The Pixel 11 Pro XL is Google’s newest big-screen flagship, arriving alongside the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. The Pro XL starts at roughly £1,020 for the 256GB storage configuration, and it goes head to head with Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, which starts at around £940.
Google’s Pro XL has long served as its big-battery, big-screen showcase, and this year is no exception. It arrives with the company’s brightest display so far, an AI-focused chipset and an updated camera system. Apple’s rival, meanwhile, remains the firm’s most premium iPhone, even with a new iPhone 18 series expected as early as September 2026.
Design and display
Both handsets share a similar construction, combining recycled plastics, metals and aluminium around the displays, cameras and internal components. The iPhone carries a slightly larger 6.9-inch OLED panel, while the Pixel uses a 6.8-inch OLED, a difference most users are unlikely to notice in everyday use.
The clearer distinction lies in screen brightness. The Pixel 11 Pro XL is rated for up to 3,600 nits of peak brightness, placing it among the brightest phones available. The iPhone 17 Pro Max peaks at 3,000 nits. Whether that gap delivers a practical advantage outdoors, such as improved legibility of text and images, remains to be confirmed through testing.
The front-facing cameras differ in approach. The Pixel 11 Pro XL features a punch-hole camera dedicated to facial recognition and selfies, whereas the iPhone retains its pill-shaped Dynamic Island, which doubles as a status indicator offering quick access to the music player, timers, ride bookings and more.
Google has slimmed the Pixel 11 Pro XL’s camera bump this year and added a new HiLight LED that pulses colours depending on who is calling or when you are speaking with Gemini. It is a modern take on the notification LED once found on BlackBerry and older Android handsets. The iPhone 17 Pro Max does not offer this exact feature, though its Always-On Display and the Flash for Alerts toggle within the Accessibility settings serve as alternatives.
Performance and cameras
Inside, the Pixel 11 Pro XL runs the new Tensor G6 chipset, which Google has optimised for AI tasks. The updated camera system supports up to 120x distances using Super Res Zoom, alongside a range of AI-driven features.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL starts at approximately £1,020 for the 256GB model, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at around £940.
