Don't buy Pixel 11. Last year's base model is now on sale for just 14,490 CZK and isn't that different

Google recently introduced a new generation, and we have already tested the base Pixel 11 in our editorial office. However, the arrival of another flagship series is precisely why it’s worth looking a generation lower now: the base Pixel 10 costs just 14,490 CZK with code ALZADNY10, which is about ten thousand less than the new model, yet offers a very similar experience.

Quick summary:
✅ Makes sense if you want pure Android with long-term support, good photos, and a compact body, but don’t want to pay flagship price.
⚠️ Consider that you only have 128 GB of storage and slower wireless charging than the newer model.
💡 For 14,490 CZK, you get the vast majority of what the Pixel 11 offers, for a significantly lower amount.

Why look for Pixel 10 right now

When a new model is released, the previous one usually gets a discount, and that’s exactly what makes the Pixel 10 an interesting buy. For 14,490 CZK, you get a compact flagship with pure Android and, most importantly, 7 years of system and security updates, so the phone will remain current long into the future. The new Pixel 11, however, costs 24,490 CZK, which is about ten thousand more. While it’s true that it offers twice as much storage (specifically 256 GB) as standard, if you actively use Google Photos and Drive, the 128GB version of the Pixel 10 probably won’t limit you.

What’s important is how small the real difference between generations is. Both phones share the same 6.3″ 120 Hz OLED display, the same 48Mpx main camera, identical selfie camera, and a telephoto lens with 5× optical zoom. Foreign reviewers also agree that the generational leap this year is rather cosmetic and that many new Google features will eventually arrive on older Pixels, including the Pixel 10.

What Pixel 10 offers and how it compares to the newer model

Pixel 10 builds on what Google phones are renowned for: excellently optimized pure Android and an advanced camera system. The trio of rear cameras combines a 48Mpx main sensor, a 13Mpx ultrawide lens, and a telephoto lens with 5× optical zoom (and super-sharp digital zoom up to 20×).

The Actua display with a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits is easily readable even in direct sunlight, and performance is handled by the Google Tensor G5 chip with 12 GB RAM. It also features IP68 resistance, Pixelsnap wireless charging with magnets (Qi2), and a 4,970 mAh battery with over a day’s endurance. In practice, you get the vast majority of the flagship experience that even a generation newer phone would offer.

Pixel 10 vs. Pixel 11: what you’re paying extra for with the newcomer

To be fair, the new Pixel 11 does bring a few improvements. It has a larger main sensor (1/1.56″), which captures more light and takes better photos after dark, a newer Tensor G6 chip, superzoom up to 30×, faster 25 W wireless charging, and double the storage at 256 GB as standard. It will also receive Android 17 and one year longer support. These are all nice advancements, but they come with a price tag of about ten thousand extra.

In our Pixel 11 review (rating 82/100), we found that even the new model is not without compromises: battery life is only average, wired charging remained at a slow 30 W (the same as with Pixel 10), and the Tensor G6 chip still lags behind the top in raw performance. Furthermore, many appealing AI features do not yet work in the Czech Republic or in Czech. For many people, ten thousand extra mainly buys a slightly better camera, not a different phone.

What to watch out for with Pixel 10

The biggest concession is the 128 GB storage, which might be limiting for some. However, if you regularly upload all your recorded videos to the cloud anyway, it will suffice. Also, expect slower 15 W wireless charging and that the display operates in the 60–120 Hz range without LTPO technology, meaning the frequency cannot drop below 60 Hz for power saving. But it’s fair to add that the base Pixel 11 is also affected by this limitation.

As with the newer model, the raw performance of the chip is not flagship-level, and the most demanding games at the highest details are not its forte. However, thanks to Google’s excellent optimization, the system runs smoothly, and the performance is more than sufficient for the vast majority of tasks. On Alza, the Pixel 10 has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 58 reviews.

When to opt for Pixel 11 instead

Pixel 10 doesn’t make sense for everyone. If you are a more demanding photographer and want the most out of night photography or the best possible main sensor, the larger sensor in Pixel 11 will make a difference. Similarly, if you need 256 GB of storage as standard, faster wireless charging, or want the absolute latest model with the longest support, paying extra might make sense.

Verdict: for whom Pixel 10 is a smarter buy

For most people who want great pure Android, long 7-year support, and very good photos for a reasonable price, the Pixel 10 for 14,490 CZK is clearly a smarter choice than the ten thousand more expensive Pixel 11. You get a compact body, a telephoto lens with 5× zoom, IP68 resistance, and magnetic charging – in other words, the vast majority of what the new generation offers. Paying extra for the Pixel 11 makes sense mainly for more demanding photographers and those who want more storage. Those who don’t care about these things will save ten thousand Czech crowns and will hardly notice the difference in everyday use.

Would you pay ten thousand more for the new Pixel 11, or is the Pixel 10 for 14,490 CZK perfectly sufficient for you?