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Google’s newest smartphone, the Pixel 11, is not an earth-shattering improve from the Pixel 10 — and even the 9. The 6.3-inch bodily kind issue, 12GB of RAM, and general construct is identical. Nevertheless, the Pixel 11 has double the bottom storage and two generations of processor enhancements underneath its belt. With the addition of the Google Tensor G6, the Pixel 11 represents a substantial improve in processing effectivity and CPU efficiency.
In case you’re a Pixel 9 consumer who held off on the Pixel 10 final yr, the brand new Google Pixel 11 may be sufficient to persuade you to improve, particularly when you think about how the telephones’ specs translate into real-world functions.
Specs
| Class | Google Pixel 11 | Google Pixel 9 |
| Beginning value | $899 | $799 |
| Show | 6.3-in Actua | OLED | 422ppi | 120Hz | 3,000 nits peak | 6.3-in Actua | OLED | 422ppi | 120Hz | 2,700 nits peak |
| Processor | Google Tensor G6 | Google Tensor G4 |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB | 512GB | 128GB | 256GB |
| Most important Digicam | 48MP Extensive | 13MP UW | 10.8MP Tele | 50MP Extensive | 48MP UW |
| Selfie Digicam | 10.5MP | 10.5MP |
| Battery | 4,985mAh | Pixelsnap | Qi2 | 4,700mAh | Qi |
| End | Frost, Pistachio, Hibiscus, Obsidian | Peony, Wintergreen, Porcelain, Obsidian |
The largest digital camera adjustments
Let’s tackle the elephant within the room: The Pixel 11 includes a digital camera system redesign over a easy improve. As an alternative of the incremental digital camera upgrades we are inclined to see in cellphone launches, the Pixel 11 includes a substantial decision discount: from 48MP within the Pixel 9 to 13MP on its ultrawide digital camera.
Nevertheless, the brand new Pixel 11 additionally includes a telephoto digital camera, shifting from a dual-camera system to a triple-camera array. The telephoto lens is a devoted zoom lens for capturing clear photos of distant objects. That is the second time we have seen a telephoto digital camera on a base-model Pixel, the primary being on the Pixel 10.
Trying into how Google made the upgrades to the brand new Pixel 11, it seems the corporate used lower-resolution vast and ultrawide sensors to make room for a telephoto possibility, probably to keep away from pushing the Pixel 11 into Professional territory and rising its value.
The primary digital camera went from 50MP to 48MP, which is not essentially a considerable sufficient change to meaningfully have an effect on picture high quality, particularly when you think about that aperture, pixel dimension, and picture processing are rather more essential than a 2-megapixel distinction.
The brand new Pixel 11 additionally options upgraded computational video options, together with main enhancements in ultra-low-light video and 4K cinematic blur.
Is the worth enhance price it?
Like many different shopper tech corporations, Google is elevating the worth of its smartphones. The 2026 Google Pixel base mannequin will promote for $100 greater than the earlier era, now beginning at $899 as an alternative of $799.
You will pay extra, however you may additionally get twice the bottom storage with the brand new Google Pixel 11. It begins at 256GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM, in comparison with the Pixel 9’s 128GB of storage for $799.
Author’s selection
All in all, we’re not seeing an enormous redesign with the Pixel 11. The similarities might outweigh the variations between the 2 base mannequin Google telephones.
Nevertheless, the most important and most noticeable distinction will in all probability be the Tensor G6 efficiency, which may make the cellphone considerably quicker whereas working cooler and probably lasting longer. Also, the addition of a telephoto digital camera may provide a distinct photograph expertise. Taken collectively, these may provide a compelling motive to improve in case your cellphone feels sluggish, or has taken a beating over the past two years.
