Google’s Pixel 11 series was announced earlier this month, going on-sale here in Australia and around the world on August 20. After a brief first impressions, I’ve had the chance to put the phone through its paces.
Starting at $2,099, the Pixel 11 Pro XL comes with either 12GB (256GB) or 16GB (512/1TB) RAM depending on the storage.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL, like the rest of the series, is powered by the new Tensor G6. This next-gen processor brings reduced power consumption, as well as speed improvements to loading apps and web-surfing, as well as on-device AI.
The AI improvements are driving a number of new features in Android like Rambler – the new voice-to-text model, in the camera, with 120x Super zoom, Instant Night Sight and more, as well
The design of the Pixel 11 Pro XL hasn’t changed a lot, in fact coming with almost the same physical dimensions to the point older cases still fit the new model.
It still has the volume rocker and power on the right, with the USB-C port and downward firing speaker on the bottom which pairs with the earpiece for stereo sound.
Google has been placing the SIM tray on the top of the phone for some time, I love this approach as I’ve seen numerous people stick a SIM eject tool into the microphone on the base of other phones – so nice work Google.
Just with the design of the phone, there’s not a lot changed with the display on the Pixel 11 Pro XL. It has the same sized 6.8-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED display but the display is now able to achieve a slightly higher peak brightness of 3,600 nits compared to 3,300 nits on last years model. It also features a stronger anti-scratch coating.
There’s new colours this year, with the usual Black (Obsidian) model with their white model coming in ‘Fog’ – which is the colour Google has sent over for review.
The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL will also get new colours Canyon and Olive. The gentle orange of ‘Canyon’ looks stunning, while Olive completes the new colour palette for the Pixel 11 series this year, with their premium Pixel Buds Pro 2 also getting an Olive colourway this year.
The major design change being the edge-to-edge glass in the camera bar on the rear of the phone. The updated visor looks a little more premium with the single glass panel continuing along the visor.
The camera visor hosts one of the major changes on the Pixel 11 Pro models: HiLight.
Replacing the temperature sensor that was introduced on the Pixel 8 series, Highlight brings a notification LED to the camera visor on the Pixel 11 series – almost.
The Hilight notification LED only works when the phone is face down, and can only notify you when a call from one of your pre-designated favourites calls, or Gemini is in use.
The functionality is super basic at this point, with the only configuration options the colour the LED glows when your favourite contact calls in Google’s Phone app, or WhatsApp – and you can’t choose Blue because that’s the colour that glows when Gemini is running.
There are some third-party apps already out there looking to “fix” the HiLight LED – so Google had better get a wriggle on.
The heart of the Pixel 11 series is the Tensor G6, which Google has also paired with a new Titan M3 security chip.
This latest gen SoC offers 25% faster web browsing, 15% faster app launches, and an upgraded Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) that delivers 50% more compute power, which improves on-device AI processing, making AI tasks run up to 3.5 times faster while consuming 3.5x less energy.
In practical terms, the Pixel 11 Pro XL works well. I’ve noted an improvement in game performance on the Pixel 11 Pro XL.
Previously Google has blocked 3DMark and Geekbench from their Pixel series phones prior to release. As we’re now into general release, I ran the Tensor G6 through both and here’s how they went.
The specs on the Pixel 11 Pro series camera haven’t changed – a 50MP main sensor, with 48MP Ultra-Wide with 123° field of view and 50MP Telephoto sensor with 5x optical zoom.
Google HAS changed around the sensors, despite keeping the megapixel count the same – but for most people, you won’t even notice.
What some people may notice is the ability to customise your camera. You can now choose to launch in photo, video or the new Magic Capture option, or change the ordering of the Quick Access Controls for White Balance, Shutter speed and more.
Once your camera is setup, you’ll get all the great shots you’ve come to expect from the Pixel camera.
The 100x “Pro Res Zoom” function on the Pixel 10 has been improved in the Pixel 11 Pro series with the Tensor G6 now letting you take photos at 120x zoom – with AI filling in missing detail.
Google Photos retains both the original shot and offers the improved snapshot which looks a lot crisper.
Normal zoom shots are actually impressive, with a simple 12x crop looking really good.
The Tensor G6 update has also brought faster Night Sight photography. An absolute killer feature, Night Sight seems almost magical from the photos it can produce – but it’s never been ‘fast’, until now.
Night Sight is now fast. It’s not quite ‘instant’ but the processing time is almost non-existent, and the shot quality is the same as you’ve come to expect.
The Night Sight works just as well in both ultra-wide and tight shots
One feature Google has introduced on the Pixel 11 Pro series is ‘Looks’. Powered by the Tensor G6 image processing, Looks give you a chance to make a photo yours, by letting you set custom combinations of internal camera settings at the sensor level before you take a shot.
Similar to FujiFilm’s ‘Recipes’, Looks are your option to take really arty photos. It’s also something to note you can’t change the photo settings after the shot – this is sensor level stuff. There are a number of ‘Looks’ to choose from which you can get to by swiping through: Minimal, Black Tie (Black and White), Digi, Classic, Velvet, Editorial or ‘Vanilla’.
Going to preferences, you can choose between a number of settings including vibrance, Grain, Sharpness, Warmth and more – and you can also get back to the familiar ‘Pixel’ look in the default camera settings by closing and re-opening the camera app.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL includes a 5,115 mAh Lithium-Ion battery with support for Wired Fast charging, and Qi 2.2 Wireless support – though there’s no chargers included in the box, just a fresh USB-C cable.
Despite being the only one of the only models in the Pixel 11 family to step down in battery from last year’s 5,200 mAh battery in the PIxel 10 Pro XL – Google has listed the max battery as around 30 hours of use, up from 24 hours last year.
In terms of actual real-world use, the Pixel 11 Pro XL has improved on the Pixel 10 Pro XL which is usually needing a charge by around 6pm most days – after almost a year of daily use.
On the charging front, Google says the Pixel 11 Pro XL supports fast charging when using the official 45 W USB-C PPS charger – sold separately for .99 AUD – which can net you up to 75% in about 30 minutes. The phone also supports Qi 2.2 @ 25W.
I have the Pixel 45W USB-C charger and Pixelsnap charger, and here’s how the charging looks:
The Pixel 11 Pro XL comes with Android 17 and the Pixel Experience which is fuelled by monthly “Pixel Drops” containing new features. Out of the box, there’s an Over-The-Air (OTA) update to the August 2026 security update – meaning you’re right up to date.
The Pixel 11 series is covered by Seven Years worth of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates from the date of launch
At the launch of Android 17, Google announced Gemini Intelligence would be a major factor in the release. At its core, Gemini Intelligence can ‘automate complex tasks, summarize web content, and simplify form filling’.
There’s also a heavy emphasis on AI, and you get a 6-month trial of Google AI Pro.
It is a step down from the 12 months of AI Pro you got with the Pixel 10 Pro series, but as with most AI these days, Gemini is having to pay its way now.
A major part of Google intelligence is of course the system understanding what you’re saying. Rambler is the latest iteration of Google’s already fantastic voice-to-text service, and in Android 17 on the Pixel 11, it’s even better.
Rambler is now built-in to GBoard, all you have to do is tap on the mic on the keyboard and start talking. Rambler lets you simply talk, with Gemini parsing what you’re saying, ignoring all your “umms” and “ahhs” and interpreting what you said – and it actually works!
You can edit yourself on the fly, or wait until the text is generated, then tap the mic and edit what’s on-screen.
My only feedback is that it doesn’t show you what’s being taken down before you hit the ‘tick’. Once you hit that tick, Rambler must parse what you said and deliver a final version.
You can also edit the final result by tapping the mic button, and you can also get Gemini to ‘AI’ the response to choose less or more formal tones and more – however this seems to need an online connection.
It may sound fairly mundane, however Rambler is one of my favourite new features of Android 17, and the Pixel 11 series.
Being proactive, the Pixel 11 can do some neat stuff – in Google Messages, offering up rich, visual cards in chat using Gemini Intelligence.
The cards can show up in chats, prompted by links within your Google apps to calendar and more. These cards can show off information about flight info, your availability, or when a location like a restaurant gets mentioned in a chat.
The smartphone market has reached a level of maturity that means big leaps in tech define a release, instead offering refinements in design and performance generation to generation, and the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL is marked evidence of this.
The premium design has been improved, and performance is faster year over year thanks to the Tensor G6.
The HiLight feature is still a mixed bag. It plays on the nostalgia for a notification LED, but only offers very limited functionality making its utility limited.
Gemini Intelligence though shows some real promise. Proactive assistance is just what is needed to showcase what AI can do in a real-world, day-to-day use case – though some people may baulk at giving unfettered access to their data.
As it stands though, the Pixel 11 Pro XL fixes what needed to be, and the new hardware will power AI updates delivered through Pixel Drop software updates each month.
If you’re interested in where Gemini AI is going, the Pixel 11 Pro XL is one of the best examples of how Google will implement AI in your daily life.
Daniel has been talking about, learning about and using tech since he was able to toggle switches and push buttons. If it flashes, turns on or off or connects he wants to use it, talk about it and learn more about it. Like this article? Buy me a coffee!
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