Phones in the US have been getting more expensive.
In the past month, Google, Samsung, and Apple raised the prices of phones that were already on sale. However, the Google Pixel 11 costs $899, the same as it did at launch.
I use a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but after comparing the Pixel 11 with its rivals, I think it’s the best Android flagship you can buy for the money right now.
Here are five reasons why.
It has a 5x optical zoom camera for $899
The Galaxy S26 stops at 3x, while the iPhone 17 has no telephoto shooter
For a long time, Google’s base Pixel models had only two cameras: a main and an ultrawide sensor.
However, Google introduced a third 5x telephoto lens with the Pixel 10 and kept it for the new generation, while making the main sensor slightly larger.
This matters now because the Samsung Galaxy S26 offers only 3x optical zoom and costs $100 more. The iPhone 17 costs the same $899 as the Pixel 11 but doesn’t have a telephoto camera; its 2x zoom is a crop from the 48MP main sensor.
I only use my S24 Ultra’s 5x zoom occasionally to read far-away signs and other niche use cases, but it’s nice to have. Considering such lenses used to be reserved for Pro and Ultra models, getting one for $899 is a good deal.
It starts at 256GB and has magnets
Like the iPhone 17; the S26 has no magnets
With the Pixel 11 series, Google removed the smaller 128GB option.
This means the starting model has 256GB of storage and costs $899, unlike the Pixel 10, which started at 128GB and cost $100 less. It also has magnets, making it compatible with MagSafe and other magnetic accessories. It supports up to 25W speeds via Qi2.2, like the iPhone.
However, Samsung still doesn’t build magnets into its devices. You’d need a magnetic case to use magnetic accessories with the Galaxy S26. Plus, it charges wirelessly at a slower 15W.
It features a new Tensor chip and gets updates on day one
It’s no Snapdragon, but it’s good enough
The Pixel 11 launched with the Tensor G6 processor, built on TSMC’s 3nm node.
Its raw power is somewhat lacking compared to the S26, which features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and the iPhone 17, which boasts Apple’s A19 processor.
Still, it’s a modest upgrade over the Pixel 10’s Tensor G5, with the biggest improvements in on-device AI. The gap is much bigger against the Pixel 10a, which uses the older Tensor G4.
The Pixel also gets updates as soon as Google releases them, including Pixel-exclusive ones.
You get Google’s smartest features without paying for a Pro
The Pixel 11 series has several new software features, and most are available across the lineup.
Gemini Intelligence, for example, includes several advanced AI features like task automation, Rambler, Create My Widget, and Intelligent Autofill, and it’s available on all four Pixel 11 models.
So are Magic Cue’s contextual suggestions and Call Screen, which filters unknown callers for you.
All four devices also get a host of camera tools, like Magic Capture, which analyzes about 400 frames to save a well-timed 12MP shot, Camera Looks, which gives you nine color presets to shoot with, and Creator Suite, which adds a teleprompter and video editing tools.
The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL get specialized camera features like 120x Pro Zoom, full-resolution photos, manual controls, Instant Night Sight, Video Boost, and Pro Stable Video, to take advantage of their better hardware.
They also add the HiLight LED, Wi-Fi 7, and UWB.
Unless you need these features, you won’t miss much by going for the much cheaper base Pixel 11.
Its biggest rivals just got more expensive
The Galaxy S26, the iPhone 17, and even the Pixel 10a
When Google released the Pixel 11 for $899 on August 20, it seemed like a price hike, given that the Pixel 10 started at $799. Even then, all Google did was remove the 128GB storage version.
However, the Pixel 11 is starting to look more and more like a bargain, thanks to competitors raising their prices.
The Galaxy S26 launched at the same $900 but now costs $1,000. Even with the better processor, that’s still $100 more than the Pixel 11 for the same storage, with a shorter 3x zoom and a smaller 4,300mAh battery (the Pixel 11 has 4,985mAh).
The Apple situation is a little more interesting. It released the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max on September 18, but the base iPhone 18 reportedly won’t be available until spring 2027.
That leaves us with last year’s iPhone 17, which launched at $799. However, instead of dropping in price with the new model’s arrival, it now costs $899, one year after launch.
Even Pixels are not exempt from the price hike. The Pixel 10a, which launched at $499, now starts at $599 for 128GB and a Tensor G4 from 2024.
That leaves only a $300 difference between it and the Pixel 11 with double the storage, a telephoto camera, and a chip two generations newer.
If I’m spending $899 on an Android phone, it’ll be the Pixel 11
The Pixel 11 is by no means perfect. The Tensor G6 trails Snapdragon in benchmarks, and the Pro models get the better camera extras.
But I think it’s in the sweet spot right now. It combines the right features with a price that hasn’t gone up since launch, unlike its rivals.
As a Samsung user, I think it’s only a matter of time before I snag one for myself.
- SoC
-
Google Tensor G6
- RAM
-
12GB
- Storage
-
256 or 512GB
- Battery
-
4985 mAh
- Colors
-
Frost, Pistachio, Hibiscus, Obsidian
The base model in Google’s 2026 Pixel lineup runs Android 17 and is powered by the Tensor G6 chip. It also has a 5x telephoto camera, Qi2.2 magnetic charging (PixelSnap), and starts with 256 GB of storage.
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