I Checked Out the Google Pixel 11's Specs and Price on Rakuten Mobile's Reservation Page

Good morning. It’s まさきん.

I was browsing the Rakuten Mobile site and noticed that reservations for the Google Pixel 11 had opened. It’s scheduled to launch on August 20, 2026. A few articles came out right after the announcement too, so I want to go through them and sort out the specs while comparing.

Starting with the basic specs

Here’s a table of the specs listed on the reservation page.

Even just from the numbers, you can tell this is a fairly serious device.

Comparing it against the launch-day coverage

Now let’s look at a few of the articles that came out right after the announcement.

First, the chip. According to an article on GetNavi web, every model comes with the latest “Google Tensor G6” chip. Apparently web browsing is 25% faster, and apps launch 15% faster. It’s a subtle detail, but I think it makes a real difference in day-to-day use.

On the camera side, an article on Gizmodo Japan highlighted the improved zoom performance. The Pixel 11 zooms up to 30x, up from 20x in the previous generation. That’s the kind of difference that quietly matters when you’re trying to capture your kid from across the field at a school sports day.

The GetNavi web article also caught my eye with a feature called “Magic Capture.” Apparently, while recording video, you can pull out a striking moment as a 12MP photo. Circle to Search is now available right within the camera screen as well. It sounds like a quietly handy way to hold onto your kid’s fleeting expressions.

The body has also gotten thinner, apparently. The GetNavi web article mentioned a 40% reduction in thickness. The battery lasts over 30 hours, and wireless charging now supports up to 25W. As someone who carries their phone around all day, that thinness is a quietly welcome bonus.

Comparing prices across carriers

For pricing, an article on Keitai Watch put together a carrier-by-carrier comparison.

The Pixel 11’s tax-included price starts at ¥136,800 at the Google Store. Rakuten Mobile starts at ¥139,900, which undercuts the pricing at Docomo, au, and SoftBank.

So Rakuten Mobile ends up being the cheapest option after Google’s own direct sales. That’s quietly a pretty significant point, I think.

The same article also worked out the effective two-year cost of switching to Rakuten Mobile via MNP number portability. Including the ¥3,300 administrative fee, it comes to ¥51,060. Taken on its own, that looks like a decent number.

A few things that caught my attention

Here are a few things I want to note down that stood out to me personally.

What surprised me first was the storage pricing. The device costs the same whether you go with 256GB or 512GB. Not having to agonize over capacity is a quietly nice touch.

Optimization for Gemini Intelligence was also being promoted heavily. As someone with a marketing background, I find the idea of designing a device around AI features from the ground up pretty interesting. I’ll wait for post-launch reviews to see how that actually plays out in practice.

Payment options and campaigns at Rakuten Mobile

Let’s also look at the payment options.

The 48-installment plan is exclusive to Rakuten Card holders. Payments 1 through 24 run ¥1,990/month, and payments 25 through 47 run ¥3,839/month. Only the 48th payment differs slightly, at ¥3,843.

The 24-installment plan has a simpler breakdown at ¥5,829/month, with the first payment coming to ¥5,833.

If you use the Kaikae Choutoku Program, returning the device from month 25 onward means you’re released from the remaining payments. I touched on this same mechanism before in my Galaxy Z Fold8 article. Whether it’s worth it seems to come down to whether you plan to keep the device long-term or switch again partway through.

As for the campaign, first-time sign-ups combined with a carrier switch get you up to 16,000 points. There’s also a trade-in program: trading in a Pixel 9, for example, gets you ¥21,780.

As a candidate for our next phone upgrade

To be honest, this is still just the reservation stage, so I can’t share any hands-on impressions yet.

Based on the specs and pricing alone, my impression is a positive one. The fact that Rakuten Mobile lands on the cheaper end among carriers, telephoto camera included, is quietly a pretty big deal too.

I wrote about this before in my article on paying off remaining device balances. In our household, we tend to time phone upgrades around when the remaining balance gets paid off. I’ll keep this one in mind as a candidate for our next upgrade.

Wrap-up

The Google Pixel 11 is set to launch on August 20, 2026. The Tensor G6 chip and up to 30x zoom stood out as this generation’s headline features. The fact that pricing stays the same regardless of storage capacity was also notable.

Looking across carriers, Rakuten Mobile sits in the cheaper price range, just behind the Google Store. Pricing and campaign details may change before launch, so if you’re interested, be sure to check the official site for the latest information before signing up.

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