The Pixel 11 can’t afford to get these 7 things wrong

Pixels have always put the “smart” in the word smartphone. They’ve stood for the best of the smart features and AI capabilities the smartphone world has ever seen, and have often led from the front. Compared to the AI features Pixels have been offering for years, like Magic Eraser, Apple Intelligence barely holds ground. I was mighty impressed by the Pixel 10 that launched last year, and I genuinely think it’s a better phone than even the Pro model. Yet, I still feel the Pixel 10 series just wasn’t enough.

There’s only so much Google can do to improve the Pixel 10 series through software updates — and to be fair, it does quite a lot. But as we enter 2026, my hopes are firmly placed on the Pixel 11. We still have a few months before the next Pixel launches, but I want to use this time to share my wishlist with Google.

It’s a thing of the past that Pixel devices aren’t efficient enough to last a full day, but they still don’t give you enough confidence. In tricky situations, say when you’re connected to 5G, struggling for signal, or using the camera, you can still see the battery percentage free-fall.

What I want from the Pixel 11 is predictability. I want to know when the phone is going to die on my usual day, rather than having to lug around a power bank or a charger. Speaking of which, it’s about time Pixel phones catch up with the competition and charge faster instead of taking over an hour to fill up a tiny 4,000mAh cell.

There were high expectations before the Pixel 10 launched with Google’s switch to TSMC for its latest-generation Tensor processor. We hoped performance would take a huge leap and match the Snapdragons of the world. However, many of us who went in with those expectations came out disappointed after using the Pixel 10.

Not that the Tensor G5 processor isn’t capable, but its upper limit is still far below the competition. It caps out quickly and requires thermal throttling sooner than anyone would like. I’m not asking the Pixel 11 to win benchmark wars, but I do expect it to offer respectable, sustained performance while gaming without slowdowns.

Camera performance on Pixels has largely hinged on software compensating for hardware shortcomings. While the Pixel 10 Pro models reused camera sensors from their predecessors, the standard Pixel 10 actually received a smaller sensor versus the Pixel 9 to accommodate the third telephoto lens. Furthermore, I’m also not personally a huge fan of how Pixels still weirdly handle edge detection in portrait shots.

When you look at how much Chinese brands like Vivo and Xiaomi have progressed, mainstream brands — including Apple, Samsung, and Google — feel so far behind. Since Pixel phones have always been known for their camera-first approach, I think the Pixel 11 needs to take charge once again.

It has almost become a ritual that every new Pixel launches with one bug or another (sometimes several) that Google irons out over time. And because it’s Google, there’s always a chance it introduces new bugs while fixing the old ones.

No one wants to face these issues while unboxing a brand-new phone. Maybe it’s time Google starts shipping a more polished experience from day one.

Thanks to AI, RAM is no longer a major constraint. It has pushed companies toward 16GB of RAM, with 12GB now feeling like the bare minimum. That’s plenty, even after accounting for AI-driven tasks running offline in the background.

Where Pixels still lag almost comically is base storage. They still rely on a meager 128GB, which feels outdated, especially when the iPhone 17 has already moved to 256GB as the standard without a price increase. All Google needs to do this year is match that. Nothing more.

The Pixel series has long struggled with fingerprint scanners. The Pixel 6 series had a famously terrible one, so unreliable that it was often better to use the less secure front-camera face unlock just to avoid the frustration.

The newer ultrasonic sensors on Pixel 10s are much better, but they still struggle with many third-party screen protectors. You’re often forced to use certified tempered glass for the fingerprint scanner to work properly. Given how limited the Pixel accessory ecosystem is compared to the iPhone’s, finding a reliable screen protector isn’t always easy.

Personally, I prefer Face ID–style systems that work automatically without requiring active input to unlock the phone. I wouldn’t mind Google returning to the Pixel 4 era and bringing back secure facial recognition, so we can finally move past the compromises Pixels continue to live with.

I’m bringing up the iPhone 17 again because that’s the phone the Pixel 10 is really chasing. The iPhone 17 is noticeably lighter — both on paper and in real-world use — while being equally capable, if not better, in most areas that matter.

Another area where Apple pulls ahead is its anti-reflective display coating. While Apple’s coating isn’t as good as what we once saw on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it’s still far better than having nothing. I’d love to see that on the Pixel 11. Reduced glare and a lighter phone are quality-of-life improvements that alone would make the Pixel feel significantly more premium.

Right now, Pixels are phones you love despite their flaws. But if the Pixel 11 manages to fix these issues, it could become a phone I recommend without hesitation. I want Google to make such a good phone this year that it completely erases that hesitation of mine. Your move, Google.