We’ve Seen the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, and Here’s What’s Standing Out

Posted on by

Introducing Google’s latest Pixel phones, and with them, a bunch of new AI features. I’ll have more to say about them once I’ve had a chance to use them in person, but what about the hardware itself? On the outside, this year’s models look very similar to last year’s, but on the inside, this is one of Google’s biggest upgrades in a while. There’s a new camera lens, an updated chip, and even a MagSafe-type charging mechanism, so you can rest easy knowing that Google isn’t just going for the bare minimum this year.

Whether you’re looking for a Pro phone or just want to stick with the base model, here are all the Pixel 10 specs you need to know before you buy. I even got to hold the phones for a bit, and while I can share some photos, I haven’t had a chance to play around with the software just yet. Still, there’s a lot to cover, so I’ll be focusing on the non-foldable phones in this review. Click here for a similar Pixel 10 Pro Fold review.

What remained the same?

Pixel 10 front. Photo: Michelle Erhardt.

At first glance, the Pixel 10 lineup looks a lot like the Pixel 9 , but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Pixel 10 is roughly the same size and weight as the Pixel 9, with a few ounces difference on some models, and the controversial but iconic camera panel is still there. The screen is still OLED, and it’s also the same size and resolution as the Pixel 9 lineup (with differences depending on the model), but most notably, the Pro version still comes in two sizes .

You may also like

While all of Google’s Pro phones have been pretty big in the past, last year’s Pixel 9 finally gave the company the opportunity to release both a regular Pro phone and a Pro XL model. The Pro XL was the same size as previous Pro-level Pixels, but the regular Pro was the same size as the non-Pro model. It was a great change for those like me who want a powerful phone but are willing to sacrifice some screen real estate for a more compact design, and I’m glad it’s back.

As for the Pixel 10’s internals, the standard version still comes with 12GB of RAM, while the Pro model has 16GB. And that’s about it. Here’s a quick list of specs to help you get started.

  • Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro dimensions: 6 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches

  • Pixel 10 Pro XL dimensions: 6.4 x 3 x 0.3 inches

  • Pixel 10 Resolution: 1080 x 2424 @ 120Hz

  • Pixel 10 Pro Resolution: 1280 x 2856 @ 120Hz

  • Pixel 10 Pro XL Resolution: 1344 x 2992 @ 120Hz

  • Pixel 10 Memory: 12GB RAM

  • Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL Memory: 16GB RAM

What’s new?

Pixel 10 (left) vs. Pixel 10 Pro XL (right). Photo: Michelle Erhardt

You may have noticed that I haven’t yet talked about the camera, the processor, or even basics like storage and battery. Yes, all of that has changed this time around, although in one case it’s not exactly an upgrade.

Perhaps the biggest change is in the camera department. While the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL have nearly identical specs to the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, save for a slightly wider aperture, the base Pixel 10 has seen some major changes.

If you look closely at the Pixel 10’s standard camera array, you’ll notice that there’s a third lens. Yes, this year’s Pixel 10 gets a telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and 20x “Super Res Zoom,” which combines information from photos taken at different zoom levels to avoid pixelation. However, there’s a downside to this, which I’ll get to in a moment.

The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL also try to expand their zoom capabilities, though this is mostly achieved through a software trick called “Pro Res Zoom.” It allows you to zoom in up to 100x and uses generative AI to fill in the gaps. While Super Res Zoom isn’t a new feature overall, and is only available on non-Pro models, Pro Res Zoom hasn’t proven itself beyond Google’s capabilities yet.

Aside from the camera, the biggest change is probably the processor. All Pixel 10 models use Google’s latest chip, the Tensor G5. While it will take me a while to evaluate its performance, Google is promising “the biggest performance leap to date,” and it’s definitely worth it. While Google’s Tensor chips are typically strong at power efficiency and AI tasks, they often fall short when it comes to CPU-intensive apps like gaming. This is Google’s first all-in-house chip, with previous versions relying on Samsung for help. Hopefully, like Apple’s M-series chips, the move to an all-in-house design will result in better performance. The company is promising up to 60 percent better efficiency in AI tasks and a 34 percent faster processor.

As for battery life, it appears to have improved. Google promises more than 30 hours of battery life for all Pixel 10 models, while the company promised more than 24 hours for the Pixel 9. The exact battery capacity will vary by model, but either way, that’s an impressive runtime if it actually delivers.

Pixel 10 in different colors. By Michelle Erhardt

Finally, there are storage and color options. Storage options for the base Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro are the same as the Pixel 9, but the Pro XL now starts at 256GB of storage, eliminating the previous 128GB model (I’ll talk more about that when I talk about price). As for colors, Google likes to change up the color schemes with each new release. The Pixel 10 comes in black (obsidian), light purple (frost), blue (indigo), and yellow (lemon), while the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL come in black (obsidian), gray (moonstone), beige (porcelain), and light green (jade).

Below is a quick overview of all the new specs before I move on to describing the brand new hardware feature.

  • Pixel 10 main camera: 48MP wide/13MP ultra-wide/10.8MP telephoto

  • Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL rear camera: 50MP wide/48MP ultra-wide/48MP telephoto

  • Pixel 10 Selfie Camera: 10.5 MP

  • Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL Selfie Camera: 42MP

  • Pixel 10 Battery: 4970mAh typical, 4825mAh minimum

  • Pixel 10 Pro Battery: 4870mAh typical, 4707mAh minimum

  • Pixel 10 Pro XL Battery: 5200mAh typical, 5079mAh minimum

  • Pixel 10 Storage: Available in 128GB or 256GB options

  • Pixel 10 Pro Storage: Available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB options

  • Pixel 10 Pro XL Storage: Available in 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB

What is Pixelsnap?

Pixel 10 connected to a Pixelsnap charger with stand. Photo: Michelle Erhardt

But perhaps the most interesting update to the Pixel 10 lineup is hard to describe in terms of specs alone: a brand-new hardware feature called Pixelsnap, essentially Google’s answer to MagSafe.

With Qi2 charging, Pixelsnap allows compatible chargers to magnetically attach directly to your phone and charge it wirelessly at speeds of up to 25 watts. No more sticky ring hassles, thank goodness.

Google has announced partnerships with a number of Pixelsnap-compatible accessory makers, but so far has released three of its own. These include the Pixelsnap Charger, a simple puck that you simply place your phone on; the Pixelsnap Charger with a stand that charges the phone while allowing it to be held in either portrait or landscape orientation; and the Pixelsnap Ring Stand, which doesn’t charge the phone but can hold it in either portrait or landscape orientation. Conveniently, the Pixelsnap Charger with stand is also modular: if desired, you can remove it and place it on a flat surface, essentially turning it into a regular Pixelsnap charger.

What do you think at the moment?

All Pixel cases this year are also compatible with Pixelsnap.

Improved camera, but at a cost

Pixel 10 in different colors, front and back. By Michelle Erhardt

If you’ve been keeping up with the updates in the past, you may have noticed one downgrade in the base Pixel 10. Yes, instead of a telephoto lens, the ultra-wide lens now has far fewer megapixels, down from 48 to 13. How much this affects you depends on how you use your phone. Do you zoom in a lot? That’s an improvement. Do you use the 0.5x button to zoom out? That’s a loss in precision.

There’s a catch, though. While the Pixel 9’s ultra-wide camera takes better photos than the Pixel 10, it compresses all photos to 12.5MP by default. You can get around this by shooting in RAW format, but then you’ll lose access to the Pixel’s post-processing. Google also says it’s improved the camera software to compensate for the loss of megapixels.

This means that most users probably won’t notice much of a difference, but a photo compressed from 48MP will still contain more detail than a 13MP shot. This is worth considering if you use the 0.5x button a lot, so if you’re concerned about it, click here for more information .

How much does the Pixel 10 cost?

Pixel 10 Pro in different colors. By Michelle Erhardt

Now here’s the part you’ve probably all been waiting for: how much is all this going to cost you?

Luckily, most of the models are priced the same as the Pixel 9. The Pixel 10 starts at $799, while the Pixel 10 Pro starts at $999. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is a bit of an oddball.

With the 128GB model gone, the Pixel 10 Pro XL starts at $1,199, up $100 from last year. That’s a shame, but at least the 256GB model here isn’t more expensive than the 256GB Pixel 9 Pro XL. There’s just less choice.

As for accessories, the Pixelsnap Charger starts at $55, the Pixelsnap Charger with Stand starts at $99, the PixelSnap Ring Stand starts at $49, and the Pixelsnap cases start at $69.

The Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL are available for pre-order now, with shipping starting August 28.

More…

Android

Leave a Reply