This $500 Android phone shows what Google got wrong with the Pixel 11 camera

Google launched the Pixel 11 series a little under a month ago, and there’s a lot to like here. All four phones offer more capable silicon, nifty AI tricks, some cool camera features, and a lengthy software update policy.

Unfortunately, the standard Pixel 11 lacks many camera features compared to the Pixel 11 Pro series. And a brand new $500 Android phone from a rival manufacturer drives home just how absurd Google’s practice around this continues to be.

I’ve been using the brand-new Redmi Note 17 Pro Max for a couple of days, and it stands out thanks to a 10,000mAh battery. In fact, Xiaomi promises three days of battery life. This phone isn’t a photographer’s dream, though, as it offers a pedestrian 50MP+8MP rear camera system that wouldn’t look out of place on a $300 device.

But things got interesting when I dug into the camera app and found two features Google still refuses to bring to its $900 Pixel 11.

For one, the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max supports full-resolution 50MP photos. This feature is missing from the Pixel 11 and earlier base models, dating back to 2023’s Pixel 8. Full-resolution 50MP photos on budget phones are typically a waste of time due to their small camera sensors and weak chipsets that struggle with high-resolution multi-frame processing. But Pixel flagships offer more powerful chipsets and larger camera sensors, so it’s not like Google can blame the hardware.

Another feature available on this $500 phone but missing on the $900 Pixel 11 is a manual or pro mode. For the uninitiated, this lets you tweak the ISO, white balance, shutter speed, and other options before taking the shot. Again, Xiaomi’s new phone has budget-tier camera hardware, but the manual mode still lets users fine-tune their settings before hitting the shutter button. This is particularly useful for smartphone photographers on a strict budget who might not be able to buy a top-tier camera phone. In fact, I’m always amazed by what budget Android phones can do with manual mode.

The standard Pixel 8, Pixel 9, Pixel 10, and Pixel 11 all lack a manual mode. Instead, Google forces you to buy a Pro model if you really want this option. There’s really no technical reason why a Pro mode isn’t available on these base flagships. It’s almost certainly just a case of Google manufacturing a reason to buy the Pro phone over the vanilla device.

What’s perhaps more embarrassing is that the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max isn’t even the first Redmi phone to offer high-resolution capture or manual mode. These features were previously available on devices like the Redmi Note 11 series in the early 2020s.

I’d still pick the Pixel 11 or even the Pixel 10a over Xiaomi’s latest mid-ranger when it comes to the camera experience. Google’s camera app has a reputation for delivering excellent photos, while the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max’s image quality doesn’t seem particularly great for a mid-ranger. I also appreciate recent Pixel 11 additions like Camera Looks and Magic Capture.

Nevertheless, Xiaomi’s phone continues to highlight the fact that Google is withholding basic camera features from its standard flagship phones. Because let’s face it, these are basic features in 2026.