upcoming Pixel Watch 3 smartwatch, as well.

Android Headlines has shared leaked product renders of what it calls the "Pixel Watch 3 XL." Fittingly for its name, this one will serve a larger 1.45-inch display, up from the 1.2-inch OLED screen on the regular version. It’s also reportedly going to be roughly 12% thicker compared to the Pixel Watch 2. The added chassis depth is said to accommodate a larger battery, but we don't know the exact capacity yet.

Read more