Before displays grew to dominate the entire face of our phones, it was common for Android devices to have a small RGB LED that would illuminate to indicate pending notifications or incoming calls. This helped save power back when waking up the display too often could kill the battery.

But HiLight is on the back of the phone. It appears this feature will only be useful when the phone is face down, which many people instinctively avoid to prevent screen scratches. Perhaps Google will have some answer for that in the form of new, harder glass.

Shining a light on Gemini

The other angle for HiLight is the Gemini tie-in, and this jibes perfectly with some of Google’s other products. In the coming months, we expect to see the first Googlebook laptops hit the market. These devices will come from various manufacturers, but they’ll all have the Glowbar. Google has been vague on what the feature will do, but it’s a safe bet based on HiLight that the bar will light up when you’re talking to or otherwise interacting with Gemini.

Likewise, the new Google Home Speaker, with its deep Gemini integration, has an illuminated ring around the bottom. It lights up when you’re talking to Gemini and changes colors to represent status. HiLight probably does much the same.

This may be what passes for hardware innovation in Google’s latest phones. In 2025, the biggest change was the addition of Qi2 magnets, which Google brands as Pixel Snap. A Gemini-focused notification LED on the back of the phone is arguably less important. We’ll have to wait until August 12 to see how Google pitches this feature, though.