Pixels have had this kind of suboptimal graphical performance for a long time, and it’s becoming increasingly harder to ignore at these ever-increasing smartphone prices, especially when these issues aren’t present on its peers. Will there ever be a Pixel with flagship-grade gaming performance?
Rambler is the breakout software feature for me this year, but Google is also highlighting Gemini Intelligence and “Proactive Assistance,” where Gemini will surface helpful actions. For example, my friend suggested getting dim sum this weekend, and when asked when to meet, a bubble popped up in the Messages app letting me quickly view my calendar without leaving the app. Then, when we settled on a time, another bubble popped up asking if I wanted to create the calendar event.
It all worked very smoothly, though Gemini struggled to understand that the restaurant’s name was “Din Soup,” not Dim Sum. The bigger problem is that this kind of proactive assistance is largely available in the Messages app, which, unfortunately, is not my default messaging mode. When this becomes a system-wide capability that works in every app, I can see its utility.
Google has made some overall tweaks throughout the Pixel’s interface that I think give it a stronger, more unique design language. I also do want to call out that these are still the only major Android phones with built-in Qi2 magnets—aka the magnetic back like MagSafe on the iPhone. I am all in on MagSafe accessories, whether that’s my car dock or my mobile tripod, so it’s indispensable to me.
Speaking of, battery life is rather unimpressive on both Pixel 11 Pro models. (The only difference between the pair is battery life and screen size.) I averaged four hours of screen-on time before the Pixel 11 Pro XL hit 20 percent, and roughly the same on the Pixel 11 Pro. Granted, I was downloading data over cellular, using Google Maps, and taking a lot of photos. I think average users will find it sufficient for a full day, but power users will undoubtedly need a top-up. Perhaps it’s time for Google to consider denser batteries with silicon-carbon battery technology?
Camera Obscura
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Do you really need 120X digital zoom? When you say it out loud, it sounds ridiculous, but then you look at the results, and it’s hard not to be impressed. Yes, there are AI-generated pixels (anything past 30X zoom) filling in the gaps, which will be a nonstarter for many, but look how far away I am! It’s actually quite a struggle to capture photos at that high level of zoom because the camera gets very shaky. Still, having access to this level of zoom means I am more comfortable zooming in to 30 or 50X, where the results are even better.