Google has launched the Pixel 11 Pro, a compact flagship phone positioned as a contender for the best small phone of the year thanks to strong hardware and camera software. The device builds on last year's design with only marginal physical changes but introduces deeper customisation options for photos, allowing users to alter the look and feel of images beyond standard filters, even at the expense of technical quality. This matters because it signals Google's continued focus on camera and AI differentiation rather than radical hardware redesign in a maturing smartphone market.

The phone starts at £1,079, £80 more than last year's model, and sits above the standard £879 Pixel 11, offering double the storage but slightly less RAM due to rising memory costs. It runs the same Tensor G6 chip as the standard Pixel 11, offers battery life just under two days, and features a 6.3in OLED screen with a redesigned HiLight LED replacing the previous temperature sensor. Software support runs until August 2033, and the phone ships with six months of Google AI Pro, including tools such as Gemini Omni video generation and the new Rambler voice dictation feature, alongside an upgraded triple rear camera system led by a 50MP main sensor.