I’ve been using the Google Pixel 11 series for well over a month now, but Magic Capture was the one feature that caught my eye before I even held the new phones. Google’s reputation for delivering incredible Pixel camera experiences through software features is proven — Add Me, Auto Best Take, and Camera Coach are recent examples. Many of these camera modes, however, become something you try once or twice and then proceed to forget about.
Magic Capture is a Pixel 11 feature that uses Gemini models to analyze roughly 400 video frames and select the best ones to save as photos. As someone who often goes to sporting events and concerts, I thought this feature could’ve been useful enough to keep a Pixel 11 in my pocket year-round. So, I spent weeks testing Magic Capture at the zoo, at a concert, and even at a yo-yo tournament.