5 Phones I Recommend Buying Instead Of The Google Pixel 10 Pro - Here's Why

1 month ago

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Pixel 10 Pro faces reliable title astir nan $1,000 value tier.
Samsung, Apple, and OnePlus connection beardown alternatives.
Last year's Pixel 9 Pro still delivers awesome value.

Google's latest flagship, nan Pixel 10 Pro, brings its Pixelized blend of AI smarts and photographic intelligence to nan premium Android space. I'm ever excited for nan newest Pixel, but now much than ever, it faces immoderate reliable title astatine $999.

Also: I replaced my Samsung S25 Ultra pinch nan Pixel 10 Pro XL for weeks - and don't regret it

If you're connected nan obstruction astir whether to prime up Google's newest Pixel, you should see that respective different phones connection adjacent aliases greater worth for your money, each pinch its ain unsocial rotation connected speed, artillery life, cameras, and software. Apple past period announced nan new iPhone 17 series, aft all. Let's return a look astatine it, and a fewer different alternatives.

1. Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung continues to connection nan astir nonstop replacement to nan Pixel pinch nan Galaxy S25 series. The guidelines S25 starts astatine $799, 2 100 dollars little than nan Pixel 10 Pro. Even astatine nan little price, it runs connected Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a beast of its own.

Just earlier nan Pixel event, leaked Reddit benchmarks suggested nan Tensor G5 lagged down Qualcomm's chip, and perchance moreover nan Pixel 9's GPU. Whether you bargain that aliases not, it's worthy waiting for charismatic comparisons now that nan telephone is unveiled earlier pulling nan trigger.

Also: I've tested each azygous Galaxy S25 telephone - and my favourite isn't nan flagship model

Cameras stay my favourite usage of Samsung's flagships, and nan guidelines exemplary has a respectable triple camera array, including an fantabulous 10-megapixel telephoto. The Ultra is simply a steep upgrade, but going large intends you get Samsung's awesome 200-megapixel main sensor paired pinch dual telephotos pinch a prime betwixt 3x and 5x optical zoom. Google's 5x telephoto is excellent, but nan Ultra offers much elasticity for photographers.

The S25 ships pinch One UI 7 connected Android 15 and comes pinch 7 years of package and information support, matching nan committedness made by Google for its Pixel family. Samsung adds its ain AI touches too, from on-device image procreation to useful contextualization pinch nan Now Bar. If you're not going pinch a Pixel 10, Samsung's Galaxy S25 is undoubtedly its closest counterpart.

2. Apple iPhone 17 Pro

If you're consenting to brave an ecosystem change, nan iPhone 17 Pro is now official. It starts astatine $1,099 for 256GB, pinch higher tiers disposable (and a 2TB action connected nan Pro Max).

Changes from past twelvemonth are meaningful: nan caller A19 Pro spot brings stronger CPU/GPU capacity and speeds, positive location is simply a redesigned aluminum unibody pinch improved thermals. The camera strategy steps up to 3 48MP Fusion sensors (Main, Ultra Wide, Telephoto) and a caller 18MP Center Stage beforehand camera. The ProMotion displays are brighter and much durable pinch Ceramic Shield 2, and artillery life has moreover improved. Apple rates up to 33 hours of video playback connected nan 17 Pro and up to 39 hours connected nan Pro Max.

Also: Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: I compared some models to spot if it's worthy upgrading

On paper, nan iPhone 17 Pro keeps gait pinch nan Pixel 10 Pro and whitethorn moreover group nan barroom for some. If you're cross-shopping astatine $999 to $1,199, Apple's hardware, camera upgrades, and longer artillery life make this a very reliable replacement to Google's flagship.

3. OnePlus 13

OnePlus continues to push capacity and charging velocity to nan limits, and I'm present for it each time.

The OnePlus 13 undercuts nan Pixel's value slightly, yet it runs connected nan latest Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon, has a generous magnitude of RAM, and packs a monolithic 6,000 mAh silicon c battery. A afloat complaint takes astir 40 minutes to complete, and that caller artillery exertion stretches artillery life to almost 2 days nether mean use. For group who hide to complaint their telephone astatine night, for illustration me, that's a immense benefit.

I recovered nan telephone to beryllium incredibly accelerated arsenic well, acknowledgment to each that soul horsepower. Camera cognition feels snappier, games load quicker, and nan lightweight OxygenOS package keeps things bloat-free but still absorbing and custom. The camera array, co-engineered pinch Hasselblad, whitethorn not rather adjacent Google's computational magic, but it is versatile enough. It's besides a batch of nosy to use, and I seldom regretted nan camera's output looking astatine it later.

Also: OnePlus' flagship telephone is simply a coagulated replacement to nan Galaxy S25 Ultra - here's why

The existent compromises travel successful package longevity, maxing retired astatine 4 years of awesome updates. It's not astir arsenic beardown arsenic Google's seven-year commitment, which will rightfully matter for immoderate users. For those who upgrade each fewer years, nan OnePlus 13 hits a saccharine spot of price, speed, and endurance.

4. Google Pixel 9 Pro

It mightiness sound unusual to propose past year's Pixel arsenic an alternative, but nan Pixel 9 Pro is simply a amazingly smart buy. Google's 2024 flagship shares astir of its hardware pinch nan Pixel 10 Pro, including nan aforesaid triple rear camera array, 16GB of RAM, and a 120 Hz OLED display. The Pixel 10 Pro has a somewhat brighter display, a somewhat larger battery, and nan caller Tensor G5 spot that is only modestly faster than past year's G4, according to leaked benchmarks.

Also: I still for illustration my Google Pixel 9 Pro complete nan costly flagships -- and it's not moreover close

The Pixel 9 Pro often sells for hundreds little now, which makes it an easy proposal for Pixel fans who want astir of nan package perks without paying apical dollar. You still get nan 7 years of package and information updates, features for illustration Call Screen and Magic Editor, and you still seizure photos and video that rival Google's newest flagship.

5. Google Pixel 10

Hear maine out, sometimes nan champion replacement is hiding successful nan aforesaid lineup.

The guidelines Pixel 10 cuts nan value down to $799 while keeping overmuch of what makes nan Pixel 10 Pro appealing. It has nan aforesaid Tensor G5 processor, almost each of nan aforesaid AI features, Qi 2 wireless charging pinch Pixelsnap support, and for nan first time, a triple-camera array pinch a telephoto lens included successful a non-Pro Pixel. You sacrifice a spot of RAM, show resolution, and camera sensor quality, but nan wide acquisition is very close. The somewhat larger artillery successful nan guidelines exemplary moreover intends you whitethorn get amended endurance than nan Pro.

Also: I switched to nan Google Pixel 10 from an iPhone 16, and it was amazingly delightful

The only AI features missing from nan baseline Pixel 10 see an enhanced type of Best Take that automatically suggests a composite image for you, and Pro Res Zoom up to 100x. Neither of those features is simply a showstopper for astir buyers, making nan Pixel 10 present a acold much reasonable introduction into Google's ecosystem for a fewer 100 bucks less.

The Pixel 10 Pro is an fantabulous smartphone, but it is not nan only crippled successful town. Whether you want Samsung's earthy powerfulness and ecosystem, Apple's top-tier capacity and video, OnePlus's velocity and charging magic, aliases Google's ain discounted 9 Pro XL aliases guidelines Pixel 10, you person plentifulness of alternatives.

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