GoKawiilHadlee Simons / Android Authority
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Google launched the Pixel 11 series a little under a month ago, and there’s a lot to like here. All four phones offer more capable silicon, nifty AI tricks, some cool camera features, and a lengthy software update policy.
Unfortunately, the standard Pixel 11 lacks many camera features compared to the Pixel 11 Pro series. And a brand new $500 Android phone from a rival manufacturer drives home just how absurd Google’s practice around this continues to be.
Do you use full-resolution mode or manual mode on your phone? 35 votes Yes, I use both 29 % Yes, I use full-resolution mode 17 % Yes, I use manual mode 23 % No, I don't use these options 31 %
When Pro features aren’t actually pro features
I’ve been using the brand-new Redmi Note 17 Pro Max for a couple of days, and it stands out thanks to a 10,000mAh battery. In fact, Xiaomi promises three days of battery life. This phone isn’t a photographer’s dream, though, as it offers a pedestrian 50MP+8MP rear camera system that wouldn’t look out of place on a $300 device.
But things got interesting when I dug into the camera app and found two features Google still refuses to bring to its $900 Pixel 11.
For one, the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max supports full-resolution 50MP photos. This feature is missing from the Pixel 11 and earlier base models, dating back to 2023’s Pixel 8. Full-resolution 50MP photos on budget phones are typically a waste of time due to their small camera sensors and weak chipsets that struggle with high-resolution multi-frame processing. But Pixel flagships offer more powerful chipsets and larger camera sensors, so it’s not like Google can blame the hardware.
Unlike the $900 Google Pixel 11, the mid-tier Redmi Note 17 Pro Max offers manual mode and full-resolution image capture.
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