With the Pixel 11, Google needs to admit it has a hardware problem

Google is coming out of one of the greatest smartphone design runs of all time. Every phone generation from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 9 featured complete or near-complete hardware redesigns. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 are very similar, and so were the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 5. Regardless, it’s clear that no modern company puts the same level of effort into tweaking the appearance of their phone designs as Google. Pixel phones are visually stunning, with excellent colors and an iconic camera bar.

Looking ahead, Google will need to do more to improve Pixel hardware to stay competitive. Google’s Pixel head Rick Osterloh confirmed last year that its phones are on two- to three-year design refresh cycles now. We’re unlikely to see the generation-to-generation visual overhauls that became a Pixel staple, so what’s next?

If you ask me, this is an opportunity for Google to focus on Pixel hardware innovation. The Pixel 10 series is too thick and too heavy. I need to see Google pay attention not only to how its phones look, but also how they feel. I switched from iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones to the Pixel 10 Pro for weeks and couldn’t believe how hefty Google’s handset is by comparison. With the upcoming Pixel 11 series, Google should put the same effort it places in software optimizations into hardware refinement — or I’m out.

It’s clear that the Pixel 10 design is intentional and attractive, from the styling and finishes to the color options. When I say that Pixel hardware desperately needs refinement, I’m not talking about how the phones look. Instead, the issue lies with how they are built.

Every hardware choice during the research and development or assembly processes affects the finished product. Just like you want your operating systems or apps to be compiled efficiently to use system resources and device storage responsibly, you should want your phone’s physical hardware to take up space responsibly. If a phone can be smaller without sacrificing on components, battery life, and features, it should be.

Google Pixel phones stick out in this regard, and not in a good way. They are overwhelmingly and consistently thicker and heavier than the competition. While technology products typically become thinner and lighter over time, Google’s smartphones are trending in the opposite direction. The base Google Pixel 10 weighs 204 grams, which is 37 grams heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S26 and 27 grams heavier than the iPhone 17.

To put that difference in perspective, the official Google Pixel 10 silicone case with Pixelsnap magnets weighs roughly 34 grams. Most smartphone cases are in that weight class, with some falling closer to 50 grams. In other words, you can use an iPhone 17 or a Galaxy S26 with a case, and it’ll likely feel just as heavy as a Pixel 10 without a case. Regardless of how much you personally care about smartphone weight, it’s a problem when a brand is this far behind the competition in any category.

Thickness is even more egregious, with the Google Pixel 10 measuring 8.6mm thick. Google made one of the thickest phones on the market even thicker by adding 0.1mm to the Pixel 9. Of course, this can be attributed to Google adding internal Qi2 magnets, but it’s not an excuse. The base iPhone 17 also has Qi2 magnets, and it’s only 7.95mm thick.

That’s without even entering phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge or iPhone Air into the discussion. There isn’t a justifiable explanation for why Pixel phones are this cumbersome, especially at the base model tier.

This is a usability problem as much as it is a design problem, because there are practical benefits to lighter and thinner phones. You can use cases and magnetic accessories with your phone without feeling as much of the extra bulk. They’re easier to hold and maneuver, which could save you from wrist pain or discomfort down the line. We use phones for hours a day, every day — the extra weight and thickness are things you’ll feel on every one of them.

Although there isn’t a valid explanation for why Pixel phones are lacking on the hardware and design front, it could be easier to justify if Google tried to innovate more. Google is using one of the oldest smartphone material combinations in the book on the Pixel 10 series — aluminum and glass. It’s 2026, and companies have absolutely perfected this pairing to make it thin and light while retaining strength and a premium feel. If Google was working with vegan leather like Motorola or OnePlus, perhaps I could give Pixels a pass.

Pixelsnap is incredibly cool, and I commend Google for adding it to the Pixel 10 series, but Apple has been doing MagSafe for half a decade now. It’s not enough to justify the design pitfalls of modern Pixel phones. To be clear, I don’t need Pixels to deviate from aluminum and glass with gimmicky materials like titanium or wood. However, if Google is going to stick with tried and true materials, it needs to master them.

I look to other smartphone brands innovating in the hardware front and wonder why Google isn’t similarly rising to the occasion. Give me the ultra-thin Galaxy Z Fold 7 form factor for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Develop a Corning glass with the same anti-scratch properties as Ceramic Shield 2 or an anti-reflective finish like Gorilla Armor 2. Google, try something new to let consumers know that design is still a priority.

When you think about why buyers choose Pixel over Samsung or Apple, software is top of mind. I’ve used flagships from all three brands this year, and it’s obvious that Pixel is beating both Galaxy and iPhone in software, AI tools, and overall optimization. The hardware is a completely different story. Samsung and Apple have arguably rested on their laurels, keeping the status quo across multiple smartphone generations, and they’re still beating Google in the design department.

Google Pixel phones look great — the Pixel 10’s Lemongrass variant is my favorite phone design and colorway of this release cycle — but the in-hand feel isn’t up to par. I’m not willing to sacrifice weight, thickness, and hardware innovation for software, effectively nixing Pixels as a daily driver option for me. With the Pixel 11, Google needs to put the same value on design optimization that it already attributes to software optimization.

If it does that, Pixels would easily become the best phones for most people. If it doesn’t, I’m already out.