Pixel 11 Pro's 120x zoom impresses but comes with caveats, Android Authority finds
Google's Pixel 11 Pro adds 120x Pro Res zoom, up from 100x on the Pixel 10 Pro. A week-long Android Authority test found impressive results alongside bizarre images and caveats.
The publication described 120x as a ridiculous amount of magnification for a phone. Google claims the phone’s brighter telephoto camera can capture more detail from farther away when combined with generative AI. According to Android Authority, Google has a history of pushing Pixel cameras through software rather than hardware, and the Pixel 11 Pro extends that approach with the higher zoom level.
Android Authority said it spent the past week testing the Pixel 11 Pro’s zoom in different situations to see whether Google’s claims hold up or merely look good on a specification sheet. The tests included reading distant signboards, photographing historic monuments, and capturing wildlife and people across a park. The publication said its previous experience with such bold camera claims had often fallen flat, so it wanted to see whether Google could do better this time.
The report said the results were surprising. According to Android Authority, the camera can pull off some impressive tricks, but it can also produce downright bizarre images. The publication concluded that the 120x zoom works, but with some glaring caveats. It did not present the feature as consistently reliable across the situations it tested.