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The Google Pixel 10 Pro and its larger sibling, the Pixel 10 Pro XL, look like fantastic smartphones – Google hasn’t messed with the winning formula that made the Pixel 9 Pro my phone of the year choice for 2024. The refinements seem minor, but could signal a sea change in Google’s fight against Apple and its friendly competition with Android rival Samsung. I only had a few hours with these phones, but they look like the best Pixel phones yet – and some of the coolest features have yet to reveal themselves.
Google doesn’t compete with Samsung on specs or with Apple on features, so it’s been easy to dismiss past Pixel phones as also-ran devices that offer a nice alternative to the iPhone and Galaxy lines, but are rarely the first choice. That changes with the Pixel 10 Pro.
The new Pixelsnap magnet features may seem like old news to iPhone users, but they open up a world of new accessories and convenience for Android fans. I’m pretty sure that Samsung and OnePlus will follow suit in due course, but for now the Pixel 10 Pro and its three stablemates are the only Android phones that I can snap onto my bedside charging stand (sorry iPhone 16 Pro) and use with my UAG magnetic wallet.
I only had a couple of hours with the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro X, so the most important features remain a mystery right now. Google says it has upgraded the image signal processor in the Tensor G5 chipset, which should result in better photos, and possibly a better camera experience.
The new Camera Coach feature is totally fascinating, but it wasn’t working on the demo units I tried. Some Google reps had it working on their own phones, so the feature seems baked and ready to serve, but I’ll need to spend a lot of time using the cameras in a variety of situations to see if it really makes a difference.
If it does, it could be a turning point for smartphone AI features. So far, AI on smartphones has been a mix of useful tools and frightening oversteps. The Pixel 9 Pro is my favorite AI phone because it does a great job of screening calls, recording meetings, and managing notifications.
Those are genuinely useful AI tools, not image generators that make lousy (or possibly offensive) images, or writing tools that take over the job of sending love notes to my sweetie. The Pixel 10 Pro promises a host of new and similarly useful AI features, but none of them were apparent in my hands-on time.
The new Magic Cue feature will need to get to know me better before it starts bubbling up relevant information during my phone calls. When it does know me, it should do things like showing me my flight information if it hears me talking about my upcoming travel plans. I hope it works well, but so far AI features like this from other phone makers have failed to materialize after launch, or have failed to demonstrate the utility that phone makers claim.
I’m not too concerned. The Pixel 9 Pro was already ahead of the competition on useful AI features, and Google is doing an admirable job of keeping the AI processing – and therefore your private data – on the device instead of relying too much on cloud computing.
I saw a Pixel 10 Pro translate the voice of my colleague on a phone call from his English into a natural-sounding Spanish. Other phones can do the translation bit, but the Spanish voice actually sounded like my colleague would if he spoke Spanish! Most astonishingly, all of the processing happened on the Pixel 10 Pro, not in the cloud. The conversation and the sound of your voice are kept private.
In other words, after spending a couple of hours with the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, they seem to me like refined devices that marginally improve on the success of last year’s redesign, and that’s enough for me. If the Pixel 10 Pro simply offers camera improvements and better zoom, along with all of the latest Pixel features I already enjoy, I’ll be able to recommend it easily.
If the new AI features really help me take even better photos and do a better job of helping me organize my digital life, I’ll consider that an even bigger win, but I think we’re only seeing the tip of the AI iceberg on these phones. With seven years of Android updates ahead, who knows what the Pixel 10 Pro will be capable of doing in the future.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Price & availability
The Pixel 10 costs the same as last year’s Pixel 9, and the base model features the same 128GB of storage and 12GB of RAM inside, which may be falling behind the requirements of the upcoming AI features. I’d certainly like to see more storage, at least.
The phone is available in black (Obsidian), light blue (Frost), green (Lemongrass), and bright blue (Indigo). The Indigo will be Google’s hero color, but I think the Lemongrass also stands out nicely. The Frost color looks closer to the Pixel 10 Pro’s Moonstone shade than the name suggests.
My big caveat with Pixel phones is that Google’s pricing takes a rollercoaster ride throughout the year, with the first drop coming around the US holiday shopping season. Last year’s Pixel 9 launched in August at $799 in the US, and dropped to $649 in November. It spent more than half the year priced at $150 under the original price, and it dropped to an all-time low of $499 around the last Amazon Prime Day in July.
In other words, if you want the Pixel 10, you may want to wait until it’s available for less – although if you wait too long Google might drop a Pixel 10a on us, just to confuse matters.
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Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Specifications
The Google Pixel 10 uses Google’s Tensor G5 chipset, just like every other member of the Pixel 10 family. It comes with 12GB of RAM, which was a respectable amount in the days before on-device AI processing, but now is probably only just enough.
The Pixel 10 gains a 10.8MP, 5x zoom camera this year in addition to the 48MP wide camera and the 13MP ultra-wide. That’s not just more zoom than the Galaxy S25, it also comes with a bigger sensor, regardless of the megapixel count.
Oddly enough, the Pixel 10 comes with a slightly larger battery than the Pixel 10 Pro, at 4,970mAh vs 4,870mAh. It charges at 30W, just like the Pixel 10 Pro, with Qi2 wireless charging at up to 15W.
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Dimensions: |
152.8 x 72.0 x 8.6mm |
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Weight: |
204g |
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Display: |
6.3-inch Actua display |
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Resolution: |
1080 x 2424 pixels |
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Refresh rate: |
60-120Hz |
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Peak brightness: |
3,000 nits |
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Chipset: |
Google Tensor G5 |
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RAM: |
12GB |
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Storage: |
128GB / 256GB |
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OS: |
Android 16 |
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Wide camera: |
48MP; f/1.7; 0.5-inch sensor |
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Ultrawide camera: |
13MP; f/2.2; 0.33-inch sensor |
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Telephoto camera: |
10.8MP; f/3.1; 0.31-inch sensor |
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Selfie camera: |
10.5MP; f/2.2 |
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Battery: |
4,970mAh |
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Charging: |
25W wired; 15W wireless Qi2 |
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Colors: |
Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, Obsidian |
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Design
The Pixel 10 looks just like last year’s Pixel 9, aside from some minor changes to the color, materials, and finish. That’s not a bad thing at all – the Pixel 9 was one of my favorite new phone designs, and it was the biggest refresh we saw among all the major flagship phones last year. I’m happy the Pixel 10 isn’t a huge departure.
After all, the Pixel 9a was somehow a butt-ugly cheap relation of the Pixel 9, and I was worried that its flat design foreshadowed this year’s flagship phones. Never fear! The Pixel 10 keeps the same pill-shaped camera bump as last year’s model, with the same improved durability. It’s a great phone design, and it even looks good in a case.
There is still room for improvement. Did Google not see the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button? I suspect future Pixel phones might have a matching button in the future. They already got MagSafe, why not go all the way?
Speaking of magnets, the Pixel 10 with Pixelsnap held a very strong connection to all of the accessories I tried. You couldn’t shake the phone off of the wireless charging puck, which is a hidden part of the new wireless charging stand. I’ll be excited to use Google’s new phones with all of my MagSafe accessories, like my wallet and my magnetic photo tripod.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Display
Google quietly makes the best displays you’ll find on any smartphone, and I’m shocked the company doesn’t spend more time bragging about it. The Actua displays on previous Pixels have always been among the most bright and colorful screens I’ve used, and the Pixel 10 seems like another improvement, if only a subtle one.
The Pixel 10 has a variable refresh rate from 60-120Hz, which means things should look nice and smooth when you’re scrolling through long menus or social feeds. Unfortunately, that also means it won’t get the full-color always-on screen you’ll find on LTPO phones like the Pixel 10 Pro.
I’ll need to spend a lot more time with the Pixel 10 to decide if the screen is as great as it seems. I’m hoping the long-term experience will be just as pleasing.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Software
Google is, for now, leaving us with more questions than answers when it comes to Pixel software. Gemini works in more places – the onward march of AI progress – but there are many other features that are going to require a deep dive.
I’m very curious about the Magic Cue features available during phone calls. Google says the Pixel 10 will pull up details about your travel plans when somebody mentions AirBnB, for instance. I’m curious how far it will go, and whether this feature will seem like a privacy invasion or a useful sidekick.
There are also new camera features to try, which I’ll discuss below, but Google is moving beyond editing and generating images to offering tips and instructions. I like this direction. I would rather have a phone that can anticipate my needs, and offer helpful suggestions, than a phone that makes nightmare images of copyrighted cartoon characters committing crimes, as past Pixel phones have done.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Cameras
I’m most excited to try the new camera features on the Pixel 10, because the cameras sees like the biggest improvement on this phone. First of all there’s the new 5x telephoto lens, which is paired with a respectable 0.33-inch image sensor. That’s bigger than the zoom sensor on the Galaxy S25, and is closer to the telephoto camera on the iPhone 16 Pro.
Second, the Tensor G5 chipset has an all-new image signal processor, and that component is often the silent partner in making the best camera phones. A new ISP usually means faster processing – so higher-resolution video recording and better night photography. It could also mean other image enhancements.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Performance
How will the Tensor G5 perform? Undoubtedly, it won’t be winning any benchmark races, but that’s never been the point of Google’s Tensor chips. Google builds accelerated chips that work better with its own AI and machine-learning features, like the Magic Editor in Google Photos and the AI transcriptions in the Recorder app.
This time around, Google says the Tensor G5 enables features like the aforementioned live translation that sounds like the person speaking, along with a host of new photography features like the Camera Coach.
The good news is that Google processes more of its machine-learning tricks on the phone than most other phone makers. That means you aren’t burning fossil fuels to feed a server farm for those AI features. It also means you have a better chance of protecting your privacy when it comes to your AI demands.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Battery
I can almost forgive whatever battery life I get from the Pixel 10 because I’m excited to use the Pixelsnap feature to keep the phone charged. I have MagSafe chargers that I use next to my bed with my iPhone, but Apple’s device will now get the USB-C cord while my Pixel 10 takes over the magnetic stand. It isn’t a fast way to charge, but my phone will be there all night, so I don’t need to hurry.
I’m curious to see if the Tensor G5 chip will offer any battery life improvements. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset has been a powerhouse not only in terms of performance but also efficiency. Every Snapdragon 8 Elite phone has been able to last much longer than the generation before, and I hope I see the same benefits from the Tensor G5 when I conduct a thorough review.
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philip.berne@futurenet.com (Philip Berne)
