I spent 3 days with the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro — and there’s only one I would buy

It’s not the best time to buy a smartphone right now. The RAM crisis has driven up prices and widened the gap between mid-range phones and flagships. It’s harder than ever for manufacturers to offer phones that feel like good value without hiking prices.

And while market pundits may argue that buying a premium flagship makes more sense than settling for a watered-down mid-ranger, the Pixel 11 makes a surprisingly strong case for spending less. The base Pixel 11 starts at $899 — $100 more than the Pixel 10 — but still $200 less than the Pixel 11 Pro. And the more time I spend with it, the more I realize that most of what I actually want from a Pixel is already here.