Here’s How the Cameras in the New Google Pixel 11 Phones Compare to the IPhone’s Cameras.

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Ahead of its annual Made by Google event in New York City, Google unveiled details about its upcoming Pixel 11 lineup , including the specs of its all-important cameras. The Pixel 11 phones will come in three versions: the base Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL. The Pro and Pro XL cameras share the same features, while the base model features a slightly simplified camera system.

Pixel 11 base model camera specs

The standard Pixel 11’s camera is slightly better than the Pixel 10’s, but it’s not a huge leap. The main improvement is the brighter main sensor; the lenses are similar to last year’s. Here’s what it looks like in detail:

  • Main camera : 48MP wide-angle camera (rear) with a 1/1.56″ sensor (larger than last year’s model) for improved light transmission.

  • Ultra-wide camera : 13MP, which is identical to the Pixel 10’s ultra-wide camera.

  • Telephoto lens : 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom. Same as the Pixel 10.

  • Front camera : 10.5 MP, also identical to the Pixel 10 camera.

Pixel 11 Pro-level camera features

Google is making significant hardware improvements to its pro-level phones, increasing the resolution and sensor size of nearly every lens.

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  • Main camera : 50MP wide-angle camera with 1/1.3″ sensor for improved aperture.

  • Ultra Wide Camera : 48MP ultra wide camera, a significant step up from the base model’s 13MP ultra wide camera.

  • Telephoto lens : 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and 120x AI-powered pro zoom.

  • Front camera : The Pro’s 42-megapixel selfie camera is a significant upgrade from the base Pixel 11’s 10.5-megapixel camera.

What’s the difference between the latest Pixel and the latest iPhone 17 Pro?

With Apple’s iPhones accounting for over 50% of the US smartphone market compared to Pixel’s 3%, Google faces a real battle to attract customers. Camera quality is a powerful weapon in its arsenal. Most consumers consider the camera an important factor when choosing between phones, and it’s the most important feature for about half of young people. Here’s how the Pixel 11’s professional camera stacks up against the iPhone 17 Pro’s top cameras.

What do you think at the moment?

  • Main sensor : The Pixel 11 Pro slightly outperforms Apple in resolution, with a 50-megapixel lens compared to the iPhone 17 Pro’s 48-megapixel one, but megapixels are more complex than simply “bigger is better.” Apple’s main sensor is 1/1.28 inches, slightly larger than the Pixel’s 1/1.3-inch sensor, and sensor size is more important for low-light performance and dynamic range than raw pixel count. So the difference here isn’t as big as the megapixel count might suggest.

  • Ultra-wide-angle photography : The results are absolutely equal. Both phones have 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lenses.

  • Telephoto : When it comes to zoom, Google is slightly ahead of Apple, offering 5x zoom versus Apple’s 4x, but in terms of digital zoom, the Pixel 11 Pro’s 120x zoom significantly outperforms Apple’s 40x—in some ways. Google’s “Pro Zoom” relies on generative AI, which reproduces realistic details for objects not visible on the screen, resulting in realistic images. Apple’s approach uses AI more sparingly, focusing on stacking multiple exposures to reduce noise and fill in details. The result: Apple’s extreme zoom is grainier and noisier, but also more realistic.

  • Front camera : This is where the Pixel has a real advantage, with a 42-megapixel sensor compared to Apple’s 18-megapixel selfie camera.

Result: draw.

The cameras in both smartphone lines are roughly equal in performance. The main difference is largely philosophical. Apple may lose the battle for extreme zoom, limiting its digital zoom to a relatively modest 40x, but it also avoids creating photos that are largely the product of artificial intelligence. If you want to push the limits of your camera’s capabilities with generative AI and aren’t too concerned with verisimilitude, the Pixel is your choice. If you want to stay true to itself (well, almost), the iPhone is your choice.

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