In 2019, a class action lawsuit over faulty microphones in some devices enabled Pixel owners to claim up to $500 in compensation. The Pixel phones also include unlimited cloud storage for pictures on Google Photos and, for devices purchased directly from Google, an unlockable bootloader. This is largely due to software optimizations such as HDR+.

Google emphasized the camera on the two phones, which ranked as the best smartphone camera on DxOMarkMobile with 90 points until HTC released the U11, which also scored 90 points. Google announced the first generation Pixel smartphones, the Pixel and the Pixel XL, on Octoduring the #MadeByGoogle event. Main article: Pixel (1st generation) Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones