The best yardstick that one can abide by when it comes to tech innovations is this quote by sci-fi writer, Arthur C Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." So, every cycle, we gather like children on Christmas Eve, wide-eyed and hopeful, waiting for the next technological leap from the smartphone giant; advances that look like miracles.
So, what can we expect with Google's latest Pixel 11 series drop?
Expect a redesigned camera bar with an edge-to-edge glass that feeds into the metal frame. It looks seamless, sleek even. (The back looks like a stylised Among Us character. Don't @ me on this.) All phones come with an IP68 rating, and run on a new custom-designed Google Tensor G6 processor, which allows for more integration with Google's Gemini Intelligence. With Gemini Intelligence, the voice-to-text feature can remove filler words ("um", "uh") in your text composition. We also love the introduction of the American Sign Language (ASL) translation feature.
There's a new mode in the Camera app called Magic Capture, that lets you capture that shot when you're recording video, and a more personalised photography with the Camera Looks feature, which creates your own film styles and grading.
One of the more intriguing and new features is HiLight. Remember the new camera bar? There are ambient LED lights around the camera's flash that provide visual cues about who's calling you or what kind of notifications that came in. HiLight also works with Gemini by pulsing to indicate if Gemini is listening, processing and responding without having to look at your screen.
The look and specs of the Pixel 11 haven't changed that much from its last model. It still has a 6.3-inch OLED screen with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and a 60-120Hz variable refresh rate. There's a negligible difference in the battery upgrade; it's a 4,985-mAh battery from last year's 4,970-mAh model. Its ultra-fast wired charging gets the phone to 55 per cent in 30 minutes.
Camera-wise, it has a 30x Super Zoom, improved light sensitivity and larger sensors.
Screen-wise, you have a 3,600-nit Super Actua display that’s 9 per cent brighter and twice the scratch resistance. With 30 per cent better light sensitivity, the Pro has an upgraded 48MP telephoto with 120x Pro Zoom, while the Pro XL has a 50MP main wide lens and a more light-sensitive 48MP 5x periscope telephoto sensor (if you wanna stretch to zoom up to 120x, the on-device AI can process that).
There are complaints about the previous models heating up too fast and too often. Now, there's an advanced cooling vapour chamber that pulls heat away from the processor and battery.
The Pixel 11 Fold is 10 per cent lighter and (almost) 1mm thinner than the 10 Pro Fold. Its camera system has a new 48MP main camera with a 56 per cent improvement in light sensitivity. It has a telephoto camera that has up to 30x Super Zoom. With a 6.5-inch Super Actua Display, when it unfolds, it has a 20 per cent brighter 8-inch Super Actua Flex display.
Advanced tracking is added to the Pixel Watch 5 that uses movement and your pulse to come up with an estimated blood pressure reading and insulin resistance. For a more accurate run, a Dual-Band GPS is embedded in the watch. It comes in either 41mm and 45mm sizing, it is powered by a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Advanced chip, and has 30 hours of battery life for the 41mm, and 40 hours for the 45mm. You have matte black, polished silver, and satin pyrite for your colourways; for the 41mm, you have those colour options and a champagne gold one.
Pre-orders are open; the Google Pixel 11 Series will be available 20 August.
