Google is expected to unveil its Pixel 11 series at a Made by Google event on August 12, with the new phones reportedly launching around August 20. According to leaks compiled by Tom's Guide, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL will bring several hardware changes compared to last year's Pixel 10 Pro, even though the overall design language and 6.3-inch (Pro) and 6.8-inch (Pro XL) OLED displays are expected to remain similar.
The biggest change is expected to be the new Tensor G6 chip, reportedly built on TSMC's 2nm process, up from the Tensor G5's 3nm node. The G6 is rumored to use a seven-core CPU with a 1+4+2 architecture, combining one ARM C1-Ultra core, four ARM C1-Pro cores, and two additional C1-Pro cores. No major GPU upgrade is expected, but the new CPU and NPU are said to improve performance and help address the heat management issues that affected recent Pixel models. Both the Pixel 11 Pro and the rumored iPhone 18 Pro Max are said to be moving to 2nm chips this year, which would mark a notable manufacturing milestone for both companies.
Google is also rumored to be swapping out its Samsung modem for a MediaTek M90 modem, which is rated for download speeds up to 12Gbps and up to 18% better power efficiency through AI optimization. This change is intended to address longstanding cellular connectivity issues on Pixel phones and could help offset a slightly smaller battery. Battery capacity estimates vary between reports: one leak points to a 4,850mAh cell for the Pixel 11 Pro (down from 4,870mAh on the Pixel 10 Pro), while another cites a 5,115mAh battery for the Pixel 11 Pro XL, still smaller than the Pixel 10 Pro XL's. Wired charging is expected to increase to 45W, with 25W wireless Qi2 charging carrying over.
Storage and pricing are also set to change. The base Pixel 11 Pro is expected to drop the 128GB option in favor of 256GB as the new minimum, though the base model may come with only 12GB of RAM instead of the Pixel 10 Pro's standard 16GB. Pricing is rumored to start at $1,099 for the Pixel 11 Pro and between $1,299 and $1,399 for the Pixel 11 Pro XL, both increases over last year's Pixel 10 Pro pricing, partly offset by the extra storage.
On the design front, leaks point to a new glowing LED on the back of the phone — referred to in one report as 'HiLight' and in another as 'Pixel Glow' — which would replace the current thermometer sensor. The light is expected to activate during Gemini interactions and let users assign different lighting effects to specific contacts and notifications. Camera specs are largely expected to carry over, with a 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, and telephoto setup, but Pro Res Zoom is rumored to extend from 100x to as much as 120x, based on leaked marketing material. Software-wise, the Pixel 11 series is expected to launch with Android 17 and continued emphasis on Gemini-powered AI features, though it remains unclear which capabilities will be exclusive to the new Pixel lineup.
Sources note that some rumored specs — such as exact battery capacity and RAM configurations — vary between reports, and full details are expected to be confirmed only once Google officially unveils the Pixel 11 series on August 12.