I expected innovation, but Google gave me Déjà Vu with the Pixel 11 Pro

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By Aman Kumar

Published: Apr 02, 2026, 5:20 AM

This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.

A man holding the Google Pixel 10 Pro in his hand.

Google Pixel 10 Pro | Image by PhoneArena

We're still almost 4 months away from the usual August release window for the Google Pixel series, but leaks regarding the upcoming Pixel 11 lineup have already started to surface online. CAD renders of the Pixel 11 Pro were recently shared by Android Headlines, and honestly, the first thought that came to my mind after looking at the images was that the publication might have mistakenly uploaded Pixel 10 Pro images instead of Pixel 11 Pro ones. Yes, the two phones look that similar.

It's the same old design

With the Pixel 9, Google introduced an entirely new design for its smartphones. It then used almost identical patterns in the Pixel 10 lineup as well, and if the leaked CAD renders of the Pixel 11 Pro turn out to be true, we will see an almost similar design this year as well.

The only major change I can spot is that the camera bar this year will be all-glass. For reference, in the Pixel 10 family, a part of the camera bar (around the flashlight) matches the phone's color. For instance, I have the Frost-colored Pixel 10, so that particular portion around the flashlight is also Frost-colored.

It basically adds two color tones to the bar: black (which is of the glass) and the color of your phone. I honestly liked last year's design approach by Google. A completely blacked-out camera bar will take away the uniqueness that the Pixel lineup had over other phones with a camera bar, like the iPhone Air, which also uses one color tone throughout the phone.

Furthermore, I can see that the infrared temperature sensor is missing. For those unaware, it was introduced with the Pixel 10 Pro and allowed you to measure a surface's temperature. I know it wasn't one of the phone's major selling points, but it was still a unique feature.

So, those are all the changes? Basically, yes. The bezels appear thin, but they still look thicker when compared with what competitors like the Galaxy S26 offer.

Furthermore, there are reports that Apple might start offering 1.1 mm bezels in its upcoming iPhones. Considering this, I really want Google to work on those bezels and make them thinner.

It's actually a good design

CAD render of Pixel 11 Pro. | Image by Android Headlines

The critic inside me is screaming that Google should have made more changes, looks-wise, to the Pixel 11 Pro. But at the same time, I also feel that the current design is actually perfect. The best part is that the camera bar is symmetrical, and unlike many other phones, it doesn't wobble at all when placed on a flat surface.

I think Google has nailed the design, and it shouldn't change it just for the sake of change. Furthermore, I'm pretty certain most users use their smartphones with cases anyway. So, as long as the upcoming Pro model offers great specifications, I'd be more than happy with the phone, even if it doesn't have anything new to offer in terms of looks.

Rumored specifications of Pixel 11 Pro

Currently, very little is known about the hardware of the upcoming Pixel Pro phone. It is expected to run on the Tensor G6 SoC, along with a MediaTek modem. I am really looking forward to this change, especially considering all the feedback Google has received recently around connectivity on its Pixel devices.

I would genuinely like the tech giant to follow the path of competitors like Apple by completely ditching the 128 GB variant. The 10 Pro comes with 16 GB of RAM, and you would really hope its successor offers the same. But considering the sudden increase in RAM prices worldwide, I'm afraid the company might have to take the tough decision of reducing it to 12 GB.

If it continues to offer a 16GB RAM option, the phone might be costlier than the previous year's model. Other than this, the device is reported to measure 152.7 x 71.8 x 8.4 mm in dimensions. This indicates an almost negligible change compared to its predecessor.

Does Google need to make major changes to the look of Pixel phones?

Let's wait for the device

During an interview with Bloomberg, a Google executive said the company would refresh its phone design every few years. The last major overhaul came in 2024 with the Pixel 9 series. So, I'm hopeful we'll see the Mountain View giant make major changes to the Pixel lineup, perhaps next year with the Pixel 12.

All that said, I'm interested to see how a decision to go with an all-glass design will function. That's because the same design was used in the Pixel 6 lineup but was removed in subsequent models after it was found to cause flare issues in photos. To fix this, the all-glass design was replaced with a camera bar cover in later Pixel phones.

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Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.

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