Android Authority Test Finds Pixel 11 Pro’s MediaTek Modem Trails Galaxy S26 Ultra Outdoors, Leads Indoors

The Pixel 11 series may not look much different from last year’s Pixel 10 lineup, according to the report, but Google has made under-the-hood changes, including a more efficient Tensor G6 chipset and the new MediaTek modem. Android Authority said it previously compared the Pixel 11 Pro’s modem with last year’s Pixel 10 Pro and saw improvements in download speeds, signal reception, and battery efficiency. The newer test compared the Pixel 11 Pro with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Android Authority said it tried to keep conditions similar. Both phones ran the latest available software and started near 100% battery, and the same SIM card was used in both. The devices were disconnected from Wi-Fi and relied entirely on mobile data. The test covered signal strength, cellular speeds, and battery consumption while streaming video.

For signal strength, the report measured dBm values. Because dBm readings are negative, numbers closer to zero indicate stronger signal. In weak and average reception areas, the two phones were close: the Pixel 11 Pro measured -96 dBm and -90 dBm, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra measured -97 dBm and -89 dBm. In a strong outdoor area, Samsung pulled ahead. The article’s text said the Galaxy S26 Ultra reached -74 dBm while the Pixel 11 Pro reached -84 dBm. The report’s table, however, listed the Pixel 11 Pro at -90 dBm in the strong outdoor area, a discrepancy between the text and the table.

The speed test produced different results outdoors and indoors. Outdoors, Android Authority ran three tests on each phone and averaged them. The Galaxy S26 Ultra averaged about 581 Mbps download, compared with about 545 Mbps on the Pixel 11 Pro. Samsung’s advantage was larger on uploads, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra averaging about 100 Mbps versus about 62 Mbps on the Pixel. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also had slightly better average ping, about 16 ms, compared with about 18 ms on the Pixel 11 Pro.

Indoors, the Pixel 11 Pro moved ahead on downloads. It averaged about 473 Mbps, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra averaged about 407 Mbps, roughly a 16% advantage for the Pixel in an area where cellular reception was not as strong. The Galaxy S26 Ultra still held a slight lead in upload speed, averaging about 49 Mbps against about 46 Mbps on the Pixel, and in ping, about 18 ms against about 20 ms.

The report frames the results as a modem comparison rather than a complete phone review. It found that Google’s move to a MediaTek modem delivered competitive performance against the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but not a uniform win. Samsung’s modem was stronger in the strong-signal outdoor test and in outdoor upload and ping, while Google’s phone led in indoor download speed.

Editor's Summary

Android Authority’s test found the Pixel 11 Pro’s MediaTek modem and the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s modem traded advantages. Samsung was stronger outdoors in signal and most speed measures, while Google’s phone had faster indoor downloads. The comparison indicates Google’s switch to MediaTek remains competitive but not uniformly ahead of a leading Android flagship.