Google's new Pixel 11 lineup is here, but despite having a new processor, it's not exactly a generational leap.It's a fairly modest upgrade, and although it's far from a bad phone, the value isn't there, especially when the Pixel 10 still offers most of the same features and capabilities.That's why last year's model could actually be a much better buy for most people.
The Pixel 11 doesn't give you much reason to upgrade Another modest release Close When comparing the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro against the previous generation, there isn't really much new.Similar design and build, near-identical displays (with a minor peak brightness bump on the 11 Pro), very similar camera hardware, battery sizes, wired charging speeds, and so on.Basically, the biggest upgrade between the two generations is the new Google Tensor G6 chip, which delivers around 20% faster performance and improved efficiency, along with a 50% more powerful Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) for faster on-device AI tasks.
Wireless charging has also been upgraded from Qi2's maximum 15W to the new Qi2.2's 25W, which is a nice-to-have if you heavily rely on wireless charging, I guess (though if you're in a rush, you should absolutely plug it in).The last "big" change is the new HiLight LED on the back of the Pixel 11 Pro, a heavily anticipated feature alluding to the possible comeback of colored notification LEDs to alert you when the phone is flipped over.Unfortunately, HiLight's functionality is fairly limited at launch.
The LED can display a notification when a favorite contact is calling and when interacting with Gemini, but that's it.The temperature sensor has also been removed in favor of this new LED, so one gimmicky feature got replaced with another, which you can't even really call an upgrade.Of course, software is the real reason anyone buys a Pixel, and the 11 does feature some new stuff like Magic Capture, which takes photos and records video simultaneously, a new Gboard feature that ignores filler words in voice-to-text mode, and a slew of new Gemini stuff.
There's also a new 120x AI-upscaled camera super-zoom mode and a few other features.But since it's Pixel we're talking about, a lot of these features have already made their way or are on the path to older devices anyway, with likely only some of the camera stuff remaining exclusive to the 11 and 11 Pro.When you put it all together, and combine that with the fact that the new Pixel 11 Pro comes with 12GB of RAM instead of the Pixel 10 Pro's 16GB in the base configuration, there really isn't much worth upgrading for.
In fact, because of the reduced RAM, you would just be making a sidegrade if you went from a base-model Pixel 10 Pro to a base-model Pixel 11 Pro, as the new CPU isn't enough to justify 4GB less RAM.At least the faster UFS 4.0 storage is now standard on all models.The Pixel 10 offers everything that makes a Pixel good Last year's phone hasn't aged Although the Pixel 11 release has been rather underwhelming, it's still a pretty good phone on its own.
However, all the things that make the Pixel 11 a good $899 phone are what make the Pixel 10 an excellent phone—at a hopefully much lower price now that it's last year's model.Google Pixel 10 $599 $799 Save $200 Brand Google Looking to upgrade to a Pixel but not sure if you need all the bells and whistles of the more expensive models? You won't be disappointed with the standard Pixel 10 model.Coming in striking colors, Gemini features, and seven years of updates, you can't go wrong with this purchase.
SoC Google Tensor G5 Display 6.3-inch Actua OLED, 20:9 RAM 12 GB RAM Storage 128 GB / 256 GB Battery 4970mAh Operating System Android 16 Front camera 10.5 MP Dual PD selfie camera Rear camera 48 MP wide with Macro Focus | 13 MP ultrawide | 10.8 MP 5x telephoto lens Connectivity Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v6 Dimensions 6.0-inches x 2.8-inches x 0.3-inches Colors Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, Obsidian IP Rating IP68 $599 at Amazon $799 at Best Buy $799 at Google Store Expand Collapse Google Pixel 10 Pro $749 $999 Save $250 Brand Google The Pixel 10 Pro offers an upgrade over the base model with the powerful Google Tensor G5 chip, more RAM, and more storage (if you need it).SoC Google Tensor G5 Display 6.3-inch Super Actua, 20:9 RAM 16 GB RAM Storage 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB with Zoned UFS / 1 TB with Zoned UFS Battery 4870mAh Operating System Android 16 Front camera 42 MP Dual PD selfie camera Rear camera 50 MP wide | 48 MP ultrawide with Macro Focus | 48 MP 5x telephoto lens Connectivity Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v6 Dimensions 6.0-inches x 2.8-inches x 0.3-inches Colors Moonstone, Jade, Porcelain, Obsidian IP Rating IP68 $749 at Amazon $999 at Best Buy $999 at Google Store Expand Collapse You still get excellent cameras with some of the best image processing, deeply integrated AI and Gemini features, strong Google ecosystem integration, seven years of major Android updates that arrive faster than on almost any other brand, and various other little Pixel-exclusive features like Now Playing.I'd wager you get around 95% of the Pixel experience with the 10 that you'd get with the 11, except you'd be paying hundreds of dollars less.
If you don't mind spending a bit more, the Pixel 10 Pro could now be the best-value Pixel phone if you can snag it for less than $899 (hopefully, much less).Since it has more RAM, a higher-resolution display, significantly higher-resolution telephoto and ultrawide cameras, and a much sharper selfie camera, there's basically no reason to pick the Pixel 11 non-Pro over the 10 Pro—apart from its slightly faster processor.One factual wording change I'd specifically flag: "7 years of major Android updates" isn't quite right.
Google promises seven years of OS and security updates, but that doesn't mean seven years of "major Android updates" specifically.So I'd use "seven years of Android and security updates" if you want to be precise.Google hasn't cut the Pixel 10's price yet, but deals are slowly popping up The best Pixel 10 price is likely still to come At the time of writing, Google hasn't announced any permanent price cuts to the Pixel 10 lineup, but the phones were on sale just ahead of the 11's launch—$599 for the 128GB Pixel 10 and $699 for the Pixel 10 Pro—and it's only a matter of time before prices drop permanently.
Keep in mind that the aforementioned prices are for the 128GB base models, while the Pixel 11 lineup has ditched 128GB entirely in favor of 256GB.So, account for an extra $100 for the 256GB variants of the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro.While we're waiting for major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, as well as Google's own Store, to slash prices on the Pixel 10 series, you could still get pretty good value if you shop for a second-hand or refurbished model.
One of the best deals I could find is a refurbished 128GB Pixel 10 for just $425 at Walmart.That's a very fair price for a $799 phone that's only one year old.If you can find a similar deal locally and everything checks out, you'll be getting an excellent Pixel for less than half the price of the new Pixel 11.
Carriers will likely also start moving their remaining stock very soon, so if you're in a rush, check your preferred carrier to see if it's offering a fair deal.The Pixel 10 is still plenty of Pixel Although few things in life can beat the feeling of buying the latest phone, in the case of the Pixel 11, you're hardly getting enough to justify paying full price.At the same time, the Pixel 10, and especially the 10 Pro, offer 95% of the benefits of the Pixel 11 at a significant discount.
In any case, the real benefit of a Pixel phone isn't the hardware—it's the software experience.Whether you're using the latest Pixel 11, the previous-generation Pixel 10, or even an older model like the Pixel 8 or 9, you're still getting most, if not all, of the software experience that makes a Pixel a Pixel.The best Pixel to buy isn't necessarily the latest one—it's the one that gives you the Pixel experience at the best price.
Related I Regret Buying the Pixel 10 The Google Pixel 10 feels more like a luxury splurge than a value-for-money deal.Posts 91 By Aman Kumar
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