The Google Pixel 11 launch should have made me excited about the next generation of phones. Instead, it made me think about how much I miss when manufacturers were willing to take real risks.
Phones used to experiment with strange designs, new form factors, bigger batteries, unusual cameras, and features that could completely change how a phone felt to use.
So many phone upgrades feel predictable these days, with a slightly faster chip, another camera bump, and a handful of new AI features.
Now, I miss phones that made the next upgrade feel worth looking forward to.
I miss phones that made me curious
There was always something new to try
The Pixel 11 launch should have excited me to upgrade. But it made me realize how much I miss when a new phone brought genuine improvements that made me want the next one.
Google introduced some interesting additions this year. The Pixel 11 gets the new Tensor G6 chip, while the Pro models get features such as HiLight, an LED notification system that can use different colors for contacts.
Google also added new camera tricks, including Magic Capture, 8K Pro Stable Video on the Pro models, and up to 120x zoom.
But look at what Google emphasized alongside those hardware upgrades: Gemini. The Pixel 11 is being positioned around faster on-device AI, with Gemini increasingly woven into the phone’s everyday functions.
When I compare the Pixel 11 to last year’s phone, I don’t see enough that makes me think, “Yes, this is the upgrade I’ve been waiting for.”
Much of the excitement still revolves around better AI, smarter Gemini features, and incremental improvements to hardware that was already pretty good.
I used to get excited about the hardware
Spec bumps used to mean something
I used to look at a new phone’s processor and immediately want to know how much faster it was than the previous generation.
The Pixel 10 introduced the Tensor G5, with a 34% faster CPU and a TPU up to 60% more powerful than its predecessor. Those are the kinds of numbers that make a new chip feel like a meaningful upgrade.
The Pixel 11’s Tensor G6 is faster too, but Google’s claims are more modest. Compared with the Pixel 10’s G5, Google says the G6 delivers 25% faster web browsing and 15% quicker app launches, while its TPU provides 50% more compute for AI tasks.
Google also says the G6 can process on-device AI tasks up to 3.5 times faster while using up to 3.5 times less energy.
Those are useful improvements, particularly the efficiency gains, but they don’t exactly make the Pixel 10 feel old.
A 15% improvement in app launches isn’t something I’m going to notice every time I open an app, and 25% faster web browsing doesn’t change how I use my phone.
That’s the kind of hardware upgrade I miss: where you could feel that your new phone was a big step up from the old one.
Some bold ideas actually made phones better
Not every unusual idea was a gimmick
Looking back, some of the phone features that seemed unusual at first were actually useful.
Samsung putting an S Pen inside the Galaxy Note turned a phone into something I could use for handwritten notes, sketches, document markup, and eventually even as a remote camera shutter.
The original Note also helped establish an entirely new category of large-screen phones.
Then there were foldables. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold wasn’t just a phone with a different screen; it gave me a phone that could unfold into a much larger display for multitasking.
Flex Mode and split-screen apps showed that the extra screen could change how I used the device.
Even some of the experiments that didn’t become mainstream were interesting. Motorola’s Moto Mods let you snap accessories onto the back of the phone, including a battery pack, speaker, camera grip, and projector.
Not all of them were practical, but the idea was fun because the phone could do something new simply by adding hardware.
Even when an idea didn’t stick, I liked seeing manufacturers take the chance. A phone could try something, fail, and still give the next generation something to build on.
AI is becoming the predictable upgrade
Every new phone has an AI pitch
There’s another reason the Pixel 11 launch left me a little cold: AI has become the easiest thing to add to a new phone.
Google has packed the Pixel 11 with more Gemini features, from proactive assistance and real-time translation to AI-powered camera tools and Gemini working across more apps.
The company has been moving in this direction for a while, with Gemini increasingly handling photo editing, video creation, music generation, and multitasking on Pixel phones.
Some of these features are genuinely useful, but what bothers me is how predictable the pitch has become. A new phone arrives, the cameras get a little better, the chip gets a little faster, and then there’s a long list of things AI can now do.
I want phones to feel exciting again
The Pixel 11 isn’t a bad phone. That’s part of my problem. It’s a better phone in plenty of ways, but I don’t look at it and feel like I need to have it.
I don’t need phones to become weird again just for the sake of it. I want manufacturers to focus on what I notice: battery life, charging, cameras, displays, and hardware that makes a difference in how I use the phone.
- Brand
-
Google
- SoC
-
Google Tensor G6
- Display
-
6.3-inch Actua display
- RAM
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12GB
- Storage
-
256 or 512GB
- Battery
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4985 mAh
With the new HiLight feature, a new array of colors, and more, the Pixel 11 is set to be the next great flagship.
