Google Pixel 11 Review: A Modest Improvement

The Google Pixel 11 is available in several appealing colors, including a vibrant Hibiscus (hot pink), a subdued Pistachio (warm green), and the classic Frost (white) and Obsidian (black). Unfortunately, the popular Indigo color from the previous year has been discontinued. Similar to Apple's strategy, Google seems to reserve more exciting color options for its standard Pixel models, with the Pro versions opting for a more muted palette.

Despite its 6.3-inch display, the Pixel 11 is considered a compact phone by today's standards. Coming from the larger Pixel 10 Pro XL, I found the Pixel 11 much easier to handle with one hand. While it's a bit thick, it feels comfortable to hold and shares a similar profile with the Pro model, allowing for interchangeable cases. I highly recommend a case, as I unfortunately managed to scuff the paintwork after an accidental drop on the beach.

The display remains the same as the previous generation: an excellent 6.3-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2424 pixels and refresh rates of either 60 Hz or 120 Hz. It's a missed opportunity that Google didn't implement a variable refresh rate (1-120 Hz), which could have improved battery efficiency. The phone defaults to 60 Hz, requiring a manual adjustment in the Display settings to enable the smoother 120 Hz experience. The screen is impressively bright, with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, ensuring readability in various conditions. While not quite as bright or sharp as the Pro model, and featuring slightly larger bezels, the differences are subtle and only noticeable upon close inspection.

The fingerprint unlock is as reliable as ever. However, Google's Face Unlock functionality continues to falter in low-light conditions, which may be a point of frustration for users switching from iPhones. In the United States, the Pixel 11 will also exclusively utilize eSIM, omitting a physical SIM card slot. While physical SIM cards simplify switching between devices, eSIM technology has become more streamlined with the cooperation of phone manufacturers and carriers. Although swapping a physical card is generally easier than contacting your carrier for international travel, setting up an international eSIM is not overly complicated. Both methods have their advantages, but with the increasing adoption of eSIM by US carriers and manufacturers, it's becoming less of a significant issue.

Power Boost

The new Tensor G6 chip is engineered to offer a 20% increase in power efficiency, 25% faster browsing, and 15% quicker app loading times. The Pixel 11 is equipped with 12 GB of RAM and offers storage options of 256 GB or 512 GB. For everyday tasks, the phone feels swift and responsive. I encountered no issues with app loading or web page scrolling, and the camera application also felt slightly snappier. Compared to my Pixel 10 Pro XL, I observed that the Pixel 11 delivered Nest video doorbell notifications and loaded video footage a second or two faster.

I tested the Pixel 11's capabilities with the demanding mobile game Wuthering Waves. While playable, the gameplay exhibited stuttering, and even on the 'Balanced' graphics and performance setting, frame drops were prevalent during combat. After an hour of gameplay, the Pixel 11 became warm, and the battery level dropped from 40% to 26%. Less intensive games, such as Mini Metro and Alto’s Odyssey, performed well. However, serious gamers may want to consider alternative devices.