Google Pixel 10 Review: The New Smartphone Standard

Google marked nan tenth procreation of Pixels with 4 caller smartphones. While nan ‘pro’ and foldable Pixel 10 models mightiness person no-compromise specs (and prices to match), Google has blurred nan lines betwixt its entry-level Pixel 10 and those premium devices. This year, nan guidelines Pixel 10 has a bigger battery, a caller 5x zoom telephoto camera and almost arsenic galore AI features arsenic nan flagship Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

If nan celebrity-loaded Made By Google arena was thing to spell by, nan institution is putting a batch much effort (and money) into making nan Pixel a genuine threat to nan Galaxy S bid and iPhones, and conveying that connection to everyone. The Pixel 10 deserves those comparisons, and successful a batch of ways, it’s nan amended smartphone.

Hardware and display

Google’s 10th-generation of Pixels look a batch for illustration their predecessors. There’s a protruding pill-shaped camera unit, which is nan cardinal creation flourish. It’s substantial, which still looks a small jarring, but it besides doubles arsenic a benignant of grip for my scale digit while holding nan phone, thing I noticed aft a twelvemonth of utilizing nan Pixel 9 Pro. Google has besides refreshed nan colour scope of its Pixel family. Both a vivid bluish (Indigo) and mild yellowish (Lemongrass) shades are invited additions to nan emblematic achromatic and achromatic hues.

The 6.3-inch screen’s refresh complaint still tops retired astatine 120Hz, but that’s now beautiful overmuch modular crossed midrange devices and up. Even nan entry-level Pixel 9a has nan aforesaid soft scrolling experience. However, Google has boosted nan Pixel 10’s brightness, now peaking astatine 3,000 nits, which is simply a flimsy summation from 2,700 nits connected nan Pixel 9. The surface maxes retired astatine 2,000 nits astatine its brightest mounting for HDR, which is besides a bump up from nan Pixel 9. Google has besides boosted nan sound value connected nan Pixel 10 to beryllium noticeably little tinny and a small bassier than erstwhile Pixels.

Another summation is Pixelsnap, which is fundamentally MagSafe for Pixels. The wireless charging integration is mostly nan same, pinch magnets that firmly connect nan instrumentality to charging pucks, accessories and docks. It easy worked pinch a scope of wireless chargers, though Qi2-supported options are still rarer than they should be. You’re much apt to find a MagSafe-branded wireless charger from third-party companies for illustration Belkin, but those don’t execute nan faster complaint speeds of Qi2.

If you’re emotion spendy, Google’s charismatic Pixelsnap charger is $70 and reaches speeds up to 25W, while there’s a PopSocket-like Pixel ringing guidelines that tin threat to nan backmost of nan phone. Additionally, nan Pixel 10 bid supports astir of nan MagSafe peripherals that iPhone users person been enjoying since 2020.

Camera

The large hardware upgrade this twelvemonth is nan cameras. The photograph portion includes a 48-megapixel wide-angle setup, a 13MP sensor pinch an ultra-wide lens and a 10.8MP 5x telephoto camera. For a guidelines phone, it’s an awesome combo, moreover though it doesn’t rather lucifer nan higher-res sensors recovered successful nan Pixel 10 Pro — aliases past year’s Pixel 9 Pro.

That caller telephoto lens isn’t immoderate middling 2x aliases 3x zoom, but a 5x zoom which puts it beyond rivals astatine a akin value point, for illustration nan Galaxy S25 (3x zoom) and nan iPhone 16’s meager 2x optical zoom. It’s for illustration utilizing a Pixel Pro, pinch an further cropped zoom up to 10x and a (less consistent) Super Res Zoom up to 20x. This is simply a important measurement up for nan guidelines exemplary and thing I’m judge we’ll spot nan aforementioned rivals apt effort to match. Simply put, nan Pixel 10 is conscionable a better, much versatile camera telephone than, say, nan Galaxy S25.

I tested nan Pixel 10’s telephoto against nan 9 Pro’s, and location were noticeable differences successful item and crispness, which is understandable arsenic nan second has a overmuch higher-res 48MP sensor. However, that doesn’t detract from nan leap successful some item and shooting scope compared to nan guidelines Pixel 9 from past year.

The Pixel 10 tin besides seizure 10-bit HDR video now, though it doesn’t connection nan Pixel 10 Pro’s 8K video, Night Sight Video and Super Res Zoom Video options. There’s nary Video Boost, either, which uploads footage to Google’s unreality to heighten online.

There are plentifulness of different notable camera features onboard, including Night Sight low-light shooting, aliases Add Me, which is still nan standout Pixel camera characteristic from past twelvemonth and hasn’t been replicated by rivals yet. For those who missed my praise past year, Add Me stitches together 2 group photos, taken by 2 different people. The mode guides users to statement up nan shots, meaning your group photos tin yet see nan personification who takes each of them (me).

Camera Coach is an intriguing summation to nan Pixel camera experience. Above nan viewfinder, there’s a caller camera icon pinch a positive motion successful nan apical correct corner. Tapping it makes nan surface flash, and nan coach will connection aggregate framing and photo-taking suggestions. It’ll besides adhd a Get Inspired action that goes a spot much avant-garde, generating thumbnails of imaginable results based disconnected of nan sample it took, filling nan gaps pinch generative AI.

I witheringly launched nan Coach, fresh to knock its basal suggestions aliases common-sense ideas. But, you cognize what, it’s not bad. With hooks successful Gemini AI, nan mode will connection angle, lighting and creation suggestions. You tin besides take whether to emphasize, say, nan shape of immoderate leaves, aliases nan inheritance down it aliases nan group of group to nan side. While nan characteristic utilizes Google’s Tensor G5 spot to analyse shots, it does require an net connection.

Software

Thanks to nan Tensor G5 chip, nan Pixel 10 tin tally Google’s newest Gemini Nano exemplary on-device. This intends generative AI experiences tin now beryllium utilized without nan request for connectivity. However, arsenic I mentioned pinch Camera Coach, that isn’t ever nan case.

However, Magic Cue does activity without having to summon its answers from nan cloud. And erstwhile it works, it’s what I’ve wanted from AI assistants for years. After gaining your permission, Gemini gets into your screenshots, calendar, Gmail accounts and more. Magic Cue will propulsion successful nan accusation you need, hopefully, wherever you request it. For example, it displays nan email reside for that drama show venue your friend wants tickets for, aliases nudges your almanac to show readiness erstwhile a friend asks what your play plans are. These cues are highlighted pinch a rainbow “aura” that has go nan de facto ocular shorthand for artificial intelligence. This is conscionable nan start: Google will yet adhd nan expertise for Magic Cue to pat into your photos, suggesting images erstwhile someone’s mentioned successful matter messages, emails and more.

Magic Cue has immoderate unsighted spots, though. As my workfellow Sam Rutherford noted successful his Pixel 10 Pro review, I recovered it peculiarly fussy pinch almanac cues, often failing to place dates aliases times successful screenshots aliases emails. It’s besides missing a awesome area of wherever I want each of this info: third-party messaging apps. But hey, if you’re utilizing Google Messages, you’re bully to go.

Google’s almost-instantaneous sound translator during calls is awesome too. Managing Editor Cherlynn Low laid retired really that works, and while it’s a method marvel, I’m not judge really overmuch I’d usage nan characteristic for high-stakes conversations for illustration booking accommodations aliases sorting retired recreation issues.

I besides liked Take a Message, which transcribes calls erstwhile you’re incapable to answer. However, conscionable for illustration I did while I was testing Apple’s akin characteristic during my iOS 26 preview, I either answered calls instinctively [Ed. note: Mat is intelligibly a different specimen from nan remainder of america humans] aliases group didn’t time off voicemails.

There are plentifulness of insignificant upgrades to existing devices and features connected nan Pixel 10. Gemini Live, which tin “see” done your camera aliases publication what’s connected screen, tin besides now connection ocular guidance, highlighting objects onscreen aft proceeding your petition aliases question. NotebookLM now integrates pinch Pixel Screenshots and Recorder. If nan erstwhile detects thing that could beryllium useful to an existing NotebookLM project, it’ll propose adding it for easier access.

There are besides Writing Tools (sound familiar?) wrong Gboard, which tin retool your existing prose into specified penning styles. It’ll moreover propose which emojis to adhd into nan mix. For now, this is only compatible pinch US English, truthful it’s not my favourite favorite. There’s besides a caller Pixel Journal app, which sounds pretty familiar too. I concisely tested it retired during nan days I’ve had nan phone, but if you haven’t recovered nan app/notebook/diary to diary successful yet, it’s a perfectly good option, pinch AI-powered suggestions connected what to constitute astir and nan expertise to connect photos and different specifications that your smartphone tin log. Something that wasn’t evident during my reappraisal was that nan Journal app will study astir your penning patterns and connection up insights connected really often you write, erstwhile you typically constitute and more.

Performance and artillery life

Google says its caller Tensor G5 spot is 34 percent faster than past year’s G4, while nan TPU (Tensor Processing Unit, ugh) is 60 percent faster astatine AI tasks. Performance testing apps for illustration Geekbench 6 can’t beryllium installed connected Pixel devices earlier nan phones spell connected sale, truthful I wasn’t capable to quantify nan upgrade. I tin consciousness those improvements pinch heavier processing tasks though, for illustration transcription, translator and image generation, successful apps for illustration Pixel Studio. The Pixel 10 besides had nary issues moving graphically intensive games for illustration Infinity Nikki and Zenless Zone Zero, and seemed quicker to load astir apps compared to Pixel phones of nan past. Google’s Tensor chips are decidedly catching up.

Anecdotally, I find myself utilizing Google’s Pixel AI features (and Gemini) importantly much often than connected different Android devices I’ve utilized and tested. With comparable AI tasks, specified arsenic transcribing an interview, nan Tensor G5 appears to grip them much efficiently, delivering results successful little time.

The Pixel 10 has a 4,970mAh battery, which is not only bigger than nan Pixel 9 (4,700mAh) but besides nan Pixel 10 Pro (4,870mAh). However, nan Pixel 10 doesn’t rather lucifer nan 27 hours-plus rundown clip of nan Pixel 9. Running a looping video, this year’s telephone lasted astir 22 hours, which is simply a spot disappointing fixed nan specs. I’ll retest and update this reappraisal if nan results differ.

The Pixel 10 supports wired charging up to 30W, returning to complete 50 percent successful nether 30 minutes. It tin besides beryllium wirelessly charged astatine up to 15W, acknowledgment to Qi2 support. That’s an improvement, but it’s not Qi2.2 for illustration nan Pixel 10 Pro XL, which tin scope 25W charging wirelessly.

Wrap-up

The Pixel 10 redefines what we should expect from guidelines flagship smartphones. With Apple’s next iPhone conscionable astir nan corner, Google has added a 5x telephoto camera, rounding retired nan Pixel’s photography chops offering while augmenting it pinch much features powered by Gemini. Camera Coach mightiness not beryllium for everyone, but Magic Cue — for illustration Pixel Screenshots past twelvemonth — is simply a glimpse into nan early of really we’ll usage AI connected smartphones.

The Pixel 10 is simply a important upgrade from nan Pixel 9, though fixed it has nan Tensor G5 chip, it’s a shame that package features for illustration Zoom Enhance from past year’s Pixels didn’t make nan cut. Unless you’re a die-hard smartphone gamer, location isn’t a much tin smartphone astatine this price.