Google has unveiled the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL, its new flagship smartphones, alongside the standard Pixel 11, as the closing announcement of its Made by Google 2026 event. The two Pro models bring a larger main camera sensor, a new light-based notification feature called HiLight, and Google’s latest Tensor G6 chip. Pre-orders opened today in the US and several other markets, with a retail launch set for August 20, alongside the Pixel Watch 5.
Design and display
The Pro models keep a similar overall design to their predecessors. The Pixel 11 Pro has a 6.3-inch Super Actua OLED display, while the Pixel 11 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch panel. Both support a 1 to 120Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 3,600 nits, and are covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 plus a new scratch-resistant coating that Google says is twice as durable as before. Both phones are rated IP68 for water and dust resistance.
Camera upgrades
Both Pro models get a larger main camera sensor. According to DroidSans, the setup includes a 50MP main camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, a 48MP telephoto camera with a 1/1.95-inch sensor offering 5x optical zoom and up to 120x digital zoom, and a 48MP ultra-wide camera with a 1/2.51-inch sensor.
Siamphone’s report broadly matches this but describes the telephoto’s maximum zoom as 100x “Pro Res Zoom” rather than 120x, a discrepancy that has not been independently resolved. Google says low-light performance has also improved, with Night Sight processing up to 4.5 times faster than the previous generation.
Performance and software
Both phones run on Google’s new Tensor G6 chipset paired with the Titan M3 security co-processor. Google states the new chip improves web browsing speed by 25% and app-opening speed by 15%, while on-device AI processing is up to 3.5 times faster and uses up to 3.5 times less power than before.
RAM options go up to 16GB, with storage options up to 1TB, and Google is promising software and security updates for seven years. Both phones ship with Android 17 and a suite of Gemini-powered features, including Magic Capture, Camera Looks, Circle to Search, a Creator Suite for video creators, and an upgraded real-time Live Translate tool.
Battery and charging
Google lists the Pixel 11 Pro’s battery capacity at 4,850mAh with 30W wired charging. For the Pixel 11 Pro XL, DroidSans reports a 5,200mAh battery with 45W wired charging, while Siamphone lists the capacity as 5,115mAh; both agree on the 45W wired charging figure. Both phones support 25W wireless charging via the Qi2 standard, through Google’s Pixelsnap magnetic charging system.
HiLight notification light
The headline new feature is HiLight, a set of small LED lights positioned around the rear camera flash. When the phone is placed face down, the lights can flash in different colours to indicate the status of the Gemini assistant, such as when it is listening, processing or ready to respond, or to identify specific contacts by an assigned colour when they call. Google has said the feature may support notifications from favourite contacts in future.
The concept has echoes of earlier smartphones. According to BearTai, notification lights first became widely known through BlackBerry devices, before Samsung adopted the idea in the Galaxy S series from the Galaxy S3 to the Galaxy S9, and LG built one into the power button of the LG G2 in 2013. Google itself included a front-facing notification light on the Pixel 2 in 2017, before phasing it out in favour of always-on displays.
Pricing and availability
The Pixel 11 Pro starts at US$1,099 (approximately 36,500 baht) for the 12GB plus 256GB model, rising to US$1,219 (approximately 40,480 baht) for 16GB plus 512GB. For the top storage option, DroidSans lists the 16GB plus 1TB model at US$1,499 (approximately 49,780 baht), while Siamphone lists it at US$1,449.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL starts at US$1,299 (approximately 43,149 baht) for 12GB plus 256GB, US$1,419 (approximately 47,125 baht) for 16GB plus 512GB, and up to US$1,649 (approximately 54,760 baht) for 16GB plus 1TB.
The standard Pixel 11 starts at US$899 (approximately 29,855 baht) for 12GB plus 256GB, rising to US$1,019 (approximately 33,840 baht) for 12GB plus 512GB.
According to BearTai, pre-orders opened today in the US and several other countries, but not yet in Thailand. All three models are due to go on sale officially through the Google Store and partner retailers on August 20.
The story Google brings back blinking notification light on new Pixel 11 Pro as seen on Thaiger News.
