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Our Google Pixel 11 Review

The Google Pixel 11 is Google's standard flagship for 2026, sitting below the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL while offering many of the same core features for less.

Google hasn't completely reinvented the phone following the Pixel 10. Instead, the Pixel 11 focuses on practical refinements, with a lighter design, new Tensor G6 processor, improved charging and further advancements to Google's already extensive collection of AI features. 

Base storage has also doubled from 128GB to 256GB, helping soften the blow of a higher starting price.

It's an incremental upgrade, but remains one of the strongest alternatives to devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17, particularly for users who value Google's clean Android experience, clever software and computational photography.

Google Pixel 11: Design

If you've seen the Pixel 10, the Pixel 11 will look immediately familiar. Google retains its rounded aluminium frame and distinctive horizontal camera bar, but has made some worthwhile refinements.

The biggest change is the camera bar itself, which is now around 40% thinner, reducing the protrusion from the back of the handset and helping the phone sit more steadily on a flat surface. Google has also managed to bring the weight down from around 204g on the Pixel 10 to 197g, despite keeping almost identical overall dimensions.

Durability remains strong with IP68 water and dust resistance, while the satin metal frame and polished glass back give it the suitably premium finish you'd expect at this price.

Google Pixel 11: Display

The Pixel 11 uses a 6.3-inch Actua OLED display with a Full HD+ resolution and 60-120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Peak brightness reaches around 3000 nits, making it easy to see outdoors while keeping scrolling, gaming and animations suitably smooth.

There's very little difference from the Pixel 10 here - in fact, the basic screen specifications are effectively identical. That's hardly disastrous given how good the Pixel 10's display already was, but anyone hoping for a major visual upgrade won't find one.

The standard Pixel 11 also misses out on the brighter Super Actua panels found on the Pixel 11 Pro models, which reach up to 3600 nits. For most users, however, the regular Actua display remains bright, sharp and more than capable for everyday use.

Google Pixel 11: Camera

The Pixel 11 continues with a versatile triple-camera arrangement:

• 48MP main camera
• 13MP ultrawide camera
• 10.8MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom
• 10.5MP front camera

On paper, that's extremely similar to the Pixel 10. The differences come through refinements to the main sensor and the new Tensor G6 image signal processor, alongside Google's latest computational photography tools. The Pixel 11 can also push digital zoom as far as 30x.

New software features include Camera Looks, which lets you apply different photographic styles, and Magic Capture, capable of intelligently creating still images from video footage.

The Pixel 11 Pro still offers superior camera hardware - particularly for ultrawide and zoom photography - but the regular Pixel 11 retains something that sets it apart from many standard flagships: a dedicated 5x telephoto camera.

Google Pixel 11: Performance

The headline internal upgrade is Google's new Tensor G6 chipset, replacing the Tensor G5 found in the Pixel 10. It's paired with 12GB RAM and starts with 256GB storage.

Tensor has never been about winning benchmark contests against Apple's A-series or Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon processors. Instead, Google prioritises its own AI and software capabilities, and the G6 continues that approach with faster everyday performance and improved on-device processing.

The Pixel 11 launches with Android 17 and Google's latest Gemini features, including deeper proactive assistance and smarter integration across apps. Google's seven-year update commitment also makes this a phone you should comfortably be able to keep for the long term.

Compared with the Pixel 10, the overall experience is familiar, but the newer processor and software give the Pixel 11 a little more headroom for the increasingly AI-heavy direction Google is taking Android.

Google Pixel 11: Battery & Charging

The Pixel 11 houses a 4,985mAh battery, a tiny increase from the Pixel 10's 4,970mAh capacity. Google claims more than 30 hours of battery life, although real-world testing suggests daily charging will still be normal for heavier users.

Wired charging remains at around 30W, so this still isn't going to trouble the fastest-charging Android phones.

The much better improvement comes wirelessly. The Pixel 11 now supports Qi2.2 charging at up to 25W, compared with just 15W on the standard Pixel 10. The built-in Pixelsnap magnets have also been strengthened, making Google's answer to Apple's MagSafe ecosystem more useful than before.

It's not a battery revolution, but the improved wireless charging is one of the more noticeable quality-of-life upgrades this generation.

Google Pixel 11: Where it doesn't move the needle

The Pixel 11 is very much a refinement of the Pixel 10, and nowhere is that clearer than with the display and cameras. The 6.3-inch 120Hz screen is essentially unchanged, while the rear camera system uses the same basic 48MP, 13MP and 10.8MP combination as its predecessor.

Battery capacity has barely changed either, increasing by just 15mAh, and 30W wired charging continues to look relatively slow alongside some Android rivals.

There are also some new features reserved for the Pro models, including Google's HiLight notification system, so buying the standard model doesn't quite get you the complete Pixel 11 experience.

Existing Pixel 10 owners therefore have relatively little reason to upgrade after just one generation.

How much is the Google Pixel 11?

The Google Pixel 11 starts from £879 in the UK, representing an £80 increase over the £799 starting price of the Pixel 10. However, there's an important caveat: the Pixel 11 now comes with 256GB storage as standard, whereas last year's phone started at 128GB.

The UK storage options are:

• 256GB | 12GB RAM - £879
• 512GB | 12GB RAM - £999

That places the Pixel 11 firmly in flagship territory and alongside rivals like the Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17.

It's more expensive than before, but doubling the entry-level storage makes the increase a little easier to justify - particularly since the 256GB Pixel 10 originally cost £899.

The Pixel 11 comes in Pistachio, Hibiscus, Frost and Obsidian, with the brighter Pistachio and Hibiscus finishes giving the standard model a little more personality than its Pro siblings.

Google Pixel 11: Our Verdict

The Google Pixel 11 is a very good flagship phone, but it won't leave Pixel 10 owners scrambling to upgrade.

Google's improvements are sensible rather than spectacular. The Tensor G6 processor, lighter build, thinner camera bar, 256GB base storage and faster Qi2.2 wireless charging all make the Pixel 11 a better phone to live with, while Google's cameras and AI-heavy Android experience remain among its biggest attractions.