Google invites Superfans to test upcoming Pixel Phones before public launch

 Alphabet Inc.’s Google plans to let Pixel smartphone enthusiasts test out the company’s next handset ahead of its public introduction. 

Google has invited members of its “Superfans” group to apply to test future Pixel hardware, asking entrants to profess their knowledge and passion for the brand in hopes of being able to beta test forthcoming products.  

Consumer tech companies often let small groups of customers try out unreleased products under strict secrecy to gather feedback during development. But it’s incredibly rare for a company of Google’s size to do it with something as high-profile as the Pixel lineup. 

The search giant will select 15 people from the pool of entrants, and winners must all sign a non-disclosure agreement to receive devices, according to official rules for the contest reviewed by Bloomberg News. “The Trusted Tester program is an opportunity to provide feedback and help shape a Pixel phone currently in development,” the document reads. A Google representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

 

Participants in the “Trusted Tester Program” must also agree to disguise unreleased hardware in protective cases provided by Google, the rules state. The terms don’t reveal exactly when chosen winners will receive products. Over the last couple years, the company has introduced its Pixel portfolio in August, so an early test program could potentially kick off in the spring, if not sooner.

The contest will judge submissions based on “depth of knowledge and passion for Google Pixel devices and software” and also asks entrants to suggest areas where the company can improve its devices.  

Pixel smartphones could be due for a major refresh in the next couple of years. In an interview last August, Google’s hardware design chief Ivy Ross said that “every two to three years we look to try and do something with a new design language.”  The Pixel 10, released that same month, is more or less identical to last year’s model. 

Ross also said in the interview that Google was in the process of finalizing its 2026 portfolio near the time of the interview and already looking ahead to 2027 hardware. 

If the current industrial design is indeed sticking around for another year, Google might be more willing to sneak Pixel 11 devices into public view — knowing that most people would likely never notice.  The company has struggled to contain leaks of its Pixel hardware in recent years, with renders of upcoming models often leaking several months before their official debut.