// WIRED US/UK — INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE
Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL Review: Smart Software, Small Upgrade
There is one new feature on Google's Pixel 11 series that, I kid you not, caused my jaw to drop. It's an upgrade over one of my most-used Pixel features: voice-to-text.
I am a swipe typer, whizzing my finger across letters to form words instead of tapping each key individually. But I'm also heavily reliant on voice typing. Google's Pixel phones are far and away the best at it; more accurate at understanding my words than iPhones and Samsungs, not to mention sprinkling in punctuation at the right moments.
With the Pixel 11 devices, there's a new feature called Rambler—an upgraded, AI-powered voice-to-text feature—that is smarter than anything you've probably used before. Tap the microphone button on Gboard, and start talking. The Pixel will strip away the “ums” and “uhs,” and if you make a mistake and restate something, it won't bother to include that bit in your message, only keeping the parts it believes you want to convey. You can even ask it to add bullet points or an emoji to format your message, all in the same breath.
Rambler lives in Gboard, Google's keyboard app, on the Pixel 11 series. To access it, tap the microphone.
The accuracy of the voice-to-text is incredible, especially as you see it understand the mistakes, pauses, or vocal fillers. But what really made my eyes widen was speaking in my mother tongue, Malayalam. Rambler did a surprisingly great job at romanizing my words into English—a way I sometimes type to my family because I can't read or write the language. It's something I've never been able to do with a smartphone's voice-to-text function. To top it off, I asked it to translate the transcribed sentence into Malayalam, and it did the job. I fired off the messages to my Mom, and she said, “Very good.” High praise indeed.
These are the kinds of features that make a Pixel phone feel joyous to use. Smart, helpful everyday capabilities that can make a genuine impact on your day. Call Screen is another one of them, a feature Google pioneered that filters spam and robocalls and is now a staple in competing devices. Google Recorder is another I use every day, turning what was once a basic recording app into a powerful on-device transcription service.
Rambler, exclusive to the entire Pixel 11 range, may end up coming to older Pixel devices—Google hasn't shared details yet. It's not even restricted to the Pro devices, which is what I've been testing the past week.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL (left) in Canyon, and the Pixel 11 Pro (right) in Olive.
The Pro Pixels this year are not a major leap over their predecessors. Many of the improvements are with the cameras—still a big reason to buy a Pixel—but there are some minor, welcome upgrades, like a scratch-resistant display coating, a brighter screen, more base storage, and faster charging. I quite like the all-glass camera bar, which looks especially elegant in the new colors (and most importantly, doesn't rock on a table).
HiLight is one of the big new exclusive features—unavailable on the base Pixel 11—and I'm disappointed to say that you're not missing much. This LED glows when your phone is face down and when you activate Gemini, so you know the assistant is listening, much like Google's new smart speaker; it can light up a specific color when someone calls you, allowing you to stay somewhat connected. Except there are only five colors to choose from.