That changed recently with the arrival of dedicated chat themes. You can now abandon the default look, swap out boring backdrops for vibrant wallpapers, and give every group chat or contact its own distinct personality.

Interestingly, these changes are only visible to you, so you can go as bold as you like without affecting anyone else's view.

What you need to change your background

Custom themes are built into recent versions of Google Messages, so if your app updated recently, you may already have the feature waiting for you.

However, if you open a chat and do not see the theme settings yet, you simply need to update the app through the Google Play Store.

Open the store, tap your profile icon in the top-right corner, select Manage apps & device, and install any pending updates for Google Messages. Chat themes are available on both standard releases and beta builds.

You also need to make sure Rich Communication Services are active, as custom themes rely on RCS technology. Open Google Messages, tap your profile icon, navigate to Messages settings, and select RCS chats to confirm that the feature is toggled on.

Find the chat theme menu

Opening the theme customization menu takes only three quick taps from inside any conversation thread.

First, open Google Messages and select the specific text thread you want to design. Next, tap the three vertical dots located in the top-right corner of the screen and select Chat theme from the dropdown list to open the visual design editor.

Pick your chat colors and backgrounds

The first customization option is chat colors. By default, your color matches your system accent color, but you can choose from eight additional styles. Each color option changes your conversation background, chat bubbles, and interface elements like the voice recorder button.

Wallpapers offer even more personalization. Google provides pre-selected images organized by category — Animals, Architecture, Landscapes, Space, and others. If these don't appeal to you, tap Choose a photo to select any image from your phone or Google Photos.

What feature are you waiting for next? Now that Google has finally delivered custom chat themes, what should the next feature drop be? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

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But after spending the last two weeks with the Pixel 11 Pro, that charm is starting to wear thin for me. Not because the phone is bad — it’s actually good in plenty of areas — but because Google seems content to coast. And with 2026, packed with powerhouse devices all trying new things, coasting is a dangerous strategy.

This year’s big improvements

First, let me point out that the Pixel 11 Pro nails the basics. The camera is still one of the most reliable point‑and‑shoot experiences around, and the display is genuinely impressive this year. As detailed in our combined Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL review, its screen hits 2,860 nits peak brightness, while its larger sibling reaches 2,877 nits, making them the brightest phone screens we’ve ever tested. That’s brighter than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra at 2,687 nits, and more than double the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 1,281 nits. Out in the Australian sun, that difference is immediately apparent.

Camera performance is strong, too. Its 5x telephoto lens produces crisp long‑range shots, and as detailed in our review, Google’s AI‑boosted 120x zoom actually outperforms Samsung’s 100x attempt in clarity. The new Magic Capture mode, which records a video and simultaneously extracts high-quality stills from it, works quite well, and Rambler, which uses Gemini AI to transcribe your rambling speech into well-structured text, is quite impressive. Live Translate for media is also genuinely useful, allowing you to dub content into another language in real-time — it’ll even keep the voice and accent of the original speaker, which is actually kind of mind-blowing.

Impressive AI features, but do they justify a new phone?

Despite being sold as the ultimate AI phone, the Pixel 11 Pro isn’t exactly a compute monster. In fact, our benchmarks show its Tensor G6 chipset landing well behind its rivals in Geekbench AI tests — a surprising result for a device built around on‑device AI features. And that’s what makes this year’s Pixel 11-exclusive AI features feel a bit arbitrary. Rambler, Magic Capture, Live Translate for media — they’re clever tools, but none of them appear to require any dramatic hardware leap. The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL simply aren’t delivering the kind of AI throughput that would justify locking these features to new devices.

Google has a long history of keeping software tricks exclusive to the latest Pixel, even when older hardware could clearly cope — think Photo Unblur (exclusive to Pixel 7 at launch) or Audio Magic Eraser (exclusive to Pixel 8 at launch) — and that pattern seems to continue with this year’s lineup. So while the AI perks are fun to play with, they’re far less exciting to me than a refreshed design or a meaningfully upgraded camera system would’ve been. If Google wants the Pixel to feel essential again, it needs to deliver real hardware upgrades — not just software that likely could’ve shipped to last year’s phones.

The feeling of sameness is hard to shake

After two weeks with the Pixel 11 Pro, the sameness is impossible to ignore. The last few Pixels have looked and felt nearly identical. Same silhouette, same camera bar, and same “good enough” approach to performance. I can pick up a Pixel 9 Pro, 10 Pro or 11 Pro and my muscle memory barely registers the difference. That’s not consistency; that’s stagnancy.

And stagnancy becomes even more obvious when you look at the hard numbers. The Pixel 11 Pro’s battery life is 13 hours 25 minutes, which is actually worse than last year’s Pixel 10 Pro at 13 hours 43 minutes. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro hits 15 hours 21 minutes, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra lasts 16 hours 10 minutes. Those are meaningful gaps for devices that aren’t too far off from each other in terms of price.

No meaningful performance gains

It’s a similar story when it comes to performance: the Pixel 11 Pro’s Geekbench 6 scores — 2,649 single‑core / 7,164 multi‑core — are an improvement over the Pixel 10 Pro, but nowhere near Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra (3,785 / 11,563) or the iPhone 17 Pro Max (3,871 / 9,968). And the aforementioned AI benchmark is downright brutal: the Pixel 11 Pro scores 9,148, while Samsung hits 83,047 and Apple reaches 48,549. When a flagship is being outpaced by that margin, especially one that’s being sold as a class-leading AI-centric device, it’s hard to pretend everything’s fine.

Even the exclusive Gemini features — as polished as they are — don’t change how the phone feels in the hand, or how it performs under load, or how long it lasts on a busy day. They’re clever additions, but they’re still additions. They don’t fix the underlying issue: Google hasn’t meaningfully pushed its hardware forward in years.

Good enough is no longer enough

And then there’s HiLight, the only visually distinct hardware update Google has made this year. It’s basically a tiny LED that blinks when Gemini is listening or when an assigned contact calls. It’s cute, but it’s hardly the kind of innovation that keeps a brand relevant. Nothing has been offering similar features for years and to be honest, it never really impressed anyone.

A meaningful redesign would go a long way. And I’m not talking about slightly smaller bezels or a slightly tweaked camera bump — I mean a proper refresh. Something that signals Google is hungry again. Maybe that means an Ultra-style device that actually competes with the big players, or a foldable that doesn’t feel like it’s two years behind the competition. It also wouldn’t hurt if the next Pixel had a Tensor chip that could go toe-to-toe with higher-range Snapdragon chips, or a battery that charges fast and lasts long.

Maybe it’s time to go back to the drawing board

Of course, the Pixel 11 Pro’s biggest problem isn’t its performance, battery or price — though all three could be better. It’s that it feels like Google is playing it safe, and that’s risky in a market where everyone else is swinging for the fences.

Google clearly wants the Pixel line to sit alongside Samsung and Apple as one of the industry’s top‑tier smartphone brands, but the reality is that it’s falling behind fast‑moving competitors like Motorola, Xiaomi and Oppo. These brands are pushing aggressive hardware innovation, competitive pricing and rapid release cycles, while Google’s hardware strategy has remained relatively unchanged.

If Google genuinely wants to make a meaningful impact in the smartphone space, it needs more than incremental updates. I want Google’s Pixel line to take risks again and surprise me.

I want a Pixel phone that doesn’t feel like it was designed by a committee trying not to rock the boat. Because if Google keeps serving up “good, but boring,” the Pixel line won’t just fall behind — it’ll fade into the background entirely.

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In our Google Pixel 11 review, we weren't overly enthused by the phone as a whole, but its "Magic Capture" camera mode is something I've found truly useful. It works by recording a video clip, then uses AI to analyze each frame and pull out the most appropriate stills. It's not quite a dual-capture mode, but it's probably the closest thing Pixel phones actually have right now.

The question is, can Magic Capture actually do what Google has promised? HiLight has turned out to be a colossal disappointment, and the Pixel 11 is about as exciting as beige paint. So can Google recapture user enthusiasm through the camera? I tested it to find out.

How to use Magic Capture

In my experience, a lot of new AI features can be difficult to find, even if you know where to look. That's not the case with Magic Capture. Google has put it front and center in the Pixel 11's camera app. It is prominently displayed at the bottom of the screen, next to the Photo and Video toggles that have been around for years.

Tap it, and the camera interface suddenly gets a whole lot cleaner. Your only serious options are to tap the shutter button and control the level of zoom. There is a settings toggle that lets you control whether you have Video Boost switched on too, should you prefer things that way.

All you need to do is tap the shutter button and your phone will start recording. Once you've finished, the onboard AI will analyze the footage and figure out which frames are worthy of becoming photos. Those new photos then get added to your camera reel automatically.

It's surprisingly simple, and that's one of the things I really like about Magic Capture. You don't need to do a bunch of research to figure out how it works, or what you can gain from it. The button is positioned front-and-center, and it works just like every other video camera mode on your phone.

There are some restrictions on how it works

As simple as Magic Capture is to use, there are a few limitations. The first is that you can't actually capture more than two minutes of video at a time. If you start getting close, a warning message will pop up on screen counting down to the moment the video will stop.

In my experience, you are limited to five photos from each video. It doesn't matter whether it's 30 seconds long, or the full two minutes, Magic Capture seems to have imposed that hard limit.

Google hasn't explained why these limits are in place, but my guess is that it didn't want the AI analysis running indefinitely. A two minute and five photo limit ensures that Magic Capture doesn't try to keep running and eat up too much space on Google's AI servers. Because, yes, this feature does rely on the internet.

You can still film Magic Capture clips while offline, and the on-board AI will find you a single photo that's automatically added to your library. However, if you want the other four, you will need to connect to the internet. The good news is that your video will be effectively held in a pending queue, waiting to connect to either Wi-Fi or cellular data networks — at which point it will process and hand over the missing photos.

Overall, it's a great new feature

The time I've spent with Magic Capture has been, for the most part, very enjoyable. It's so easy to just click on the video, knowing that Google's AI will end up capturing some of the best stills and converting them into standalone photos.

If you are planning on using Magic Capture yourself, I'd suggest tempering your expectations on what it can do. It's not a miracle worker, and it won't suddenly be able to create amazing images out of the shortest and scrappiest video clip you can capture. Likewise, because these photos are being ripped from moving video, you may end up with some blurring and signs of motion in the final result.

The actual resolution and overall size of each photo varies as well, which is worth remembering if you're concerned about that sort of thing. Just remember that high resolution doesn't automatically equal good quality.

But, overall, this is a very handy feature to have. While the restriction on video length and the number of available images is kind of a drag, Magic Capture does make it a heck of a lot easier to grab some photos of awkward targets — like my insanely energetic labradors. It's all hands-off, and it sure as heck beats going frame-by-frame in a video or mass-deleting photos that were taken during an overzealous use of burst-mode photography.

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At the time, Google had just announced the new Rambler AI dictation software but hadn't revealed exactly how it was going to roll out. Earlier this month, it confirmed that Rambler would be arriving on the Pixel 11 series, allowing a whole new kind of voice-to-text software that uses natural language AI to ensure the most accurate dictation possible — or so Google says.

Naturally, I decided to test the system and see if Rambler really does live up to Google's lofty claims. I was also curious to see whether the natural language systems would be capable of better understanding verbal commands and allow me to edit my work as I speak. Here's what happened.

How Rambler Works

According to Google's original announcement back at Google I/O in May, Rambler is a way to ensure that users "don't have to worry about getting your words exactly right before you start.” It is designed for you to speak naturally to your phone and then use the AI to filter out all the unnecessary little parts of speech that you don't actually want transcribed. The ums, ahs and all the other verbal tics that you say without even thinking.

This essentially means that you can focus on what you're saying and the actual content of your work without having to worry about going back later and filtering out all those little things that would need to be removed later on.

Considering editing was the biggest issue I had with dictation software earlier this year, the idea that you could minimize that, or at the very least verbally make changes to text on the fly certainly piqued my curiosity.

Rambler is powered by Gemini AI, and according to Google, it can understand multiple languages at once, allowing users who can speak multiple languages to switch between them as and when they see fit.

Google claims it's all about speed and accuracy, and Rambler is accessible at the top of your keyboard, replacing the old dictation functionality. While it originally launched on Pixel 11, Google has since confirmed that it will be coming to Gboard on Android, Gemini on macOS, and the Chrome Browser.

How my time "typing" with Rambler is going

So far I've been pretty impressed with how Rambler has done things. Not only has it been able to pick up what I'm saying with impressive clarity, it's also been able to do a lot of the formatting and punctuation without actually requiring me to specifically ask for it.

Generally speaking, as long as I can actually keep my words concise and my thoughts aligned, Rambler is having absolutely no issues with transcribing what I'm saying.

Of course, the main limitation is that I'm not very good at doing that. I find it much easier to write or type than I do to speak, especially when that involves speaking off the cuff; organising my thoughts and relaying them to my own mouth in short order. This isn't a problem with Rambler itself; it's just how my brain works.

Then again, it feels like Google could have done a lot more to make the process a little bit smoother. When you start up Rambler, you get a little bar at the top of your keyboard that features a little visualisation based on what your microphone actually picks up. The more it hears, the higher the visualisation goes and so on. What Rambler doesn't include is a preview of what it has understood you've said, which makes organising your thoughts all the more difficult, especially if you try and correct a mistake mid-flow.

Having that preview would be a small improvement, but it would make a huge amount of difference, at least to me, in ensuring that I can continue my train of thought despite knowing that I just made a blunder or wanted to rewrite part of a sentence.

Despite the advances that Google has made with conversational AI and voice recognition, it is far from perfect — especially with relation to my own accent. For some reason, it recognised the word "other" as "are there" and "asking of it" as "asking for it."

Accent recognition has plagued voice control systems since their inception, and clearly more work needs to be done in this area.

There are some big issues that need addressing

If anyone can tell, the previous paragraph was typed out from scratch, rather than using my voice. That's because attempting to get Rambler to edit and configure the text ended up wiping multiple paragraphs from this article for reasons I cannot understand.

Thankfully Google Docs was kind enough to let me undo those changes, but there were a lot of them, and my dedication to producing this article through voice alone meant I didn't notice for some time — and could have ended up losing about an hour of work in the process. If AI is supposed to make our lives better and improve productivity, it's going to have to avoid doing stupid things like this.

Anyway, back to using my voice, as promised.

Rambler can be used to edit what you've written, but in my brief time testing the feature it has been remarkably inconsistent. Obviously, that culminated in paragraphs of work being erased seemingly out of nowhere, but there have been instances where it seemingly struggles to understand what I'm trying to ask of it.

Naturally, the fact that there is no preview of what it has understood does make the editing process a little harder. You have to be able to memorise what you just said, while simultaneously thinking about what you're about to say, and still have the ability to tell Rambler that you need changes to be made.

Editing text that has already been pasted into the document, especially in such a large block like this, is not something that Rambler is very adept at doing. Sometimes it works, but in other cases it'll mess the whole thing up and that level of inconsistency is far from ideal. If Google just showed you what you said without having to paste it into the document, all of this could be avoided.

Naturally, the fact that it can automatically recognise what you're saying and format it appropriately before you even get to the editing stage is a big help. The way Gboard dictation used to be, you would just end up with huge blocks of text that needed punctuation scattered through it where appropriate—assuming you didn't physically say it while you were dictating.

You can still add your own punctuation when necessary. For instance, I'm very fond of using em-dashes in my work, while Gboard and Rambler are not.

Likewise, if I want to put something in quotation marks, I have to specifically ask for it, and this usually leads me to sprinkle in other punctuation throughout the piece as and where I deem it necessary, because we can't always trust AI to make the correct decisions for us.

Bottom line

Credit where it's due, Rambler is a huge improvement over other kinds of free voice dictation we've been getting bundled with our smartphones. I specifically mean the dictation services afforded by iOS 27 and other Android devices through the Gboard app.

There are issues that people need to be aware of, and you do need to be vigilant about what Rambler is doing. Otherwise, like me, you could end up with huge chunks of your work just being erased because you accidentally said the wrong thing or it misunderstood what you actually wanted.

The editing commands could also be improved and the lack of a preview is quite an oversight on Google's part.

Rambler does have a pretty good grasp of what you're trying to say and the commands you're trying to give, but it does seem to be better suited for smaller blocks of text rather than feature-length articles like this one. The more text there is, the easier it is for things to start going wrong and the more likely it is that you're not going to notice them until it's far too late.

Still, if you find yourself in a situation where you can't type with both hands on your phone, or you simply prefer to express your thoughts verbally, even if you're sending an email or a text message, Rambler is actually doing a pretty good job and it is a massive improvement on what was available before.

Is it the best dictation software out there? I doubt it. There are probably premium options that do this sort of thing absolutely flawlessly, but for free software that is included on your phone's keyboard, it's doing a pretty good job so far.

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With the Pixel 11, however, Google is raising the stakes — and the price tag — by asking for $100 more. At this new premium, I have higher expectations for a return given that steeper upfront cost. Quite frankly, it needs the upgraded hardware and day-to-day performance to back it up.

In my Pixel 11 review, I’ll break down whether these newest additions truly justify the higher cost or if it’s a pass.

Google Pixel 11 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Google’s standard flagship phone for 2026, serving as the successor to last year’s Pixel 10 while offering top-tier hardware for a little less money than the Pros.
• Who is it for? Buyers who want the pure Android experience with helpful AI features that make daily tasks a breeze in a more compact form factor — especially those who don't want to pay $1,000 for a flagship.
• What does it cost? Pricing starts at $899 for the 128GB base storage configuration, reflecting a $100 price increase over the previous model.
• What do we like? An even brighter Actua display that holds up in direct sunlight, expanded camera tools, helpful new AI features, and a noticeably thinner camera plateau.
• What don’t we like? The $100 price hike is tough to swallow given the minimal year-over-year hardware upgrades, Tensor G6 performance still lags behind rivals, and battery endurance remains mostly middle-of-the-road.

Google Pixel 11 review: Specifications

Google Pixel 11 review: The ups

A much brighter display

On paper, the screen doesn’t seem any different from before — a 6.3-inch Actua display — but don’t be fooled, as it packs a serious brightness boost.

Outdoor visibility gets a noticeable lift this year, backed up by solid numbers in our lab testing. This OLED panel reaches a peak brightness of 2,480 nits, up from the Pixel 10’s 2,333-nit peak rating. Whether I’m streaming rich 4K video or previewing high-contrast photos I’ve shot outdoors, this display delivers punchy highlights and excellent clarity without washing out details.

Helpful AI features

Despite the hardware upgrades being more subtle this time around, Google continues to take the lead when it comes to delivering some of the best AI features around.

Gemini is integrated more deeply into daily workflows, and that’s what I continue to love about its task automation feature, which now extends to even more third-party apps than when I first tried it on the Galaxy S26. In fact, I asked Gemini to find and book dinner reservations at a nearby restaurant — and it handled everything seamlessly up until the final step, leaving only the booking confirmation to me.

Everyday assistance also feels considerably more intuitive thanks to Proactive Assistance, which intelligently surfaces contextual information right when I need it — like suggesting showtimes and calendar invites when friends mention a movie night in a group chat.

I’m even finding myself typing messages less frequently because Rambler, a new voice dictation tool in Gboard, is smart enough to filter out all the imperfections in natural speech, including filler words like "ums" and "ahs." Together, they prove once again that Google’s AI features are built around practical utility rather than gimmicks.

Thinner camera plateau

Google’s signature camera cutout gets a much-welcomed refinement this year, slimming down so it isn't nearly as raised as before. Personally, I like how the elongated cutout accentuates the camera setup, but this subtle redesign positions the housing significantly closer to the back glass.

While it’s still technically raised, pairing it with Google’s official case makes the plateau sit completely flush with the rest of the phone — leaving the back entirely flat.

More Camera tools for creators

The Pixel lineup has consistently delivered some of the best camera phones around, and despite the hardware remaining mostly unchanged this year, Google adds even more tools for creators. Leading the charge is Magic Capture, which lets me shoot video while automatically analyzing every frame to extract picture-perfect snapshots — like catching bright smiles right in the moment.

Camera Looks allows me to bypass aggressive post-processing enhancements in favor of a specific aesthetic, applying distinct photographic styles that I can easily dial up or tone down to my liking.

Finally, vloggers and content creators will find the new Creator Suite within the camera app especially handy. It bundles social media framing gridlines, a live audio visualizer, upgraded Speech Enhancement, and my personal favorite, an in-camera teleprompter, making video recording feel far more seamless.

Google Pixel 11 review: The downs

Tensor G6 continues to underperform

While Google’s Tensor silicon has never been about topping benchmark charts, the Tensor G6 powering the Pixel 11 still trails its main rivals like the Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17.

In Geekbench 6, it averaged a single-core score of 2,664 and 7,347 with multicore — only a marginal boost over the Pixel 10’s scores. Don’t get me wrong: the phone still feels exceptionally fluid navigating around the interface and running Google’s on-device AI models, but the fact that these scores remain nowhere near competing top-tier chips is still disappointing.

Graphics testing paints a similar story, with the Pixel 11 posting an average overall score of 14,074 and an average frame rate of 84.28 fps in 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited. It’s capable enough for mainstream gaming, including titles I frequently play like Diablo Immortal and Age of Origins, but power users looking for bleeding-edge frame rates will notice the performance gap.

Flat battery life

After putting the Pixel 11 through the Tom’s Guide battery drain test, I’m honestly underwhelmed by the results, as endurance stays firmly in place rather than taking a meaningful step forward.

Its average time of 12 hours and 45 minutes is actually a step down from the 13 hours and 13 minutes posted by last year's Pixel 10. Although I still find it sufficient in my real-world use — easily powering me through a typical workday — it could've been better. At least it still pulls in longer endurance than other flagships, but it does benefit from a much larger battery capacity.

Charging speeds are equally stagnant, reaching just 27% in 15 minutes and 52% after 30 minutes using a standard charger. On the plus side, Google’s magnetic PixelSnap feature is still here, offering seamless alignment for Qi2 wireless chargers and full compatibility with all of my favorite magnetic accessories.

No major camera improvements

There’s no denying that the Pixel 10 was a dramatic leap last year, introducing a dedicated telephoto lens to the baseline flagship for the first time. However, the Pixel 11’s triple camera setup doesn’t move the needle all that much for me — carrying over a 48MP main shooter, 13MP ultrawide, and a 10.8MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom.

Side-by-side shots I’ve captured against the Pixel 10 look nearly identical across most everyday shooting scenarios, delivering virtually the same contrast, color rendition, and fine detail across the sensors.

The only subtle distinction surfaces in low-light conditions, where the updated Night Sight processing produces slightly darker, more underexposed frames compared to the brighter exposures of the Pixel 10. The tradeoff, however, is a noticeably cleaner image with less visible digital noise in shadowy areas.

$100 price hike

At a starting price of $899, the Pixel 11 represents a 12.5% price increase over the Pixel 10’s $799 launch tag — a hike that I think is hard to justify given how minimal the gains are.

For an extra $100, you’re primarily getting a brighter display, minor low-light noise tweaks, and software features that could very well trickle down to older hardware in future Pixel Drops. With processor performance, battery life, and core camera hardware remaining largely static, the added cost simply doesn’t deliver a matching leap in value.

In fact, if you can find the Pixel 10 discounted at retailers or carrier promotions, it remains the smarter buy.

Google Pixel 11 review: Verdict

The Pixel 11 is a solid Android phone, but it doesn’t quite match the excitement I had for its predecessor. The biggest incentives to pick one up are undeniably the smarter Gemini AI capabilities and handy new camera tools, both of which genuinely elevate daily use. While there are a few welcome hardware refinements, like a brighter display and a slimmer camera plateau, the generational leap isn't nearly as dramatic as what I saw with the Pixel 10.

When you factor in the $100 price hike, the value proposition takes a hit. If you're currently holding onto a Pixel 9 or an older device, the Pixel 11 offers a rewarding step up in camera versatility, screen quality, and on-device intelligence. But if you already own a Pixel 10, there simply aren't enough hardware gains here to justify the upgrade cost.

HiLight is part of the camera flash on the back of the Pixel 11 Pro, utilizing a range of colored LED lights. It's essentially a modern day take on the notification light smartphone companies mostly ditched years ago.

Unfortunately, the way HiLight works right now feels like a missed opportunity, but there is potential if Google is willing to put some effort into it.

What HiLight can do

Looking at the back of the Pixel 11 Pro, you'd never know that HiLight was actually there. Though if you are familiar with Pixel phones you may recognize that the flash is totally different, with a smooth solid-colored surface rather than the fresnel-looking lens utilized on the likes of Pixel 10 Pro.

Here's how it works. When you place your phone face down, and whenever the right trigger occurs HiLight will flash one of six colors. Blue is reserved for Google Gemini, but at the moment the HiLight icon can also flash teal, yellow, magenta, purple and white. Unfortunately, the feature is limited in what it can actually do.

The way Google described HiLight, you might have assumed that it would support a bunch of different notification types. I know I did, but that isn't the case. As it stands, HiLight will only flash for two reasons. The light will flash blue whenever you're talking to Google Gemini, but it can also be set up to flash one of the five other colors when your starred contacts are calling you.

At the moment, that is all HiLight can do. Any other kind of notification is completely off limits, and there's no way to set up HiLight to flash up when you get an email, text message or something else entirely.

It's also worth noting that HiLight won't engage if your phone screen is not facing directly down. It doesn't have to be a flat surface, only that your phone screen is pointing towards the ground. In fact, you can test this yourself, because HiLight will actually turn off if you tilt your phone too far in any other direction.

The limitations are disappointing — but it didn't have to be this way

It feels like Google has only done half a job with the way it's rolled out HiLight to the Pixel 11 Pro. The limited functionality means that the one thing that could have become the Pixel 11 Pro's standout feature is nearly pointless for me.

I can't tell you how many times my starred contacts actually bother to call me. Usually they send me a text message, or call me via WhatsApp — which is not compatible with HiLight.

Honestly, it feels like Google hasn't put a lot of effort into making HiLight a feature that people will actually get much benefit from. Everything about it is limited, from the compatibility to the color options.

Google did state that HiLight will be updated with more features at some point in the future, but the only specific detail we've been given is that HiLight will flash when you get messages from favored contacts. We just don't know when that might happen, or what further plans Google has in store for the feature.

App developers have been hard at work trying to crack the system behind HiLight and give users the freedom to utilize the LED however they want. One of them claims to have succeeded, which is crazy considering we're just a few short days out from the phones' official release.

Developers step in

HiLight Studio has garnered attention for its bold claims, promising that users can control the rear-lights colors, and program the lights to activate with an even larger range of apps. I haven't been able to test it for myself, because the setup process is a lot more complicated than simply installing an APK file. This is a system level feature, after all, and it's not one that Google will want you messing with.

In other words, this is for people with patience and technical ability to get everything going. The fact that you need to relaunch the service every time your phone reboots is enough to put me off.

Still, it shows that HiLight is not necessarily limited to the few features Google has graced the Pixel 11 Pro with so far. It's a lot more versatile and potentially a lot more useful than I initially gave it credit for — or it could be.

Bottom line: HiLight could be a lot better than it is

I can see potential in HiLight, and the ability to keep tabs on your notifications without constantly checking your phone screen. In an ideal world you could map different notifications to a veritable rainbow of different colors and use that to determine whether you should actually open up your phone or not.

But in its current state, HiLight is basically a non-starter. It's only compatible with two features, and while I understand why Gemini was chosen I have no idea why Google decided adding support for phone calls was a priority. Actually receiving a phone call is unusual enough that it grabs my attention, I don't need a colorful light to go with it.

HiLight could be something, but it's going to rely on Google actually rolling out a bunch of updates to improve the usefulness of the entire mechanism. But if things stay the way they are, it's just one more phone feature destined for the scrap heap.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple's big September event is coming — but don't expect these 5 products
• Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Falling behind the foldable curve
• iPhone Ultra vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: Here’s the one I’m putting my money on

For a limited time, Verizon is offering the Pixel 11 Pro for free with a new Unlimited plan. Even better, you'll get a free Pixel Watch 5 and free Galaxy Tab S10 FE 5G with any Google phone purchase. That's one of the best Pixel 11 deals I've seen.

In our Pixel 11 Pro review, we said Google's new phone is a good phone, but you should be aware of the compromises you'll need to make. First, it costs $100 more than the Pixel 10 Pro. The upside is that the new model comes with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB. However, the base Pixel 11 Pro's RAM has been downgraded from 16GB on its predecessor to just 12GB of the new Pixel 11 Pro. The cost of RAM has been skyrocketing and while we don't like that Google did this, we can at least understand why they did it.

That said, the Pixel 11 Pro offers better cameras, AI features, and better overall performance than the Pixel 10 Pro. Not to mention you get a brighter display. So while we wouldn't recommend paying full price for the Pixel 11 Pro, we would absolutely recommend getting it for free at Verizon. Especially since it's bundled with the Pixel Watch 5 and a Galaxy tablet. Just remember that to get this deal you'll need to purchase your phone with a an Unlimited data plan.

Google's new lineup includes the 6.3-inch Pixel 11 ($899), 6.3-inch Pixel 11 Pro ($1,099), 6.8-inch Pixel 11 Pro XL ($1,299), and Pixel 11 Pro Fold ($1,899). The latter sports a 6.5-inch cover display and 8-inch main display.

If you're looking for carrier deals, T-Mobile is offering the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, or Pixel 11 Pro XL for free with select data plans and no trade-in required. It's one of the best Pixel 11 deals I've seen from any carrier so far. On the retailer front, Best Buy has the Pixel 11 from $99 with trade-in. Plus, you'll get from a $100 to $350 eGift card with your purchase.

Below I've rounded up all of the best Pixel 11 deals you can get right now. For more deals and personal recommendations, check out the Tom's Guide Savings Squad homepage.

Quick Links

• T-Mobile: free Pixel 11/Pixel 11 Pro/Pixel 11 Pro XL
• Verizon: Pixel 11 Pro w/ free Pixel Watch 5 + Tab S10 F 5G
• AT&T: free Pixel 11 Pro or Pixel 11 Pro XL w/ trade-in
• Xfinity Mobile: free w/ trade-in
• Best Buy: up to $350 gift card
• Amazon: up to $200 gift card

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While these are not exactly bad phones, it's hard not to feel disappointed about what Google has released this year. There are few noticeable upgrades on paper, and the phones themselves have endured a $100 price hike that makes the apparent lack of progress sting even more.

But there's a lot more to a phone than what we can see on a specs sheet, and I was hoping that the Pixel 11 Pro could impress me in ways that I hadn't previously anticipated.

So I've been spending time with the phones to see whether Google's latest premium phones are actually worth picking up. Sadly, like the Pixel 10a, it turns out that this phone is just another lazy update that feels like half a step backward from last year's models.

Read on for our full Google Pixel 11 Pro and Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review.

Google Pixel 11 Pro & Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The latest Pro-tier Pixel flagships, available in regular and XL sizes set to replace the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL.
• Who is it for? Those people who want the Google-led Android experience, with fast updates and a heavy focus on cameras and AI. Ideally people who haven't upgraded their phones for a few years
• What does it cost? Prices for the Pixel 11 Pro start at $1,099 / £1,079 / AU$1,849 while the Pixel 11 Pro XL starts at $1,299 / £1,279 / AU$2,099. Both phones offer 256GB of storage and 12GB RAM, though higher storage tiers are available with 16GB of RAM
• What do we like? The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL have the brightest screen we've tested, alongside a scratch-resistant display, excellent AI-centric features and noticeable improvements to the cameras.
• What don't we like? Overall this is a fairly mediocre upgrade, continuing the longstanding Pixel tradition of weak performance, unimpressive battery life, reduced RAM on the cheapest models, and very little to make it an appealing purchase for a lot of people.

Google Pixel 11 Pro & Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Specs

Google Pixel 11 Pro & Pixel 11 Pro XL review: The Ups

The moment I got into testing these new Pixel 11 Pros, the small refinements jumped out at me. A lot of it comes down to the software running in the background, but there is one hardware upgrade (especially in the midst of a very bright summer) that I especially appreciated.

Brighter displays

The Pixel 10 Pro XL was the brightest phone we ever tested with peak brightness of 2,555 nits. Recently the phone was beaten by the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's 2,687 nits. Well now it seems the Pixel 11 Pro XL has reclaimed that title, with peak brightness of 2,877 nits — closely followed by the Pixel 11 Pro's 2,860 nits.

That's well in excess of the iPhone 17 Pro Max's 1,281 nits brightness, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra's 1,806 nits. This ensures that the 11 Pro and Pro XL excel in brighter conditions, which I am currently plagued by in the heat of August. That being said, they do lack the anti-reflective display of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and S26 Ultra.

Both Pro models do come with a special anti-scratch display, which should help prevent mini scratches from appearing when you're looking at the screen under bright light. While I haven't deliberately tried to scratch up the screens, I haven't noticed any of them mysteriously appear, either.

Cameras have improved

At first glance, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL's cameras don't seem to have changed all that much compared to last year — but that's not the case.

The main camera and selfie cameras are functionally identical, that much is true, but the ultrawide and telephoto lenses have gained new larger sensors. While the Pixel 11 Pro misses the mark in a lot of areas, the camera quality is not one of them.

The main camera lens is capable of going head to head with the Galaxy S26 Ultra's 200MP main camera, despite the obvious gap in resolution. The colors are a little more vivid on the Pixel, but the overall quality is fairly equal - to the point where you can see a lot of similar grain when you zoom in on the printed lettering.

The quality of the ultrawide seems fairly equal to the Pixel 10 Pro at first glance, but look a little closer and you can see that the Pixel 11 Pro's picture is a lot sharper. Whether that will affect casual appreciation of ultrawide-angle photos isn't clear, but it shows that Pixel 11 Pro is putting the larger camera sensor and Tensor G6 to good use.

It's a similar situation with the telephoto lens at 5x magnification. At first glance they don't seem all that different, but close in and you can see that the general quality on the Pixel 11 Pro's photo is clearer and sharper.

That's more noticeable at 10x magnification, with the Pixel 11 Pro XL's 10x "optical quality" camera picking up a lot more of the smaller details than the 10 Pro XL.

The AI-enhanced 120x zoom is where Google's AI capabilities really shine, especially compared to Samsung's 100x zoom capabilities. Despite offering 20% more magnification than Samsung, the 11 Pro managed to create a much-clearer image than Samsung does - with brighter colors and a lot more detail.

But that's not just the AI, the unenhanced version of the photo (above) also looks a heck of a lot better than what Samsung managed to create with AI help.

The quality of the selfie camera is generally fine, but they don't even come close to the detail afforded by the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone camera manages to pick up a lot more of the smaller details, and doesn't make me look like a vampire that's never seen sunlight before.

It's very much the same situation with Portrait mode. However I prefer Google's bokeh effect, especially with how it singles my head out without offering quite so much blurring around the edges.

Low light quality is also pretty admirable, though the pictures often came out slightly darker than they did with the Pixel 10 Pro. I'd say that the 11 Pro produces a better picture, and the Instant Night Sight feature does make the process of low-light photography a lot easier to pull off.

That said, the process isn't actually instant. The camera still needs two seconds to shoot a photo, rather than the three to six seconds required by Night Sight on the Pixel 10 Pro. Still, it's amazing how much of a difference even a single second can make to the photography process — and that third second feels so much longer.

Cool new software features

There aren't a whole lot of new software features coming to Pixel this year, but the ones that have been released are pretty impressive. The main trio include the Rambler dictation software, Magic Capture in the camera and Live Translate for media — though that's limited to YouTube videos for the time being.

Magic Capture might just be my favorite, since it lets you record video of a situation and uses AI to identify which frames are actually worth keeping.

In other words it's a great way to get photos of moving targets, like children or pets, without having to try and time your shutter with the perfect situation. It's kind of like an alternative to a burst mode, which the Pixel 11 doesn't have, but instead of recording a series of still images, you get a short video clip instead.

Live Translate is also pretty impressive, since it will automatically translate videos you're watching in real time. I have seen features like this on other phones, including the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, but always found them to be a little finicky.

Google's version seems to work in a much simpler way, so long as you've downloaded the appropriate language packs in the system settings. The feature only works with YouTube right now, but once you load up the appropriate foreign-language video, you'll see a pop-up offering to translate the page — similar to how you would in a web browser.

Once the translation mechanism is engaged, it will feed you an English-version of whatever is said on screen while preserving some sense of accent and realism. In other words it's not a robotic AI voice that you'll find in some parts of the internet. I tried it in French and Spanish, and found that it worked pretty well — though the AI did fumble at times due to the speed at which some Spanish people speak.

Rambler is also very interesting because it completely redesigns the voice-to-text feature in the Gboard app. I recently tested Gboard against iOS 27 beta's dictation capabilities and found that they were at a very similar level. Rambler blows them both out of the water.

Not only was it able to figure out all the verbal tics humans add to speech, and ignore them, it's able to differentiate between voice typing and giving it commands.

Better still it could go back and make alterations to existing text, which is not something I've seen freely-available dictation software do before. I may be a big fan of traditional ways of typing (mostly pen and paper), but my early experience with Rambler could make a good attempt at changing that.

256GB on the Pro

I've spent years complaining that 128GB of base storage was no longer enough, and this year is the year Google finally made it happen for everyone. Of course, the Pixel 10 Pro XL got the higher base storage last year, and Pixel Folds have always started with 256GB of space. But this year marks the first time the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro have started with 256GB of storage.

Effectively this means the cheapest Pixel 11 Pro has double the amount of storage as last year's equivalent — which is perfect for storing all those files and photos you need to keep around. Though the downside is that you have to pay $100 more for the privilege this year, and won't get as much RAM.

Google Pixel 11 Pro & Pixel 11 Pro XL review: The downs

I know that upgrades between generations are always going to be more about the minor refinements. But the Pixel 11 Pros struggle to clear even that hurdle — all while charging $100 more and giving you less RAM at the baseline.

Minimal upgrades

By far the biggest issue with the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL is that the hardware has barely changed since last year. The real changes include the addition of the Tensor G6, different sensors for the cameras, replacing the thermometer sensor with HiLight and offering a brighter display on both models.

There is a new modem and the Titan M3 security chip, though these are hardly additions that will have any noticeable impact on ordinary user experience

The Pixel 11 Pro also gets the additional 256GB of base storage and 25W wireless charging, both of which were already available on the Pixel 10 Pro XL last year.

These updates are incremental at best, and considering the jump from Pixel 9 Pro to Pixel 10 Pro also featured minimal hardware changes, I had hoped that Google would offer a little more with the Pixel 11 Pro. But alas that does not seem to have been the case, and that's rather disappointing.

HiLight is probably the most interesting Google has offered, and even that seems like a half-baked addition to the phone. The LED works really well when your phone is left face down, but it also only works for two features right now. Specifically it flashes blue when you're talking to Gemini, and one of five custom colors that will flash when a starred contact calls you. But that's all it can do right now.

Google says it will be able to do more in future, but at the moment HiLight can only flash up for these two features and in these colors. Without better customization options and support for more kinds of notifications, it comes across as a gimmick more than an actually useful feature.

Price hike

The other main issue with this year's batch of Pixels is that the price has gone up. It's been a long time since Pixel phones were seen as the affordable option, but the Pixel 11 series pushes that to the extreme — and it feels worse for the Pixel 11 Pro XL.

Both phones' base models are $100 more than the equivalent Pixel 10 Pro. This means the 11 Pro starts at $1,099 while the 11 Pro Xl is now $1,299. The trade off for the Pixel 11 Pro is that the base model now comes with 256GB of storage, rather than 128GB — which is a good thing.

Sadly Google already made 256GB standard on last year's Pro XL and increased the price by $100 to compensate. This year's Pro XL has no such improvement, which means the price has been increased with no additional benefit to the user.

Reduced base RAM

The other big issue is that the standard 256GB model actually comes with less RAM than the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL. That means those of you wanting the same 16GB as last year will have to pay for a 512GB of 1TB storage model. That's obviously going to cost a fair bit more.

The 512GB Pixel 11 Pro is $1,219, while the 1TB is $1,449. For the Pixel 11 Pro XL, you'll have to pay $1,419 for 512GB and $1,649 for 1TB. It's a lot more to ask for, but it's likely down to the fact RAM prices have skyrocketed over the past several months.

Why does this matter? Because RAM is super important for running on-device AI features. Without a healthy pool of memory to work from, your device's AI prowess is going to be increasingly reliant on the cloud. Not only does this have obvious issues with privacy and data security, it also takes slightly longer to process and relies on having an active internet connection.

All of which means that buying the cheapest Pixel 11 Pro model means paying more for a phone that likely has worse AI processing performance.

The return of inconsistent Pixel battery life

Pixel phones are not known for having strong battery life, even if things have been improving over the last few years. Sadly the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL barely make any progress in improving the battery life — which is not surprising considering Google added smaller battery packs this time around.

The Pixel 11 Pro XL lasted 14 hours and 28 minutes in our custom battery test, which involves continuous web browsing over a 5G connection. That's only eight minutes more than the Pixel 10 Pro XL's 14 hours and 10 minutes. In comparison the Galaxy S26 Ultra lasted 16 hours and 10 minutes, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted even longer at 17 hours and 54 minutes.

The Pixel 11 Pro actually does worse than last year's Pixel 10 Pro, with a battery life of 13 hours and 25 minutes compared to the 10 Pro's 13 hours 43 minutes. This is worse than the iPhone 17 Pro's 15 hours 21 minutes, but it is better than the Galaxy S26 Plus's 13 hours 13 minutes. Sadly it also still lags behind the larger flagships — and last year's Pixels.

Performance languishes in the shadow of more powerful phones

Pixels have never been a paragon of performance power, and the Tensor G6 is absolutely no exception to that. The general performance is better than you'd get from the Pixel 10 series, and the Tensor G5, but graphics performance has dropped this year. Likewise the Tensor G6 is still so far behind Samsung and Apple that it's almost as though Google isn't really trying.

Compared to the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL, the 11 Pro series has had a pretty hefty boost in raw performance. Both phones offer an increase in single-core and multi-core performance using the Geekbench 6 benchmarking test. Pixel 11 Pro rose to 2,649 and 7,164 versus 2,335 and 6,375. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro Xl did a little better with 2,713 and 7,453 against the 10 Pro XL's 2,322 and 6,286.

Graphically both new phones actually did worse, with Pixel 11 Pro scoring 3,113 in the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme Unlimited benchmark, with an average framerate of 18.65. Pixel 10 Pro score 3,134 and 18.77. The Pixel 11 Pro XL came out with 3,249 and 19.46fps, while the 10 Pro XL recorded a score of 3,462 and average frame rate of 20.73 fps.

All of it pales in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro Max, though. In fact the Galaxy's graphics benchmark scores are roughly double that of both new Pixels. Worst of all, the Pixels' NPU scored ridiculously poorly on Geekbench's AI benchmark, with four-digit scores that pale in comparison to both Samsung and Apple's 5-digit scores.

Considering the Tensor chips are supposed to be built for AI (alongside photography and security), this is a really embarrassing result for a phone that doesn't have a lot else going for it.

Google Pixel 11 Pro & Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Verdict

The Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL are not bad phones by any means, but they're also not anything particularly special. The upgrades Google has included do offer some enhancements compared to previous phones, but it also isn't enough to help the Pixel lineup catch up with some of its biggest rivals. Especially when you consider the 11 Pro's weaker battery life and the reduced amount of RAM on the cheapest models.

From a purely Pixel point of view, the 11 Pro and Pro XL both offer better cameras, AI features that could potentially be very useful, and a boost in overall performance. Not to mention brighter displays and increased base storage on the standard Pro model.

But at the same time the Pixel still lags behind its flagship rivals in both performance and battery life, and reduces the amount of RAM available on the cheapest models. That, combined with the $200 price hike and the meager selection of upgrades makes me think that the better purchase might actually be a Pixel 10 Pro — for as long as you can still get one, that is.

Google no longer has the luxury of being graded on a curve. Having tested the best foldable phones over the last six months alone, I know this space is a fiercely contested battleground, with rival devices like the Motorola Razr Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Z Fold 8 Ultra vying for consumer attention.

While class-leading hardware has never been the line’s biggest strength, Google has taken a different approach by doubling down on its outstanding AI features. In my Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review, you’ll see if it has the hardware, software, and performance to come out on top. But make no mistake: it needs to be firing on all cylinders, because even the smartest software can't stop the Pixel 11 Pro Fold from slipping behind the pace.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Specifications

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Price and release

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold officially arrives on August 20, but it costs $100 more than last year’s model — pushing the starting price to a steep $1,899 for the base 256GB version.

While no one likes seeing a price hike, it still manages to undercut key rivals like the Motorola Razr Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Considering this is the first time Google's foldable line has seen a price bump, and that it still rings in cheaper than other book-style flagships, the markup isn't an outright dealbreaker.

Just like previous generations, color choices remain minimalist: Obsidian and Olive.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Design

At first glance, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold doesn't look all that different, sticking closely to the design language Google established over the past couple of generations. But where it truly pulls ahead is durability. By retaining its rare IP68 rating, it offers superior dust-tight protection alongside submersion resistance — so yeah, it’s ready for beach outings, unlike the IP48-rated Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Yet despite that durability win, the design still lacks the high-end refinement found on its closest rivals. It remains noticeably thicker in hand than Samsung's ultra-sleek powerhouse, the bezels framing both displays are wider, and the inner screen still exhibits a deeper crease.

Google nails the ruggedness, but on pure ergonomics and fit-and-finish, it still feels a step behind the curve.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Display

Setting a new record, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold features the brightest screen of any foldable phone that has passed through the Tom’s Guide labs — reaching a blinding peak brightness of 2,982 nits on its main 8-inch Super Actua Flex display.

Whether I’m scrolling through reels or working across two apps simultaneously, the main screen doesn’t disappoint, delivering crisp detail, vibrant colors, and outstanding outdoor visibility. Its 6.5-inch outer cover screen is equally impressive.

The only thing that continues to irk me is how underutilized that outer display remains when the phone is propped up in tabletop or tent mode. While rivals have embraced dedicated desk-clock and smart display standby experiences — like what I get on the Motorola Razr Fold — the Pixel 11 Pro Fold fails to offer a proper StandBy mode on its cover screen. The closest it gets is the basic ambient screen that kicks in when placed on a wireless charging dock.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Cameras

On paper, the camera setup on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold looks almost identical to last year's model. You get a triple rear system consisting of a 48MP main camera, 10.5MP ultrawide, and 10.8MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. That telephoto lens continues to be a major standout, offering the longest native optical reach on any book-style foldable. Both the cover display and the inner screen house identical 10MP selfie cameras.

Despite the familiar spec sheet, Google has swapped in a new primary sensor that reportedly captures more light for improved low-light and Night Sight performance, while the revamped telephoto setup now extends digital reach up to 30x Super Res Zoom.

Over on the software side, I’m ecstatic about the updates that make the camera app far more robust. For instance, new Camera Looks apply professional-grade film styles for a distinct aesthetic, while handy quick controls give instant access to manual parameters like exposure, focus, and ISO.

Unfortunately, my low-light snapshots contradict Google’s claims. Just browse through the gallery above to see what I mean — quite frankly, the differences between the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Pixel 10 Pro Fold are minimal. Across exposure, fine detail, and clarity, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold simply doesn't offer any dramatic gains.

Despite boasting the longest native optical reach, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold proves that hardware specs alone can’t guarantee the sharpest telephoto results. Even though the Pixel's 30x snapshot manages to edge out the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Razr Fold’s superior computational photography and AI enhancements deliver class-leading clarity, rendering the roof shingles and foreground brush with noticeably finer definition.

Here’s another example of how the Pixel 11 Pro Fold stacks up against its rivals at 30x zoom. This time, I pointed them at a distant sign to see how effectively each phone cleans up the shot.

Once again, the Razr Fold surprised me by leveraging superior AI upscaling to carve out sharp text edges and rich wood-grain definition. Still, Google's 30x Super Res Zoom easily outperforms the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which falters with aggressive digital noise and muddier textures across the fence.

For pure color accuracy and balanced exposure, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold comfortably captures the most authentic snapshot of the floral arrangement above. It delivers remarkably true-to-life color temperature and natural saturation, allowing the yellow sunflowers and deep pink carnations to pop without blowing out subtle highlight details on the petals.

When it comes to framing quick portraits, I recommend sticking to the cover screen camera, as it produces noticeably better results than the inner shooter. Under tricky indoor restaurant lighting, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's 10MP outer selfie camera captures the most lifelike skin tones, authentic facial texture, and natural contrast of the bunch. While the Razr Fold tends to overexpose and soften fine facial features, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra leans noticeably warm, Google's color tuning and computational processing make for clean, well-balanced shots every time.

Another standout addition to the camera experience is Magic Capture, which takes the stress out of trying to nail the perfect action shot in real time. Instead of forcing you to choose between shooting a video or firing off a burst of photos, Magic Capture continuously records short clips while the phone analyzes every frame behind the scenes.

It automatically detects peak moments — spotting genuine smiles, sharp motion freeze, and open eyes — to extract high-resolution stills straight from the footage. Even when I had someone else record my shameless inspection of the apple section at Trader Joe’s, Magic Capture worked exactly as intended, consistently plucking sharp, print-worthy stills from the video without any extra effort on my part.

Content creators and solo vloggers will adore the new Creator Mode, which transforms the foldable into a self-contained production studio. The standout perk is the built-in teleprompter tool, which scrolls through my script smoothly across the display at customizable speeds and text sizes, keeping my eye line locked directly onto the lens.

Best of all, Google took full advantage of the dual-screen form factor because Creator Mode seamlessly supports the cover screen paired with the flagship rear cameras. It completely eliminates the need for a dedicated camera operator or a secondary monitor, making solo video production faster, sharper, and far more intuitive.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Performance

Benchmark tests reveal that Google’s latest chipset, the Tensor G6, continues to trail behind key rivals powered by Apple’s A19 Pro and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. While I don’t place a lot of emphasis on synthetic benchmarks — since they don’t always translate directly to real-world performance — they remain ideal for comparing objective processing performance.

In Geekbench 6, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold delivers a single-core score of 2,687 and a multicore result of 7,381. While those marks represent a modest bump over the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, they're far from the chart-topping numbers posted by competing flagships. Thankfully, real-world operation tells a smoother story: day-to-day use exhibits snappy app launches, fluid split-screen multitasking, and effortless navigation across the UI.

Graphics processing sees a marginal boost as well, with 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited benchmark yielding an overall score of 14,623 and an average frame rate of 87.56 fps. I loaded up my go-to test titles, including Age of Origins and Diablo Immortal, and both ran smoothly on the massive 8-inch canvas without any major hiccups or stutter.

While Tensor silicon has historically prioritized on-device AI efficiency and computational smarts over raw benchmark supremacy, I still would have liked to see Google close the gap with its direct competitors at this price point.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Battery and charging

In our custom battery drain test, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold clocks an average time of 12 hours and 31 minutes — a modest 15-minute bump over the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. That’s one of the slimmest year-over-year gains I’ve seen in a while, doing little to bolster its overall value proposition. Still, while it doesn't dethrone the longest-lasting foldables on the market, 12.5 hours is more than enough to get me through a full day of typical use.

Similarly, there are no major improvements with charging, as it retains the same 30W wired and 25W wireless ratings. Plugged into a compatible wired adapter, it reachess 29% in 15 minutes and climbs to 56% after 30 minutes.

On the upside, I’m glad to see PixelSnap support return: it doesn't just enable seamless magnetic charging with Qi2 and MagSafe chargers, but also lets me snap on magnetic accessories like my Nomad MagSafe Wallet.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Software and AI

Software is where Google typically pulls away from the pack, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold delivers some genuinely brilliant AI-powered productivity perks.

One of the most impressive additions is the new Rambler feature in Gboard, which uses Gemini Intelligence to automatically strip out filler words, format messy thoughts into clean sentences, and accept natural voice edits without missing a beat. It has quickly become one of the phone's most underrated features, working so reliably in my daily testing that it has noticeably loosened my reliance on traditional on-screen typing.

I also appreciate the proactive suggestions that surface contextual shortcuts based on on-screen content. For example, when a text message arrives about setting up a dentist appointment, the system automatically offers a quick action to log it directly into Google Calendar.

At the same time, expanded third-party app support for Gemini task automation allows the assistant to handle multi-step actions across more apps than ever. When I asked it to book a dinner reservation at a local restaurant, Gemini researched table availability based on my preferences and prompted me to confirm the final booking. The way it executes complex tasks behind the scenes is not only slick, but a genuine time-saver.

Multitasking also gains a major boost from the new app bubbles system, letting me dock floating mini-windows in the bottom corner of the unfolded display or overlay a third app on top of an active split-screen view.

Yet, despite these clever software highlights, the foldable experience still stumbles over familiar quirks. Google still hasn't fully solved app scaling and layout consistency: certain third-party apps remain awkward when switching between portrait and landscape orientations, occasionally refusing to scale smoothly or leaving letterboxed dead space.

Making matters worse, transitioning from the cover screen to the main 8-inch inner display — and vice versa — can still force apps to refresh their states rather than providing an uninterrupted handoff. It’s a frustrating foundational issue that continues to hold back large-screen Android devices.

On the longevity front, you still get class-leading support with seven full years of major Android OS and security updates. However, when it comes to Google's top-tier AI features, you only get six months of complimentary Google AI Pro access before a monthly subscription kicks in.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: Verdict

Honestly, I want to like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold — but not like this. It simply feels too underwhelming, especially after testing standout rivals like the Motorola Razr Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. While new AI additions like Rambler, expanded Gemini task automation, and Magic Capture are undeniably neat, the hardware fails to deliver the generational leap I expected.

The Tensor G6 continues to trail rival silicon in raw processing muscle, battery endurance sees only a negligible 15-minute bump, and real-world camera performance does little to move the needle.

Compounding these modest hardware gains are persistent large-screen software annoyances that still hold the device back. Moving apps between the cover display and the 8-inch main canvas frequently triggers frustrating state refreshes rather than seamless transitions, while orientation switches still suffer from awkward scaling and wasted dead space.

For a premium foldable commanding a top-tier price tag, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold feels like an iterative update that struggles to truly impress.

In this article I've put together a selection of my 12 favorite cases for the Pro and the Pro XL – six for each device. I've included Google's own official cases, as well as a selection of great designs from third party brands. I've also picked out a few essential Google accessories that will work with the new phone.

If you haven't yet chosen which Pixel 11 smartphone you're going to get yet and are looking at the rest of the range, I've also put together similar pieces for the standard Pixel 11 and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, too.

Google Pixel 11 Pro cases

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL cases

Google Pixel 11 accessories

We're still in the process of testing Google's new lineup, but if you're ready to take the plunge, T-Mobile is offering the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, or Pixel 11 Pro XL for free with select data plans and no trade-in required. It's one of the best Pixel 11 preorder deals you can get. Below I've broken down how each deal works.

Quick Links

• Pixel 11: free w/ select data plans @ T-Mobile
• Pixel 11 Pro: free w/ select data plans @ T-Mobile
• Pixel 11 Pro XL: free w/ select data plans @ T-Mobile
• Pixel Watch 5: get $300 off @ T-Mobile

Pixel 11 preorders

You may have heard about GrapheneOS but never gave it much thought for one reason or another. I know that was the case with me, and while I knew it was based on Android I hadn't ever done much digging into exactly how it differed from the Google-provided Android experience.

But this news got me curious, and I realized that it was about time I got to grips with what Graphene actually has to offer.

What is GrapheneOS?

GrapheneOS is an open source mobile operating system that emphasizes both security and privacy. It's completely free to install, and the project is supported by donations.

The software is built with the Android Open Source Project, and is focused on one of the biggest issues many people have with Google's mobile OS — the fact that it's severely lacking when it comes to protecting user privacy.

GrapheneOS also strips out most Google systems and bloatware, which means you won't set up your phone and find that it's filled with a bunch of apps that you can't remove. The software also features a bunch of dedicated privacy features that you won't find on most Android phones.

GrapheneOS device support: Which phones does it work with?

GrapheneOS is currently only officially compatible with Pixel phones, with the site listing all Google-made phones up to (and including) the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The Pixel Tablet is also supported.

The software's official support pages confirm that other devices do support GrapheneOS "at a source level," but without official support it means that more work is needed to actually install the software — which makes everything a lot more complicated.

Earlier this year Motorola confirmed it had partnered with GrapheneOS, with the aim to "strengthen smartphone security and collaborate on future devices engineered with GrapheneOS compatibility. " In other words, future Motorola devices will eventually support GrapheneOS as well. But we don't know which devices will offer it, or when they will be released.

How do you actually install it?

I've never really been one for tinkering with software, and it's never really been something that interested me. I did try my hand at rooting one of my Android phones about ten years ago, to see what I might be missing out on, but never made much progress.

The phones I had at the time came from companies that weren't very big on letting people mess with their phones' software, and trying to root them proved to be a task worthy of Sisyphus himself. Obviously, being the quitter that I am, I gave up and never bothered to try that sort of thing ever again.

That's partly why I never gave GrapheneOS a second thought. I wasn't sure what to expect when I finally decided to try and install it on one of my older phones.

GrapheneOS has a full guide on how to install the software on a compatible phone, and at first glance looks a little intimidating. It has its own table of contents, and that's never something you want to see when you don't really know what you're doing. Fortunately, the whole process is actually pretty simple, and based on my experience it's quite difficult to screw up.

I'll admit that I did screw up a couple of times because I wasn't reading the instructions carefully, and the worst thing that happened was that I had to wait for my phone to restart — at which point I ended up exactly where I left off.

All the actual hard work is done by GrapheneOS's Web Installer, which makes the process more or less idiotproof. Best of all, you don't even need to root your phone.

Reverting back is proving to be a little trickier for me, simply because I couldn't get GrapheneOS's web installer to recognize that my phone is available and needs its bootloader unlocked. That's going to require some troubleshooting on my end.

What is GrapheneOS actually like?

The first thing I noticed about GrapheneOS is just how sparse the software selection actually is from a design point of view. This is a version of Android software that is effectively free of all Google influence, and that means the number of pre-installed apps is at its bare minimum.

After years of using smartphones running Android and iOS, this is actually quite refreshing. It's like finding yourself in a quiet, minimally-furnished room after walking off a crowded city street. The lower emphasis on Google products also makes the setup process a lot smoother, since you don't have to link to Google accounts or deal with setting up features like Gemini.

It's a similar story with the built-in App Store. Since there are no Google apps pre-installed, this is the place that lets you install certain Android features like Android Auto, the Thermometer app (if you have a compatible Pixel) and other app stores — including Google Play. There are only 14 apps available, and anything else you need has to be acquired from a different source.

The distinct lack of color when GrapheneOS loads up for the first time is rather jarring, if I'm being totally honest. But that's a non-issue that quickly solves itself once you actually start using the phone.

If you're familiar with stock Android or Google's Pixel Launcher skin, then GrapheneOS isn't going to be that much of a surprise. The developers haven't taken many, if any, liberties with the general feel of the software. This means navigating and accessing the various settings menus is pretty simple, and doesn't require having to relearn where everything is. You can't say that for other smartphone brands.

It's not exactly the same under the hood, though, and there are some extra optional features that are designed for security and privacy reasons. This includes the duress password, PIN scrambling, and a bunch more things I don't have room to list here. There's a lot to come to grips with, and so far I haven't actually made a huge dent.

Sadly, there is one catch I've found so far, and that's the fact my phone always warns me that I'm loading up a different operating system. It doesn't require you to confirm you want this to happen, but it is a little annoying that you don't seem to be able to switch this off.

The Google Play conundrum

You may wonder what the point of having GrapheneOS is if you're just going to install Google Play? The sad thing about Android is that some apps won't work without Google Play Services installed, which means sideloading or using a third-party app store won't work.

Banking apps are the one that caught me off guard, and it meant that I would either have to rely on browser-based banking (which is not ideal) or bite the bullet and install Google Play.

Thankfully, GrapheneOS does have a compromise, and sandboxes Google Play Services so that it doesn't have the same level of privileged access you'll see with a typical Android OS. This effectively means you can still enjoy access to apps that are only compatible with Google Play, but without handing over unfiltered access to the software.

As this thread on Reddit put it, the idea behind Graphene isn't to deGoogle. The software comes with a Chromium-based browser after all, albeit with more security-focused features than the stock Chrome app. You can deGoogle if you like, but that's not something that is forced upon you.

Sideloading is possible, since Graphene is an Android-based operating system, but it's up to you to decide which app-installation option is the right one for you.

Bottom line

The switch over to GrapheneOS wasn't as drastic as I expected it would be. Not only was the installation an absolute cinch, the fact it looks and feels so close to stock Android means that there isn't much of a learning curve when it comes to getting started. All you really need to do is figure out where all the extra privacy and security features are.

The switch rom Google services is certainly very appealing. While I wouldn't go completely cold turkey (I need my banking apps), the fact that Google Play is available in a sandbox means that you don't appear to be missing out on much by ditching the Pixels' particular brand of Android. It's rather like having the most important parts of the Android ecosystem, but without compromising your own personal privacy in the process.

Switching back to the Pixel's Android OS has proved a little difficult, and I'm not entirely sure where the problem lies. So for now, I recommend that anyone hoping to try GrapheneOS for themselves either knows more than I do about installing Android software, or tests it out on an older device first to make sure they like it.

More from Tom's Guide

• The Pixel 11's Tensor G6 chip isn't 2nm despite the rumors — opening the door for iPhone 18 Pro
• iOS 27 brings 5-star ratings to Photos — here is how to use them
• I've been using Pixel phones for the past 5 years, but the lack of Pixel 11 upgrades is indefensible

Smartphones are expensive, though, and if you're anything like me you'll already be thinking about how you can keep yours in perfect condition. That's why I've put together this collection of some of the best Pixel 11 Pro Fold cases that are available now. I've singled out official cases from Google, as well as some of my favorite designs from other brands, too. I've also thrown in a few essential accessories, like the now iconic Ringstand, so you can fully kit your new smartphone out.

If you're planning on picking up the standard Pixel 11 then you'll want to make sure that you keep it in prime condition. That's why I've put together this selection of some of my favorite phone cases that are already available for the new device – from Google's own official case to some great options from third party manufacturers.

As the Pixel 11 is part of the wider Google ecosystem, I've also included a few of the wide range of additional accessories that work with the phone, too. You can check out all of my picks below...

Google just had its annual "Made by Google" event, and with it came the official launch of the Pixel 11 series of phones — plus a new Pixel 5 watch and a Pixel Tag Bluetooth tracker. I haven't spent a lot of time with the new Pixels yet, but my overall impression based on what Google has revealed is that it's an incredibly lazy upgrade.

It's not as lazy as the Pixel 10a, which was easily one of the worst "upgrades" I've seen a phone company try and hawk throughout my career. But it isn't far off, and it's enough to make you wonder why Google is still bothering to make phones.

The Pixel 11 problem

If you look at the Pixel 11 series and compare it to what's come before, you'll notice that there isn't a whole lot of difference between them all. I'm not just talking about the design, which has only had minor tweaks to the camera bar and, in the case of the Pro models, a new scratch-resistant coating on the display.

The hardware is more or less the same on paper, and the upgrades that we do get feel like the absolute bare minimum of what Google could actually offer. There's the usual incremental stuff, like the Tensor G6, and the brighter Super Actua Displays, alongside small quality of life upgrades like 256GB of base storage and faster 25W wireless charging speeds.

Those last two were also found on the Pixel 10 Pro XL last year, which means that the largest Pixel 11 model really got the short end of the stick when it comes to new stuff.

Pixel 11: Where are the big camera upgrades?

I have very mixed feelings about the camera, because at first glance it seems as though things are identical to the Pixel 10 Pro. That's not entirely true, but considering the Pixel 10 Pro's cameras were the same as the Pixel 9 Pro's, and produced photos that were indistinguishable, the lack of new hardware is still rather disappointing.

The Pros' main lens is the same, though the official specs show that the ultrawide and telephoto lenses both have larger sensors. This means both lenses will capture extra light, which improves low-light performance and captures much cleaner images in a variety of conditions.

The Pixel 11 also promises to have a larger sensor on the main lens, though the rest of the cameras don't seem to have changed.

To make matters worse, the cheapest Pro models, which have 256GB of storage, have actually had a RAM downgrade. Considering RAM is essential for on-device AI, the loss of 4GB is just another proverbial kick in the head.

I don't imagine that the Pixel 11 will be a bad phone, but there's nothing really exciting about these devices. In fact, the upgrades we do have here feel as though Google is phoning it in because they have to release something.

Obviously, things might change once we can test the Pixel 11 and find out whether it's had a magical boost to performance or battery life. But until then it feels as though everything has been put together with cool disinterest, if not active laziness.

It feels like Google is getting lazy

There's far more to a new phone than having a bunch of flashy hardware, and you can't have incredible game-changing upgrades every single year. But it still feels as though the Pixel 11 series lacks the thing that would actually make the phone appealing to people. Because the Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight feature sure as heck doesn't make me want to drop over a grand on a new device.

The Pixel 11 isn't nearly as lazy as the Pixel 10a, which was left with the same Tensor G4 chipset as the Pixel 9a. Back in February, I claimed that there was no good reason to buy a Pixel 10a, at least not while the Pixel 9a was still on sale, and I stand by that assessment.

I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say that the Pixel 11 is a pointless upgrade. It's certainly uninspiring and lacking in any exciting qualities. Even the new AI features, which Google has spent a great deal of time and money pushing with each successive Pixel launch, are rather disappointing this year. Not in terms of what they can do, but because there are so few of them this year.

Rambler sounds great, especially since Apple's own AI-powered dictation model is coming as part of iOS 27, and real-time speech-to-speech translation will never not be useful. Gemini Omni is not something I personally care about, but if it improves the quality of Gemini's generative capabilities and makes them easier to use then I can certainly see the importance of it. Similarly, 120x Super Pro-Res Zoom is a nice upgrade to the existing 100x zooming capabilities

But that's all there is, and like the hardware side of things it feels like Google just does not care about what the Pixel 11 series has to offer on the software side. The same is true for Android 17, come to think of it, and off the top of my head I can't recall anything particularly noteworthy in the update. I certainly didn't notice any change when my phone auto-updated during the middle of the night.

Figuring out a way to make people care about your next wave of devices, and the software running on it, is the end goal. But first Google needs to get off its behind and actually put the effort in.

Bottom line

The question I keep asking myself is this: Why should anyone go out and buy one of these phones? And honestly, I'm really struggling to come up with a solid answer. People that are still rocking older Pixels, such as a Pixel 6 or Pixel 7, would probably gain a lot here — especially if battery life is anything like the Pixel 10 series.

Pixel 8 would be borderline, but Pixel 9 and above? These phones haven't actually changed that much over the past two generations to warrant upgrading. Your best argument would be for non-users, since the standard Pixel 9 only offers two cameras, but even then you have to ask whether the money you're spending is worth it.

Last year I admitted that swapping a Pixel 9 Pro for a Pixel 10 Pro was a mistake, and the new phone didn't offer enough to make the switch worthwhile. The Pixel 11 Pro takes that to a whole new level, and I know for a fact that my Pixel 10 Pro is more than good enough to last me until the launch of the Pixel 12 Pro next year — and likely beyond that.

If Pixel phones are supposed to be the idealized version of what an Android phone can be, then Google seems to be doing a pretty shoddy job of it. And it could fix that problem by actually making a phone that elicits a response beyond "huh, ok then."

More from Tom's Guide

• Google bamboozled me into paying for Google Photos a decade ago — and now it’s doing something similar with the Pixel 11 Pro
• I held the Pixel Tag and it does one critical thing that the AirTag doesn’t — here’s what it is
• I tried the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and it's more 'Ultra' than Samsung's foldable (for $200 less)

The other type is more specific to the device and tends to be correct, more often than not. However, sometimes they're wrong.

It was rumored that the new Tensor G6 silicon in the new Pixel 11 series would be made using TSMC's 2nm process, the first smartphone that would feature the more efficient CPU platform. This would have beat Apple to the punch, which typically gets the latest chip upgrades.

But it turns out that isn't true.

In an interview with the Chinese publication CNA, Peng Yu-chun, a VP of Hardware at Google, revealed that the G6 was built using TSMC's 3nm process.

That means that either the iPhone 18 Pro series will likely be the first smartphone to feature a 2nm chip.

What does Tensor G6 offer?

Despite not featuring the 2nm platform, Google claims the G6 has several upgrades.

That includes "25% faster web browsing, 15% quicker app launches" and 50% more TPU compute. It does feature an upgraded Titan M3 security chip, which was previously rumored and should make the phone more secure.

The chip also enables an upgrade Image Signal Processor to support the new Night Sight and a claimed upgraded digital zoom.

A worrying weakness

There was some excitement about a 2nm process because it would have been able to feature more nodes and deliver efficiency and power upgrades.

Pixels have long lagged behind Apple and Samsung's flagship phones. Unfortunately, that may continue. Just before yesterday's Made by Google event, a new Geekbench listing popped up that revealed a weak CPU. That listing showed a multicore score of 5,196 and a single-core score of 2,112. It's 50% slower than the S26 Ultra.

At Tom's Guide, we run our own tests; we'll see if the listing is an outlier or not. But at first blush, things aren't looking good.

More from Tom's Guide

• The Pixel 11 is available to pre-order, but you probably shouldn't right now — here's why
• After 10 years of Pixels, why is Google still making phones?
• I checked out the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL — here’s the one I recommend

Pixel 11 preorder deals are now live with the phones officially releasing on August 20. In terms of deals, T-Mobile is offering the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, or Pixel 11 Pro XL for free with select data plans and no trade-in required. It's one of the best Pixel 11 preorder deals I've seen from any carrier so far.

Meanwhile, Verizon has the Pixel 11 for free with trade-in. As part of the deal, you'll also get NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube for free. If it's freebies you're after, Best Buy is bundling up to a $350 eGift card with your Pixel 11 preorder when you purchase any of Google's new phones.

Below I've rounded up all of the best Pixel 11 preorder deals you can get at carriers and retailers alike.

Quick Links

• T-Mobile: free Pixel 11/Pixel 11 Pro/Pixel 11 Pro XL
• Verizon: Pixel 11 Pro w/ free Pixel Watch 5 + Tab S10 F 5G
• AT&T: free Pixel 11 Pro or Pixel 11 Pro XL w/ trade-in
• Xfinity Mobile: free w/ trade-in
• Best Buy: up to $350 gift card
• Amazon: up to $200 gift card

Pixel 11

Pixel 11 Pro

Pixel 11 Pro XL

Pixel 11 Pro Fold

The thing about Pixel phones is that they're like video games. You could buy them as soon as they're released, and pay full price to experience them right away, but you're just spending money that could be better used for other things. And it all comes down to the fact Pixel phones are essentially the mattresses of the smartphone world.

Considering how often, and how quickly the newest Pixel phones go on sale, paying full price is essentially agreeing to be ripped off.

Pixel discounts happen regularly, and quickly

Imagine you're looking at a new phone that's just been released. The $900 price tag is a little expensive for your tastes, but you know that waiting for a major discount is a fool's errand. Maybe you'll be able to save a bit of money during the next sales event, like Black Friday or Prime Day, but there's never any guarantee that it'll actually happen — or how much money you might save.

For the last few years I've noticed that this isn't the case with Pixel phones. In fact, sometimes the discounts can start coming within a few weeks of the phone actually going on sale. If you're willing to wait for the Fall Prime Day sale, or the Black Friday season, you could be looking at a pretty hefty discount.

Admittedly I am making an assumption about what the future holds for the Pixel 11 series. I don't have a crystal ball or magic powers that let me see into the future. But this is not the first time I've noticed this trend, and I would be very surprised if the Pixel 11 broke rank.

Pixel 10 discounts we spotted last year

The first Pixel 10 discount we spotted was at the start of September 2025, during Amazon's Labor Day sales. The phone didn't get any discounts, per se, but buying one did net you a free $200 Amazon gift card. While it's not the same as cold-hard cash, Amazon's ubiquity means that this is almost as good as getting $200 off your total.

I should mention at this point that the Pixel 10 was released on August 28, with pre-orders opening eight days earlier on August 20. This means the first Pixel 10 retailer deal happened just four days after release day.

The first actual discount happened in early October, during Amazon's fall Prime Day, with the $799 price tag dropping to $649. That's just on Amazon too, and further price drops did happen elsewhere — including Mint Mobile who started selling the Pixel 10 for $549 around the same time.

Further discounts towards the end of the last year eventually saw that price matched at Amazon, with occasional discounts to that same price happening in the early months of 2026

Price trackers show similar trends with the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL — though the larger phone's discounts are a little more erratic. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold took longer to go on sale, and didn't get any meaningful discount until November, with the likes of Amazon, Google and Best Buy all knocking $300 off.

This trend isn't exclusive to Pixel 10 either

The quick discount situation is an ongoing trend for Pixel phones and it is pretty common to see those prices dropping within a couple of months of release date.

Pixel 9 prices first dropped in October 2024, following the late August launch, though the price tracker does seem to have more ups and downs than a rollercoaster during the later months of 2024.

We saw the price drop as low as $548 during that year's Black Friday sales, though prices seemingly stabilized until before the Pixel 10 launch — after which they started to dip even further and more frequently.

Things never seem to get quite as low as the Pixel 8, which has been spotted for as low as $399. However, that low price happened in February 2025, almost a year and a half after it was first released.

I don't think waiting that long is worth it, but the price trackers do show the first dips in price happening around the Black Friday and holiday shopping seasons — occurring less than 2 months after the phone's October 2023 release.

The Pixel 7 followed a similar trend, eventually tapering out at around $449 almost a year after its initial release.

Though going back, it seems the Pixel 6 wasn't quite so quick to drop in price, and the price trackers don't have a lot of information from that far back. But considering the Pixel 6 started at $599, there wasn't a lot of room for price cuts until much later in its life cycle.

Regardless, we've seen that the last four generations of Pixel phones have enjoyed generous discounts very soon after release. Which tells me that we should certainly wait and see whether the Pixel 11 follows the same trend — because odds are that it will.

The Pixel 10 might be the better option right now

Saving money is all well and good, but there is one more question you need to ask yourself before you pick up a Pixel 11 series phone. And that is, "would you be just as happy with a Pixel 10 instead?"

Not only are Pixel 10 series phones cheaper than their Pixel 11-series counterparts, the differences between them aren't actually that extreme. Whether you're looking at the standard model or the Pixel 11 Pro XL, you're not getting a lot of upgrades.

There's a new modem, 256GB of base storage, faster wireless charging (25W vs 15W) and the Tensor G6 chipset. There's also a smaller battery, which doesn't fill me with much confidence.

The difference on the Pixel 11 Pro XL is even worse, since the 10 Pro XL already came with 25W wireless charging and 256GB of storage as standard. It apparently charges a little faster, gaining an extra 5% battery in half an hour, but that's the only extra upgrade it has compared to the smaller 11 Pro.

Admittedly we haven't done any lab testing with the Pixel 11 series yet, so we don't know how much of a change there is in terms of performance and battery life. So our opinion on the Pixel 11 upgrades may change later.

It's also worth noting that the Pro models also suffer from reduced RAM on their cheapest option, with 12GB of memory on models with 256GB of RAM. Meanwhile 16GB was standard on all Pixel 10 Pro and XL variants, including 128GB and 256GB storage variants.

Considering additional RAM is essential for on-device AI features, this actually puts the cheapest Pixel 10 Pro models at an advantage compared to their successors.

You can pick up a Pixel 11 Pro or Pro XL with 16GB of RAM, but you'll need to pay out for the higher 512GB and 1TB storage variants. That'll cost you an extra $120 for 512GB or $350 for 1TB. All while the equivalent Pixel 10s are available with heavy discounts, even if that means you need to pick up a refurbished model.

Bottom line: It all comes down to pre-order bonuses

The one thing that may affect your decision to pre-order or wait are the pre-order bonuses that are on offer. Google is offering increased trade-in credit during the pre-order window, gift cards with each new phone sold and discounts on the Pixel Watch 5. However the amount you get will vary depending on the device you buy and what you trade-in, and different retailers may have their own promotions in mind.

Pro buyers get up to $600 trade-in credit, a $200 gift card and $250 off a Pixel Watch 5. Meanwhile Pixel 11 owners are restricted to $500 trade-in credit, a $100 card and $130 off the Watch 5. This could be enough to sway you into buying, especially if you were planning on buying a Pixel Watch 5 and other Google accessories anyway.

But if all you're interested in is the new phone, then you are better off waiting. A little bit of patience could save you a few hundred dollars compared to buying the phone outright, especially if you weren't planning on trading in your old device — or it's in such bad condition you wouldn't get much for it. Because, odds are, in a couple of months we'll have seen the first Pixel 11 deals already, and you might be kicking yourself for paying the newly released prices right away.

And if the prices somehow don't go down in the next few months, it's not like you lost out on anything by waiting.

More from Tom's Guide

• Google bamboozled me into paying for Google Photos a decade ago — and now it’s doing something similar with the Pixel 11 Pro
• After 10 years of Pixels, why is Google still making phones?
• iPhone 18 Pro could see absolutely massive price hike according to researchers

If you missed out on the lineup's announcement, here's a rundown: the 6.3‑inch Pixel 11, the entry flagship, available from AU$1,499. Next comes the Pixel 11 Pro, also 6.3 inches, starting at AU$1,849, followed by the larger 6.8‑inch Pixel 11 Pro XL at AU$2,099. Topping the range is the premium foldable Pixel 11 Pro Fold, which sports a 6.5-inch outer display and 8‑inch inner display, priced from AU$2,799.

While the starting price for each device in the lineup has jumped by AU$100-AU$200, it's worth noting that Google has done away with the 128GB variant, with the base storage increased to 256GB.

The Pixel 11 series is powered by Google's new Tensor G6 processor, which is said to deliver a 20% increase in power efficiency, 25% faster browsing and 15% faster app loading. Meanwhile, the new Titan M3 chip offers stronger security via post-quantum cryptography.

Each device in the Pixel 11 range sports a redesigned camera bar with edge-to-edge glass and a metal frame for increased durability, while the Pro models get a new RGB ambient light system dubbed HiLight, which provides users with visual cues for caller ID, notifications and interactions with Gemini.

Cameras have also received some notable upgrades across the board — while raw megapixel counts have remained the same since last year's Pixel 10 series, the sensors themselves have been redesigned to let in more light, faster capture speeds and increased zoom up to 120x.

Pixel 11 pre-orders have closed, but there are still some bonuses and discounts available from Australia's top carriers and retailers — these are the best Pixel 11 deals and plans currently available.

Best Pixel 11 offers

While the pre-order period has technically closed, there are still some discounts and bonuses up for grabs for early adopters. On the telco side, Optus is offering up to AU$1,000 off for customers who stay connected to an eligible plan for 12, 24 or 36 months. You'll have to hurry though, as this offer expires on September 6, 2026.

For outright buyers, JB Hi‑Fi is bundling a Fitbit Air with the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL, upgrading audio perks to Pixel Buds 2a for Pixel 11 Pro buyers and Pixel Buds Pro 2 for Pixel 11 Pro XL pre‑orders. The biggest sweetener lands with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold: a Pixel Watch 5 (45mm) in Olive. You can find out more about these deals below.

Best Pixel 11 plans

Best Pixel 11 Pro plans

Best Pixel 11 Pro XL plans

Best Pixel 11 Pro Fold plans

Clearly, I got hooked on all of these free offers and didn’t think much about how dependent I’d ultimately become on cloud storage. So, when all of the promotions expired, I was forced to shell out for a subscription. And you know what? This same strategy is playing out all over again with the Pixel 11 launch.

While some people question why Google is still making phones, I think the hardware portfolio functions as a digital lure — pulling us into an ecosystem that we can’t live without. And that’s what I love and hate about Google AI Pro. Here’s why.

Pixel 11 Pro launch follows a similar strategy with Google AI Pro

Just a couple of years ago, when the Pixel 9 Pro launched, Google was offering a free one-year trial of Gemini Advanced with your purchase. That was my first real taste of Google’s new AI features, and it served as my introduction to Gemini Live.

I was skeptical about how AI could transform my daily life, but as I spent more time exploring Gemini Live and the other features on the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL — like Reimagine, Pixel Studio, and Pixel Screenshots — I became increasingly reliant on them.

Naturally, there are a few impressive new capabilities unlocked with Google AI Pro on the Pixel 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold. For example, I got to try out one of Google’s latest models on the Pixel 11 Pro, Gemini Omni, which can create and edit videos for me. I’m not just talking about generating clips from text prompts because it can take existing videos I’ve shot and apply real edits — like adding effects, replacing backgrounds, and much more.

What’s truly impressive about this model is how intuitive it is. You simply launch Gemini, attach your video, and type out your requests. After a couple of minutes, it pulls off edits that would be nearly impossible for me to execute manually in my professional video editing software.

Having worked in retail past, I know that services and subscriptions are high-margin revenue drivers. That's part of the reason why Google continues to make phones. If you’re like me and these AI tools become indispensable to your workflow, you’re far more likely to pony up down the road just to keep them.

Proof that software is more critical than hardware

Google’s long-term play has always been about software. Even now, the company’s hardware lacks the design innovation I see from its rivals — specifically, the ultra-thin build of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the durable construction of Motorola’s Razr foldables, or the built-in Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Honestly, it gets confusing keeping track of all the subscriptions and services I’ve been locked into over the past few years. I eventually moved up from a simple Google Photos backup tier to a larger Google One plan for expanded Google Drive storage—and even that wasn’t enough.

Late last year, I finally caved and consolidated my Google subscriptions into a single Google AI Pro plan, which costs $19.99 per month and includes 5TB of Google Drive storage. These days, I find myself leaning heavily on Gemini Live for all sorts of tasks.

For example, I use it to quickly pull the best sequences from client video shoots by feeding it the transcript alongside timestamps of the spoken dialogue. Rather than scrubbing through hours of raw footage, Gemini analyzes the text and serves up the exact clips I need. It’s an undeniable timesaver and something I’ve come to deeply appreciate.

I think Google realizes it doesn't need to win the hardware volume war against Apple or Samsung to succeed. By prioritizing AI-first features that quietly become critical to our daily workflows, Google is banking on its software and services to move the needle. Quite frankly, it's effectively selling a subscription service that just happens to come wrapped inside a phone.

More from Tom's Guide

• After 10 years of Pixels, why is Google still making phones?
• Made by Google event — how to watch and what to expect
• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours

That’s not all they share, either, because they all come with built-in Pixelsnap magnetic wireless charging, refreshed IP68 dust and water resistance, and a suite of new AI features. Then there’s the matter of their pricing, with each model seeing a $100 price bump — which at this point is inevitable with most gadgets.

I spent solid hands-on time checking out the trio, so I’ll tell you exactly what the base Pixel 11 lacks compared to the Pros. While the Pixel 10 emerged as my recommendation last year, you might be surprised by which one gets my vote this time around.

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Specifications

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Price and availability

Yes, there’s a $100 price hike across all three models. That brings the starting price of the Pixel 11 to $899, while the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL go for $1,099 and $1,299, respectively.

Meanwhile, Australian pricing for Google's new lineup starts at AU$1,499 for the Pixel 11, AU$1,849 for the Pixel 11 Pro and AU$2,099 for the Pixel 11 Pro XL. That works out to starting price increases of between AU$100-AU$200 depending on model.

While the price increase isn't surprising at this point, the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro do see their base storage upgraded to 256GB. Unfortunately, the Pixel 11 Pro XL doesn’t get the same upgrade boost, remaining at 256GB just as before. Preorders are live now, with all three officially hitting shelves on August 20.

Personally, I’m drawn more to the standard Pixel 11 colors because they’re much bolder and richer compared to the muted colorways of the Pro models. If I had to choose, Hibiscus is easily the standout option on the Pixel 11.

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Design

While all three phones sport the same signature look that made the previous lineup distinctive, I wouldn’t say there’s anything too different this time around apart from their colorways. Well, the Pixel 11’s camera cutout actually gets trimmed down by 40% — so when it’s paired with one of the new cases, the entire backside remains perfectly flat. The same can’t be said for the Pros, as their camera compartments still stick out.

The one big design addition on the Pros is the introduction of the HiLight LED on the back, which acts as a notification system for your contacts. Depending on who calls, you can set custom colors to coordinate with specific callers. It’ll also activate when you initiate Gemini, so you know it’s listening to your voice command.

It’s certainly a fresh hardware feature that’s great for quick glances when the phone is face down, but I feel it’s a bit gimmicky. At the same time, it doesn’t yet work with things outside of phone calls — like new text message notifications. I’m still a bit confused about why it’s here, especially when it doesn’t feel fully integrated into the experience.

Despite this, I’ll admit that all three devices feel superb in the hand. The Pixel 11 opts for a polished glass back matched with a satin aluminum frame, while the Pros have a matte glass back paired with a polished frame. However, the Obsidian colorway on the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL features a matte frame. Not only do they look premium, but they’re also plenty durable thanks to their drop resistance and IP68 ratings for dust and water protection.

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Display

Taking a look at the specs, there doesn’t appear to be much change to their displays. The Pixel 11 packs the same 6.3-inch Actua display as before and delivers the punchy visuals that make it ideal for watching videos.

Similarly, the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL feature the same 6.3-inch and 6.8-inch Super Actua displays — which Google rates as its brightest ever at 3,600 nits, besting the previous year’s rating. It was hard to discern much of a difference when I loaded up the same HDR videos on YouTube, but I will admit that they’re gorgeous with their vibrant colors, wide viewing angles, and deep, pitch-black contrast.

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Cameras

Just because the camera specs don’t look like a complete overhaul, you shouldn’t dismiss what Google is offering in its new Pixels. For starters, the Pixel 11 features a larger sensor on its main camera — which reportedly offers a 56% improvement in light sensitivity. This should make a substantial difference in action and low-light situations by capturing more light in the same amount of time. If that’s not enough, the 10.8MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom can now shoot even farther with support for up to 30x Super Zoom.

Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL get a new main camera sensor as well, while their 48MP telephoto shooter gets a larger sensor with 32% better light gathering, support for 5x Portrait Mode, and even farther reach with an updated 120x Pro Zoom. I got a demo of the latter with an Android figurine hidden across the room, resulting in a crisp shot that almost looked like I took it up close.

And since they’re powered by the new Tensor G6 chip, it unlocks even more powerful creative tools for serious shooters. Camera Looks are available to get your photo looking distinct right at the point of capture. Unlike standard photos that get processed after you press the shutter, Camera Looks preserve a specific look based on the aesthetic you choose. It sort of reminds me of LUTs (lookup tables) that color grade footage, and it can definitely elevate your photos.

The other intriguing feature powered by the Tensor G6 is Magic Capture. It’s a camera mode that intelligently analyzes frames to pull out high-quality still photos while recording video. It looked pretty impressive during a demo I saw of a pair of ballet dancers, delivering picture-perfect moments with clear facial expressions and great poses.

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Performance

Powered by the new Google Tensor G6, every device in the Pixel 11 family feels snappy out of the gate. That’s crucial given how previous Tensor silicon has lagged behind competing flagship chips, making this year’s hardware a key proving ground.

Google claims the Tensor G6 boosts web browsing speeds by 25%, app launch times by 15%, and on-device AI execution by an impressive 3.5x. While it's impossible to fully evaluate those benchmarks during my quick preview, all three phones felt exceptionally fast and responsive in hand — including how fast it processed videos with Magic Capture to find those perfect snapshots at full resolution.

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Battery and charging

Strangely enough, the Pixel 11 is the only model to gain a larger battery than its predecessor — packing a 4,985 mAh capacity. I suspect it’ll yield a noticeable improvement in endurance simply due to that larger capacity combined with its smaller screen and the power efficiency of the Tensor G6.

Conversely, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL actually feature slightly smaller capacities, coming in at 4,850 mAh and 5,115 mAh, respectively. Again, I think the reasoning here is that Google feels confident in the efficiency gains of its new silicon.

Even though the Pixel 11 Pro XL doesn’t gain any charging speed upgrades, its 45W wired and 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging speeds are still solid by today’s standards. I’m happy to report, though, that the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro are now treated to the same 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging speed as their top-tier sibling.

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Software and AI

Shipping with Android 17 right out of the box, Google’s latest hardware puts Gemini Intelligence front and center. Powered by the Tensor G6 chip, on-device AI tasks process up to 3.5 times faster while using significantly less power.

Beyond context-aware cards across your apps and proactive lock screen insights, one standout addition in Android 17 that I found especially superb in action is Rambler — a new Gemini-powered voice input feature in Gboard built for the way people actually speak. Instead of forcing you to speak without any mistakes, Rambler automatically filters out filler words like "um" and "ah," transforming your scattered dictations into clean, concise text on the fly.

Media creation and global communication get a massive boost, too. Android 17 taps into Gemini Omni, Google’s generative model that makes creating and editing video through natural conversation as seamless as editing a photo. I tried this out on an existing video by asking Gemini to swap out the logo of a bear for a chrome-looking pizza slice — and it did exactly that with impressive accuracy.

Meanwhile, Live Translate offers real-time, speech-to-speech translation that automatically dubs foreign-language videos, podcasts, and audio content directly into your preferred language. Google has focused heavily on AI over its last few generations, and this year’s suite convinces me that these are still the best AI phones on the market.

Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro XL: Outlook

After getting hands-on time with all three, the Pixel 11 Pro emerges as my top recommendation because it strikes the ultimate sweet spot in Google's lineup. It offers the exact same flagship camera array as the Pixel 11 Pro XL (including 120x Pro Zoom and the upgraded main sensor), the brilliant 3,600-nit display, the ambient HiLight rear LED, and Google's full suite of Gemini AI capabilities.

On top of that, it gains faster 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging and double the starting storage at 256GB — all for $200 less than the XL. For most buyers, the standard Pro easily delivers the best value. Of course, my final verdict could shift once they're put through our rigorous lab testing, but for now, the Pixel 11 Pro leads the pack.

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