On paper, the upcoming Pixel 11 series looks more like it. For modern smartphone enthusiasts, “more of the same” usually prompts 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 trapped, rightly or wrongly, in a cycle that calls for massive, sweeping changes every 12 months, despite the massive collapse of mobile hardware. Let’s not get it twisted, I’m always excited for new gear. In addition, now Google is becoming even more capable in this area.
The answer is not so simple with the Pixel phone without giving Google a free pass. Things have never been as clear-cut as they seem, and we’re entering a phase where fans and detractors alike expect more than is probably possible – a trap I’ve fallen into a few times before.
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Same, same and same again
It’s no secret that Google will stick to the tried and tested design for the Pixel 11 series. Same size, same shape, same frame with potentially a few minor tweaks. For anyone wanting a major shake-up, you’ll have to wait until next year.
For many reasons, to me, this is probably a good thing. To be honest, it took until the Pixel 9 series for Google to make a truly capable phone in most key areas. There are no serious flaws in the design. Yes, it’s a bit derivative of older iPhones, but the camera panel helps set the Pixel apart.
Unlike past years, I’m shocked that we haven’t seen a major hardware leak of the Pixel 11 — at least not yet. Sometimes the devices are seen being tested in the wild, or even if the ad is shot, someone accidentally walks by.
It didn’t happen this year. Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise, since we don’t make such snap decisions based on pre-release hardware. Conversely, expectations are always high, which can set people up for disappointment.
Of course, we know practically every one of the specifications on paper, but that only tells one side of the story.
What to expect from the Pixel 11 series. We get a 6.3-inch base model. 6.3-inch Pro, 6.8-inch Pro XL and Pro Fold. Nothing out of the ordinary and it works.
There will be some minor specifications; minimum battery capacities vary slightly. It would be fair to assume that the actual capabilities will remain the same as the 10 series. The screens achieve a higher maximum brightness of 2200 nits on the Pixel 11 and 2450 nits on the Pros.
One potential casualty of the RAM and storage crisis could be the base model. Technical leaks for the Pixel 11 suggest that it may ship with an 8GB variant, while the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL may drop from 16GB of RAM to 12GB. If a particular device requires 3 or 4GB of memory for AI tasks and ML, how will that affect the Pixel 11?
Could we see more cloud-based Gemini features to help alleviate this potential banana skin? We have so many questions that these proposed specifications raise. I worry that this means some features will be locked or limited in the next generation.
A break in a tensor
More bad news for dedicated titles: the Pixel 11’s chipsets probably won’t be as powerful as even last year’s best mobile processors — at least at first glance.
The leaks point to an unusual, asymmetric 7-core architecture (1+4+2 setup) using ARM’s C1-Ultra and C1-Pro cores. While the move to TSMC’s highly efficient 2nm process is a big win for battery longevity and thermal management, early indications suggest that the PowerVR-based GPU architecture will still be generations behind the competition in raw gaming noise.
I guess a reality check is that even Google admits that Tensor was never designed to break benchmark records. Expecting Google to suddenly turn around to create a beastly mobile processor that rivals Qualcomm is baffling to the pure copycat.
The processor situation has been a big nitpick for Pixel fans for years, and has often been a problem for fanatics who cite weak internals to avoid Google smartphones. All problems that disturb the tensor order must be solved first. Before you try to run with the ball, put everything in place.
If we play a little more copy for just a few seconds, I don’t think raw power has ever felt like a key component in a Pixel phone. This isn’t a defense of Google by any stretch of the imagination, but more of an understanding that we’re not going to get a Qualcomm-destroying Tensor chip.
A new phone… with a trick?
It’s hard to decipher what Pixel Glow will be, but will it be anything other than an advanced flash for the camera? I’m curious to see what happens.
First we confirmed it was a thing and comes with the Pixel 11 series a few months ago. Later leaks suggested that this could be an LED strip rather than a bright area around the camera island. We found that nothing was seeing the back panel LEDs, and it received a rather mixed response.
As long as it’s useful, it’s likely to be useful. More useful than a temperature sensor? I’m on the fence because the temperature sensor feels like a time capsule for phone development during a global pandemic.
Is Pixel Glow enough to sell a phone? I highly doubt it.
A continuous camera, but not much more
I’ll be honest: I’ve had issues with the Pixel camera system for the past few years. But for consistency across the board, it’s hard to fault the Pixel phone. This will be the main selling point of the Pixel 11.
The good news is that the flagship Pixel 11 is rumored to bring back the proper 50MP primary sensor. This eliminates the big disappointment of the previous generation, where the base model felt like an A-series setup glorified with an afterthought telephoto lens. Bringing back the 50-megapixel sensor is a nice touch, but it’s a return to form, not a leap forward.
If we’re not going to get a lot of camera hardware tuning, could Google please maximize the capabilities of the system we’ll see? It’s time for a LOG video of sorts; native video processing should also be a priority.
Heck, steal Apple’s photo viewing feature while we’re at it. I want to work more in-camera than using third-party tools. Reduce HDR processing, control us. I would accept this wholesale changes.
I don’t expect anything groundbreaking in the camera experience, but I live in hope. Google sells its Pixel cameras based on photo sequences more than anything else. Just keep it up and I think regular people will be happy. We cameramen will still have plenty of nitpicks.
The price will be the final reality check
The specter of pricing on the Pixel 11 lineup seems huge.
That means the ultimate test for the Pixel 11 won’t be its hardware; it will have a price. Three years Iterative hardware changes didn’t seriously hurt Samsung because they have dominated the market. Google doesn’t have that luxury.
If Google tries to raise prices while simultaneously offering tighter RAM space and less powerful GPUs with almost any hardware change, then fans won’t be as forgiving as last year’s Pixel 10 felt like an iterative update over the Pixel 9.
If, and it’s a big if, the Pixel 11 is simply a special knock on the Pixel 10, which has no unique selling points, it lives and dies by price. If anything, this adds to the pressure on the Pixel 12. If the Pixel 11 is more of the same, there’s nowhere to hide next year. Just don’t expect a huge change this time and you probably won’t be too disappointed.
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