RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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After many months of leaks, renders, and even actual device photos shared by Google itself, the technology giant is making its latest lineup of phones officially official. And while Trevor Noah, of The Daily Show fame, and Alex Cooper, of Call Her Daddy fame, will take the stage later this evening, August 12 , to help unveil the lineup, I've already spent time with the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL.
And this isn't a year where Google is going back to the drawing board and starting from scratch. Instead, the Pixel 11 lineup feels like the company is doubling down on a design language it has spent the last few years developing.
There are fresh colors, some upgraded hardware, and an even faster chip under the hood, but don't expect a revolution here.
All three phones are powered by Google's new Tensor G6 chip, which could help the Pixel lineup put up a stronger fight against Qualcomm's latest silicon, including the chips powering the latest Galaxy phones, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 .
I haven't put the Tensor G6 through extensive testing yet, but Google is promising a faster processor for things like web browsing and app launches, alongside a more efficient neural processing unit (called the TPU) that should let the Pixel 11 series handle AI tasks faster without draining the battery as quickly.
The Tensor G6 is also built on a 2nm process for better efficiency overall, and all three phones start with 12GB of RAM.
My early experience is that everything feels suitably quick and responsive, but I wouldn't make any sweeping performance claims just yet. For now, the bigger story is that Google seems to be building on the Tensor formula, focusing on efficiency rather than simply chasing speed.
The Pixel 11 in its fun 'Hibiscus' finish (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)
That approach is perhaps most obvious with the standard Pixel 11. Of the three, I think it has the best color options. The new Hibiscus (above) is particularly eye-catching — a bright, almost neon pinkish berry that gives the phone considerably more personality. There are also Obsidian, Pistachio, and Frost options, but Hibiscus is the one that immediately caught my eye.
It's still a 6.3-inch phone, making it a comfortable size for anyone who doesn't want a massive flagship in their pocket.
Around back, there's a welcome change. If you've never loved the sheer thickness of the Pixel's camera bar, Google has slimmed it down by 40%, and the difference is noticeable.
The Pixel 11's smaller camera bump is very welcome (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)
The rear panel remains glossy, while the edges have a matte finish. Still, after spending time with the Pixel 10a , I can't help but wish Google would bring that phone's fully flush camera design to its higher-end models.
The Pixel 11 gets a 48-megapixel main camera with a larger sensor that Google says should improve overall performance, alongside a 10.8-megapixel telephoto and 13-megapixel ultrawide.
But there's nothing here that feels radically different from what Google has been doing with Pixel, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The Pixel 11 Pro has a smart look, but the camera bar is prominent (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)
If you want a little more from the hardware, the Pixel 11 Pro is where things start to get more interesting. It's the same 6.3-inch size as the Pixel 11, but gets a display that's higher resolution and brighter, plus a more premium build and improvements to all the rear cameras.
I particularly like the finish, with Google sticking with a matte rear panel and glossy edges. It looks best in Canyon, a mix of pink, orange, and gold. You can also get it in Olive and Fog, as well as Obsidian, which gets a glossy treatment.
At $1,099 (about £1,079 / AU$1,560), the Pixel 11 Pro isn't cheap, but this feels like the model that could hit the sweet spot for people who want Google's best features without carrying around a massive phone.
If you do want something bigger, there's the Pixel 11 Pro XL for $1,299 (about £1,279 / AU$1,840), with a 6.8-inch display and a bigger battery under the hood. Otherwise, it's essentially the same Pro experience, just larger.
Both the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL also benefit from a new main camera sensor designed to improve low-light performance. The setup remains a very robust one: a 50-megapixel main camera paired with a 48MP ultrawide and 48MP telephoto.
But Google is pushing the zoom capabilities considerably further this time around, with up to 120x zoom.
Is a 120x image really a photograph, or is it an AI-generated interpretation of what Google thinks should be there?
Google is using specialized AI processing to make those extremely zoomed-in images look better, so that's something I absolutely want to put through its paces before passing final judgment.
The biggest hardware change on the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL, though, lives around the flash.
Google calls it HiLight — yes, with that interesting capitalization — and it's an array of LEDs surrounding the flash that can glow in various colors. It doesn't impact your photos or replace the flash; instead, it's a smart little indicator that Google can use for different things.
At launch, its capabilities are relatively limited, but I think Google might have something interesting here.
Flip the Pixel 11 Pro or Pro XL face down on a table, and HiLight can spring to life when Gemini is listening, giving you a visual indication without needing to turn the phone over and look at the screen.
It's a small thing, but I like it. There's also a more personal use that seems more helpful: You can assign specific colors to select contacts, and those alerts can break through Do Not Disturb or silent modes.
So, for example, you could assign a particular color to your partner, parent, or kid. If that person calls while your phone is face down, HiLight can glow in that color and tell you who's trying to reach you without you ...
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