The Pixel 11 series proves that the Pixel 12 will be a breaking point for Google smartphones
The Google Pixel 11 series is exactly what we’ve come to expect from a modern Google launch. Rather than spending its keynote talking about cameras, displays, or silicon, Google devoted much of its t…
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The Google Pixel 11 series is exactly what we’ve come to expect from a modern Google launch. Rather than spending its keynote talking about cameras, displays, or silicon, Google devoted much of its time to Gemini Intelligence and a growing suite of AI-powered features that promise to make everyday smartphone use easier.
And, to be fair, many of those features genuinely sound useful. Google’s AI remains among the most polished in the industry, whether it’s summarising conversations, managing your calendar, improving voice dictation, or enhancing your photos. Unlike plenty of AI gimmicks, Google’s software often solves real problems.
But there’s one issue I can’t ignore: smartphones are still hardware products. And the sooner Google remembers that, the better.
For me, and undoubtedly many others, smartphones remain hardware purchases first and software purchases a close but clear second. For the most part, the same apps and features I rely on are available virtually regardless of which Android phone I buy. We spend anywhere from $800 to $1,500 on flagship phones because we expect class-leading cameras, brighter displays, faster charging, longer battery life, and top-tier performance. If hardware no longer mattered, we’d all buy mid-range phones and rely on software updates to bridge the gap.
Software absolutely adds value, and Google deserves credit for investing heavily in AI, which, in fairness, required modern hardware to run quickly and efficiently. But software is also an ongoing service that Google increasingly monetizes through subscriptions like Google AI Pro. Hardware is the part customers pay for upfront, and it’s where flagship phones should continue pushing boundaries.
The Pixel 11 has an excellent OLED display, premium build quality with a robust IP rating, and ever-reliable cameras. But those have been Google’s bread and butter for years. Meanwhile, competitors continue pushing ahead with larger silicon-carbon batteries , dramatically faster charging, bigger camera sensors , more versatile zoom systems, and processors that comfortably outperform Tensor in both sustained workloads and gaming. Worst of all, these are hardly new complaints — we’ve been making the same comparisons for years, and they do make a meaningful difference to how it feels to use a phone every day.
Casting a highly critical eye on the Pixel 11, there are several glaring deficiencies compared with similarly priced 2026 flagships available from more global brands. Google’s Tensor G6 silicon , for example, is a pale mid-range performer compared with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon or Apple’s A-series silicon, and we’re due another leap forward from these two before the year is out. In the photography sphere, the best players have pushed ahead with highly flexible 200-megapixel periscope cameras and telephoto extender accessories, while the Pixel 11 remains married to a formula that’s not all that different from that of the Pixel 6 Pro. Comparing the Pixel’s historically flaky battery life against flagships with cutting-edge 7,000mAh capacities that can push into a third day of use just adds insult to injury.
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