Google on Wednesday unveiled its latest flagship Android smartphones, the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Among the expected chip and camera upgrades is a major throwback: the notification light is back. It’s called HiLight, a set of ambient LEDs built around the camera flash on Pro models that glow in color to alert you when your phone is face down. The notification LED was once a standard feature on Android phones before manufacturers phased it out in favor of always-on screens, and Google removed it from its own phones in 2018 with the Pixel 3. Nearly a decade later, it returns in an arguably smarter form.
HiLight aside, all four phones run on the new Google Tensor G6 chip with a Titan M3 security coprocessor, come with Android 17, start at 256GB of storage, and feature major camera upgrades. Every model, including this year’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold, will be available on August 20.
Pixel 11 gets a larger sensor and thinner camera bar
The standard Pixel 11 retains its remarkable camera bar but slims it down by 40%, which Google says makes the phone virtually shock-free when paired with one of its cases and completely wobble-free on a flat surface. It’s available in Frost, Pistachio, Hibiscus and Obsidian, with a 6.3-inch Actua display that hits 3,000 nits of peak brightness – the same as last year.
This year, it’s the camera that’s seeing the biggest change. The Pixel 11 has a new, larger 48MP main sensor that Google says offers 56% higher light sensitivity than the Pixel 10, which should mean significantly better photos in low light. The 5x telephoto lens now extends up to 30x Super Zoom, powered by Tensor G6, up from the 20x cap of last year’s model. The phone also introduces Magic Capture, a new camera mode that captures video and photos ready to share with just one click, automatically crops and eliminates them, as well as Camera Looks to create your own set of film-style photo aesthetics. Both features are deployed across the entire series.
Charging also attracts attention. Wired charging takes the Pixel 11 to 55% in around 30 minutes, a new Extreme Charging mode fully dedicates the phone’s performance to power-up, and the built-in Pixelsnap magnets now support Qi2.2 wireless charging at up to 25W. It still drags a cable for pure speed, but if you’re planning to go mostly cable-free, it’s worth checking out our guide to the best wireless chargers you can buy. One feature missing from the Pixel 11 is HiLight, which remains exclusive to the Pro models and the Fold.
HiLight is the flagship feature of the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL
Pro models benefit from the new HiLight LED functionality. When the phone is face down, the LEDs around the flash glow in custom colors that you assign to favorite contacts, so you know if an incoming call is worth turning the phone over. HiLight also pulses to indicate when Gemini is listening, thinking, or responding, and Google says more features will come over time, including message notifications from favorite contacts.
The rest of the Pro package is substantial. The Super Actua display now peaks at 3,600 nits, with a new anti-scratch coating that Google says more than doubles the scratch resistance of the previous generation, and the Pro line gets a matte obsidian finish on the side rails for the first time. The 50 MP main camera upgrades to a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor, while the redesigned 48 MP telephoto lens draws in 30% more light, supports Portrait mode at 5x, and can go up to 120x Pro zoom. This is the longest zoom offered by Google, beating the Pro Res Zoom 100x introduced on the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL. Instant Night Sight captures low-light photos up to 4.5x faster, and Pro Stable Video with Video Boost enables 8K recording.
The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL come with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, a vapor chamber to keep the Tensor G6 chip cool, and six months of free Google AI Pro. The Pro XL charges the fastest: up to 75% in about 30 minutes with a 45W charger. According to Google calculations, you get 15 hours of battery life in 15 minutes. At 6.8 inches, the Pixel 11 Pro XL also deserves its place among the best big phones you can buy.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is thinner, lighter and more durable
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is about 1mm thinner and almost 10% lighter than its predecessor, but Google says it’s 3x stronger, thanks to a new hinge, matte composite back, and IP68 water and dust resistance. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold measured 10.8mm when folded and weighed 9.1 ounces, up from 10.1mm and 8.4 ounces this year.
The 6.5-inch outer display gets the Super Actua treatment for the first time, and both screens are 20% brighter than before, with the 8-inch inner Super Actua Flex panel peaking at 3,600 nits, up from 3,000 nits on last year’s two displays. The Fold also gets the HiLight notification LED, as well as the same 48MP main sensor upgrade as the Pixel 11, with 56% better light sensitivity and 30x super zoom.
Its form factor unlocks a few tricks that panel phones can’t match: Made You Look plays animations on the outer screen to entice kids to look at the camera, Dual Screen Preview lets subjects see themselves while framing a photo, and the Rear Selfie Camera uses the main camera for self-portraits. Battery life is rated at over 24 hours, with 30 minutes of charging giving the phone a 50% recharge. Wireless charging goes from 15W to 25W. It’s available in Olive and Obsidian, and is an important new entry among the best foldable smartphones you can buy.
Google’s latest foldable phone arrives this year alongside the rest of the lineup rather than following it. Last year, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold shipped about six weeks after the other three phones hit stores.
Tensor G6, Gemini Intelligence and everything else
Every phone in the series runs on the new in-house Tensor G6 chipset. Google says the upgraded processor delivers 25% faster web browsing and 15% faster app launches, while a TPU with 50% more compute runs on-device AI tasks up to 3.5x faster while using up to 3.5x less power. Combined with the Titan M3 chip, it brings post-quantum cryptography to secure boot, with protection against future attacks from quantum computers.
That same silicon powers Gemini Intelligence, which proactively surfaces information from your apps, like showing your calendar when a friend texts you to ask if you’re free. Voice typing now removes filler words and formats your dictation into refined text, and new sign-to-text typing in Gboard translates sign language captured by the camera into text, opening up a face-to-face conversation for hearing-impaired users. Live Translate extends to videos, podcasts and voice messages, and Circle to Search works directly from the camera.
The Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL are available for pre-order now at $899, $1,099, and $1,299, respectively. This represents an overall increase of $100 over the Pixel 10 series. Pricing for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold has not yet been confirmed. All four phones will hit stores on August 20 with seven years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates. Compared to last year, that’s on top of a faster chip, bigger sensors and longer zoom on every model, faster wired and wireless charging, a thinner, more rugged foldable, and a notification light on a Pixel for the first time since 2018.
