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Android Authority surveyed readers on which phone they'd buy instead of Google's new Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the results showed a near three-way tie between the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the previous-generation Pixel 10 Pro XL, and the Moto Razr Ultra. No single device dominated, reflecting mixed enthusiasm for this year's Pixel 11 lineup.
Android Authority's Joe Maring initially planned to skip the Pixel 11 Pro, criticizing Google for making only incremental updates like Samsung and Apple. He instead upgraded after Google introduced a new modem in the Pixel 11 series and he secured the phone for under £200 through combined trade-in and pre-order discounts.
Google's newly released Pixel 11 lineup ships with several notable features—like the new Camera Looks color styles and Creator Suite tools such as a built-in teleprompter and social media grid overlays—turned off or set to basic modes by default. Reviewers note that getting the most out of the phone, particularly its camera customization and creator-focused options, requires manually digging into settings after setup.
Android Authority outlines five foldable phones that could serve as alternatives to Google's new $1,899 Pixel 11 Pro Fold, including Motorola's Razr Fold and Razr Ultra, plus Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra. The comparison highlights that despite the Pixel 11 Pro Fold being thinner and lighter than its predecessor, it has a smaller battery than last year's model and faces stiff competition on price, charging speed, and battery capacity.
Android 17 introduced Pause Point, a Digital Wellbeing tool that makes users pause before opening distracting apps, but Google restricted it to the new Pixel 11 series. A reviewer found a free third-party app called Stroll that offers a similar function on any Android phone, requiring users to walk in order to earn time on time-wasting apps.
Google has dropped the infrared temperature sensor first introduced on the Pixel 8 Pro, leaving it out of the newly launched Pixel 11 series. In its place, the company added a new notification light feature called HiLight, shifting the phone's differentiating hardware trick from a thermometer to a lighting cue.
The GrapheneOS development team says it could not finish porting its security-focused Android build to Google's new Pixel 11 phones because the devices lack support for Arm's memory tagging extension (MTE), a hardware-level security feature. Developers say they built a partial port after a week of effort but had to halt the project, calling the omission an apparent cost-cutting move by Google. As a result, the team may abandon future support for Pixel devices and focus instead on Motorola hardware.
The GrapheneOS project has said that Google's upcoming Pixel 11 will no longer support hardware Memory Tagging Extension (MTE), a security feature present in recent Pixel devices. The announcement came via a social media post rather than a detailed report, so specifics on why the feature was removed remain unclear.
Engadget rounded up its recent reviews, including senior writer Daniel Cooper's take on the Pebble Time 2 smartwatch alongside coverage of Google's Pixel 11 lineup. Cooper praised the Pebble Time 2 for deliberately avoiding heavy AI features, calling it a refreshing option for users who want simpler wearables.
Google introduced HiLight, a colored light built into the camera visor of the Pixel 11 Pro series that currently activates only for calls from favorite contacts and to indicate when Gemini is processing or speaking. An Android Authority writer who tested the feature says it feels underdeveloped, functioning more as a modern take on old notification LEDs than a fully realized system.
Google Messages has begun rolling out a long-requested feature that lets users apply custom themes to individual chat conversations. The update, spotted on version 20260824_01_RC00, works on both stable and beta builds but requires RCS chats to be enabled. Users need to update the app via the Play Store and confirm RCS is turned on in settings to access the new option.
Google has reduced trade-in credits offered toward Pixel 11 series purchases, ending the launch-window bonuses it previously offered. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold saw the steepest cut, dropping from $1,000 to $850, while most other recent Pixel models lost $50 or less in trade value. Google says these new lower rates will remain in effect through September.