GoKawiil
Tech News
Android Authority's three-week review of the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL finds the phones fall short on paper, with less RAM than last year, a modest Tensor G6 upgrade, higher prices, and a disappointing HiLight feature. Despite these shortcomings, the reviewer says daily use of the devices remains compelling thanks to strong hardware, cameras, and software.
Android Authority ran a reader poll after reviewing Google's Tensor G6 chip inside the Pixel 11, which improves AI and efficiency-focused tasks but falls behind rivals in gaming and raw performance. Of over 2,800 respondents, 34.3% said they'd prefer more raw power, 30.5% valued efficiency instead, and only 15.7% felt the chip strikes a good balance between the two.
The piece explains how Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), built for AI workloads in data centers, differ from GPUs and NPUs. TPUs are now replacing NPUs in Google's upcoming Pixel 11 phones, with Google claiming up to 3.5 times faster AI processing at up to 3.5 times less energy use. GPUs, meanwhile, remain versatile chips handling gaming, 3D rendering, AI training and crypto mining.
Google's Pixel 11 series replaces the Samsung-made Exynos modem used in earlier Pixels with a new MediaTek modem, paired with the Tensor G6 chip, which remains a 3nm design rather than the rumored 2nm jump. Early testing shows the new modem delivers faster download speeds and holds 5G connections better in weak-signal areas compared to the Pixel 10 Pro and older Pixel 9 hardware.
Google's 2026 Pixel phones ship with an upgraded Gboard voice-typing tool powered by the Tensor chip and a new Rambler input system that cleans up filler words for more natural dictation. The lineup also includes the Pixel-exclusive Recorder app with real-time transcription and speaker labels, plus a Dual Screen Interpreter Mode for Pixel Fold devices that shows translated speech on each person's respective screen.
Google's Pixel 11 Pro retains the vivid, bright screen praised in its predecessor, but review testing found it throttles and shows overheating and battery-drain warnings when graphics settings are pushed above minimum levels. Google also dropped the 128GB storage tier across the lineup, meaning the cheapest configuration now starts at $1,099 for 256GB, with only 12GB of RAM at that entry level. Google attributed the higher storage and pricing to an AI-driven RAM shortage raising component costs industrywide.
Google's new Pixel 11 lineup features the Tensor G6 chip, Gemini Intelligence AI tools, and upgraded cameras across both standard and Pro models. While the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL add extras like a longer 120x zoom, brighter displays, and a new HiLight notification feature, the base Pixel 11 now matches its Pro sibling in RAM and shares most core specs at a significantly lower price.
Google's Pixel 11 series still impresses with software and AI features, but the Tensor G6 chip continues to lag well behind rival flagship processors in CPU, GPU and efficiency benchmarks. That leaves the upcoming Tensor G7 as a critical opportunity for Google to close the performance gap before it becomes a bigger problem for the Pixel 12.
Xiaomi has detailed its new XRing 03 processor on Weibo, built on a 3nm process and featuring an unannounced Arm G2-Ultra NX GPU with 16 cores and AI-based upscaling. The chip also includes a 10-core CPU with six 'super' and four 'large' cores, no small cores, peaking at 4.35GHz, plus a four-core NPU rated at 200 TOPS. It will debut in the Xiaomi 18 Fold, set to launch next month.
Pixel 11 owners are reporting severe graphical glitches that make Genshin Impact unplayable, a problem tied to the Tensor G6 chip's PowerVR GPU, which HoYoverse says doesn't meet the game's minimum requirements. Google confirmed it is working with HoYoverse on an optimization fix expected in an upcoming Genshin Impact update.