Google launched the Pixel 11 series at its Made by Google event in New York on Wednesday, with four models arriving in Australia on 20 August priced from A$1,499 for the base phone to A$2,799 for the Pro Fold.
The lineup covers the 6.3 inch base model at A$1,499, the Pro at A$1,849, the 6.8 inch Pro XL at A$2,099 and the Pro Fold at A$2,799. United States pricing runs from US$899 for the base model through US$1,099 and US$1,299 for the Pro pair to US$1,899 for the Fold.
All four run Google’s new Tensor G6 chip, which the company says browses 25 per cent faster, launches apps 15 per cent quicker and carries 50 per cent more TPU compute for on-device AI. A new Titan M3 security chip adds post-quantum cryptography across the range.
The base phone ships with 12GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of storage and a 4,985mAh battery, while the Pro and Pro XL offer up to 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and batteries of 4,850mAh and 5,115mAh. Colour options span Frost, Pistachio, Hibiscus and Obsidian on the base phone, with muted Canyon, Olive and Fog tones on the Pros.
That extra AI headroom is the pitch. Gemini Nano runs 3.5 times faster on the G6 while using 3.5 times less energy, and it powers new tools including Magic Capture in the camera, a sign-to-text feature for sign language users starting with ASL, and Rambler, which edits and translates voice dictation in real time as the user speaks.
In the United States, retailers are sweetening the launch with gift cards of US$200 on most models and US$350 on the Pro Fold at Best Buy and Amazon, alongside carrier trade-in credits reaching US$1,300.
“Our 11th generation of Pixel phones bring refined hardware that’s built to last, upgraded cameras, and more proactive Gemini support, powered by the new Google Tensor G6 chip,” said Rory Charlston, Google’s director of device and services for Australia and New Zealand.
The hardware changes are less dramatic than the software ones. The camera bar is 40 per cent thinner on the base model, Pro screens reach 3,600 nits, and the Pro models gain a HiLite LED that flashes colour-coded alerts. Google is promising seven years of operating system and security updates across the range, matching the support window Samsung offers on its flagships.
The Pro Fold gets the most structural work. Google says the hinge has been tested through more than 80 million folds and the inner display crease is less visible, sharpening its case against Samsung’s foldable line. It comes in Olive and Obsidian with storage up to 1TB.
Battery life also moves. The Pixel 11 Pro is rated for more than 30 hours between charges, a 15 minute top-up adds about 15 hours of runtime, and the base model picks up 25 watt Qi2 wireless charging.
The Pro cameras stretch further too, with a 120x Pro Zoom mode joining the thinner bar, and the phones lean on Gemini for what Google calls more proactive assistance across calls, screenshots and search. The event itself, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah in New York, also covered the Pixel Watch 5 and new Pixel Buds Pro 2 colours at US$229.
Google also announced the Pixel Tag, a US$29 item tracker built to rival Apple’s AirTag, sold in a four pack for US$99. Australian pre-orders for the phones opened on 13 August through the Google Store, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.
The full Pixel 11 range and Pixel Watch 5 go on sale on 20 August. The Pixel Tag follows on 11 November.
