Pros & Cons #
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Leading AI functionality
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Bright, beautiful screen
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Outstanding camera performance
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Sleek design and build quality
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Most of the phone's new tricks are cloud-based
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HiLight is half-baked
Google Pixel 11 Pro XL Specs #
| Battery Life (As Tested) | TBD |
| Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing) | 50MP; 48MP, 48MP, 42MP |
| CPU | Google Tensor G6 | | Dimensions | 6.41 by 3.01 by 0.33 inches | | Operating System | Android 17 | | Screen Resolution | 2,992 by 1,344 pixels | | Screen Size | 6.8 |
Over the past ten years, Google's Pixel lineup has set the benchmark for the Android experience. The new Pixel 11 Pro XL mostly lives up to that legacy, though the iterative updates are beginning to feel a bit stale. Between an increased $1,299 price tag tied to component shortages and a surprising downgrade to 12GB of RAM, the value proposition takes a hit—even with base storage bumped up to 256GB. Look past those stumbles, however, and you'll find remarkable display quality, sturdy construction, fast radios, and the stellar AI-driven cameras Google is known for. It’s a compelling option for users who love Google's software ecosystem, but the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra ($1,299.99) offers a more complete package and an S Pen for the same price, so it remains our Editors' Choice for Android phones.
Design: A Sleeker Camera Bar Meets a Gimmicky Notification Light #
There are definitely design differences between this year's Pixel 11 Pro XL and last year's Pixel 10 Pro XL, but they are subtle to the naked eye. The biggest differentiator is the rear camera bar. You can't tell at first glance, but the Pixel 11 Pro XL replaces the dual-tone metal-and-glass camera bar with an all-glass, blacked-out camera bar. It's chic and gives the backside of the phone a little more polish than previous Pixels. Google also removed the temperature sensor from the camera bar to create more symmetry on the back—and to make space for HiLight.
The HiLight ambient LED pulses in one of five colors to indicate call alerts and Gemini interactions. This white circle does nothing else besides blink to notify you of impending conversations you might otherwise decide to skip. The feature is fine but underwhelming, and Google's attempt to push it as a helpful tool for cutting down on digital distractions doesn't particularly align with what a person hopes for when they put their phone face down. For example, my Pixel 10 Pro has been face down the entire time I've been writing this review. I want the fewest distractions, and a light pulsing at me like a message waiting on a home answering machine is not it. You can customize the HiLight in the settings panel. For now, it only works with a few apps, but Google may expand it to more later this year.
This year's Pixel 11 Pro XL colors include Canyon, a sort of terracotta-orange tone, and Olive, a deep, earthy green. There's also the tried-and-true Fog, which is a light, neutral gray, and Obsidian, which has a cool matte back. The other colors have semi-matte metal back panels.
Dimensions and Weight: Marginally Slimmer, Still Pretty Heavy
The Pixel 11 Pro XL shaves off some extra size compared with the Pixel 10 Pro XL. It measures 6.40 by 3.0 by 0.30 inches (HWD), compared with the Pixel 10 Pro XL's 6.41 by 3.02 by 0.33 inches. It's a bit lighter, too, at 8.01 ounces compared with 8.18 ounces for the 10 Pro XL. The Pixel 11 Pro and standard Pixel 11 are the same size at 6.0 by 2.80 by 0.30 inches.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is larger, but lighter. It measures 6.44 by 3.07 by 0.31 inches and weighs 7.55 ounces. Samsung achieves this with a lightweight titanium frame and balanced internal construction. The Pixel 11 Pro XL uses an all-aluminum frame paired with heavy glass, which adds to the heft.
Durability: Top-Tier Water Resistance and Tough Gorilla Glass
The Pixel 11 Pro XL is rated IP68, meaning it can withstand up to about 5 feet of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, and it'll also keep out fine dust and sand. It uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front display and the back glass, like its predecessor. The Pixel 11 and 11 Pro share the same durability features, and it's worth noting our Pro got a scratch on its display in testing.
Buttons and Ports: Reliable Biometrics and Standard Port Placement
The Pixel 11 Pro XL still houses the power button above the volume rocker on the right side of the phone. Right-handers love this convenience, but I know there are plenty of left-handers out there who would like a word. The fingerprint scanner that unlocks the phone with your biometrics sits under the display. I found the scanner quick to set up and use for security.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL has a USB-C port (v3.2) on the bottom. It's surrounded by stereo speaker grilles, though there's also a tiny speaker at the very top of the phone. In the US, the Pixel 11 Pro XL and its siblings are eSIM-only. Variants for other markets retain the SIM tray.
Display: Ultra-Bright Super Actua OLED Up to 3,600 Nits #
I'm a big fan of Google's Super Actua displays. They've gotten brighter and better throughout the generations since Google switched to them with the Pixel 8 Pro in 2023. The Pixel 11 Pro XL comes with a 6.8-inch OLED display. Super Actua means it can run from 120Hz down to 1Hz for the always-on display. The 11 Pro XL has a resolution of 2,992 by 1,344 pixels and a peak brightness of 3,600 nits in direct sunlight. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has nearly the same display specifications, down to the pixel density and 20:9 aspect ratio. The biggest difference is in maximum brightness, but only by 300 nits.
Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 share the same 6.3-inch size, with 2,856 by 1,280 pixels and 2,424 by 1,080 pixels, respectively, and refresh rates from 1Hz-120Hz and 60Hz-120Hz, respectively.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a larger 6.9-inch display with a 3,120-by-1,440-pixel resolution and 2,800-nit brightness. Samsung's big advantage comes in the form of an anti-reflective screen and Privacy Display feature.
Performance: The Tensor G6 Prioritizes AI Over Raw Speed #
The Pixel 11 Pro XL comes with the 3nm Google Tensor G6 processor. It's a better performer than its predecessor, though it's nothing game-changing. At the end of the day, the Tensor is built for Gemini, not for raw speed. The 11 Pro XL is available with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $1,299, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $1,419, or 16GB of RAM with 1TB of storage for $1,549. The Pixel 11 Pro is available in the same configurations, though the Pixel 11 is limited to 12GB of RAM with either 256GB or 512GB of storage.
Geekbench 6: Multi-Core Gains Behind a RAM Upgrade
In Geekbench 6, which measures raw CPU power across the board, the Pixel 11 Pro XL managed a single-core score of 2,755 and a multi-core score of 7,563. Compared with last year's Pixel 10 Pro XL results—2,340 and 6,430—this is a marked improvement in the multi-core test. Surprisingly, the Pixel 11 Pro, with the same configuration, ran Geekbench at 1,640 and 5,950
But this all comes with a major caveat. The Pixel 11 Pro XL comes with 12GB of RAM at its base price. You don't get the 16GB RAM upgrade unless you choose the higher storage variants. Google sent me the Pixel 11 Pro XL with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, so my results only apply to those who plan to pay for the RAM and storage upgrade.
These numbers also don't beat the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite 5 and has 12GB of RAM (except for models with 1TB of storage). The S26 Ultra scored 3,724 and 11,360 on the same Geekbench test. These are much better numbers with only 12GB of RAM, showing that whatever Samsung is doing is better for sustained performance.
3DMark: Trailing Behind Samsung in Raw Gaming Power
Most of the consternation around the Pixel 11 Pro XL's performance numbers is that it doesn't rank as high as other phones in graphics performance, which is completely valid, given that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is 117% faster than the Pixel 11 Pro in raw graphics processing. The Pixel 11 Pro XL scored 3,605 frames at 21.59 frames per second (fps) in 3DMark's Wildlife Extreme test, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra scored 7,847 frames at 46.99fps.
That doesn't mean the 11 Pro XL isn't capable of gaming, but if that's a main priority, you'll get a higher frame rate at high resolution with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. That's how the Pixel is tuned: Rather than prioritizing GPU compute, the Tensor G6 saves its energy for Gemini's on-device needs via TPU/NPU pipelines.
PCMark: Everyday Efficiency Over Synthetic Productivity Benchmarks
All this reallocation of resources toward AI doesn't translate into better PCMark scores. Last year, the Pixel 10 Pro XL scored 15,722. This year, the 11 Pro XL scored 16,622. The improvement is minor, and even more baffling given that it's a lower score than 2024's Pixel 9 Pro XL, which nabbed 17,847.
None of this means the Pixel 11 Pro XL is a poor performer at work tasks. PCMark isn't a suite for testing the Tensor's true abilities, like computational photography, or for ensuring that what you're rambling about comes out as a full sentence with Rambler. Everything else is mostly secondary and, for the most part, you won't notice a difference in how fast you move on one device versus others in everyday tasks.
Battery Life: Dependable All-Day Power With Faster Qi2.2 Charging #
The 11 Pro XL has a 5,115mAh battery, down from last year's 5,200mAh. It has a larger battery than the Galaxy S26 Ultra's 5,000mAh, though that doesn't necessarily mean it lasts longer. Google promises 30 hours or more of mixed-use battery life per charge. I still have to run our full battery benchmark test and will update this section when I do, but the phone lasted 30 hours and 21 minutes with relatively mixed usage, including a night with the screen off.
In testing, the Pixel 10 Pro XL lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes, the Galaxy S26 Ultra lasted 15 hours and 5 minutes, and the Pixel 11 Pro lasted 13 hours on the nose.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL supports up to 45W wired charging and 25W wireless charging via Qi2.2. Google promises up to 75% of battery in 30 minutes of charging. It took 36 minutes for the Pixel 11 Pro XL to reach 77%, which is right in line with Google's claim. The Pixel 11 Pro supports the same charging speeds, while the Pixel 11 dials it back a bit to 30W wired and 25W wireless charging.
Connectivity: MediaTek Modem Brings Faster, Multi-Channel 5G #
Google uses MediaTek for the Pixel 11 Pro XL's cellular modem, a departure from the previous generation, which used a Samsung-made Exynos modem. The MediaTek M90's claim to fame is that it works with the Tensor chip for dynamic Carrier Aggregation. This lets the 11 Pro XL connect to multiple 5G channels and combine their bandwidth for higher throughput, rather than sticking to a single channel. It supports the sub-6GHz, C-band, and mmWave flavors of 5G.
On Mint's network in the Bay Area, the Pixel 11 Pro XL achieved download speeds of 686Mbps and upload speeds of 13.7 Mbps from inside my office. The results were more disparate out in the open, with a slower download speed of 294Mbps and a higher upload speed of 36.6Mbps. Mint runs on T-Mobile's cell towers, and being outside meant there were no walls blocking my upload. For whatever reason, in my office, the 11 Pro XL connected to a multi-channel mid-band stream, which is why the download speeds were as fast as if I were on Wi-Fi. For what it's worth, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which uses Qualcomm's integrated X85 modem, performed similarly on Mint—with higher upload speeds outside and higher download speeds inside—so it's definitely a network issue. It's good to see the Pixel on par with the Galaxy.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL supports satellite connectivity for emergency messages, Bluetooth 6.0, ultra-wideband (which bodes well for the Pixel Tag), and Wi-Fi 7. On my Wi-Fi 6 mesh network at home, it managed 642Mbps down and 38.8Mbps up. It's consistent with how other Wi-Fi 7-capable devices have tested on my home network.
Audio: Surprisingly Loud Stereo Speakers With Punchy Bass #
Sometimes you're in the mood to shake your body, but you only have your phone in tow. The Pixel 11 Pro XL's top- and bottom-firing speakers can fill a room with sound and get you grooving. You can hear a distinct woofer puff when you hold the 11 Pro XL to your ear, even at lower volumes, which adds to the atmosphere. The loudest hard-core German music can reach 107dB when measured with a decibel meter, which is incredibly loud (ear-damagingly so).
Phone calls sound great on the 11 Pro XL. The speakerphone gets loud, about 105dB if someone is hollering at you. The earpiece is also very clear at 82dB.
Cameras: Unmatched Computational Photography and Faster Night Sight #
You can never go wrong with Google's Pixel imagery, as the Tensor chip is tuned for camera algorithms, so it can capture those glorious nighttime sky shots and deliver proper blur in portrait mode.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL's camera system matches its smaller sibling, the Pixel 11 Pro. The main camera is a 50MP shooter with an 82-degree field of view (FoV) and an f/1.68 aperture. The secondary camera is a 48MP ultrawide camera with a 123-degree FoV and an f/1.7 aperture. The telephoto camera is a 48MP periscope lens with 5x optical zoom and up to 120x Super Zoom. The front selfie camera has a 42MP sensor with a 103-degree FoV.
The underlying camera sensors between last year's and this year's devices are nearly identical, except in the most nuanced ways, like the 11 Pro XL's telephoto sensor being slightly larger. That certainly helps with low-light performance at 5x optical zoom. Beyond that, you're still relying on Google's digital magic and algorithms to make the photo happen.
The best thing about the Pixel 11 Pro XL is that it takes consistent photos across the board. Ultimately, the standout features are software- or AI-based: Things like Magic Capture, which will automatically select the sharpest shot and then apply all the edits you need, from unblur to auto-crops, to make it shareable. I don't want AI making the edits for me, but your mileage may vary.
I like that Night Sight is much faster on the 11 Pro XL, thanks to its slightly larger sensor and some computational tweaking. Your shaking hand is still the biggest obstacle to taking a clear shot in a dimly lit room, even with the software tweaks. And even with better Night Sight previews in the viewfinder, it's hard to get focus on a faraway object like the Moon. But still, Night Sight is about twice as quick and delivers sharper, clearer results compared with the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
One of the more significant features is Google's new Super Zoom, which uses the 5x optical lens, digital cropping, and Google's algorithms to generate up to 120x imagery. While Super Zoom does sharpen things up, the results may be more math than photo.
The front-facing camera remains nice. It's well-tempered, and the facial-improvement features don't make you look like a mannequin. But sometimes the selfies can be too real, showing off every scar and bump.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL shoots video up to 4K resolution at 60fps. To enable 8K upscaling, you have to turn on Video Boost in the camera settings before you start recording. At the very least, Google improved video stability with the 11 Pro XL, but the best results require up to the cloud and waiting for Google's servers to work their mathematical magic, which I'm not a fan of.
You can see a more complete breakdown of all the new camera features in our review of the Pixel 11 Pro.
Software: Android 17 and the Game-Changing Rambler Voice Tool #
The Pixel 11 Pro XL ships with Android 17 and will receive seven years of software and security updates, as well as Pixel Feature Drops. It also comes packed with new Gemini Intelligence capabilities, with more on the way. Gemini's capabilities often reach older Pixel hardware, too, so you shouldn't rush out to buy a new phone solely for software features.
If you get the 11 Pro XL, you'll be among the first to use Gemini Intelligence. It's a mostly subtle update that helps with things like surfacing relevant information when appropriate—something I haven't yet experienced in a week with the device—and multistep app tasks, like asking Gemini to cross-reference a calendar before it makes a dinner reservation on your behalf. The best new feature is Rambler. The Gemini-powered dictation tool is built for natural speech and can also handle bilingual conversations. I tried it by making a note in Google Keep, and Rambler had no trouble figuring out that I was suddenly speaking Romanian instead of English. It transcribed it as I blurted it out in a split second. I haven't tried Rambler in a low-service area yet, or while walking through a busy airport. Although I'm pleased with the results so far, support pages say the feature will require the cloud to parse it properly.
Final Thoughts #
The Pixel 11 Pro XL delivers an outstanding display, top-tier computational photography, and cutting-edge Gemini AI features in a sleek package, making it a compelling choice for Google loyalists despite its steep price tag.