I’ve used the new Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Google's made nearly all the improvements I wanted to see — and the 'HiLight' feature is the surprising standout

Hands-on with the new lineup

News By Jacob Krol Published 12 August 2026

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After many months of leaks, renders, and even actual device photos shared by Google itself, the technology giant is making its latest lineup of phones officially official. And while Trevor Noah, of The Daily Show fame, and Alex Cooper, of Call Her Daddy fame, will take the stage later this evening, August 12, to help unveil the lineup, I've already spent time with the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL.

And this isn't a year where Google is going back to the drawing board and starting from scratch. Instead, the Pixel 11 lineup feels like the company is doubling down on a design language it has spent the last few years developing.

There are fresh colors, some upgraded hardware, and an even faster chip under the hood, but don't expect a revolution here.

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All three phones are powered by Google's new Tensor G6 chip, which could help the Pixel lineup put up a stronger fight against Qualcomm's latest silicon, including the chips powering the latest Galaxy phones, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

I haven't put the Tensor G6 through extensive testing yet, but Google is promising a faster processor for things like web browsing and app launches, alongside a more efficient neural processing unit (called the TPU) that should let the Pixel 11 series handle AI tasks faster without draining the battery as quickly.

The Tensor G6 is also built on a 2nm process for better efficiency overall, and all three phones start with 12GB of RAM.

My early experience is that everything feels suitably quick and responsive, but I wouldn't make any sweeping performance claims just yet. For now, the bigger story is that Google seems to be building on the Tensor formula, focusing on efficiency rather than simply chasing speed.

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