I tried every Google Pixel 11 model, and my favorite phone is actually not the most expensive

Summary

Google’s latest lineup of flagship Android phones is finally up for pre-order, with full retail availability beginning next week. I played around with each of the four new Google Pixel 11 models, and it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room: the price. Smartphone costs are soaring thanks to RAM shortages, and every Pixel 11 variant is more expensive this year. There is a silver lining, though. Of all the Pixel 11 phones I tried, the cheapest one is the model I’d want in my pocket. The calling card of the “Pro” phones is HiLight, a glowing orb that consumes the traditional white camera flash to display status information. It’s what makes the Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold unique compared to the base Pixel 11, and it’s simply not as exciting as I hoped. Instead, the truly captivating change of the Pixel 11 series is only available on the base model. The standard Pixel 11 has a miniscule camera bump that makes the entire chassis feel attractive and slender. Since many core specs are shared throughout the entire Pixel 11 lineup, I’d gladly choose the entry-level $899 phone over the higher-priced Pro models. Google Pixel 11 series pricing, specs, and availability Every model is more expensive this year Google launched the Pixel 11 series at a Made by Google event on Aug. 12, 2026, and all four phones became available for pre-order that same day. The official release date for the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold is Aug. 20, and that’s when you’ll see the newest Google flagship hit shelves. Here are the prices for each Google Pixel 11 model:

• Google Pixel 11 (12GB/256GB): $899
• Google Pixel 11 Pro (12GB/256GB): $1,099
• Google Pixel 11 Pro XL (12GB/256GB): $1,299
• Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold (16GB/256GB): $1,899Googleupgradedthebasestorageto256GBonthePixel11andPixel11Pro,butitdid{n}^{\prime }tdoitforfree.So,thePixel11andPixel11Procost$100 more than last year’s models, but they cost the same as their 256GB storage equivalents. The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold see a $100 price hike without a storage boost.

Google Pixel 11 Google Pixel 11 Pro Google Pixel 11 Pro XL Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold Brand Google Google Google Google SoC Google Tensor G6 Google Tensor G6 Google Tensor G6 Google Tensor G6 Battery 4985 mAh 4850 mAh 5115 mAh 4750 mAh Ports USB-C 3.2 USB-C 3.2 USB-C 3.2 USB-C 3.2 Operating System Android 17 Android 17 Android 17 Android 17 Dimensions 6.0 in (height) x 2.8 in (width) x 0.3 in (depth) 6.0 in (height) x 2.8 in (width) x 0.3 in (depth) 6.4 in (height) x 3.0 in (width) x 0.3 in (depth) 6.1 in (height) x 3.0 in (width) x 0.4 in (depth) folded; 6.1 in (height) x 5.9 in (width) x 0.2 in (depth) unfolded Colors Frost, Pistachio, Hibiscus, Obsidian Canyon, Olive, Fog, Obsidian Canyon, Olive, Fog, Obsidian Olive, Obsidian Weight 6.9 oz 7.2 oz 8.0 oz 8.4 oz IP Rating IP68 IP68 IP68 IP68 Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth Bluetooth v6 Bluetooth v6 Bluetooth v6 Bluetooth v6 In fact, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL base models ship with fewer gigabytes of memory this generation. The phones now start with 12GB, and you have to upgrade to the 512GB or 1TB storage configurations of the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL to get the 16GB of RAM that was standard on the Pixel 10 Pro models. With pricing considerations in mind, it’s a good sign that the only Pixel 11 variant under $1,000istheoneIenjoyedusingthemost.OnlythebasePixel11getsthisincredibledesignupgradeSomehow,thePixel11ProandPixel11ProXLfeellesspremiumbesideit{I}^{\prime }vebeencriticalofPixeldesignandbuildquality,aspriorphoneshavebeenthickerandheavierthantheiriPhoneandSamsungGalaxycompetitors.Thetruthis,Googledid{n}^{\prime }tcompletelyaddressthePixe{l}^{\prime }sthicknessandweightproblemswiththePixel11.Thenewmodelweighs195.6grams,whichisawelcomechangecomparedtothe204-gramPixel10,butisstillontheheavierside.Thebodystill[is{n}^{\prime }tasthinastheGalaxyS26](https://www.makeuseof.com/galaxy-s26-made-me-doubt-my-iphone/).Thatsaid,Googleisusing[thesamestrategyitusedonthePixel9aandPixel10a](https://www.makeuseof.com/i-tested-the-google-pixel-10a-and-9a-side-by-side/)forthePixel11.Ifyo{u}^{\prime }regoingtomakeathickerphone,youmightaswellmakethecamerabumpasslimaspossible.Asyoucanseeinthephotosabove,thebasePixel11stillhasanoval-shapedcamerabarontheback,butitdoes{n}^{\prime }tprotrudeasmuch.Specifically,thecamerabumpis40YoumightexpecttheslimmercameraovaltoextendtothePixel11ProandPixel11ProXL,butthatis{n}^{\prime }tthecase.ThecamerabaronthosephonesfeelsjustaslargeastheirPixel10seriescounterparts,andfrankly,itlooksancientcomparedtothePixel11.IunderstandwhythePixel11ProandPixel11ProXLcamerabumpsarelarger—theyhavebettersecondarycameras—butthatdoes{n}^{\prime }tchangehowmuchIlovethebasePixel11^{\prime }slook.ThecamerabumponthePixel11ProandPixel11ProXLprotrudessignificantlymorefromthebackthanthebasePixel11.Speakingofappearances,thePixel11^{\prime }smattealuminumsiderailsandglossyglassbackmakeforagreatcombination.I{t}^{\prime }savailableinPistachio,Hibiscus,Frost,andObsidian.ThegreenPistachioandhotpinkHibiscuslookedbetterinpersonthanIexpected.Thepolishedmetalrailsonthenon-ObsidiancolorwaysofthePixel11ProandthePixel11ProXLdo{n}^{\prime }tspeaktomeasmuchasthemattePixel11hues.Googledid{n}^{\prime }tskimponthePixel11^{\prime }sperformanceThebasemodelhasquiteabitincommonwiththePro,XL,andProFoldWiththePromodelsseeingfewergigabytesofbaseRAMthantheirpredecessors,thestarterPixel11isasfittocompetewithitshigher-pricedsiblingsasever.ThebasePixel11hasthesameGoogleTensorG6processor,thesameTitanM3securityprocessor,thesame12GBofRAM,andthesame256GBbasestorageasthePixel11ProandthePixel11ProXL.Thisyear,theregularPixel11addsZonedUFSstorageforallconfigurations,plusQi2.225Wfastwirelesschargingsupport.FeaturesthatwereonceexclusivetothePixel11ProorPixel11ProXLarenowavailableonthebasemodel.Speakingofbatteryandchargingspecs,thePixel11supports30WwiredchargingspeedsidenticaltothoseofthePixel11Pro.ThebasePixel11^{\prime }sbatterycapacity(4,985mAh)isalsothesweetspotbetweenthatofthePixel11Pro(4,850mAh)andthePixel11ProXL(5,115mAh).Ofcourse,thePixel11stillhas[internalQi2magnetsforMagSafeandPixelsnapchargersandaccessories](https://www.makeuseof.com/pixelsnap-bigger-deal-than-you-think/)—thisis[oneofthebiggestreasonstochooseaPixeloveraGalaxy](https://www.makeuseof.com/i-left-samsung-for-a-pixel-qi2-magsafe/).Ido{n}^{\prime }texpecttheTensorG6chiptoallofasuddenbeattheQualcommSnapdragon8EliteGen5forGalaxy[insidetheSamsungGalaxyS26](https://www.makeuseof.com/the-best-samsung-features-almost-nobody-turns-on/).BoththePixel11andtheGalaxyS26costthesame,andifyouwantthebestperformance,thelatterisprobablyyourbestoption.However,i{t}^{\prime }seasiertoacceptthoseperformancecompromisesinan$899 phone like the Pixel 11 than a $1,299phonesuchasthePixel11ProXL.Thisiswhy,despitethepricehikeandPixel10similarities,thePixel11stoodoutinthislineup.Whytheentry-levelPixel11is{n}^{\prime }taslamdunkThecamerasanddisplayare{n}^{\prime }tasgoodasthePromodelsTherearestilldrawbacksthatcomewiththePixel11thatcouldbeoff-putting,especiallyconsideringtheprice.Notably,thephon{e}^{\prime }s6.3-inchdisplayis{n}^{\prime }tassharporasbrightasthePixel11Proversion.Whiletheprimaryshooterisalarger,48MPwidelenswitha1/1.56-inchimagesensorsize,thesecondaryrearcamerasarestilllimitedtoa13MPultrawideanda10.8MPtelephoto.ThePixel11Pr{o}^{\prime }scamerasystemisundoubtedlybetter,buti{t}^{\prime }shardtoknockthePixel11toomuchforthat.Comparedtophonesinitsclass,liketheGalaxyS26andtheiPhone17,thePixel11^{\prime }scameraspecsdo{n}^{\prime }tlookoutofplace.Atatimewhenjustabouteverythingcostsmorethanitdidayearago,I^{\prime }mthrilledtoreportthatthePixel11phonethatblewmeawayis{n}^{\prime }tthe$1,299 Pixel 11 Pro XL or the $1,899Pixel11ProFold.I{t}^{\prime }sthePixel11,aphonethatlookspoisedtobeoneofthebestAndroidflagshipsunder$1,000. Google Pixel 11

• Brand
• SoC
• Google Tensor G6
• Battery
• 4985 mAh
• Ports
• USB-C 3.2
• Operating System
• Android 17
• Dimensions
• 6.0 in (height) x 2.8 in (width) x 0.3 in (depth) The starter Google Pixel 11 isn’t the flashiest Android phone of the bunch, but it’s the one that resonated with me the most. The slimmer camera bar makes the Pixel 11 feel modern and sleek, and it’s powered by the same Tensor G6 processor as the rest of the series. For $900, this is a solid Android flagship.

By Brady Snyder

Original Article