Yes, the Pixel 11 will be more of the same, for better or worse [Video]

On paper, the upcoming Pixel 11 series looks like more of the same. For the modern smartphone enthusiast, “more of the same” usually triggers an immediate eye-roll. Are we setting ourselves up for disappointment by expecting the Pixel 11 to be something it was never meant to be?

The easy answer is yes.

I think maybe we’re all – rightly or wrongly – trapped in a cycle of demanding massive, sweeping changes every 12 months, even though mobile hardware has largely plateaued. Let’s not get this twisted, I’m always excited for new hardware. Even more so, now Google is getting more competent at that.

Without giving Google a free pass, the answer isn’t quite as simple with a Pixel phone. Things have never been as obvious as they seem, and we’re getting to a stage where fans and detractors are likely expecting more than is possible – I’ve fallen into this trap a few times previously.

Advertisement - scroll for more content

For more video content, subscribe to 9to5Google on YouTube.

Same, same, and same again

It’s certainly no secret that Google will stick with a tried-and-tested design for the Pixel 11 lineup. Same size, same shape, basically the same frame with potentially a few very minor tweaks. For anyone who wanted a major shake-up, you’ll have to wait until next year.

For a lot of reasons, to me, this is probably a good thing. Let’s be honest, it took until the Pixel 9 series for Google to make a truly competent phone in most key areas. There is no major downside to the design. Yes, it’s a little derivative of older iPhones, but the camera bar is what helps set the Pixel apart.

I’m sort of shocked that, unlike in years gone by, we haven’t seen a huge hardware leak of the Pixel 11 – at least not yet. Sometimes devices are spotted being tested out in the wild, or even if we get an ad being shot, someone happens to be passing by.

That hasn’t happened this year. Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise because we’re not making as many snap judgments based on pre-release hardware. Conversely, expectations are always high, which may be prepping people for disappointment.

Sure, we know practically every one of the on-paper specifications, but that only tells one side of the story.

Here’s what to expect from the Pixel 11 lineup. We’re getting a 6.3-inch base model. the 6.3-inch Pro, 6.8-inch Pro XL, and a Pro Fold. Nothing out of the ordinary, and it works.

There are going to be some minor spec bumps; the minimum battery capacities are changing slightly. It’d be fair to assume the actual capacities will remain the same as the 10 series. Displays are getting higher maximum brightnesses from 2200 nits on the Pixel 11, 2450 nits on the Pros.

One of the potential casualties of the RAM and storage crisis could be the base model. Spec leaks for the Pixel 11 suggest it could ship with an 8GB variant, while the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL might dip from 16GB RAM back to 12GB. If 3 or 4GB of memory is required for certain on-device AI tasks and ML, how is this going to affect the Pixel 11?

Could we see more cloud-based Gemini functions to help alleviate this potential banana skin? There are so many questions we have that these proposed specifications bring up. I’m concerned that this means some features are going to be locked off or limited on the next generation.

Chipping away at Tensor

More bad news for the spec heads: The Pixel 11’s chipset is probably not going to be as powerful as even last year’s best mobile processors – at least on first look.

The leaks point to an unusual, asymmetric 7-core architecture (a 1+4+2 setup) utilizing ARM’s C1-Ultra and C1-Pro cores. While switching to TSMC’s highly efficient 2nm process is a massive win for battery longevity and thermal management, early indications show the PowerVR-based GPU architecture will still lag generations behind the competition in raw gaming grunt.

I guess one reality check is that even Google admits that Tensor was never designed to break benchmark records. Expecting Google to suddenly pivot to build a Qualcomm-rivaling beastly mobile processor is huffing pure copium.

The processor situation has been a massive nitpick for Pixel fans for years and a bugbear for fanatics who often cite the weak internals as a reason to avoid Google smartphones. All the problems plaguing the Tensor lineup need to be fixed first. Get everything on a level footing before trying to run with the ball.

If we huff a little bit more copium for just a few seconds, I don’t think that raw power has ever felt like a key component on a Pixel phone. That isn’t a defense of Google by any stretch of the imagination, but more of a realization that we may never get a Qualcomm-smashing Tensor chip.

A new phone with a new…gimmick?

It’s hard to decipher what Pixel Glow will be, but will it be anything more than an enhanced flash for the camera? I’m intrigued to see what this will be.

We first confirmed it was a thing and coming with the Pixel 11 series a few months ago. Subsequent leaks have suggested it could be an LED strip rather than a glowing area around the camera island. We’ve seen Nothing do rear panel LEDs, and that has received a fairly mixed response.

So long as there is utility, it’s likely going to be useful. More useful than the temperature sensor? I’m on the fence because the temperature sensor feels like it was a time capsule for phone development during a global pandemic.

Is Pixel Glow enough to sell a phone? I highly doubt it.

I’ll be honest: I’ve had my gripes with the Pixel camera system over the past few years. But for consistency across the board, it’s hard to fault a Pixel phone. Which is going to be a key selling point on the Pixel 11.

The good news is that the base Pixel 11 is rumored to bring back a proper 50MP main sensor. This fixes a major frustration from the previous generation, where the base model felt like a glorified A-series setup with a telephoto lens afterthought. Bringing back the 50MP sensor is a welcome fix, but it’s a return to form, not a leap forward.

If we’re not going to get lots of camera hardware tuning, can Google please maximize the capabilities of the system we’re going to see? It’s about time we had a LOG video of some kind; local video processing has to be a priority, too.

Heck, steal Apple’s photo look function while we’re at it. I want to do more in-camera rather than use third-party tools. Tone down HDR processing, give us the controls. I’d take that over wholesale changes.

I’m not expecting anything groundbreaking in the camera experience, but I live in hope. Google is selling Pixel cameras based on photo consistency more than anything else. Just keep that up, and I think ordinary people will be happy. We camera nerds will still have plenty of nitpicks.

Price will be the ultimate reality check

The specter of pricing looms large over the Pixel 11 lineup.

Which means the ultimate test for the Pixel 11 won’t be its hardware; it will be its price tag. Three years of iterative hardware changes haven’t deeply hurt Samsung because they have established market dominance. Google does not have that luxury.

If Google attempts to push prices higher while simultaneously offering a tighter RAM footprint and an underpowered GPU, with barely any hardware changes, then fans aren’t going to be as forgiving as last year, when the Pixel 10 felt like an iterative update over the Pixel 9.

If, and this is a big “if,” the Pixel 11 is merely a spec bump over the Pixel 10 without any unique selling point, it lives and dies by the pricing. If anything, it ramps up the pressure on the Pixel 12. Should the Pixel 11 be just more of the same, there is nowhere to hide next year. Just don’t expect a major shift this time around, and you probably won’t be too disappointed.

Follow Damien: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram

...