Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Stunning new mobile with mind-bending ‘120x zoom’ camera mode is the iPhone’s best rival

I ADORE this phone. I mean genuinely, it is brilliant: I’m talking about the new Google Pixel 11 Pro XL. Google might not be as well-known as Apple and Samsung in the phone-making game, but it’s been dishing them out for years. The Sun’s tech editor Sean Keach has been testing out the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL Credit: Sean Keach The new gadget is Google’s latest flagship mobile Credit: Google And earlier this month, it showed off a new roster of its Pixel-branded mobiles. There’s the regular Pixel 11 (the cheapest option), the bendy Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and then a pair of Pro models in the middle (one bigger than the other). Sign up for the Tech newsletter Thank you! Given foldable phones aren’t exactly mainstream (yet!), it’s fair to think of the Pro models as the Google flagships. Google Pixel 11 Pro, £1,079 And I’ve been trying out the new Pixel 11 Pro XL, which is genuinely brilliant. I’ve always had a soft spot for Google’s Pixel phones. You may well know that Google creates the Android software that powers loads of mobiles – Samsung devices included. But the Android that appears on Pixel phones is the pure unadulterated version, as intended by the Google gods. Most read in Tech As such, it tends to get the latest features first, and is free from the bloat that you sometimes get on cheaper Android mobiles. Anyway, last year’s Pixel Pro was fantastic, and this year’s new version doesn’t undo that good work. It comes with a large and sharp Super Actua display Credit: Sean Keach I tested the XL in this attractive Olive colour option Credit: Sean Keach GOOGLE PIXEL 11 PRO XL DESIGN – DOES IT LOOK GOOD? This time, you’ve got four spiffing colours to choose from: Canyon, Fog, Obsidian, and the green hue I was testing a.k.a Olive. It’s genuinely a lovely colour, although I do have a penchant for green phones. And I’m certainly glad they’ve chucked some decent bright colour options in, as that seems increasingly to be the trend. The screens are enormous and bright. Depending on whether you spring for the regular or XL version, you’ll get a 6.3-inch or 6.8-inch Super Actua display. I actually think the 6.3-inch is probably a better pick as it’ll be more comfortable in the hand, and it has a slightly higher pixel density (at 495 pixels per inch vs 486 pixels per inch). But some people love a giant phone, and the XL exists for those people. These phones also have variable refresh rates, ranging from 1 to 120Hz. The refresh rate is how many times per second the display can refresh the image you’re seeing. GOOGLE PIXEL 11 PRO SPECS – THE KEY BITS Here's what you need to know... Display: 6.3-inch (Pro, 495 ppi) / 6.8-inch (Pro XL, 486 ppi) Super Actua display, 1–120Hz variable refresh rate, 2,400 nits brightness (3,600 nits peak), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 Dimensions & Weight: Pixel 11 Pro: 8.4mm thick, 204g Pixel 11 Pro XL: 8.5mm thick, 226g Processor: Google Tensor G6 Memory & Storage Tiers: 256GB storage / 12GB RAM 512GB storage / 16GB RAM 1TB storage / 16GB RAM (Obsidian only) Pricing: Pixel 11 Pro: £1,079 (256GB) / £1,199 (512GB) / £1,429 (1TB) Pixel 11 Pro XL: £1,279 (256GB) / £1,399 (512GB) / £1,629 (1TB) Cameras: Rear Cameras: 50MP wide-angle main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto (5x optical zoom, up to 120x AI Pro Zoom) Front Camera: 42MP selfie camera Battery & Charging: Capacity: 4,850mAh (Pro) / 5,115mAh (Pro XL) Battery Life: 30+ hours estimated Charging: Fast-charges to 55% or 75% in 30 minutes; 25W wireless charging (PixelSnap) Operating System: Android 17 Colours: Canyon, Fog, Obsidian, Olive So that’s important if you’re playing high-frame-rate video (like sports), enjoying video games, or just want smooth phone animations. And this lovely screen is protected by the sturdy Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass. I didn’t take a hammer to it, so I can’t tell you how rugged I actually found it, but Corning’s protections are top-of-the-range, so you’ll likely get on well even if you’re very clumsy or regularly handle grease. As a final note on the display, they serve up 2,400 nits of brightness (peaking at 3,600), which is plenty fine for even the brightest of summer days. They’re relatively thin at 8.4mm or 8.5mm depending on your model, although that’s beefy compared to Samsung’s recent razor-thin foldables. And they weigh in at 204g or 226g, which is par for the course for this kind of flagship Pro mobile. GOOGLE PIXEL 11 PRO XL SPECS & FEATURES – FEEL THE POWER There are three main variants that you can buy (and you’ll pay extra as you go up the tiers). The base model costs £1079/£1,279 for Pro or Pro XL, and comes with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. I think if you’re going to buy the Pro phone, you’d be better of bagging the next tier up, which doubles the storage to 512GB and gets you 16GB of RAM. That’ll cost you £1,199 or £1,399. And the very top option – which is only available in the Obsidian (matte) colour option – nets you 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM. That’ll set you back £1,429, or £1,629 for the XL model. I’d argue that this is overkill on storage for most people, but I do have an absolutely enormous trove of photos and I film a lot of video too, so I’d be tempted. No matter which option you’ll buy, it’ll be powered by the same Google Tensor G6 chip. It’s a nippy and capable processor that will handle whatever mobile tasks you chuck at it. But smartphone processors have been very strong for a while now. Perhaps more important is the camera, which – thankfully – is very strong on this device. You have a triple-array on the back with a 50-megapixel wide-angle main camera and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide snapper. It features a USB-C charging port, which is a common cable type these days Credit: Sean Keach The gadget starts at £1,079 And they’re alongside a 48-megapixel telephoto camera that delivers 5x optical zoom. But Google will let you Pro Zoom right up to 120x, which is frankly staggering. However, there is some trickery going on here, where Google is effectively just blowing up the zoomed image and cropping in tightly. And then it’ll use AI to enhance the picture to create a shockingly high-quality snap. This still struggles with detail like text, for instance, but it’s a very cool effect that will work well if you’re, say, snapping a major landmark from a distance. Whether it technically counts as a real photograph or not is open for debate, but it’s fun to play with – and ultimately, if you don’t like it, you don’t need to use it. In any case, the camera set-up is very strong and it performs well even in low-light conditions, or scenes with high dynamic range (i.e. very bright and very dark areas visible at the same time). There’s a 42-megapixel selfie camera that is also great, although it’s obviously less versatile than the triple-camera setup on the back. The phone runs on Android 17, which is the latest version of Google’s OS. These days, both Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android deliver largely the same high-quality experience. There are some minor differences, but you’ll get on totally fine with either. Android is slick, clean, easy to use and highly customisable. And Google has bundled it with lots of AI tricks, including several anti-scam features that warn you if someone is trying to hoodwink you via text or over the phone. The Google Play Store is replete with apps, so you’ll be able to download basically anything you need. And Google offers years of support for its Pixel devices, so you’ll be able to hang on to this mobile for years to come. For unlocking, you’ve got both fingerprint and face unlock options. And the phone supports 5G internet, which isn’t particularly surprising. The only other point to note is on battery life. These phones are fitted with 4,850mAh / 5,115mAh batteries respectively. Google reckons that’ll get you over 30 hours of battery life, which is pretty good. In my experience, the phone was easily able to take me through a full day of use – even with heavy use. And in any case, they can charge up very quickly, whizzing to 55% or 75% in 30 minutes if you have a high-wattage charger. These mobiles both also support wireless charging up to 25W. And they also support PixelSnap, which is Google’s version of MagSafe that allows chargers and accessories to magnetically snap to the back of the phone. And it’s worth pointing out that although they’re not technically compatible systems, accessories will often work across both. For instance, my Apple MagSafe Wallet gladly snaps to the back of the Pixel 11 Pro XL – although having an Apple logo on the back of a Google phone does look a bit odd. The phone runs on Google’s Android 17 OS You can buy it with a colour-matched phone case Credit: Sean Keach GOOGLE PIXEL 11 PRO XL – SHOULD YOU BUY IT? So should you buy these phones? Well, you have to consider a few things. Firstly, Pro phones are…well, just that. These are higher-end devices for people who want the very best. Most people will get on just fine with a cheaper Pixel 11. But if you do want the Pro, you’ll pay a premium – especially as AI data centres hoovering up global memory supplies means consumer tech prices have gone through the roof. So consider whether you’re willing to pay over £1,000 for a smartphone anyway. However, I will say that most predictions point to gadget prices going up in the next few years, not down. So if you’re hoping to wait for a price crash, if one ever comes, it’d be closer to 2028 or even 2030. If you do have the money to burn and you’re dead-set on owning an Android, this is about as good as it gets. Google’s Pixel experience is sublime on both hardware and software fronts. It’s genuinely a very impressive phone and is demonstrative of just how mature the smartphone market is. The other note to consider is foldable phones. GOOGLE PIXEL 11 PRO PROS & CONS Pros: Attractive design Powerful processor Impressive camera Excellent operating system Decent price for hardware on offer Cons: Will be out of reach for some budgets XL isn’t very lightweight They’re coming thick and fast, and it’s looking very likely that an Apple foldable might be just around the corner. They offer a big benefit of having generous screen real estate, and some bragging rights too. So if you can afford one, it’s something to consider. But if you just want a capable Android flagship that’ll smash any task you chuck at it, this is a cracking buy. The Sun says: A brilliant smartphone that delivers on both hardware and software: it looks good, works well, and is packed with endless features – you’ll never be bored. 5/5 Google Pixel 11 Pro, £1,079 The gadget has a powerful triple-camera array Credit: Sean Keach It starts with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM – but goes right up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM Credit: Sean Keach All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase. Comment now