A Pixel 11 skeptic is coming around, thanks to one camera trick

A longtime Android reviewer says he nearly wrote off Google's new Pixel 11 phones, then changed his mind because of one camera feature. Rahul Naskar of Android Police now says he may buy one in the coming months. The feature is called Magic Capture.

What Magic Capture does

You tap the shutter button and the phone records a short clip. AI then picks the best candid moments from it. In effect, the phone takes a small video and a set of photos at the same time. Naskar says it works very well after he tried it.

Samsung has a similar feature called Single Take. Naskar uses it on his Galaxy phone and likes it. Magic Capture means he would not lose that trick by switching to a Pixel.

Other camera upgrades

The camera is the biggest hardware change this year. Google says the 48-megapixel telephoto camera on the Pro models is 30% more sensitive to light, which helps in dim rooms. The telephoto sensor is also larger. On the standard Pixel 11, the main sensor is larger. Maximum zoom has gone up on all models.

Naskar says he rarely needs night shots or 30x and 120x zoom. Easy, candid moments matter more to him.

What he did not like

• The screen ships set to 60Hz. You must change a display setting to get smoother scrolling.
• The phones look much like last year's, and he found the gains small.
• Google raised the price by $100 for the larger base storage, which he guesses may be tied to a memory chip shortage.

Price and specs

The base Pixel 11 is listed at $749, down from $899. It has a 6.3-inch screen, 12GB of memory, Google's Tensor G6 chip and 256GB or 512GB of storage. Naskar says battery life is good, especially on the base model, and the phone feels fast.

What to do

If you are due for a new phone, the camera is the reason to look at the Pixel 11. Naskar notes that Google often cuts prices a few months after launch, so waiting could help. If you buy one, check the display settings first and switch off the 60Hz default.