Over 10,000 readers told us that the Pixel 11 series missed the mark

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Google unveiled the Pixel 11 series last week, bringing the usual mix of camera upgrades, a new Tensor chip, and plenty of Gemini-powered features. The four phones are currently up for pre-order ahead of their August 20 release, so even early adopters still have a few days to decide whether Google’s latest lineup is worth the money. We recently asked whether you thought the Pixel 11 series was hot or not, and the verdict was pretty brutal.

That poll appeared in my colleague Stephen Radochia’s piece from last week, in which he argued that the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL show just how far Google has moved away from Android enthusiasts . His biggest gripe was the combination of higher prices and a drop from 16GB to 12GB of RAM on the Pro models, especially with the Galaxy S26 Ultra now sitting at the same $1,299 price as the Pro XL. While he acknowledged Google’s camera improvements, HiLight , Qi charging upgrades, and software strengths, he also made clear that Tensor G6 now has much more to prove if the Pixel is going to justify that premium.

Almost 15,000 of you voted in our poll, and dozens went on to explain their thinking in the comments section of Stephen’s article. Let’s see what the vote share and mood mean for Google’s latest handset.

Maybe we should have had an advisory for any Google execs to look away before revealing this result. With 73% and over 10,000 votes, almost three in four of you have decided that the Pixel 11 Series is not hot.

Now, it’s probably worth flagging the obvious point here that the poll was run in an article making that very argument. That might mean readers who were already less than enamored with the latest Google devices were more inclined to engage with the post. Furthermore, some who were on the fence about the series before diving into the piece may have found Stephen’s arguments persuasive by the time they voted. In any event, it won’t have been the reception that the OEM was hoping for after its star-studded Made by Google showpiece that launched the Pixel 11 lineup.

Our comments sections can often generate lively debate, and the below-the-line views on Stephen’s article didn’t disappoint. Price came up again and again, although plenty of readers were quick to point out that those paying MSRP for a Pixel might be in the minority. Several had secured big trade-in or carrier discounts , including one reader who paid $406 Pixel 11 Pro after trading in a Pixel 10 Pro. Reader Kireikotomine13 stated, “Even as a Pixel fan, I wouldn’t even consider buying the Pixel 11 series at full price.” But others weren’t persuaded. Their issue was less about what a savvy buyer might eventually pay and more that Google is now asking Samsung Ultra money at launch. It’s also worth remembering that trade-ins and carrier deals might make the phone cheaper at checkout, but you’re still being charged, or committing to charges, in other ways.

The RAM downgrade also drew a lot of attention from commenters, though not everyone accepted the premise that 12GB is a great hardship. Some readers argued that the difference from 16GB will mean very little in normal use, while others thought a four-figure Pro phone shouldn’t be moving backward on the spec sheet at all. As Htmlvalidator put it, “I’ll stick with my Pixel 9 Pro XL with 16GB of RAM and keep the cash in my wallet.” And of course, the higher-storage Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL configurations still come with 16GB of RAM. So you can get the extra memory — Google just wants more money for it. Funnily enough, we predicted back in March that the Pixel 11 might be one of the Android phones to suffer in the RAM crisis .