The Pixel 11 is a bigger upgrade than I expected, but it still left me wanting more
The software is better than ever, but the Pixel 11's hardware still disappoints me.
Upon first holding the Google Pixel 11, I felt an eager sense of love. The sleeker design, featuring a slim all-glass camera bar, seemed to perfectly merge the Pixel 10a's flat back with the Pixel 11 Pro's thicker camera casing. My favorite Android features, such as the exclusive Pixel Magic Capture and Creator Suite, remained intact, even in Google's most affordable flagship.
The Pixel 11's absence of certain features was not significant enough to notice, making the $899 price tag appealing. However, after experiencing the device firsthand, I discovered that the Pixel 11 was challenging to truly love. The Tensor G6 chip fell short of the upgrade I had anticipated, and the lack of the vapor chamber present in the Pro models led to genuine overheating and stuttering during regular usage.
Comparing the Pixel 11 to its Samsung Galaxy S26 counterpart revealed the brutal compromises in both options, making the choice an arduous one.
Written by urgent.news from Android Authority's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
