GoKawiilSanuj Bhatia / Android Authority
TL;DR Reddit users report that the Google Pixel 11 Pro’s camera flash is significantly weaker than that of older Pixels and competitors.
Our preliminary testing here at Android Authority shows the Pixel 11 Pro XL torch mode registered 89 lux compared to 123 lux on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
The physical diffuser added to the camera visor for the new HiLight LED array is likely the cause of the softer beam.
Google’s new Pixel 11 Pro series introduces HiLight, a small array of ambient LEDs around the camera flash that give you some bits of information without requiring you to turn over or unlock your phone. Google ended up severely limiting HiLight’s functionality, and users had to resort to apps like HiLight Studio to unlock the LED’s full potential. As it turns out, Google gimped HiLight in more ways than one, with the LED flash itself also downgraded compared to the Pixel 10 series.
Reddit user pcman2000 voiced their frustration with the Pixel 11 Pro’s camera flash, calling it “really weak” and the weakest among all the phones they tested, ranking it below the Pixel 9 Pro and even the iPhone 17e.
Multiple Reddit users corroborated this with their anecdotes, commenting that the Pixel 11 Pro series’ flash is significantly weaker, even when the flashlight brightness is set to its maximum. Users have been frustrated by this regression, as not only is HiLight severely restricted in functionality, but it also compromises the daily utility of the camera flash, such as when moving through dark rooms or walking dogs at night, with no reasonable upside.
To see if the complaints hold up, the Android Authority team put several Pixel 11 Pro units from different regions to the test, with intriguing and somewhat mixed results.
In preliminary testing using an ambient light sensor, my colleague Adamya Sharma’s Pixel 11 Pro XL registered around 89 lux in torch mode, lagging behind the Pixel 10 Pro XL (123 lux) and falling substantially short of the iPhone 16 Pro (490 lux).
Pixel 10 Pro XL Flash Intensity Pixel 11 Pro Flash Intensity iPhone 16 Pro Flash intensity
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