Google is set to unveil the Pixel 11 on 12 August 2026, and for once the upgrade that matters looks like being neither the camera nor the chip. It is the part Google is taking out: the Samsung modem. After years of Pixel owners complaining about weak signal and battery drain, the Tensor G6 is tipped to switch to a MediaTek modem. That, not the new Pixel Glow lights or the 2nm chip, is the change long-time Pixel users have actually been asking for. Everything here is leak and analysis; Google has confirmed only the date.
The quick answers:
- When is it out?Not yet. The reveal is set for 12 August, with the Pixel 11, 11 Pro and Pro XL first and the Pro Fold expected around October.
- What actually changed?The modem, from Samsung to MediaTek. Plus a 2nm Tensor G6 and RGB "Pixel Glow" lights.
- Did they fix charging?Almost certainly not. The battery and charging stay roughly where they were, which is the one gripe left unanswered.
- Buy a Pixel 10 now, or wait?If poor signal has plagued your Pixel, wait for the modem fix. If you just want a deal, a discounted Pixel 10 is about to get cheaper.
Below: why the modem is the real headline, the wishlist Pixel owners had versus what they are getting, and a straight buy-now-or-wait call.
When the Pixel 11 lands, and the full lineup
Google has confirmed a Made by Google event for 12 August 2026 in New York, and every leak points to the Pixel 11 line as the star. Expect the standard Pixel 11, the Pixel 11 Pro and the Pixel 11 Pro XL on stage together, with pre-orders opening the same day and phones on shelves from around 20 August. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold, Google’s second-generation foldable, is tipped to follow later, around October.
Predicted starting prices, and they are only predictions, land near the current line: roughly £799-equivalent for the Pixel 11, more for the Pro and Pro XL, and well past £1,500 for the Fold. UK pricing usually mirrors the dollar figure closely once tax is folded in.
The upgrade nobody is leading with: the modem
Here is the part most Pixel 11 previews bury near the bottom, and it deserves to be at the top. For years, the single most common real-world complaint about Pixel phones has not been the camera or the screen. It has been signal and battery drain, and the culprit has long been pinned on the Samsung-made modem inside Google’s Tensor chips. Spend ten minutes in any Pixel community and you will find the same story on repeat: great phone, patchy reception, battery that empties in low-signal areas.
The Tensor G6 in the Pixel 11 is tipped to finally drop that Samsung modem for a MediaTek M90, reported to be faster and markedly more power-efficient, with downlink speeds up to 12Gbps. If the leaks hold, this is the first Pixel in years to directly address the thing that actually pushes people away from the platform. A new colour or a brighter screen wins a spec-sheet comparison; a modem that holds a signal and sips power wins back the people who left. That is why we would call the modem, not the camera, the headline of this generation.
The honest caveat: a modem swap is invisible on a spec sheet and hard to prove until reviewers live with the phone in the real world. Treat it as the most promising change here, not a guaranteed fix.
Tensor G6 and the 2nm question
The Tensor G6 is said to move to TSMC’s 2nm process, which on paper brings something like 15 to 20 percent better efficiency per unit of compute over the 3nm chips it replaces. Paired with the new modem, the story Google clearly wants to tell is endurance, a Pixel that lasts longer between charges rather than one that wins benchmarks.
That framing matters, because raw performance has been Tensor’s soft spot for generations. Google’s chips have trailed the Snapdragon silicon in rival Android flagships on pure speed, and nothing in the G6 leaks suggests it suddenly leapfrogs them. The smarter read is that Google has stopped trying to win the benchmark race and is instead fixing the boring, real things: efficiency, connectivity, on-device AI. For most buyers that is the right call, even if it will not silence the spec-sheet crowd.
Cameras, and the Pixel Glow gimmick
On cameras, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL are tipped to gain new main and telephoto sensors (leakers use the codenames “bastet” and “barghest”), which should be a genuine step for Google’s already class-leading computational photography. The standard Pixel 11 is expected to carry over a very capable system rather than break new ground.
The flashier change is Pixel Glow: RGB LED lights built into the camera bar that pulse for notifications and charging, reportedly taking the place of the temperature sensor almost nobody used. It is a fun, showy touch, and it will get the headlines. It is also, honestly, the least important thing here. If you are choosing a Pixel 11 for the blinking lights rather than the modem and the cameras, you are buying it for the wrong reason. One rumour that did not pan out: the infrared face unlock some expected is reportedly not ready and will not feature this year.
Battery and charging: the wishlist versus the reality
This is where we can be genuinely useful, because we have read what Pixel owners have actually been asking for, and it is worth holding that wishlist up against what the leaks say they are getting. One quietly interesting detail first: the standard Pixel 11 is tipped to carry a 4,840mAh battery, slightly larger than the Pixel 11 Pro’s 4,707mAh, with the Pro XL at 5,000mAh. It is unusual for the cheaper model to out-endure the Pro, and a small sign that Google is chasing all-day battery on the mainstream phone.
| What Pixel owners have asked for | What the Pixel 11 looks set to deliver |
|---|---|
| Drop the Samsung modem | Yes – the MediaTek M90, the big win |
| A 6,000mAh battery | No – roughly 4,840–5,000mAh, about the same |
| Much faster (60W+) charging | No – charging looks broadly unchanged, still slow next to rivals |
| Snapdragon-level raw performance | Partly – 2nm brings efficiency, not a benchmark crown |
| Better camera sensors | Yes – new main and tele sensors on the Pro models |
Our reading of the leaks against the fixes Pixel owners most often request. The one that stings: charging. A Samsung Galaxy flagship can refill in around 40 minutes; a Pixel still takes the better part of two hours.
Should you buy a Pixel 10 now, or wait for the Pixel 11?
This is the question everyone actually types into Google, so here is a straight answer that depends entirely on what has bothered you.
Wait for the Pixel 11 if you have lived with a Pixel’s flaky signal or watched the battery drain in weak-coverage areas. The modem change is aimed squarely at you, and it is worth holding on a few weeks to see if reviewers confirm it. Also wait if you want the newest cameras or simply like having the latest thing.
Buy a Pixel 10 now if your priority is value. The moment the 11 is announced, the Pixel 10 gets cheaper, and it remains an excellent phone that will get years of updates. If charging speed is your sticking point, note that the 11 is not expected to fix it, so paying flagship money for the newer model buys you less than you might think.
And if you are open to switching, be objective: a Samsung Galaxy S26 charges far faster and an iPhone 17 holds resale value better. The Pixel’s case has always been the software, the cameras and the price, and the 11 strengthens that case without upending it. If you are weighing Apple’s side of the fence, our iPhone 17 rundown and iPhone 18 preview lay it out.
Common questions
Google has confirmed a Made by Google event for 12 August 2026. The Pixel 11, 11 Pro and Pro XL are expected to be revealed then, with pre-orders the same day and sales from around 20 August. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is tipped to follow later, around October.
On paper it is the Tensor G6 chip and the new “Pixel Glow” RGB lights, but the change that matters most in daily use is the modem. The Tensor G6 is tipped to drop the Samsung modem for a MediaTek one, which should mean better signal and less battery drain, the most common real-world Pixel complaint for years.
Wait if you have suffered from a Pixel's weak signal or battery drain, because the new modem is aimed at exactly that, or if you want the latest cameras. Buy a Pixel 10 now if you want value: it drops in price the moment the 11 launches, still gets years of updates, and the 11 is not expected to fix charging speed.
Almost certainly not by much. The leaks point to batteries around 4,840 to 5,000mAh and charging that stays broadly where it is, which remains slow next to rivals. A Samsung Galaxy flagship can charge in around 40 minutes; a Pixel still takes closer to two hours. Charging is the one big wish the Pixel 11 looks set to leave unanswered.
Tensor G6 is Google's next chip, tipped to be built on TSMC's 2nm process for roughly 15 to 20 percent better efficiency than before. The gains are about battery life and on-device AI rather than raw speed; Tensor still trails the Snapdragon chips in rival Android flagships on pure performance, and the G6 is not expected to change that.
No price is confirmed. Predictions put the standard Pixel 11 near its current level, with the Pro and Pro XL higher and the Pro Fold well past £1,500. UK pricing usually tracks the US dollar figure closely once tax is included, so expect the standard model around the £799 mark.
Pixel Glow is a rumoured set of RGB LED lights built into the Pixel 11's camera bar that pulse for notifications and charging, reportedly replacing the little-used temperature sensor. It is a fun cosmetic touch rather than a meaningful upgrade.
For most Pixel owners, yes, mainly because of the modem change that targets the platform's biggest long-standing weakness. If your only frustration is slow charging, though, the Pixel 11 is not expected to fix that, so a discounted Pixel 10 or a faster-charging rival may serve you better.
Sources
- Pixel 11 specs & Tensor G6: 9to5Google; PhoneArena.
- The modem switch: Tom’s Guide; Android Authority on the owner concerns.
- Launch date: TechRadar.
