What you need to know
- Pixel 11 Pro leaked renders show a familiar design, but the infrared temperature sensor may be gone.
- Google appears to be simplifying the camera bar, ditching the two-tone look for a cleaner finish.
- The phone might keep a compact footprint with near-identical dimensions to its predecessor and a 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED display.
Google’s design team often says, if something works, leave it alone. Still, sometimes features that work well just quietly go away.
New CAD renders of the Pixel 11 Pro (coming hot on the heels of the leaked Pixel 11 renders), shared by Android Headlines in collaboration with @OnLeaks on X, give us the best look so far at Google’s next flagship. The design is familiar, but one thing is missing: the infrared temperature sensor appears to be gone.
To recap, the Pixel 10 Pro added a thermometer-like sensor on the camera bar. This unusual feature let you scan surface temperatures or even check someone’s temperature. It wasn’t a major selling point, but some people found it surprisingly useful.
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Now, the new renders suggest Google is streamlining the camera bar’s design. The Pixel 10 Pro’s two-tone look is gone. Instead, there’s a single black camera bar, with the body color only around the edges. It looks cleaner, but it probably means the sensor is gone.
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Other than that, the Pixel 11 Pro appears to be very similar to the previous model. The reported dimensions are 152.7 x 71.8 x 8.4mm, almost the same as the Pixel 10 Pro but slightly thinner. It will likely keep the 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED display, which is still one of the best for a compact flagship.
RAM might shrink
Inside, the Tensor G6 chip is almost certain. The main question is RAM. The Pixel 10 Pro had 16GB, but with changing component prices, Google might lower it to 12GB to keep costs down. This isn’t confirmed yet, but since other Android brands are doing the same, it’s something to watch.
Storage could also change. The Pixel 10 Pro XL dropped the 128GB base model. If Google does the same for the smaller Pro and starts at 256GB, you’d get more storage for what will probably still be $999, or it could help offset a possible price increase.
The Pixel 11 series is expected to launch in August, following Google’s usual release schedule.
Android Central’s Take
Once again, Google seems to be quietly removing a useful feature for the sake of looks, and honestly, it’s a little frustrating. The temperature sensor wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was unique—a rare case of Google adding something practical instead of just focusing on thinner bezels or a slightly sleeker camera bump.
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