Pixel 11 buyers are noticing something about their new phones, and unfortunately, it’s not a positive thing. Google introduced HiLight on this year’s Pixel 11 Pro, which places a milky diffuser over the rear-facing LED that is used during flash photography and acts as a torch when trying to see in the dark. That diffuser is apparently causing brightness levels to be hit very hard by users, who are now taking to the internet.
Take a look at this side by side and the outcome is quite easy to see, unless you’re using a Pixel 11 Pro to view it. As we can see, even the Pixel 9 Pro is brighter than the current gen’s flash. According to the poster, all photos were snapped with manual exposure set to max for the most accurate of testing.
Looking at my Pixel 11, I can’t help but laugh because I thought I had noticed similar results over the weekend when I needed to use the flashlight when outside at night. The light seemed pretty dark, but this phone doesn’t even support HiLight. It’s as if I’m getting all of the downside and no benefit at all.
I like how this reddit user put it. User aradax wrote, “The LEDs are designed to throw a diffused glow rather than a point source so they work as a notification light, which means the flash now sits behind a milky cover. Good for a soft pulse when Gemini is listening. Less good when you’re under the sink at 11pm.”
Below are a couple of bonus shots, showing the difference between the Pixel 9 Pro’s diffuser (which still lets you see the actual LED emitter) and the Pixel 11 Pro’s which has the milky diffuser over it.
Pixel 9 Pro vs Pixel 11 Pro Diffusers
HiLight, from our experience so far, doesn’t seem to be a feature that anyone would trade for versus a well-working flashlight. We’ve even had third-party developers do work for Google in making it a more usable hardware feature. It’s not a great look.
If you thought your Pixel 11’s flash was looking a little weak, at least you know you’re not alone.
