Pixel 11: Design & Build
Given just how reluctant Google has been to massively overhaul the design of its smartphones, not since the camera bar turned into a visor for the Pixel 9 onwards, we aren’t expecting massive changes here. The latest rumours have largely confirmed this to be the case but there are a few smaller design tweaks to not only make the new Pixel phones look more svelte, but also improve their overall usability.
With Google previously stating we can expect a redesign every two or three years, it seems it’ll be the Pixel 12 series which will bring larger changes in 2027.
Starting with the Pixel 11 design, via CAD-based renders, it seems extremely similar to the Pixel 10 with only two design tweaks. That is a smaller bezel around the screen and an all-glass camera bar rather than a metal section around the flash.
The size is supposedly the same, apart from the phone being 0.1mm thinner. Note that the colour is for illustrative purposes, as it’s simply based on the Lavender colour of the Pixel 10a.
Onleaks / Android Headlines
Next up is the Pixel 11 Pro, which tells a similar story to the regular model. The renders appear to confirm an almost identical design with the same glossy frame as before, with the new all-black camera bar.
The main thing to note is that the temperature sensor appears to be missing from the back. This normally sits below the flash within the camera bar and could signal the loss of the unique, albeit niche, feature.
Onleaks / Android Headlines
And here’s the Pixel 11 Pro XL render showing the same thing.
Onleaks / Android Headlines
For the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, a handful of renders have appeared online showing a very similar build to the 10 Pro Fold, to the point where you might mistake one for the other at a passing glance. However, if you look closely then you’ll notice that the flash and microphone have been brought into the camera bump itself to create a uniform look.
While it’s unlikely that this move alone will result in any benefits to the camera chops of the 11 Pro Fold, it does look a lot cleaner from a design perspective.
OnLeaks x Android Headlines
What is more interesting are the renders showing the 11 Pro Fold on its side, seemingly indicating that the phone will only be 4.8mm thin when unfolded, and 10.1mm thick when closed up.
Admittedly, this is still a step behind the competition (the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Honor Magic V5 are just 4.2mm and 4.1mm thin when unfolded), but it’s a marked improvement on the 10 Pro Fold which felt a bit chunky in the hand.
Shifting gears to the Pixel 11 Pro XL, the initial concepts of what this phone might look like come not from a set of renders but rather case company Thinborne that has (accidentally?) unveiled its corresponding phone case a little ahead of schedule.
ThinBorne
While there’s only so much we can decipher from a case, the camera cut-out does hint at there being a slightly larger but stouter camera bump.
If true, this should stop the cameras from jutting out in your pocket, which feels like an ever-increasing problem in 2026 (you can spot the Honor Magic 8 Pro’s camera bump from a mile away in jeans). Whether this also translates into a change of sensors onboard for the Pixel 11 Pro XL remains to be seen.
In terms of colourways, we’ve had plenty of hints over what might be in store thanks to leaked wallpapers which typically tie in with the design on the back of the phone in question, but now we’ve had our best look at the devices yet thanks to a handful of Amazon listings that have since been taken offline but were spotted just in time.
Credit: 9to5Google
For the standard Pixel 11, you’re looking at a total of three colourways: Fuchsia, Moss and Midnight. The Fuchsia model, in particular, feels like the most striking, taking on an almost neon-like style of pink.
You’ll have a bit more room for expression with the Pixel 11 Pro thanks to four colourways including Pine, Sterling, Light Fog and Dune. Just as before, the Pixel 11 Pro XL is expected to carry the same array of options.
Credit: 9to5Google
Things are a bit more pared back for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold with just two models available to buy, coming in either Pine or Midnight. The one constant throughout the range this year is that Google is really leaning into having a green option available for each phone, which isn’t something we’re displeased about.
Sources: Android Headlines (2) (3) (4) | Thinborne | 9to5Google (2) | Mystic Leaks