Google's Pixel 11 series launches on August 12, 2026, and I have been monitoring all the leaks and rumours about these devices. However, it doesn't seem like Google has anything left to show since the design, specs, colours, pricing, and even the wallpapers have already surfaced online. And from everything I have seen, there is nothing new that has made me sit up or even raise an eyebrow from excitement.
Six Generations In, Will Tensor Compete This Time?
The Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold will sit on shelves next to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, the iPhone 18 Pro line, and flagships from Vivo, OPPO, and OnePlus. Every one of those phones delivers better performance than the current and probably the upcoming Pixel phones too.
The Tensor G6 leaks suggest that it won't bring big upgrades in raw performance. Instead, Google is going in the opposite direction.
Leaks point to a seven-core CPU, down from the Tensor G5's octacore architecture. The new ARM C1-Ultra core runs at 4.11 GHz, with four C1-Pro cores at 3.38 GHz, which should deliver some performance improvements.
I am almost sure that it won't be able to match up to the rumoured Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro or the Apple A20 Pro. Both of these chipsets will be based on TSMC's 2nm node, the same as the Tensor G6, so that's another advantage for its competitors.
It is also rumoured that Google is using a PowerVR CXTP-48-1536, derived from a 2021 architecture, as the GPU for the G6. So it could be a further step behind the previous Tensor G5 in gaming.
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Small Upgrades Aren't Enough Anymore
The leaked designs of the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro models and 11 Pro Fold look identical to that of the Pixel 10 series, but this time with a completely black camera bar. Given the same silhouette, I don't see the need to spend money on the latest phones.
There's also no major jump in battery capacity either. Leaker Roland Quandt reportedly pegs the Pixel 11 Pro at 4,850mAh and the Pro XL at 5,115mAh, both smaller than their predecessors. Only the base model gains by 15mAh.
Meanwhile, Samsung just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra with its first silicon-carbon cells in a thinner body. Most brands are already caught on to the silicon-carbon train, with some phones delivering insane capacities like 10,000mAh.
Moreover, the camera is not eyeing a monumental upgrade either. From what the reports suggest, only the main camera is getting bumped across all three models, while the rest of the setup remains the same.
While it might be a good upgrade, it won't be as noteworthy as the variable-aperture camera that's expected in the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.
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Pixel Glow Doesn't Seem That Impressive
Before you take me for a hater, let me tell you that for a few weeks, I was actually excited. Early leaks suggested a light ring running around the entire camera bar. For the first time, it felt like a genuinely adventurous thing that Google's design team may have attempted in years.
Then the official Pixel 11 teaser landed. And Pixel Glow turned out to be a small set of multicoloured LEDs sitting where the flash and temperature sensor used to be. Basically, a notification light with a marketing name. Nothing did this with far more conviction three years ago and called it a Glyph Light.
Maybe there is more to it, and we might find out in the event, but I am not holding up my hopes high.
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Pixel 11 May Cost Even More
Leaked UK pricing puts the Pixel 11 at £879 (~ Rs 1,12,500), the Pro at £1,079 (~ Rs 1,38,000) and the Pro XL at £1,279 (~ Rs 1,64,000), with the 128 GB tier killed off, so the effective entry price climbs across the board.
Google's VP of devices and services, Shakil Barkat, has publicly said the company can no longer absorb rising costs due to ongoing RAM and memory shortages. That is understandable, as it is an industry-wide issue that pushed even Apple to increase prices of its entire product lineup (except iPhones).
India pricing has not surfaced yet. But I wholeheartedly believe it to be more than the current models.
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Google's Defence Is Running Thin
The Pixel 11 will be a phone with nothing to say, set to arrive at a higher price than the device it will replace. It will likely run a chip that will likely lose to Qualcomm's last generation, with cameras that will be outmatched by the rest of the competition, and a design that has not changed over two generations.
So why should I be excited here? In fact, why should you? Why not buy the Pixel 10 instead, or get any other competent phone that you don't have to make excuses for? I'm hoping I would be proven wrong after the Pixel 11 launch, but until then, I'd keep my reservations.
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