New sheriff in town
Google might have a tough sell on its hands with the Pixel 11 Pro. Allegedly, the upcoming flagship will feature almost identical specs to the Pixel 10 Pro, with some downgrades and brand-new Pixel Glow LED lights embedded in the camera bar. There could also be some upgrades like 256GB base storage and the Tensor G6.
Pros
- Base model finally starts with 256GB
- Pixel Glow expected to be a fun feature
- Google’s 7-year software update guarantee
- Dependable cameras, hardware, magnetic Qi2.2, and IP68 rating
- Upgraded Google Tensor G6 2nm chipset
- Should support Vulkan leading to gaming performance boost
Cons
- Price increased by $100
- Base 256GB model comes with lower 12GB RAM
- Selfie camera downgraded to 13MP
- Smaller battery and unchanged charging specs
- Poor PWM rate
- Probably still doesn’t keep up with Qualcomm flagships
Old and reliable
The Google Pixel 10 Pro might be turning a year old, but it could have some advantages over the Pixel 11 Pro. If rumors are true, you get the same display, camera, charging speed, and hardware specs with a bigger battery, more RAM for the base model, and a superior selfie camera.
Pros
- 16GB standard RAM across the board
- Retails for $100 cheaper and frequently discounted for a lot lesser
- 7 years of OS and security updates
- Fantastic cameras and solid hardware all around, with magnetic Qi2.2
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- Bigger 4,870mAh battery and same charging speed as Pixel 11 Pro
Cons
- Base model starts with 128GB
- Doesn’t support the latest version of Vulkan
- Low PWM rate
- Doesn’t keep up with Qualcomm flagships
We’re a few weeks away from the launch of the upcoming Pixel 11 series, prompting Pixel owners and those interested in owning one to start researching. Whether you own a Pixel 10 Pro or are looking to become the proud owner of one, should you be considering the Pixel 11 Pro? I’m here to help you answer the question based on everything we know so far. Mind you, this is all purely speculative, so take in this info with a pinch of salt.
Thanks to a healthy number of leaks, we have a pretty good idea of what the Pixel 11 Pro will look like. This is great because once August 12 rolls around, we’ll all be well informed about the merits and demerits of the Google Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 10 Pro. Here’s what you need to know.
Google Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 10 Pro: A familiar face
So far, leaks and rumors paint a familiar picture of the Google Pixel 11 Pro. The only noticeable design difference is the fun Pixel Glow light expected to sit inside the Pixel 11 Pro’s camera bar, though we still don’t know how useful it will be. Perhaps Google will play around with custom notification lighting, like the Glyph Interface on Nothing phones.
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The Pixel 11 Pro may retain the Google Pixel 10 Pro’s Moonstone and Obsidian colorways, although recent leaks reveal that the Pixel 11 Pro may come in Dune, Light Fog, Midnight Haze, and Pine.
Both phones are expected to share the same 6.3-inch 120Hz Super Actua OLED display, IP68 water and dust resistance, 30W wired fast charging speed, magnetic Qi2.2, and an identical main camera setup. We’ve also heard tell that the 10 Pro’s 4,870mAh battery will be reduced to 4,850mAh in the 11 Pro.
A major change that I’m excited for is the upcoming Tensor G6 2nm SoC built by TSMC. Rumors indicate that the new chip might adopt a more efficient 1+4+2 core structure. It’s also supposed to have a new MediaTek-built modem, so connectivity should be better. The Pixel 11 Pro should also support Vulkan, leading to improved gaming performance. Unfortunately, the Pixel 11 Pro might come with a five-year-old, outdated GPU.
|
Category |
Google Pixel 11 Pro (rumored) |
Google Pixel 10 Pro |
|---|---|---|
|
OS |
Android 17, 7-year update promise |
Android 16, 7-year update promise |
|
Storage options |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
|
RAM |
12GB |
16GB |
|
Display |
6.3-inch 120Hz Super Actua OLED |
6.3-inch 120Hz Super Actua OLED, 3,300 nits |
|
Processor |
Google Tensor G6 |
Google Tensor G5 |
|
Battery and charging |
4,850mAh, 45W wired, 15W Qi2 Pixelsnap wireless |
4,870mAh, 30W wired, 15W Qi2 Pixelsnap wireless |
|
Cameras |
50MP main, 48MP 123-degree ultrawide with macro focus, 48MP 5x telephoto, 13MP ultrawide PD AF selfie, 4K/60 10-bit HDR on all cameras, 8K/30 on rear cameras |
50MP main, 48MP 123-degree ultrawide with macro focus, 48MP 5x telephoto, 42MP 103-degree Dual PD AF selfie, 4K/60 10-bit HDR on all cameras, 8K/30 on rear cameras |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v6, NFC, Dual-band GPS, 5G mmWave (NA only), 5G Sub-6, LTE |
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v6, NFC, Dual-band GPS, 5G mmWave (NA only), 5G Sub-6, LTE |
|
Colors |
Dune, Light Fog, Midnight Haze, and Pine |
Moonstone, Obsidian, Jade, Porcelain |
The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro are expected to share the same rear cameras, so the photography and videography experience should be just as spectacular on both phones. However, the newer 11 Pro ditches the 42MP 103-degree Dual PD AF selfie camera for a 13MP ultrawide lens instead.
While the 11 Pro finally starts at 256GB instead of 128GB on the base model like the 10 Pro, it’s also $100 more expensive at its $899 starting price.
Google Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 10 Pro: Software and AI features
Google promises seven years of OS and security updates on both phones, and Pixels are always first in line for the latest updates. Pixel users also enjoy monthly feature drops, keeping them fresh.
The Pixel 10 Pro runs Android 16 out of the box, but the Pixel 10 series has already started to receive the Android 17 over-the-air update. This means that the software on the Pixel 10 Pro and 11 Pro should be almost identical, if not exactly the same. Owners of both will get to enjoy the best features of Android 17 like Bubbles, custom widgets, Rambler, an improved new UI, lots of Gemini goodies, and more!
Naturally, the 11 Pro will also retain all of the Pixel 10 Pro’s AI features while gaining some exclusive capabilities. We’re also expecting the 11 Pro to go all-in on agentic AI with Gemini Intelligence. However, many of the new features on the 11 Pro will likely flow over to the 10 Pro eventually via updates.
Google Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 10 Pro: Which Pro phone is better and is it worth upgrading?
Based on everything we know so far, the Google Pixel 11 Pro may have improved gaming performance, but will likely still pale in comparison to the best Qualcomm chipsets. Performance-heavy gaming has never been a priority for Google.
It is puzzling that the 11 Pro will likely see a downgraded battery and selfie camera. Even if the newer chipset is more efficient and performs better, and the base model starts with more storage, I’m not so sure it’s worth $100 more.
If you’ve already got a Google Pixel 10 Pro, I don’t suggest upgrading. I daily drive a 10 Pro, and I know the Pixel Glow lighting and a few menial spec bumps aren’t worth the upgrade, so I’m going to wait for the Pixel 12 series.
In fact, if you do want a Pro-grade Pixel, I suggest waiting for the Pixel 11 to launch and taking advantage of the Pixel 10 discounts that will follow to get an even better deal on the 10 Pro. You’ll get an outstanding phone with Pixelsnap, awesome software and hardware all around, and six more years of updates to go.