Smartphone manufacturers rarely innovate these days, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a sign that iPhones and Androids have gotten so good, there’s little room left for major advancements and upgrades. When a company like Google announces a new smartphone line, most of us aren’t expecting something that will convince us to upgrade from its previous generation; rather, you know that if it’s time to buy a new phone, the latest generation will likely be the de facto “best” phone you can buy.
So it seems is the case for Google’s upcoming Pixel 11 lineup. Rumors suggest that the company is making small updates in some key areas as you might expect, without changing too much from the Pixel 10. The biggest change, it seems, might just be the phone’s price tag. If you’re considering upgrading to a new Pixel 11 device, know you might just be paying more for it than ever.
What’s new with the Pixel 11
As highlighted by Engadget, the overall design of the Pixel 11 line is virtually identical to the Pixel 10. That goes for all rumored models, including the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. If you have a corresponding Pixel 10 device, the Pixel 11 upgrade will have the same screen sizes, which means the lineup will have the following displays:
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Pixel 11: 6.3-inches (1080 x 2424)
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Pixel 11 Pro: 6.3-inches (1280 x 2856)
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Pixel 11 Pro XL: 6.8-inches (1344 x 2992)
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Pixel 11 Pro Fold: 6.3-inch outer display (1080 x 2342) and 8-inch inner display (2076 x 2160)
The camera bumps will remain unchanged as well, though the hardware itself may get a bit of an upgrade. The Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold may ship with 50 MP main cameras, which is a slight bump up from the 48 MP camera on the Pixel 10. The cameras on the 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL may get new sensors as well.
While it might seem like you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the Pixel 11 and Pixel 10 by sight alone, you actually will. That’s because the rumors suggest Google will introduce new colors for the lineup. The Pixel 11 may ship in Midnight, Fuchsia, and Moss, while the Pixel 11 Pro may come in Dune, Pine, and Sterling. Finally, the Pixel 11 Pro may ship in Midnight or Pine.
Perhaps the biggest upgrade this year will be the Tensor G6 chip. Engadget says that Google’s latest SoC (System-on-a-Chip) is built on a 2nm process, which may be the same as Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 series. While we’ll need access to the phone for actual benchmarking and real-world tests, the new chip could offer better battery life and power efficiency than the current Tensor G5.
The Pixel 11 may be more expensive than ever
However, new chips are expected with new smartphone generations. Perhaps the biggest shock this year will be how much you actually have to pay to acquire Google’s newest phones. Like Apple, Google may drop the 128GB base model options for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro, and may instead choose to start at 256GB. While that’s good for users who often run out of storage, it takes away the previous base model price tag of $799. Now, the new entry price will be $899: technically the same price, but it will cost $100 more to get a new Pixel than it used to.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, however, may just get a price increase for no other reason than the ongoing memory crisis. Because of sharp demand for RAM and other computer components across the globe, companies are raising prices across the board. As such, Engadget suggests that the Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold may get a €100 increase, which could reflect a $100 increase in the U.S. as well.
If you need the latest and greatest from Google for your next phone, you’ll have no choice but to spend the extra money. However, you might be better off finding a good deal on a Pixel 10 or a Pixel 10a. After all, there’s not that much difference between the Pixel 11 series to necessarily justify the rumored price increase.