Google Pixel 11 is official: Tensor G6, a triple camera, and seven years of updates

Google has officially launched the Pixel 11, its standard flagship for 2026, starting at $899 in the US and £879 in the UK. That's the same US price as the Pixel 10, but UK buyers are paying £80 more — partly because the 128GB base model is gone for good, with 256GB now the minimum. Pre-orders are open now, with retail availability beginning August 20.

The chip story

The headline upgrade is the Tensor G6, Google's first chip built on a 2nm process. That makes it the first 2nm phone chip on the market — Apple's A18 isn't expected until September. Google claims 25% faster browser performance and 20% lower power consumption compared to the G5. The G6 pairs with a Titan M3 security chip and either 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, alongside UFS 4.0 storage in 256GB or 512GB configurations.

The performance bump is real, but worth noting: German tech press flagged that the G6 uses an older PowerVR GPU architecture — a gap that Snapdragon and Dimensity rivals don't share. For everyday tasks and AI workloads the chip excels; for graphics-heavy gaming, it's less competitive.

The cameras and the rest

The triple camera system leads with a 48MP f/1.7 main sensor with OIS, a 13MP ultrawide with macro support, and a 10.8MP 5x telephoto with up to 30x Super Res Zoom. On the software side, Google is pushing new AI tools — Magic Capture, Creative Studio for generative image editing, Cinematic Blur for 4K video at 30fps, and Video Relight for adjusting lighting in finished clips, processed on-device.

The 6.3-inch OLED display runs at up to 120Hz with a 3,000-nit peak brightness, and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor sits under the glass. The 4,840mAh battery supports 30W wired (USB-C PPS) and 25W Qi2 wireless charging. Connectivity covers 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and NFC.

Seven years, four colors

The Pixel 11 ships with Android 17 and a seven-year guarantee covering both OS and security updates — longer than anything Samsung or Apple currently commits to in writing. Google is also bundling six months of Google AI Pro with purchase, per Tech Advisor.

The phone comes in four colors: black, pale lavender, raspberry, and pistachio. Best Buy is reportedly offering a $150 early-access coupon to soften the storage-tier price shift, notes Gadget Hacks — worth checking before paying full MSRP.