Google Pixel 11 Pro Review: Better Camera, $100 Higher Price

The Google Pixel 11 Pro is now in reviewers' hands, and the early verdict is mixed: a genuinely better camera system paired with a price that climbed more than $100 over last year's model. For anyone deciding whether to move up from a Pixel 10 Pro or switch from another brand, the trade-offs are worth a close look before buying.

Price and configurations
The Google Pixel 11 Pro starts at roughly $1,099 for the base configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The larger Pixel 11 Pro XL runs from about $1,419 for a 512GB, 16GB RAM model. That starting price sits more than $100 above last year's Pixel 10 Pro launch price, and it's one of the first things reviewers flag.

Camera hardware leads the upgrades
Reviewers point to the camera as the strongest reason to consider the Pixel 11 Pro this year. The new Magic Capture feature stands out for giving photographers more manual control over a shot while staying simple enough for casual use, and the hardware itself is a real step up over the Pixel 10 Pro's sensors.

RAM took a step back
One widely noted downgrade: the entry Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL now ship with 12GB of RAM to start, four gigabytes less than the 16GB the Pixel 10 Pro offered at launch. For a phone leaning on on-device AI processing, that cut has drawn criticism from early reviewers, several of whom call it an odd trade-off given the higher price.

Display and build
The Pixel 11 Pro carries a 6.3-inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, running Android 17 on Google's own G6 chip. Reviewers have flagged a lower PWM rate on the panel as a minor drawback for anyone sensitive to display flicker, though it hasn't stopped most from recommending the phone for its camera alone.

Battery life
A 4,850mAh battery keeps the Pixel 11 Pro running through a full day of typical use in early testing, in line with what Pixel owners have come to expect from the Pro line, and on par with most competing flagships at this size.

Where the GPU still lags
On the graphics side, the Pixel 11 Pro's GPU still doesn't support the latest Vulkan APIs, a gap some reviewers note keeps it a step behind rival flagships for gaming and graphics-heavy tasks, even as its everyday performance holds up well.

Protect the Google Pixel 11 Pro with a Komodoty case
Whether the upgraded camera or the higher price is the deciding factor, a Google Pixel 11 Pro at this cost is worth protecting properly. Komodoty makes slim cases for the Pixel 11 Pro in materials like Kevlar-backed wood, aramid fiber, and Alcantara, with precise camera cutouts and full wireless charging support. See the fitted options in the Komodoty Pixel cases collection.