{"id":534888,"date":"2026-07-10T16:03:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:03:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/534888\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T16:03:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:03:18","slug":"ive-used-pixel-phones-for-years-why-the-upcoming-pixel-11-has-me-worried","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/534888\/","title":{"rendered":"I’ve used Pixel phones for years. Why the upcoming Pixel 11 has me worried"},"content":{"rendered":"

Google\u2019s Pixel phones have always prioritized software over hardware. While that\u2019s delivered some of Android\u2019s smartest AI features<\/a> and best cameras, it\u2019s also meant living with compromises that fans have been asking Google to fix for years: slower charging, middling battery life, Tensor processors that trail the competition, and hardware that often feels a generation behind the best Android flagships.<\/p>\n

As someone who\u2019s used Pixels for years, I was hoping the Pixel 11<\/a> would finally start closing that gap. It didn\u2019t need to leapfrog every rival overnight, but even one or two meaningful hardware upgrades \u2014 a larger battery, faster charging, a more competitive Tensor chip, or a standout camera improvement \u2014 would have gone a long way to making the Pixel 11 series feel like flagships at the top of their game.<\/p>\n

Instead, based on everything we\u2019ve seen so far, the Pixel 11 series looks set to stick with much the same formula.<\/p>\n

While I expect Google\u2019s latest flagships to retain their signature focus on AI software features and ecosystem tools, that\u2019s no longer enough on its own. When you\u2019re spending anywhere from $800 to $1,200 on a flagship expected to last five years or more, you expect premium hardware to match the price. That\u2019s especially true when competitors in the US, and even more so across global markets, are pushing ahead with genuinely meaningful hardware innovations that improve the day-to-day experience. Prospective Pixel buyers shouldn\u2019t settle for anything less.<\/p>\n

What do you want most from the Pixel 11 series?<\/p>\n

206 votes<\/p>\n

Better battery life<\/p>\n

44%<\/p>\n

Improved performance<\/p>\n

32%<\/p>\n

Faster charging<\/p>\n

6%<\/p>\n

More versatile cameras<\/p>\n

10%<\/p>\n

Something else (see comments)<\/p>\n

2%<\/p>\n

Unsure, Pixel hardware is pretty great<\/p>\n

6%<\/p>\n

Battery life and charging already feel dated<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

Robert Triggs \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a huge fan of fast charging<\/a>, especially since modern versions can top up handsets in well under an hour without the increased heat of older methods. Hitting a cool 45W is really the baseline in 2026, and even Samsung has managed to push its Galaxy S26 Ultra to 60W<\/a>, resulting in a full charge time of just 40 minutes compared to over 100 for my Pixel 10 Pro XL.<\/p>\n

While there are hopefully rumors of Google increasing its power this generation, based on reports of how its current phones are struggling to stay cool while charging in recent hot temperatures and the brand\u2019s troubled history with low-quality batteries, I\u2019d be surprised if Google feels at all confident about pushing beyond its current 37W peak on the XL models and 27W capabilities for its smaller handsets. In any case, it seems incredibly unlikely Google will jump to 60W or higher to match its rivals\u2019 capabilities, and even if there is a higher power level around the corner, sustaining it to actually make a next-gen Pixel charge meaningfully faster is a whole different question.<\/p>\n

A bigger battery would be the easiest win to make Pixel’s feel better to use.<\/p>\n

In any case, perhaps the biggest game-changer in the past two years has been the adoption of silicon-carbon battery technology<\/a>. This has allowed China\u2019s best to pack over 7,000mAh batteries into their largest flagship phones, and for home staples like Motorola to pack 5,000mAh cells into its compact Razr Ultra 2026<\/a> foldable. If there\u2019s one thing Google could really do to improve the day-to-day experience of using a Pixel, it\u2019s making battery life feel that bit more reliable.<\/p>\n

\"Battery<\/p>\n

Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, according to rumors, the Pixel 11 series looks set to retain roughly the same battery capacity as the current generation. We\u2019re likely looking at cells between 4,840mAh and 5,000mAh. These might be competitive with what Apple and Samsung continue to offer in their flagship phones, but they fall well short of the capacities found in the ultra-premium Android space, where manufacturers are pushing phones comfortably into two days of heavy use.<\/p>\n

The good news is that moving to a smaller TSMC manufacturing node will help Google\u2019s Tensor G6 processor, and pairing it with a MediaTek M90 modem instead of a Samsung Exynos modem might help the chip sip battery power more slowly for daily tasks. Those improvements would certainly be welcome, but even a 10% efficiency gain won\u2019t close the gap with phones that offer 40\u201350% larger batteries.<\/p>\n

Tensor remains a problem<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

Robert Triggs \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Speaking of the\u00a0Tensor G6<\/a>, it\u2019s perhaps the most heavily leaked aspect of Google\u2019s upcoming flagships. Sporting a more powerful big Arm C1-Ultra core at 4.11GHz, alongside four C1-Pro cores at 3.38GHz and two C1-Pro cores at 2.65GHz, it represents a significant CPU uplift over the G5\u2019s aging components. However, Google\u2019s processor still lacks the peak performance grunt of Apple\u2019s A-series, Qualcomm\u2019s Snapdragon, and MediaTek\u2019s Dimensity, which pack dual powerhouse cores to handle the heavy lifting and, in MediaTek\u2019s case, a far greater overall core count.<\/p>\n

On the graphics side, the Tensor G6 is reportedly switching to a PowerVR CXTP-48-1536 GPU, which is unlikely to excite serious mobile gamers. After digging into the architecture, I expect performance<\/a> to be closer to a sidegrade than a major leap, with any improvements coming primarily from efficiency rather than outright rendering power.<\/p>\n

Tensor G6 will be faster but it’s progressing far slower than rivals.<\/p>\n

While today\u2019s flagship chips are arguably overkill for most mobile games, Tensor continues to fall further behind the competition in sustained graphics performance, ray tracing support, and demanding workloads. That matters not only for gaming but increasingly for on-device AI processing, computational photography, and future software features that rely on extra GPU horsepower. Yes, Google is leaning on a new, faster TPU to speed up on-device AI, but that feels like a questionable trade if it means squeezing the budget for versatile graphics silicon.<\/p>\n

When other phones can do it all, Google is increasingly relying on its software experience to compensate for hardware shortcomings. That strategy has worked surprisingly well so far, and Tensor will almost certainly remain fast enough for everyday tasks, but enthusiasts looking for class-leading performance will once again find Google\u2019s custom silicon difficult to recommend.<\/p>\n

Camera hardware has come on leaps, and it\u2019s time to upgrade<\/p>\n

\"Pixel<\/p>\n

Robert Triggs \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Having spent a good amount of time comparing Google\u2019s Pixel 10 Pro XL against the best camera phones in the business, trust me when I say that China\u2019s most expensive phones are a cut above. Not that Google\u2019s realistic take on color science and powerful HDR formula has lost its magic, but rival phones can now capture more exquisite, true-to-life details in portrait photographs and those sought-after long-range shots. And it\u2019s all thanks to new hardware sweeping the market \u2014 including large 200MP telephoto and periscope cameras offering 6x zoom and beyond.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s Pixel series is expected to receive some camera upgrades of its own, but they will be incremental rather than formula-changing. The baseline Pixel 11 is expected to receive a new 50MP \u201cchemosh\u201d sensor<\/a> to replace its aging 48MP primary camera, bringing it more in line with the Pro models. While we don\u2019t know the exact model, it\u2019s probably safe to say this will help reduce the camera\u2019s noise and improve detail and low-light performance.<\/p>\n

While rivals are experimenting with enormous periscope cameras, the Pixel 11 brings us decorative RGB lighting.<\/p>\n

The Pro and Pro XL models are also reported to receive a revamped 48MP ultrawide lens and a 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. We don\u2019t yet know the exact sensor, making it difficult to predict precise improvements. More likely than not, Google is focusing on incremental gains \u2014 reduced image noise, faster autofocus, improved HDR processing, and better low-light performance \u2014 rather than introducing dramatically different focal lengths or the kind of massive 200MP sensors now appearing elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Still, we\u2019ll likely see some new software tools; Google\u2019s new Metis ISP is reported to support 4K 30fps cinematic blur, improve low-light video, and improve 100x AI-assisted zoom, which should keep the camera package interesting enough. But I\u2019d rather see a next-gen Pixel camera capable of taking amazing portraits without muddled software bokeh or snapping incredibly vibrant distant shots in low light over another software tool I\u2019ll forget to use.<\/p>\n

On the subject of cameras, the Pixel 11 series could also introduce something called \u201cPixel Glow<\/a>\u201c\u2014a rear-facing RGB LED ring surrounding the camera housing that reportedly replaces the infrared thermometer with a Nothing-inspired notification system. It could be a genuinely fun addition and perhaps even prove useful for notifications or photography, but it also raises questions about Google\u2019s hardware priorities. When rivals are experimenting with enormous periscope sensors and dramatically extending optical zoom capabilities, decorative lighting feels like an odd place to spend engineering effort.<\/p>\n

Hoisted by its AI ambitions<\/p>\n

\"Nano<\/p>\n

Dhruv Bhutani \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

In addition to all the above, there are some more concerning reports that the baseline Pixel 11 might ship with an 8GB RAM option (12GB was the minimum on the Pixel 10), while the new Pixel 11 Pro Fold could have a 12GB SKU<\/a> (previously 16GB minimum). Not great for a flagship foldable expected to cost upwards of $1,799.<\/p>\n

These smaller capacities would run counter to Google\u2019s recent push toward larger on-device AI models, which increasingly rely on abundant memory. Its latest handsets reserve close to 4GB of RAM to ensure a snappy Gemini Nano experience. Next-gen models with less RAM might be forced to use smaller, weaker AI models or wait for delayed responses as they struggle to quickly load into memory \u2014 hardly a great sales pitch for Android\u2019s flagship AI brand.<\/p>\n

While I won\u2019t blame Google for the industry\u2019s broader memory pricing pressures, it would still be another disappointing compromise for Pixel fans hoping for more substantial hardware upgrades this year.<\/p>\n

More of the same, less of what we need<\/p>\n

\"App<\/p>\n

Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

If the leaks are accurate, the Pixel 11 series risks feeling like another year of Google asking buyers to prioritize software over hardware. A slower charging setup, comparatively modest battery capacities, Tensor\u2019s continued performance deficit, and only incremental camera upgrades leave the Pixel looking increasingly outgunned by flagship Android rivals from OPPO, Xiaomi, and vivo.<\/p>\n

Perhaps Google will never try to beat those phones on specifications alone. Its strategy has long been to compete with the iPhone and Galaxy by delivering a polished software experience, industry-leading AI features, and cameras that remain consistently excellent. That\u2019s a perfectly valid approach, but after several generations of waiting for Tensor, charging speeds, and battery technology to catch up, it\u2019s becoming harder to ignore just how wide the hardware gap has become.<\/p>\n

The Pixel 11 series will almost certainly be another very good smartphone. The question is whether \u201cvery good\u201d is still enough in a premium market that\u2019s moving forward much faster than Google appears willing to.<\/p>\n

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our\u00a0Comment Policy<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Google\u2019s Pixel phones have always prioritized software over hardware. While that\u2019s delivered some of Android\u2019s smartest AI features…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":534889,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[133,5133,59952,85,46,321,125],"class_list":["post-534888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-google","tag-google-pixel","tag-google-pixel-11","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-mobile","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=534888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/534889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=534888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=534888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}