As a Pixel user myself, I was really disappointed looking at all the underwhelming specifications of the Pixel 11 lineup that surfaced online. The leaked details of the vanilla variant in particular were suggesting that Google is actually going to downgrade the phone this year instead of upgrading it with new hardware.
Looking at all the supposed downgrades, I even covered a story that the upcoming Google phone might turn out to be the worst flagship of 2026 if everything that has surfaced about it pans out to be true. Turns out, the base model isn't as doomed as it appeared in the early leaks.
Pixel 11 was initially looking like a disaster
In May this year, a reliable tipster, Mystic Leaks, dropped a bombshell by sharing that the base Pixel 11 could come with 8 GB of RAM instead of 12 GB, which you get in its predecessor. I understand that the RAM prices have grown rapidly in recent times, but that definitely doesn't mean smartphone makers would start offering less RAM in their devices. This seemed totally unacceptable, especially after learning that the upcoming Pixel phones are going to cost more.
The disappointing leaks didn't stop with the news of devices featuring less RAM. A recent report, which revealed everything about the entire Pixel 11 family, suggested that the base variant would not feature a telephoto lens.
Recommended For You
All of this basically indicated that Google plans to charge more for a device that is going to offer less than its predecessor. That's probably the reason why you guys showed the least interest in the vanilla model in one of our recent polls.
Will you buy the vanilla Pixel 11 if it doesn't feature the HiLight feature?
There appears to be a twist in the story
A trusted leaker @evowizz made a post on X dismissing the previous rumors regarding the camera and RAM of the Pixel 11. According to the tipster, the upcoming device would be available in a 12GB RAM option just like the Pixel 10. They also claim that the device would offer a 10.8x telephoto, which is again the same as the previous year's model.
Comment about Pixel 11 telephoto lens. | Image by Reddit
I was pretty confident that the claims of Google removing the telephoto lens would turn out to be false, as the surfaced renders of the phone showed a triple-camera setup at the back. Pixel fans on online forums like Reddit were also finding it hard to believe that the Big G would actually take such a massive step. A user also referred to the surfaced renders and commented that they clearly showed three lenses at the back.
The Pixel 11 series best feature is still missing
Google appears to be giving a lot of priority to the HiLight capability in all the official teasers of the Pixel 11 series. This suggests that it could be one of the main highlights of the upcoming Google lineup. Unfortunately, it might be limited to the Pro models, according to tipster evowizz.
The company is reportedly not going to offer anything groundbreaking in the vanilla model, other than a new Tensor chipset and a MediaTek M90 modem. So, adding the HiLight feature to it could have turned out to be a great strategic move to grab the audience that wants to try out this feature without buying the costly Pro variants.
Google really needs to impress with software features
Although the latest report that the vanilla Pixel 11 will feature a telephoto lens and more RAM than previously reported is good news, it's definitely not something to get excited about, since both specs are already available on the Pixel 10. As per the leaked details, there's literally no hardware change for which I would recommend a Pixel 10 or even a Pixel 9 user to get the upcoming Google phone. The Geekbench 7 scores of the Tensor G6 chipset have also surfaced online, and they suggest that the smartphones might still not be able to compete against the flagship processors from Qualcomm and Apple in raw numbers.
Because of all these reasons, I really want Google to impress us all with some really new features that remain exclusive to the Pixel 11 lineup. If not, the upcoming phones, especially the vanilla option, might not sell like hotcakes as they did last year.
Six-month unlimited plan is now 57% off
$90
$210
$120 off (57%)
Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.
Aman Kumar is a news writer at PhoneArena covering Google Pixel phones, Android features, AI-powered smartphone tools, and mobile tech news. Before joining PhoneArena, he spent over five years writing about consumer technology for publications like MakeUseOf, How-To Geek, and Guiding Tech. His current daily drivers are the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, while his red iPhone SE (2nd gen) remains a personal favorite. Aman also appreciates bold smartphone experiments and still considers the Nokia N-Gage one of the industry’s most iconic designs.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: