I love Google Pixel phones. I have nothing personal against other manufacturers, but there are plenty of reasons why I will always choose a Google Pixel over other Android devices. However, the latest Pixel 11 is somewhat of a rough pass as the Pixel 10 is still going strong considering it was only released a year ago. Google’s generous software support (and impressive hardware, mind you) will probably keep me going for at least a few years, so upgrading to the Pixel 11 would be pointless. This is not just my opinion; Many people have made up their minds about Google’s new release in advance, advising users not to wait for the Pixel 11.
If you’re using a Pixel 9 or earlier, the new Pixel 11 might be a better choice, despite the $100 price increase. But for Pixel 10 users, the improvements are so marginal that they don’t provide much incentive to upgrade. The new model doubles the base storage to 256GB, sports an updated chipset, and has a larger camera sensor, but it’s not a big jump that would justify purchasing an entirely new device. Since it’s so similar to last year’s version, you don’t even have the credibility of having the latest version. So it might be wiser to hold on to your Pixel 10 and wait a year or two until Google releases the next-gen Pixel.
1. The Pixel 10 remains a good choice
The main reason not to upgrade to the Pixel 11 is that the first Pixel with two numbers in its name is still a powerful phone by today’s standards. Given that it was released in August 2025, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the Pixel 10 and models like the iPhone 17 still have significant specs. For starters, the Pixel 10 has 12GB of RAM, which is more than enough for almost all everyday tasks (even multitasking if you’re that kind of user). Since the base Pixel 11 Pro devices were downgraded from 16GB of RAM to 12GB of RAM, this brings the Pixel 10 closer to the power levels of the new high-end devices.
RAM isn’t the only reason the Pixel 10 still holds up. Last year’s Tensor G5 is an excellent 8-core chipset clocked at 3,780 MHz. He’s fast, snappy, and can handle almost anything you throw at him. The camera? With the exception of a larger sensor and better zoom on the Pixel 11, most users won’t notice the difference from last year’s device, although Night Sight should be a bit faster. From a software perspective, the Pixel 10 will benefit from a generous 7 years of updates. My experience with these phones is second to none, to say the least. I’ve never experienced a hardware failure and all of my old Pixels are still working fine, so I can sleep well at night knowing that if things go well, the Pixel 10 will continue to work and receive software and security updates well into the next decade.
2. Pixel 11 updates are marginal at best
Credit where it’s due, the Pixel 11 has some cool new features, such as the notification light and teleprompter that have arrived in the camera app. But are these updates life-changing? Not by far. Once you dig a little deeper, aside from these nifty little improvements, the biggest differences from last year’s model are the storage, processor, and larger camera sensors.
Make no mistake, this is a good thing if you’re upgrading from a phone that came out years ago. In this case, the difference would be day and night. Pixel 10 users are unlikely to notice this. The new and improved Tensor G6 increases power efficiency by 20%, and browsing speed has reportedly seen a 25% increase. The main problem is that last year’s processor is still more than capable and will probably stay that way for a few years. Plus, the Pixel 11’s slightly better AI performance just isn’t a big enough improvement for those of us who own the Pixel 10.
The Pixel 11 doubles the storage (the base model now comes with 256GB), which is a great move on Google’s part. Updating the camera is not as important. It’s pretty much the same triple camera, with a slightly larger sensor. The field of view (FOV) is wider and the telephoto lens can now zoom up to 30x. For the most part, this is old news, although the larger sensor will let in more light, which will probably make night photos a little better. Other than that, you get a few new color options, but the design remains mostly the same and I had a hard time telling the difference between the two Pixels in photos.
3. The price of entry is too high
Starting at $899, the Pixel 11 is relatively affordable for a flagship smartphone in 2026. That’s generally what I like about Pixel. The $899 price tag is reasonable, especially considering this is a phone you could theoretically keep for upwards of five years or more. Still, this only applies to those upgrading from phones older than the Pixel 10. The predecessor costs $785. So if you’re looking for a brand new phone to upgrade to from the Pixel 8, for example, shelling out $100 more for the Pixel 11 might not be worth it to receive slightly more powerful specs than the Pixel 11. For lucky Pixel 10 owners, paying $899 is simply too high a price for what you’d get.
Overall, this isn’t just a criticism of Google; Annual improvements in smartphones are not as visible as they were ten or just a few years ago. After all, there’s not much you can do to improve on the Pixel 10, which was excellent when it came out. Other manufacturers are facing the same problem. Let’s take Apple as an example. The iPhone 17 was released in 2025, so the next iteration is bound to be a bit disappointing. Fans are already recommending users not to buy the iPhone 18 and wait another year, because the really big hardware changes will probably arrive in 2027.
