I underestimated the Pixel 11, and now I’m eating my words

It has only been a week since Google rolled out the Pixel 11 series globally, and I've already been testing the vanilla model. On the surface, Google hasn't altered the design or tried to reinvent what worked last year. And I must confess, I'm completely fine with that. As someone who believes in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," the Pixel 11 feels like Google adhered to this philosophy.

Many aspects that made the Pixel 10 successful remain, with just a few enhancements. Although this might not sound particularly thrilling, after living with the phone for a few days, I've discovered I enjoy it more than I anticipated. So instead of dismissing its familiar appearance, I gave it a fair chance. Apart from the design tweaks, I appreciate the slimmer camera visor.

It's around 40% slimmer this year, and the difference is evident immediately. While the Pixel 11 still weighs close to 200 grams, the camera bar's slimmer design makes the back look cleaner and more premium. However, one thing spoils the look for me: the glossy finish. Using the Obsidian variant, I find fingerprints and smudges appear quickly, which is disappointing since the Pro models have a nicer matte treatment.

Despite this, I find Rambler to be one of the best features I've used on a Pixel. This Gemini-powered feature built into Gboard cleans up my speech while dictating messages. It removes filler words and tidies up speech, making the final text read as if I delivered it perfectly on the first attempt. The fact that it handles multiple languages within the same voice input session is a bonus.

I find myself using Circle to Search more than ever. Whether it's spotting sneakers in an Instagram post, identifying a lamp from Pinterest, or finding a chair in a store, I can point, circle, and let Google figure it out. It's a simple addition that makes the feature much more useful in everyday life. The Pixel 11's camera has become its pair of eyes, helping me identify things I see without needing to describe them in a search box.

Camera Looks, another feature, allows me to give photos a unique personality before I press the shutter. I can choose between Original, Natural, Shadows, and Vanilla looks, and even tweak settings like brightness, shadows, and highlights in real-time. While the Pixel 11 doesn't have the same rear camera hardware as its Pro siblings, features like Camera Looks make this less of a concern.

Sometimes, being able to decide exactly how a photo looks is more enjoyable than letting the phone make all the decisions. So far, I'm enjoying the Pixel 11 more than I expected. However, I'm not yet ready to give it a final verdict. A few days with a new phone is enough to figure out what immediately clicks, but not enough to determine its long-term performance.