Google’s Pixel 11 lineup is finally here, along with the Pixel Watch 5 and a rival to Apple’s AirTag. Here’s what debuted at the ‘Made by Google’ event.
While we’re all eagerly awaiting the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro, Google has already revealed everything the Pixel 11 range has to offer. Unveiled at the annual “Made by Google” event on Wednesday, Google’s Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold introduce new Gemini capabilities, color options, and more.
Also announced was the Pixel Tag, a small tracking device that helps users keep track of their keys, wallets, and other possessions. Basically, Google’s version of an AirTag. Google upgraded its smartwatch offerings as well, with the Pixel Watch 5 introducing additional health-focused capabilities.
Most of Google’s new devices seem on par with what Apple has to offer, and even its pricing decisions appear to mirror Apple’s choices.
Google Pixel 11: 30-hour battery life & 25% faster charging, albeit for $100 more
At first glance, Google’s Pixel 11 looks remarkably similar to the preceding model. However, there’s one noticeable difference. The rear camera plateau of the Pixel 11 utilizes an all-glass design and has been made slimmer.
The Pixel 11 comes in four fun colors. Image Credit: Google.
Google offers the Pixel 11 in four colors: a bright Hibiscus, a bluish-gray Frost color, Pistachio, and Obsidian. Hibiscus is the best-looking and the boldest of the bunch, in our opinion.
Under the hood, the Google Pixel 11 features an all-new Tensor G6 chip with 12GB of RAM and a 50% faster AI engine, used for advanced Gemini and 30x photo zoom capabilities. New Gemini features include Rambler, a voice assistant designed to better handle natural language, while Circle to Search was made available from the Camera app.
This is similar to what the iPhone offers, because Apple has been trying to catch up to Google with its own Apple Intelligence features, namely Siri AI and Visual Intelligence. Still, Google chose to market the Pixel 11 range as featuring “Gemini Intelligence,” so it might have looked to Apple for inspiration in that regard.
Battery-wise, Google’s Pixel 11 can charge up to 55% in just 30 minutes, making charging 25% faster than with the Pixel 10. Google also says the Pixel 11 offers up to 30 hours of battery life, up from 24 hours with the Pixel 10. For comparison’s sake, an iPhone 17 can charge to 50% in 20 minutes with a 40W charger, and offers 30 hours of video playback.
Apple axed the 128GB base storage option with the iPhone 17 range, and now Google has followed suit. Google’s Pixel 11 comes with 256GB of storage as standard. Priced at $899, the 256GB Google Pixel 11 is $100 more expensive than the base 128GB Google Pixel 10. Additionally, Google guarantees 7 years of OS and security updates for the Pixel 11.
Overall, Google’s Pixel 11 is an iterative release, and it doesn’t offer any particularly compelling features compared to the iPhone 17 or compared to the Pixel 10.
Google Pixel 11 Pro: Anti-scratch coating, 26% faster charging, better telephoto camera
Google describes its Pixel 11 as the “most durable Pixel Pro yet,” because the phone features a new scratch-resistant display coating that is twice as effective as the one on the Pixel 10 Pro. Google’s Pixel 11 Pro also offers improved drop protection.
Google’s Pixel 11 Pro offers improved durability. Image Credit: Google.
Google also says the Pixel 11 Pro’s Super Actua display is 9% brighter than the previous model, offering up to 3600 nits of brightness. Design-wise, the Pixel 11 Pro looks a lot like its predecessor, with a pill-shaped camera bump. The phone is available in four colors: Canyon, Fog, Obsidian, and Obsidian.
As for processing hardware, the Pixel 11 Pro also has the Tensor G6 chip, and it comes with up to 16GB of RAM. The Pixel 11 Pro, much like the Pixel 10 Pro, still offers more RAM than any iPhone currently available, with the iPhone 17 Pro only featuring 12GB.
Additionally, Google says the Tensor G6 in the Pixel 11 Pro offers 50% more TPU compute, while 20% better power efficiency is made possible thanks to an upgraded CPU.
The camera specs of the Pixel 11 Pro are similar to those of its predecessor. It offers a 50MP Wide camera, a 48MP Telephoto camera, a 48MP UltraWide lens, and a 42MP rear camera. Google says the Pixel 11 Pro Telephoto camera offers 30% more light sensitivity.
As for battery life, Google’s Pixel 11 Pro offers 30+ hours of power, while wired charging is now 29% faster. The Pixel 11 Pro battery can reach 75% in around 30 minutes with ultra-fast wired charging. For comparison’s sake, the iPhone 17 Pro can charge up to 50% in 20 minutes with a 40W charger, and offers up to 33 hours of video playback.
Storage options include 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, with the base price being $1,099, which is again $100 more than the Pixel 10 Pro. Much like the standard Pixel 11, the Pixel 11 Pro doesn’t offer any standout features, relative to its predecessor.
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: 3 times stronger with 20% brighter displays
Durability is once again the focus with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Google claims the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is three times stronger than the preceding model, while also weighing 10% less. It’s also thinner than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, though not by much.
Google’s Pixel Pro 11 Fold offers 20% brighter displays. Image Credit: Google.
Design-wise, there’s only a slight difference compared to the preceding model. On the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the camera plateau is more compact. The phone itself is available in two colors, Olive and Obsidian.
Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold boasts an 8-inch Super Actua Flex display, offering 3600 nits of peak brightness, up from 3000 nits on the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
As for the camera system, the Pixel 11 Pro can capture 56% more light, thanks to a larger sensor. However, it still offers a 48MP Wide camera, a 10.8MP UltraWide camera, and a 10.5MP telephoto camera, with 10MP front and inner cameras. This is practically the same setup available on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Much like the Pixel 11 Pro, the chip in the Pixel 11 Pro Fold delivers 50% more TPU compute, with a 20% improvement in power efficiency, relative to the Tensor G5. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold also features 16GB of RAM and is available in the same storage options as the Pixel 11 Pro: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Charging a Pixel 11 Pro with PixelSnap, Google’s version of MagSafe, is 50% faster compared to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. It can charge up to 50% in around 30 minutes and offers 24 hours of battery life. That will ultimately offer an experience slightly worse than the iPhone 17 Pro.
We’ll have to see what Apple does with its foldable iPhone, but it’s sure to be a good competitor to Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
Google Pixel Watch 5: 20% faster, insulin resistance tracking, pulse detection, more
Health-focused enhancements are the cornerstone of Google’s Pixel Watch 5. It offers blood pressure tracking, helps wearers keep track of their insulin resistance levels, and their heart rhythm. It can even call emergency services if it detects no pulse, if the wearer’s been in a car crash, or if they’ve fallen.
Google’s Pixel Watch 5 is 20% faster than its predecessor. Image Credit: Google.
With the Google Pixel Watch 5, it’s also possible to track SpO2 levels, breathing rate, skin temperature variation, and more. Much like the Apple Watch, the Google Pixel Watch 5 offers GPS support and sleep tracking as well.
Google also says its Pixel Watch 5 is 20% faster than the preceding model, and that it offers Gemini features. For instance, it can pull up contact information if the user receives a text asking for someone’s phone number. The watch can also display flight info, ETAs, and other relevant updates.
Curiously, Google markets the Pixel Watch 5 as “the first smartwatch with SOS satellite communications,” offering users a way of contacting emergency services without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. This is a feature the Apple Watch Ultra 3 already offers, however, as can be seen on Apple’s website. It’s unclear why Google highlights satellite connectivity as a unique or new feature.
Price-wise, the 41mm Google Pixel Watch 5 is available for $399, with a 45mm variant also offered for $429, and a special workout-focused Stephen Curry version with a water-repellent-coated band for $579. For reference, Stephen Curry is a basketball player and four-time NBA champion.
Along with the Pixel 11 range and Pixel Watch 5, Google has updated the Pixel Buds Pro 2 with an Olive color option and several new features. Some of these new capabilities actually require and work with the Pixel Watch 5.
Google Pixel Buds 2: Feature updates
Google’s Pixel Watch 5 can pause music and silence notifications when the wearer has fallen asleep with their Pixel Buds Pro 2. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 now offer Dynamic ANC, which is meant to compensate for subtle seal shifts.
Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 have received a new color option. Image Credit: Google.
Additionally, two Gemini-related features have been made available for the Pixel Buds Pro 2. Google Gemini can now be used to adjust audio settings like bass on the earbuds.
Live translation has been enhanced, too, with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 now being able to translate more than 70 languages in real time. Apple already has its own take on the feature, so this is not a particularly compelling upgrade in that sense, though it’s a nice touch nonetheless.
Google Pixel Tag: another tracking device
Also announced on Wednesday was Google’s take on the Apple AirTag, which is known as the Pixel Tag. It costs $29 for a single unit, or $99 for a four-pack. Google says they’re made of polycarbonate and metal.
Google has revealed its take on the AirTag, known as the Pixel Tag. Image Credit: Google.
It’s possible to locate an AirTag via the Find Hub application, or with a Pixel phone and Google Pixel Watch. Google’s Pixel Tag features Bluetooth channel sounding, Ultra Wideband for precision finding, and IP67 water resistance.
The Pixel Tag is powered by a user-replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery, which should last a year. With the battery, Google’s Pixel Tag weighs 0.4 ounces.
All in all, Google’s new product lineup is good, but not groundbreaking. Aside from the Pixel Watch 5, it’s essentially a series of iterative upgrades, with little that would entice the average Apple user to switch.