The Pixel 11 Pro XL is a great smartphone, yet I still have a lot to complain about.
8/10/2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Jan Johannsen
Taken on its own, the Pixel 11 Pro XL is a wonderful smartphone. But there is still its predecessor. It not only looks confusingly similar to it, but its features are also almost identical.
Google wasn't particularly creative with the Pixel 11 Pro XL. On the outside, the smartphone offers new colors, and on the inside, it features a new chipset with the Tensor G6. The cameras remain identical to those of its predecessor. There are minimal changes to the display and dimensions. Additionally, the RAM has been reduced for the smallest storage variant.
Identical twins
Prices can change daily and vary depending on color and storage size. However, the one-year-old Pixel 10 Pro XL can sometimes be found for over 300 francs less than the new Pixel 11 Pro XL.
The similarity continues on the data sheet. The Pixel 11 Pro XL is only 0.1 millimeters (mm) shorter and 0.1 mm wider than its predecessor. In other words: the cases would fit – if it weren't for the buttons on the right side. Google has shifted their position. So slightly that it is barely noticeable to the eye, but enough that the cutouts in the case no longer fit.
Two changes to the display are also only noticeable in direct comparison with the predecessor. The brightness in high-brightness mode on the Pixel 11 Pro XL has increased by 200 nits to 2400 nits. I can see the difference when I hold both devices side by side. But the Pixel 10 Pro XL never felt too dark to me before.
Furthermore, with the same diagonal and resolution, Google has managed to increase the screen-to-body ratio of the touchscreen from 88 to 89.6 percent. That's nice, but even in direct comparison, it can only be guessed at with the naked eye.
The proven camera system gets to continue
The data sheets do not show the slightest changes between the cameras of the Pixel 11 Pro XL and its predecessor. The good thing is: I already liked the photos from the Pixel 10 Pro XL excellently.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL has a 50-megapixel main camera. The ultra-wide-angle and telephoto cameras each offer a maximum resolution of 48 megapixels. Through «pixel binning», the combining of pixels for better image quality, the captured images standardly have a resolution of only twelve megapixels.
I took some pictures with the Pixel 11 Pro XL and its predecessor. Sometimes I spot slight differences. However, the cause of these is likely primarily due to the slightly different image framing, as I was shooting handheld. The software in the background then makes slightly different decisions for processing in each case. For me, both smartphones are equally good.
More power for AI
Let's come to the point where the Pixel 11 Pro XL really differs from its predecessor: the chipset. The Tensor G6 is the next generation of Google's own chipset and promises more performance than the Tensor G5 of the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
In the sum of several benchmark tests, the Tensor G6 offers about 20 percent more CPU and GPU performance than its predecessor. That's good, but with these values, it still lags behind the top chipsets from Qualcomm and Mediatek. The G6 ranks among the upper mid-range processors.
20 percent more performance sounds good, but is hardly a buying argument if the Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10 Pro XL handles all tasks to full satisfaction. That's why Google points out that the Tensor G6 is also better suited for AI applications. After all, the biggest innovations on current smartphones are primarily AI tools – although very few of them work offline.
For a test, I run two apps anyway with «Geekbench AI» and the «AI Benchmark» that determine the AI performance of smartphones. Their results are clear: regarding AI, the Tensor G6 adds a decent amount. In the AI Benchmark, the score achieved is more than twice as high: 1732 points instead of 819 points.
Geekbench AI offers many more numbers. For the CPU, GPU, and the AI interface NNAPI, there are three results each for «Single Precision Score», «Half Precision Score», and «Quantized Score». In each of these values, the Tensor G6 improves: sometimes subtly by about 40 percent, up to a twenty-fold increase in the result.
Now you just have to find AI tools that run locally on the device and not in the cloud.
No changes to battery life
Google has changed the battery in the Pixel 11 Pro XL. Compared to its predecessor, however, its capacity decreases by 85 mAh and is 5115 mAh. The measured battery life does not differ significantly from the predecessor. Thus, neither the reduced capacity nor an improved energy efficiency of the Tensor G6 is noticeable.
Google leaves the charging performance unchanged. The Pixel 11 Pro XL accepts up to 45 watts via a USB-C cable and up to 25 watts wirelessly via the Qi standard.
In a nutshell
The best smartphone, unless you have the predecessor
The Pixel 11 Pro XL is a highly recommended smartphone that you can enjoy for a very long time. The cameras deliver excellent images and the performance is more than sufficient – even if the Tensor G6 cannot keep up with the chipsets of other top smartphones. However, it has improved significantly over its predecessor, especially in terms of AI performance. In addition, there is an outstanding OLED display, decent battery life, and fast, long-term Android updates. My biggest point of criticism can also be phrased positively: there wasn't much left to improve. The changes are so minor that upgrading from one or two-year-old predecessors is not worth it. Given the current price difference, it is more worthwhile to opt for the Pixel 10 Pro XL, which still receives software updates for six years and features the same cameras.
Pro
- more AI performance
- fast and long-term software updates
- cluttered interface / only one account required
Contra
- few changes compared to the predecessor
- Chip performance at a mid-range level
Jan Johannsen
Senior Editor
Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.deAs a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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