The 5 biggest problems Google needs to fix with the Pixel 11 series

Last week, we were bombarded with Pixel 11 leaks. Thanks to the folks at Android Headlines, we’ve now seen CAD design renders for the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL.

As expected, the phones don’t look like a big visual upgrade from their predecessors. Google is sticking with the same general design it’s had since the Pixel 9 series, and you know what? I’m fine with it.

Not only do I personally still really like Google’s design language, but design is also the last thing Google needs to worry about. As strong as the Pixel 10 series was (and still is), there are other lingering problems Google needs to fix — and none of them have to do with how the phones look.

With the Pixel 11 series, here are the things Google needs to focus on most.

Proper performance gains

After years of thermal concerns, last year’s Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10 series finally delivered what I wanted from a Tensor chip since the beginning: a Pixel phone that runs consistently cool, with no overheating issues. The Tensor G4, G3, and prior versions have all run hot, but the G5 finally broke that trend.

Now that the heating issue is under control, the Pixel 11 lineup needs to address another lingering problem: performance.

I’ve personally never had an issue with day-to-day performance from the last few years of Tensor-powered Pixels, but the benchmark results don’t lie. Compare the Tensor G5 next to the current Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 — or even last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite — and it’s clear that Google still can’t match the high-end performance of its competition.

Google has never marketed the Pixel lineup as phones for hardcore gaming enthusiasts or power users, and I think that’s totally fair. However, when Qualcomm and MediaTek consistently outperform Google — and on phones that aren’t specifically designed for gaming — that’s a problem. The Pixel 11 phones are rumored to feature a Tensor G6 chip built on TSMC’s 2nm process, so there’s a real chance of serious performance gains in 2026. I just hope they actually happen.

Multi-day battery life

In addition to improved performance, I’d also like to see Google finally address Pixel battery life. Every Pixel 10 model consistently lasts a full day on a single charge, and that’s fine. However, numerous other brands are offering two-to-three days of use per charge, and it’s time for Google to jump on that bandwagon.

Lucky for Google, it has the tools to address this. From a chipset perspective, the 2nm design for the Tensor G6 should be significantly more efficient than the 3nm Tensor G5. That right there is a good and important start, but I’d like to see Google go a step further. Specifically, I’d like the Pixel 11 series to finally adopt silicon-carbon batteries.

Silicon-carbon batteries are no longer some untested, enthusiast-only type of battery technology. OnePlus, HONOR, OPPO, Xiaomi, and even now Motorola (with the Razr Fold) are all using silicon-carbon batteries in their phones. This is how OnePlus crammed a 7,300mAh battery into the OnePlus 15, and how HONOR managed to fit a 6,660mAh battery into the Magic V6 foldable.

Meanwhile, you look at the Pixel 10 series, and the best Google could do last year was a 5,200 mAh battery in the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Google can do better, and it should do better.

Fast and consistent charging

With (hopefully) bigger batteries in tow for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro, there’s something else Google needs to fix: charging. Not only does Google need to deliver faster charging speeds for its Pixel 11 phones, but it also needs to address charging consistency.

First, let’s talk speed. The Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro both top out at 30W wired charging, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL is barely better with 45W max wired speeds. Not only are these disappointing numbers on paper, but in practice they’re even worse: Pixels consistently take longer to charge than competing phones, even against phones with lower-rated max charge speeds.

Consistent charge speeds have been a problem with Pixel phones for years. My colleague Rob did an excellent deep dive into the Pixel 10’s wired charging issues, while my colleague Zac highlighted similar complaints with the Pixel 10’s inconsistent wireless charging.

For whatever reason, this is something Google just can’t seem to fix. But with the Pixel 11 series, the company had better figure out a solution. OnePlus has offered 80W wired charging for ages. Samsung this year delivered impressive 65W wired charging for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and Motorola offers similarly fast charging on many of its budget smartphones. Google needs to ensure every Pixel 11 model competes on the same level, and that we can actually rely on its fast charging to be consistently fast.

Worthwhile new software features

Pixel-exclusive software features have long been one of the reasons to buy a Pixel over anything else. Google has built so many genuinely useful tools over the years, many of which I use every single day.

Leading up to the Pixel 10’s release, two of the new software features I was most looking forward to were Magic Cue and Daily Hub. Magic Cue has impressed me exactly once in the over six months I’ve been using the Pixel 10 Pro. Otherwise, it’s proven completely useless. Daily Hub, meanwhile, was so bad that Google killed the feature barely a week after the Pixel 10 launched.

That’s not to say all of the Pixel 10’s new software features were bad, but the execution of Magic Cue and Daily Hub does make me worried about what we’ll see from the Pixel 11 lineup. Google has delivered so many excellent software features over the years, and I hope the company gets back on track with the Pixel 11.

Upgraded base storage

Finally, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite subjects in 2026: storage and tech prices! We just saw Samsung raise Galaxy S26 prices under the guise of more base storage, and that doesn’t necessarily bode well for what’s to come with the Pixel 11 series. However, companies like Apple prove that it is possible to sell phones with generous starting storage without over-inflated prices.

Take a look at the Pixel 10 lineup. The Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro both start with just 128GB of base storage, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL is the only model that starts with 256GB. The phones cost $799 for the Pixel 10, $999 for the Pixel 10 Pro, and $1,199 for the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Now, compare that to the iPhone 17 family — where all three models start with 256GB. The base iPhone 17 is $799, the iPhone 17 Pro is $1,099, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max is $1,199.

There’s absolutely no reason Google-made phones shouldn’t start with 256GB of storage in 2026.  With Google being the multi-trillion-dollar company it is, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be able to offer that increased storage with minimal (or no) increased costs to us shoppers. If Apple could do it with the iPhone 17 series, Google can do it with the Pixel 11 lineup, too.