The Pixel 10 marks the 10th generation of Google’s homegrown smartphone efforts. This year, alongside a new Tensor G5 chip, the company has included some upgrades that might make the base model the star of the family.
The standard Pixel 10: Now with a dedicated zoom for the first time
Aside from updated color options (obsidian, indigo, frost and lemongrass), the standard Pixel 10 doesn’t look too much different from last year’s phone. It still has a matte aluminum frame and a 6.3-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. For 2025, Google has upped the brightness of its Actua display to a peak of 3,000 nits (up from 2,700 nits). Google also claims the Pixel 10’s speakers have been significantly improved, though it was hard to tell by how much during my demo.
Inside, changes to the Pixel 10’s specs are a bit more robust. The Tensor G5 features a CPU that’s 34 percent better year-over-year on top of a new TPU that’s 60 percent faster than before. Memory and storage are staying the same at 12GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, though it’s important to note that battery capacity has increased to 4,970mAh (up from 4,700mAh). That latter figure is even more than what you get from the Pixel 10 Pro (4,870mAh).
But by far, the biggest upgrade on the standard Pixel 10 is a new 10.8MP camera with a 5x optical zoom, joining the existing 48MP main and 13MP ultrawide cams. This is the first time Google has ever put a dedicated zoom lens on a base Pixel, which is a huge value add because previously anyone who wanted a telephoto camera had to pay extra for one of the premium models. And based on what I saw in person and its specs, its telephoto camera appears to be similar to what we got in last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, so even if it’s not quite as powerful as what’s available on the Pixel 10 Pros, it’s still a great addition to the base model.
Furthermore, when compared to the standard Galaxy S25, the Pixel 10 suddenly has a significant hardware advantage thanks to a bigger battery (just 4,000 mAh on the Samsung), a longer zoom (5x vs 3x) and slightly faster wired charging (up to 30 watts on the Pixel instead of just 25W). Plus, both phones come with the same seven years of Android updates and security patches.
That said, it remains to be seen if the Tensor G5 can match the general overall performance of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chips used in Samsung phones. That has always been a shortcoming of Google’s homegrown silicon. But for pretty much everything else, the base Pixel 10 is looking like a much more complete device and a great option for anyone looking to save some money, since its price is staying the same at $799.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL: Even better specs and some Pro-only camera tricks
As for the $999 Pixel 10 Pro and $1,199 Pro XL, like their smaller sibling, their appearance hasn’t changed too much. The easiest way to tell them apart from the base model is that the Pros have a shiny frame instead of matte and slightly different colors: obsidian, moonstone, porcelain and jade. Their 6.3- and 6.8-inch Super Actua displays have gotten a similar bump in brightness up to 3,300 nits (up from 3,000 nits), while memory and storage have received a boost as well, up to 16GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of storage. Unfortunately, even though the Pixel 10 Pro XL now supports wired charging at up to 45 watts, the 10 Pro remains capped at 30.
Of course, with the base Pixel 10 getting a new zoom lens, Google couldn’t forget about the Pro models. The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL’s cameras have the same resolution as before: a 50MP main, 48MP ultra-wide and a 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. However, Google has made some tweaks that include a new ISP, an improved optical image stabilization system and some additional tools like the ability to shoot portrait mode shots in full resolution, a first for the Pixel family.
However, my favorite new feature here is Pro Res Zoom, an upgraded version of Super Res Zoom that can capture long-distance shots at up to 100x while using machine learning to fill in the gaps. Google says its algorithm pays special attention to things like people’s faces, so hopefully we don’t run into any AI slop. From what I’ve seen, Pro Res Zoom works remarkably well, especially when you consider that everything is happening on-device instead of sending images to the cloud for additional processing. Seeing this kind of sharpness at up to 100x from a 5x optical zoom is damn impressive, even if the Pixel is getting an assist from AI.
New software, camera and AI features
Naturally, this wouldn’t be a Pixel launch without a bunch of new software and AI-powered tricks. Sadly, there are so many new tools that I didn’t have a chance to do a deep dive into all of them. The feature with the most potential might be Magic Cue, which uses AI to surface helpful information like addresses, reservations and more directly inside some of your most commonly used apps like Google Messages and Gmail. These prompts appear as little rainbow bubbles and you can tap on them to quickly send relevant info to others. When dealing with a flight, Magic Cue can call the related airline for you.
Meanwhile, Google’s Daily Hub functions a lot like Samsung’s Now Brief feature, which puts handy reminders, calendar appointments and more all in a single place. This gives you a quick overview of important things happening each day. Alternatively, if you want to be a bit more introspective, the Pixel Journal feature is essentially a digital diary that’s meant to help you reflect on important events or surface new topics that may be relevant to your interests.
Elsewhere, there’s a new on-the-fly translation feature that can mimic the sound of your own voice during calls. Gemini Live is also getting a visual overlay so it can better highlight things on your screen and clearly point out what it sees. And then there’s Take a Message, which is kind of like Call Screener but for missed calls.
For photography, Google showed off the ability to use natural language voice commands to edit images or add completely new elements to a pic (like putting sunglasses on an alpaca). Best Take has also been improved to analyze up to 150 frames before you even hit the shutter in group shots, allowing the phone to pick out an image where everyone is smiling. But if that doesn’t happen, it can use AI to create a composite photo with the best expressions across a series of shots.
Also, across the Pixel 10 line, Google is supporting the C2PA standard, so that there will be no guessing which images have been made or tweaked with AI and which ones are all natural (at least for things created in first-party apps). And finally, launching as a preview later this fall, there’s a new Camera Coach tool that uses AI to help you frame your shots, improve your composition or even suggest some new angles and ideas (Google calls it Get Inspired). The feature offers step-by-step instructions on how to recreate a specific shot.
Pixelsnap: Finally, official Qi2 support from a major Android phone maker
The last major upgrade is the addition of proper Qi2 wireless charging support. Google is calling this Pixelsnap, but it’s based on the same underlying spec used in iPhones and other Qi2-compatible devices and it will be available on the entire Pixel 10 family. The one quirk is that while the Pixel 10 Pro XL can wirelessly charge at up to 25 watts, the base Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro are still limited to just 15 watts. On top of that, Google will have a handful of Pixelsnap accessories, including a charging mount with a removable Pixelsnap puck, a magnetic ring stand and more.
Regardless, after major Android phone makers failed to add Qi2 support to last year’s flagships, I’m glad Google is finally coming around, even if it took longer than I’d like. Not only does this open up the Pixel 10 line to the wide world of magnetic accessories, with a big name like Google hopping on the trend, it puts more pressure on companies like Samsung to properly adopt the standard instead of its devices being merely “Qi2 ready” (aka, Qi2 but without a built-in magnetic mounting point).
Early thoughts
All told, I really like what Google is doing with the Pixel 10 line. The addition of a proper zoom camera on the base model is a blessing for people who might not want to pay the $200 premium for the Pro versions. It’s also great because I think the matte finish on the standard Pixel 10 looks better than the polished frame on the Pixel 10 Pro. And that goes double for the indigo variant, which is a callback to the original deep blue hue we saw back on the first Pixel from 2016.
As a fan of long-distance photography, I really like the addition of Pro Res Zoom, though I do want to test it some more to see the limits of Google’s AI magnification. It kind of bugs me that the Pixel 10 Pro XL has faster wired and wireless charging, as those specs really ought to be the same across both Pro models. And while the Tensor G5 seems to be much speedier than any of Google’s previous chips, I’m very curious as to how much better it’ll feel in the real world, particularly for stuff like gaming. But as a whole, the Pixel 10 family is shaping up to be some of the most well-rounded smartphones Google has ever made.
The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL are available for pre-order today starting at $799, $999 and $1,199 with official sales beginning on August 27.
