Google has standardized its lineup, perfecting its recipe over several generations of Pixel phones. What we have now is a respectable family of flagship Android phones known for their spectacular software experience, state of the art cameras, and solid performance. The best Google Pixel phones position themselves at the very top of the Android smartphone hierarchy.
The current Pixel line-up is arguably Google's finest to date and spans multiple price segments and even form factors. The Google Pixel 11 family includes a trio of candy bar shaped phones as well as a large, book-style foldable in the form of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
As feature-laden as nearly all the Pixel smartphones are, our favorite is a duo: the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL. These flagship phones balance incredible software ingenuity with useful features and elegant design, not to mention seven years of guaranteed software support. Of course, they aren't the only options available, so keep reading for all of our favorite Pixel phones that money can buy today.
At a glance
Best overall
Both the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL offer the best that Google has to offer, combining premium hardware with excellent software loaded with AI-powered goodness. It's just a matter of deciding on how big a screen or battery you want.
Best foldable
The sleek and classy Pixel 11 Pro Fold boasts a familiar design and an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. It has lots of screen real estate and solid performance to round it off as an excellent foldable.
Best budget pick
It may be an incremental update over the previous model, but that doesn't change the fact that the Pixel 10a is a fantastic affordable phone. It has a minimal, flat design, faster wired & wireless charging, superb cameras, and incredible software support.
Best value
The Pixel 10 Pro is a little over a year old but still packs a punch. With the Tensor G5 and the excellent cameras, you might just forget the Pixel 11 Pro entirely. It has slower wireless charging, but is still worthy of consideration.
Best mid-range
Google's base model Pixel 11 is probably the best entry-level flagship model the company has released. It features an upgraded triple rear camera system, a brighter display, a larger battery, and a few more features you won't find on its predecessor.
Best overall
The Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL are our favorite phones, and for good reason. As we saw with last year's series, the specifications are practically identical across the board, save for the battery, screen size, and wired charging speeds. In doing so, Google tried making the decision a bit easier, since there aren't any features that are locked to one or the other.
These are easily the best Pixel phones out there, providing you with an arsenal of tools to perform basically any task. What's nice about Google's decision to keep the specs the same is that you don't have to make any sacrifices just because you want a more compact phone. That's been an issue with the best Android phones for many years, so it's nice to see Google buck the trend and stand out.
All Pixel 11 models now come with 256GB as standard, but the starting price has also gone up by $100 or more, depending on the storage variant and screen size. The Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL have amazing cameras, the intuitive new HiLight LED inside the camera bar, and 25W Pixelsnap Qi2.2 wireless charging.
Both phones have the same software and camera features. All you have to do is decide between a larger screen (6.3-inch vs. 6.8-inch) or a bigger battery with slightly faster charging (4,850mAh w/30W vs. 5,115mAh w/ 45W) speeds.
Best foldable
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold conforms to the style and design language of the previous foldables from Google. On the surface, it might seem like Google had opted to "play it safe" with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and to a certain extent, it did. But if you look a bit deeper, it won't take long to see the Pixel 11 Pro Fold isn't just a carbon-copy of the model before it.
Mercifully, Google finally upgraded the main camera, so the photography experience has improved, and there's the new HiLight LED embedded in the camera bar for notifications. The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold is powered by the newest Tensor G6 chipset and comes with Android 17 out of the box. You also get Pixelsnap support, just like the last-gen Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Unfortunately, Google nerfed the battery to a smaller 4,750mAh cell this time around, though the charging speeds remain unchanged. The displays are significantly brighter with the latest Pixel Fold, so using it in the bright sun should be no issue. The $100 increase is a downer, but with the right Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold deal, you will be able to purchase this fantastic foldable at a more amicable rate.
Best budget pick
The "new" Google Pixel 10a has drawn a lot of flak ever since it was launched, with most dismissing it outright. To some extent it's true, the affordable smartphone is so similar to its predecessor that it's only obvious to question why it even exists in the first place. However, if you look closely, you'll notice that the subtle upgrades are actually quite nice.
Even though it looks virtually identical to the same design as the last-gen model, the Pixel 10a now has a fully flat rear, with the pill-shaped dual-lens camera setup sitting completely flush. It perfectly complements the smartphone's flat 6.3-inch pOLED panel, which is now secured by stronger Corning Gorilla Glass 7i and also has improved peak brightness.
If you were to compare the Pixel 10a vs. Pixel 9a, you'll notice that the internals of these two smartphones are exactly the same. But even then, you can expect this phone to work perfectly fine for everyday usage. And it'll continue to do that for years to come, thanks to Google's industry-leading software update policy.
Although the Pixel 10a doesn't have the funky snap-on wireless charging support like its pricier siblings, you do get faster wired and wireless charging speeds in comparison to the Pixel 9a. These are all meaningful improvements that make the Pixel 10a something you should consider. If you want a well-rounded Android phone that doesn't break the bank, it is also a great option because it costs the same as the last-gen model.
Best value
It's extremely refreshing to see Google keep the older model(s) around even with the introduction of the new series, even though the price of the Pixel 10 Pro and its siblings has not been slashed just yet. This will likely change soon, so keep an eye out for a cheaper deal on a brand new, still pretty powerful phone.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro might start with lesser storage, but it actually has a bigger battery compared to the newer Pixel 11 Pro, as well as more RAM, that too for a cheaper price. It might not have all the bells and whistles as the newer model, but the Tensor G5 chipset supports most new AI-based benefits. And with six more years of software support to go, the 10 Pro is going to stay secure, up to date, and relevant for a very long time.
The one drawback is that the Pixel 10 Pro is not particularly wonderful in the gaming department. But the performance is noticeably improved over the 9 Pro. Google added Pixelsnap wireless charging to it and the cameras are fabulous, so you won't feel like you're missing out on much.
Best mid-range
Rounding out our list of the best Google Pixel phones is the base Pixel 11. Seeing this as the last entry might come as a surprise to some, and understandably so. It is just that the other entries on this list offer features and improvements that you won't find on the standard Google Pixel 11.
That being said, the Google Pixel 11 is definitely no slouch, and it's not quite the same scenario as the Google Pixel 10 from the year before it. For one, Google upgraded the main camera, though it misses out on the HiLight notification LED seen on the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL. Sure, it might not be the best triple camera array out there, but it's more of a "give and take" situation.
While the Pixel 11 starts at $100 more than the Pixel 10, it also comes with 256GB as standard instead of 128GB. The phone's battery has been increased just a tad, and it now supports faster 25W Qi2.2 Pixelsnap wireless charging. Not to mention, so many new Gemini perks such as Rambler are currently limited to the Pixel 11 series.
How to choose
There's a Pixel for everyone
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It can seem a bit daunting when trying to decide which of the above-mentioned devices is the best Google Pixel phone for you. If you want the most cutting edge specs, the Pixel 11 Pro and the Pixel 11 Pro XL are the obvious choices for those wanting the "best" that Google has to offer. These have all the bells and whistles you could ever want, leaving you only to choose between screen and battery size. I personally prefer the petite Pixel 11 Pro, but if you are comfortable with larger devices, the Pixel 11 Pro XL is the ultimate choice.
Obviously, if you want a foldable phone, then the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the only choice. Then things get a bit murky, with the Pixel 10a, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 11, all vying for the attention of the budget-conscious buyer. Each has its own pros and cons, so it will ultimately come down to what you value more.
If you're okay with missing out on a few AI features but want a larger battery, the Pixel 10a is probably for you. Yes, the improvements are minimal at best, but this is still a solid affordable phone that checks all the right boxes. If you want to see what Gemini is all about but don't want to deal with a steep price tag, you'll really enjoy the Pixel 11. And if you're looking for a way to join the Pixel family and don't care about having the latest and greatest, the Pixel 10 Pro should be on your radar.
No matter what phone you decide on, just know that you'll be getting one of the best phones that money can purchase. Google has come a long way in both the software and hardware in recent years, and it definitely shows.
