Pixel 11 Pro's telephoto camera gains closer focusing, Reddit user shows
A Reddit user demonstrates that the Pixel 11 Pro's upgraded telephoto sensor can focus on closer subjects than its predecessors, an unmentioned improvement.
As shown in a post by user pcman2000 on Reddit early on August 19, the Pixel 11 Pro's telephoto camera can focus sharply on a box placed a couple of feet away, while the Pixel 9 Pro's telephoto camera, set to the same minimum focus distance, produces a blurry image. The comparison was made using both phones' camera apps in manual mode with the telephoto focus sliders at their lowest setting.
The new sensor retains the same 48-megapixel resolution as the telephoto cameras in the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro, but it is slightly larger than the sensors used in the previous two generations. That larger size is expected to improve low-light performance, and it also enables the closer focusing distance.
Google has not responded to a request for comment from Android Authority regarding the feature.
The Pixel 11 Pro includes several understated hardware upgrades, and the telephoto sensor is among them. The improved close-focus capability could be useful for capturing small objects without switching to the ultrawide camera or moving physically closer, which is often challenging with conventional telephoto lenses.