If I had to pick just one reason to recommend Google's Pixel 11 series of phones, it would be for Magic Capture. This Pixel 11-exclusive Gemini feature uses AI smarts to automatically capture photos while you're recording a video with your smartphone. It ensures the best moments are delivered in picture-perfect HDR+ detail, so you can stay in the moment instead of trying to strike the right pose. Better yet, it retains the video you captured, so you get a top-notch video recording and effortless photos from every moment.

What is Magic Capture and how does it work? Magic Capture is a new main camera mode on the Google Pixel 11 series. Once you start a Magic Capture recording, you can just focus on capturing the moment instead of worrying about getting the right photo. After you hit stop, the Pixel 11's special version of Gemini will analyze the video locally, so it won't go to the cloud for processing. Gemini mainly captures photos based on expressions, movement, and composition. During the Magic Capture session, the Pixel 11 captures several additional frames of data that are used to create a full HDR+ quality photo, which is a substantial step-up in quality versus a simple frame export.

What are the downsides of Magic Capture? While Magic Capture is truly amazing, it does have a few downsides. Namely, you won't get full-resolution video or photos from the captures. Magic Capture only records in 1080p+ quality at 30FPS, so if you're used to 4K60 video, you'll be disappointed with the resolution drop. Photos capture at 3820 x 2865 resolution versus 4000 x 3000 in standard photo mode.