Cameras are a key reason people buy Pixel phones, so they get a lot of attention at launch events. For the Pixel 11 series, Google introduced new and bigger sensors, which will help smartphone photographers more than the usual AI stuff. The new lineup also gained useful computational features, including faster night capture, new film looks, and boosted digital zooms.

Google's Instant Night Sight reduces capture time by up to 4.5 times, letting you snap clear night shots in around a second or less, thanks to the redesigned software, 50 percent more TPU, and the new Tensor T7 chip. Another new feature is Magic Capture: tap the shutter once and you get both video and high-quality photos with automatic cropping and unblurring. The Pixel 11 also offers Camera Looks for custom film styles and Pro Stable Video at up to 8K.

Across the lineup, sensors got bigger. The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL have a new 50MP main sensor promising double the optical quality, while the telephoto sensor pulls in 32 percent more light than before. The Pixel 11's main camera gains 56 percent more light, and the ultra-wide jumps to 13MP. Digital zoom reaches 120x on the Pro models, up from 100x, and 30x on the standard and Fold models.

With increased memory and storage prices, these new cameras and features add value. But with price hikes across the board, it remains to be seen if upgrades like Instant Night Sight and bigger sensors will convince buyers to jump in.