The Pixel 11 Pro Has a Video Problem Samsung and Apple Don't

I've already made my case for why the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a better buy than Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL , but it's time to add another point to the board: The lack of on-device, high-resolution video capture reminds us how much the Pixel relies on the cloud as a crutch.

The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL top out at 4K video recording at 60 frames per second on-device. This is better than the Pixel 10 Pro , which sends most of its rendering work to the cloud. But if you want the promised 8K video processing on the Pixel 11 Pro, you have to turn on Video Boost before shooting so it knows to upload the footage to the cloud . From there, it's a waiting game as Video Boost finishes processing the final product.

This contrasts sharply with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which can shoot 4K120 without pinging the cloud. The iPhone 17 Pro , which is about to be knocked off shelves by its successor , can also shoot up to 4K120 video locally. Why can't the Pixel? Let's take a look.

Silicon Priorities: Raw Processing Power vs. AI Gimmicks

Apple's A19 Pro and Samsung's Qulacomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 are engineered for raw, high-throughput media processing. Google's Tensor G6, on the other hand, prioritizes Gemini AI features and Pixel-exclusive tricks over sheer power. That difference in focus shows up instantly in synthetic benchmarks, where Apple and Qualcomm routinely crush Tensor in CPU speeds and graphics rendering. Qualcomm's custom Adreno pipelines, for instance, easily push 4K120 recording right on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

By contrast, the Tensor G6 hits a severe GPU bottleneck. Its Arm-based architecture simply can't match Apple's six-core GPU or Qualcomm's raw throughput—it struggles just to run Genshin Impact , let alone render high-frame-rate video locally without throttling or overheating. If you pushed the Pixel 11 Pro series to do high-frame-rate on-device video processing, it would likely throttle heavily or overheat.

Thermal Realities: The Tensor G6 Can't Take the Heat

Google's Tensor chip has long been plagued by thermal throttling since it debuted on the Pixel 6 . Users often complain that Pixel devices become uncomfortably warm over time. I've experienced this firsthand; the Pixel 11 Pro XL feels hot to the touch at times, though I've yet to push it to capacity and take a temperature reading. When a processor gets too hot, it intentionally slows itself down—a safety mechanism that prevents hardware damage, but kills real-time performance in the process.

Apple and Samsung both fare much better in this regard. Apple uses a custom vapor-chamber cooling system sealed with deionized water that draws in hot air, cools it, and then condenses it. Samsung completely reworked the Galaxy S26 Ultra's internal chassis so heat can flow to the vents faster without getting trapped in the nooks and crannies of the logic board.

It's time for Google's Tensor engineers to take heat sinks or vapor chambers more seriously in their designs.

The Cloud Crutch: Offloading What Local Hardware Can't Handle

To process video in 8K or use enhanced modes like Pro Stable Video on the Pixel 11 Pro, you have to manually turn on the Video Boost toggle in the camera settings each time you open the Camera app, which is cumbersome and easy to forget.

Video Boost defines Google's strategy because it's exactly what it's selling: cloud computing capabilities rather than hardware prowess. Video data gets processed off-device, so the silicon doesn't take the brunt of real-time processing. It's a workaround that lets Google bypass the Tensor chip's thermal limits and GPU ceilings while still claiming the phone can handle high-resolution video rendering. But once those servers become unavailable or go offline, the phone is severely limited.

Apple and Samsung do all of the heavy lifting on-device. The iPhone 17 Pro can record at a high frame rate in Dolby Vision even when it's in Airplane Mode. The Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn't use the cloud to record 8K30 because its combined processor and cooling mechanisms can handle the task.

Real Processing Beats Server Cloud Tricks

Flagship phones are defined by their priorities. Apple and Samsung sell raw local power: The iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra handle heavy 4K120 workloads, high frame rates, and pro-grade rendering entirely on-device. Google sells software magic built on cloud dependency. The Pixel 11 Pro asks you to buy into AI smarts while quietly reminding you that without a strong internet connection, its hardware falls short. At $1,100 or more, local performance shouldn't be optional, and the cloud shouldn't be a crutch for underpowered silicon.

PCMag and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.