It's been a couple of years since I bought a new smartphone, and this is the longest I've waited. Although it happened by accident, I decided the would break the streak.

This was before the Pixel 11 lineup launched officially. I have changed my mind twice since then: when it launched, and after reading its reviews.

The Pixel 11 lineup doesn't offer anything unique cosmetically, and that was my first thought when I saw its first look.

That wasn't a deal-breaker because I expected it to look very similar to its predecessor. Instead, I was disappointed by how little the latest Pixel lineup improved over last year's model. It left me on the fence about buying the Pixel 11.

However, I no longer feel that pessimistic about the Pixel 11 lineup. I may even buy one in the coming months. I nearly wrote off the Pixel 11 lineup, but one thing changed my mind.

The Pixel 11 is a decent phone and is a wasted opportunity

It doesn't even try to stand out in the competition

I see videos of many YouTubers comparing phones from different timelines to show how far things have changed. Many of my colleagues at Android Police also do this to prove their points and take readers down memory lane.

This is my first time, though I don't have any motivation to trigger nostalgia. The Pixel 11 forced me to think about the OnePlus 7 Pro I bought seven years ago.

The phone is no longer with me, but I still have all the beautiful memories. It was my first phone with a 90Hz display out of the box. Why am I even mentioning this in 2026, you ask?

Blame it on Google's lackluster decision-making. The Mountain View tech giant made a 60Hz refresh rate the default out of the box. You need to manually tweak the display settings to enjoy the benefits of a high-refresh-rate display.

It feels like a wasted opportunity to make a first impression. As a user, anything less than 90Hz as the default is non-negotiable.

However, I'd still call the Pixel 11 and its "Pro" models decent enough for what they offer. Battery life is good, especially on the base model; the Tensor G6 SoC and UFS 4.0 make the phone feel fast, and the base variant across all the models starts at 256GB.

I would've appreciated it more if Google hadn't raised the price by $100 for the base storage upgrade, but the memory and storage chip crisis may have forced the hike.

I couldn't write off the Pixel 11 because of its camera

The Magic Capture feature is my favorite thing about the Pixel 11

The most significant hardware upgrade in the newest Pixel lineup is the camera. Both the "Pro" and base variants have something to boast about, and those improvements are worth praising.

Google claims that the 48-megapixel telephoto camera in the Pixel 11 Pro models has 30% more sensitivity. That's why low-light photography in the Pro models is a class apart.

The sensor size of the main sensor has also increased in the , while in the "Pro" models, the Telephoto sensor size has been increased from 1/2.51 inch to 1/1.95 inch.

The advertised maximum zoom capacity has also increased on both "Pro" and standard models. These aren't just numbers; they make a difference in image quality.

While these are noticeable improvements, and 30x or 120x aren't something I would need very often. Instead, I like how they capture moments with ease, thanks to the Magic Capture feature.

Magic Capture isn't anything unheard of. My Samsung Galaxy phone has a similar feature called Single Take, and it's one of .

Like Single Take, Magic Capture lets you tap the shutter button to record a clip, and it then uses AI to capture the best candid moments from the session. I've used the feature, and it works incredibly well.

This effectively means the Pixel 11 lineup can capture both small videos and photos at the same time.

I used this trick to capture candid photos of my partner using my Galaxy phone, though she found out that I was relying on AI to take those shots. It was a setback for my inflated photography reputation, but she never stopped me because it's that good.

The Magic Capture assures me that I won't miss the Single Take feature if I switch to the Pixel 11.

I may buy the Pixel 11 for its camera performance

My Samsung Galaxy is aging fast, and I won't be sticking with it for long. But this time around, I want to .

The Pixel 11 is the strongest candidate so far to replace the Galaxy phone as my primary handset for the camera alone. Hopefully, Google will slash prices, as it often does a few months after launch, making it easier for me to buy the standard Pixel 11 model.

I can't wait.