What you need to know
- The Pixel 11 series is officially announced and available for preorder now, hitting shelves on August 20.
- Prices jumped by $100 across the board, but base storage doubled to 256GB with 12GB RAM standard, meaning most models cost the same per gigabyte as last year.
- All models run on the new Tensor G6 chip (built on a 2nm process with a new MediaTek modem) designed to boost power and solve long-standing connectivity issues.
- Screen sizes stay at 6.3 inches (Pro) and 6.8 inches (Pro XL) with higher peak brightness and standout colors like Canyon (orange) and matte Obsidian.
After months of leaks and teasers, the Pixel 11 series is official. The new phones made their debut ahead of the annual Made by Google event; Google is doing things a little differently this year by releasing details of the phones well ahead of the launch, and you can actually pre-order the devices now. Weird, I know.
Anyway, let’s get to the devices. I’ll charitably call the Pixel 11 a tame upgrade, as not much has changed this year. It has a similar design, same cameras, similar connectivity as the Pixel 10, and a battery that’s about the same size.
Thankfully, the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL get a few upgrades. There’s a new 50MP main camera that should take much better photos, and they’re joined by dual 48MP wide-angle and tele lenses; these are unchanged.
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There’s plenty of new camera features. Google is debuting a Magic Capture mode that lets you get the best photo in any situation, and there’s Camera Looks to alter the look of your photos to a greater extent. Oh, and Circle to Search is getting built into the camera, so you can easily look up stuff with ease.
Panel sizes are unchanged, so you get a 6.3-inch OLED on the Pixel 11 Pro and 6.8 inches on the Pro XL. Google says they get brighter, and while it’s unlikely you’ll see the 3,600-nit figure, the Pixel 10 Pro did a great job in this regard, and I don’t see why it would be any different this year.
There are bold new color choices, and the Pixel 11 in particular looks great. I like the Canyon variant of the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL, and the orange hue looks delightful. And if you’re team all-matte, you should get the Obsidian model.
Google is using 12GB of RAM as standard this year, indicative of the ongoing RAM crisis that’s affecting every tech brand right now. But on the plus side, all models come with 256GB of storage, even the base Pixel 11.
What I like is that all models are powered by the new Tensor G6. I’ll have to get my hands on the phones to determine if long-standing hardware issues have been addressed, but it is positive to see Google make some headway. The G6 is built on a 2nm node, uses new cores, and a new MediaTek modem, so it shouldn’t have any connectivity issues (fingers crossed).
Google’s main strength is the software, and Gemini Intelligence takes center stage with the Pixel 11. The idea of an agentic AI that can handle tasks on its own is pretty cool, but the feature is limited to the U.S.; other countries still get a few new Gemini tricks, but not the task-handling part.
Prices have increased by $100 across the board, with the Pixel 11 starting at $899, the Pixel 11 Pro at $1,099, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL at $1,299. The good news is that with the base storage going up to 256GB, you’re not paying any higher than last year, other than with the 11 Pro XL. The phones are now on preorder, and will go on sale starting August 20. We’ll have plenty to talk about the Pixel 11, and if you want more right now, head to the hands-on post.