I was planning to skip the Pixel 11. These 5 upgrades changed my mind

On paper, the Google Pixel 11 doesn’t seem like anything special. It looks like another 2026 smartphone with relatively minor upgrades and a higher starting price, thanks largely to the ongoing RAM and memory crisis.

As someone who owns a Pixel 9 from a couple of years ago, upgrading to the Pixel 11 didn’t initially make much sense to me. After all, the Pixel 11 doesn’t look dramatically different from the Pixel 9, and my current phone still works perfectly fine.

But after digging deeper and comparing the Pixel 11 vs. Pixel 9, I started noticing several meaningful differences that aren’t immediately obvious. In fact, five upgrades have convinced me that Google’s latest Pixel might finally be worth the jump.

The new modem may be the upgrade Pixel needed most

Google may have fooled a lot of us with the Tensor G6. Early reports suggested the chipset would be built on TSMC’s 2nm process, potentially making it one of the first flagship smartphone chips to use the new architecture. As it turns out, though, the Tensor G6 is once again a 3nm chipset.

And while the Tensor G6 isn’t the massive performance jump some of us expected, it’s still a meaningful upgrade over the Pixel 9’s hardware. The Pixel 9 uses the Samsung-made Tensor G4, which wasn’t exactly known for efficiency and frequently drew complaints about heat and cellular performance.

The bigger upgrade for me is actually the modem. Google has finally ditched Samsung’s Exynos modem in favor of a new MediaTek modem across the Pixel 11 series.

In our recent testing, the new modem consistently delivered faster download speeds than the Pixel 10 Pro and was better at holding onto a 5G connection in weaker reception areas. Given that the Pixel 9 uses a similar Samsung modem, you can expect a noticeable improvement in cellular performance here as well.

Really important camera upgrades

The most obvious camera upgrade between the Pixel 9 and Pixel 11 is that you finally get a proper telephoto camera on the base model. The Pixel 9 was the last standard Pixel to ship with only two rear cameras: a primary sensor and an ultra-wide. Google added a telephoto camera to the base model with the Pixel 10, and thankfully, that continues with the Pixel 11.

That means you can finally capture proper zoom shots without stepping up to the Pro model, which is a pretty meaningful upgrade if you’re coming directly from the Pixel 9.

Google has also upgraded the 48MP primary camera on the Pixel 11. The company claims the new sensor can capture 56% more light, which should translate into better photos, especially in more difficult lighting conditions.

Of course, we’re still putting the cameras through more extensive testing, but having a telephoto camera alone already fixes one of my biggest complaints with the Pixel 9.

A small but meaningful display improvement

The Pixel 11 may not look dramatically different from the Pixel 9, but one underrated upgrade is sitting right in front of you: the display.

You still get a 6.3-inch OLED panel, but Google has increased peak brightness to 3,000 nits, compared to 2,700 nits on the Pixel 9. That might not seem like a huge jump on paper, but it’s actually a pretty useful upgrade for outdoor visibility.

The extra brightness should make things like reading messages, navigating with Google Maps, or simply scrolling through your phone much easier under direct sunlight. It’s only 300 extra nits on paper, but I’ll take every bit of brightness I can get.

Built-in Qi2 is a bigger deal than it sounds

Google still hasn’t embraced silicon-carbon battery technology the way some other Android manufacturers have, but the Pixel 11 does at least get a slightly larger battery. The Pixel 11 packs a 4,985mAh battery compared to the Pixel 9’s 4,700mAh cell. That may not sound like a dramatic increase, but I’ll happily take any extra capacity I can get on a Pixel.

The much bigger upgrade for me, though, is native Qi2 support. Google introduced built-in Qi2 magnets with the Pixel 10 series last year, which means my Pixel 9 missed out entirely. The Pixel 11 continues that support, allowing you to attach Qi2 and MagSafe accessories directly to the phone without needing a magnetic case.

I’ve been using Qi2 accessories quite a lot lately, especially magnetic chargers and stands, so having the magnets built directly into the Pixel 11 is a pretty big upgrade for me. Sure, I can get almost the same functionality on my Pixel 9 with a magnetic case, but I’d much rather have it built into the phone itself.

The Pixel 9 may miss out on Google’s latest Gemini features

The Pixel 11 series is also among the first Android phones to come with Gemini Intelligence built in. And this isn’t just Gemini being pre-installed on your phone. Gemini Intelligence is Google’s new system-level AI architecture that’s designed to turn your phone into what Google calls a “proactive assistant.”

For example, App Automation lets Gemini interact with apps and complete multi-step tasks, such as ordering coffee or booking a cab. Then there’s Rambler, which lets you speak naturally while automatically cleaning up filler words, pauses, and corrections as it converts your speech into text.

The problem for Pixel 9 owners is that we still don’t know how many of these features will eventually trickle down to older Pixels. There’s still some confusion around Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 compatibility, but for now, the Pixel 11 is the only safe bet if you want access to the complete Gemini Intelligence experience.

Look, if your Pixel 9 is working perfectly fine, I don’t think you need to rush out and buy the Pixel 11. It’s still a great phone, and things like Qi2 can even be replicated with a third-party case.

But for me, the telephoto camera, better modem, brighter display, and newer Gemini Intelligence features are enough to make the upgrade tempting. I went into this comparison thinking I’d happily keep my Pixel 9 for another year, but after looking at everything that’s changed, I’m not so sure anymore.