After 3 months with the Pixel 11 Pro, there's no other Android phone I'd rather use

When I published my Pixel 11 Pro review earlier this year, I said that I couldn’t put the phone down and that it was a joy to use. I gave it an Editor’s Choice award and a 9/10 score and claimed I’d “happily keep [the Pixel 11 Pro] in my pocket for a while to come.”

That was after about three weeks of using the phone, but what about three months later? Is the Pixel 11 Pro still just as good?

As it turns out, yes — yes it is.

Why the Pixel 11 Pro is still my Android phone of choice

All of the praise I gave to the Pixel 11 Pro in my review still holds true today. It’s smooth and performant for everyday use, Pixelsnap is a huge convenience, the cameras are exceptional, and Google’s flavor of Android is my absolute favorite way to use the OS. I won’t relitigate every single point here, but I do want to call out a few specific reasons why the Pixel 11 Pro has remained my Android phone of choice.

One of those is the general sense of polish and refinement Google achieved this year. Pixels have been very good for a while now, but there have always been lingering issues — whether that be poor cellular connectivity, weak battery life, buggy performance, etc.

With the Pixel 11 Pro, Google really did nip almost everything in the bud.

In the three months I’ve had the Pixel 11 Pro, I haven’t had any connection issues. Visible’s 5G/5G UW network has run without a hitch, and Wi-Fi connectivity has been equally rock solid. The phone’s 4,850mAh battery still comfortably gets me through a full day of use, and the Tensor G6 continues to be extremely reliable for everyday tasks.

That sense of refinement also carries over to the Pixel 11 Pro’s hardware. Hands-down, this is the most polished smartphone Google has ever released. Whether it’s the new camera bar design, better weight distribution, or gorgeous color options, Google got so much right. Even the durability enhancements and promises of better scratch resistance have held true. I’ve picked up a couple of small marks on the Pixel 11 Pro’s display, but it’s nowhere near as bad as what my Pixel 10 Pro looked like after the same amount of use.

You could argue that these are all small points on their own, but it’s how they add up and come together that makes the overall experience of using the Pixel 11 Pro so damn enjoyable.

That’s also true of two other big factors: camera quality and software.

Even after three months of daily use, I’m still impressed by just how excellent the Pixel 11 Pro’s camera system truly is. It doesn’t matter if I’m using the 50MP primary camera or the 48MP telephoto sensor. I can snap photos in broad daylight, indoors, or at dusk. No matter how or when I’m taking a picture with the Pixel 11 Pro, I’m all but guaranteed to get a fantastic-looking result.

I certainly appreciate extra features like Camera Looks to further fine-tune and personalize the camera experience, but more than anything, I just love how consistent the Pixel 11 Pro is. I’ve taken so many great pictures that didn’t require heaps of editing before or after pressing the shutter button. I simply take the phone out of my pocket, frame the shot, and know I’m going to get something great.

I also have to mention the software. I know this gets brought up relentlessly whenever Pixels are discussed, but it’s a significant reason I choose the Pixel 11 Pro over its competitors.

And when I say software, I don’t necessarily mean any of the new AI tools or even longstanding features like Now Playing. Instead, what I’m talking about is the overall look and feel of Google’s Android interface on Pixels. I think Material 3 Expressive is easily the best-designed Android UX on the market. Google’s animations and responsiveness are second to none. There’s a level of polish and thoughtfulness with Pixel software that I just don’t feel elsewhere. And I appreciate that Google is one of the few OEMs resisting blatant iOS copycatting.

Does the Galaxy S26 Ultra have better raw horsepower? Yes. Does it have longer battery life and faster charging? It sure does. But for the way I want to use my Android phone, One UI just doesn’t click for me. It’s not something you can easily benchmark or analyze, but Samsung’s software experience feels like it’s constantly working against me. That’s not something I want to compromise on with my smartphone, and that’s why I can’t quit the Pixel 11 Pro.

What Google can do to make the Pixel 12 Pro even better

It should go without saying that the Pixel 11 Pro isn’t perfect — no Android phone is — but I do think the areas Google needs to work on for the Pixel 12 Pro are quite reasonable and achievable.

Day-long battery life is fine, but we’re now in a world where so many competing Android phones offer two days or more per charge with big silicon-carbon batteries. There’s no reason Google shouldn’t finally jump on that bandwagon. The same goes for faster wired charging. This is an area where Google has long lagged behind the competition, to the point where even Samsung is now running laps around Google. That needs to get fixed.

And while I’m generally pretty happy with the current state of the Tensor G6, there’s no denying that Google has to iron out its ongoing gaming hiccups. Even if Pixels aren’t gaming phones, they should still be able to handle some of the most popular mobile games without running like a potato.

Are these things easier said than done? Certainly. But it’s also nothing that Google shouldn’t be capable of. Things like well-crafted software, top-notch camera systems, and outstanding hardware are the hard things to achieve. Google’s already nailed all of that, and it’s why the Pixel 11 Pro is so good. If Google can address these weak spots, it’s easy to see the Pixel 12 Pro as a force to be reckoned with in 2027.

But that’s something to think about months from now. Right now, all I know is that the Pixel 11 Pro is aging wonderfully — especially when you factor in the steep discounts we’re already seeing. It’s one of the best Android phones I’ve used this year, and three months later, I still can’t recommend it enough.