Google Unveils Pixel 11 Series With Tensor G6, Qi2.2 Wireless Charging, and Higher Price Tags
Google officially announced its Pixel 11 series on August 12, 2026, alongside the Pixel Watch 5, at its Made by Google 2026 event. The lineup spans four phones — the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold — all available for preorder immediately and set to ship August 20 (The Verge).
Pricing has moved up across the board. The base Pixel 11 starts at $899 for 256GB, a $100 increase over the Pixel 10's $799 entry point. The Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099 (256GB), with 512GB at $1,219 and 1TB at $1,449. The Pixel 11 Pro XL starts at $1,299 (256GB), $1,419 (512GB), and $1,649 (1TB). The Pixel 11 Pro Fold tops the range at $1,899. For context, the Pixel 9 Pro XL started at $1,099 in 2024, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL at $1,199 in 2025 — the Pro XL has now climbed $200 in two generations.
Ars Technica had forecast the $899 base price in July, noting it would represent a $100 year-over-year increase (Ars Technica). Android Authority similarly reported that every new Pixel announced on August 12 was expected to get a price bump (Android Authority).
All four phones run on Google's new Tensor G6 processor, which the company says delivers 25 percent faster web browsing and 15 percent faster app loading compared to the Tensor G5. The base Pixel 11 ships with 12GB of RAM across both storage tiers (256GB at $899, 512GB at $1,019) and features a 6.3-inch display at 1080 x 2424 resolution with a 60–120Hz adaptive refresh rate and HDR support up to 2000 nits.
The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL are identical apart from screen size, resolution, and battery capacity. Both feature a 50MP wide-angle main sensor, 48MP telephoto with up to 5x optical zoom, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 42MP front-facing camera with a 103-degree field of view. On memory, the 256GB variants carry 12GB of RAM while the 512GB and 1TB models step up to 16GB. Four color options are available: canyon, fog, olive, and obsidian.
The series introduces Magic Capture, a camera feature that automatically stitches together clips and photos from a longer video into a composed highlight. All four phones feature upgraded batteries with fast charging and Qi2.2 wireless charging support up to 25W.
The Pixel Watch 5 arrives in two sizes: 41mm starting at $399 and 45mm at $429. Google is bundling aggressively to drive watch adoption. Preorder deals include a $100 gift card with the Pixel 11, $200 with the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL, and $350 with the Pro Fold. Customers can apply the gift card toward a Pixel Watch 5 purchase for an additional $50, and the 41mm Pixel Watch 5 is free with a Pixel 11 Pro Fold preorder. The Google Store lists the gift card promotion's end date as August 27; Best Buy and Amazon did not publish an end date at the time of announcement.
Google is also including six months of Google AI Pro (a $119 value) with Pixel 11 Pro purchases (Google Store). That subscription bundle aligns with the broader ecosystem play Google has been building since introducing Googlebook laptops in May, designed for Gemini Intelligence and positioned as in sync with Android phones (Google Blog). The Fitbit Air, which went up for preorder at $99.99 the same month, extends the same hardware ecosystem further into wearables (Google Blog).
The broader context here is one of steady price escalation meeting a maturing feature set. The Pixel line has now moved from $699 (Pixel 8, 2023) to $899 (Pixel 11, 2026) at the base tier in three generations. The Pro XL has gone from $1,099 to $1,299 over the same period. Google is offsetting that with heavier bundling — gift cards, free watches, AI subscriptions — rather than holding the line on price. Whether that tradeoff lands with buyers will become clear once the phones reach shelves on August 20.
Preorders are open through Best Buy, Amazon, and the Google Store. Regional availability varies: the Australian Google Store lists preorders beginning August 13, while the India Google Store states the Pixel 11 series is available now with special launch offers (Google Store Australia, Google Store India).
