Google Pixel 10 Pro hands-on: 100x zoom and an AI camera coach for the same price
Sure the Pixel 10 series looks familiar, but each phone packs new AI camera and UI smarts for the same price at last year's smartphones
đą Googleâs Pixel 10 series offers minor, but meaningful upgrades
3ď¸âŁ 3 non-foldables are coming: Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL
đ Design-wise, they each look a lot like their predecessors
âď¸ Itâs what's inside that counts: Bigger batteries and an AI-driven Tensor G5 chip
đ¤ New AI features include Magic Cue and Camera Coach
𧲠An Android first: the Pixel 10 series has MagSafe-like Qi2 magnetic charging
đ Pixel 10 preorders today, and all three non-foldables launch August 28
đ° Same olâ price as last year: $799, $999, and $1,199
Donât let Googleâs basic paint job fool you. On the outside, youâd think the shiny-new Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL were their Pixel 9 predecessors with the same curvy corners and that huge visor-like rear camera bar.
But for the Pixel 10 series, itâs whatâs on the inside that counts; the important stuff: bigger batteries, faster performance, and camera and AI upgrades you canât get anywhere else. It may just tempt consumers from Appleâs iPhone 17 Pro and Apple Intelligence upgrades.
I got to go hands-on with every Pixel 10 ahead of todayâs launch event, and while they each felt like picking up a Pixel 9S of sorts (remember the days of Appleâs S-upgrades? Thatâs what this feels like), thereâs a lot to get excited over, starting with the fact that the prices havenât changes year-over-year.
đď¸ Pixel 10 preorder deals
đ Also see
đą Hands-on with Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL
Release date, price and pre-order deals
đď¸ Save the date. The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL go up for preorder starting today, August 20, with the first deliveries arriving on your doorstep on August 28.
đ¤ Interested in the Fold 10 Pro? Googleâs latest foldable wonât arrive until October 9 alongside the new Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2A.
đ° Same olâ price. Googleâs phones and watches have the same YoY prices:
$799 (Pixel 10)
$999 (Pixel 10 Pro)
$1,199 (Pixel 10 Pro XL)
đ¤ Deal of the day. If you pick up a new Pixel 10 Pro or Pro XL, youâll get a free year of Google AI Pro, which unlocks 2TB of cloud storage and higher limits for processing AI requests like image-to-video creation with Veo.
Familiarity at its finest
đ Just like the Pixel 9. Google didnât reinvent the wheel with the Pixel 10 family. All three new models look a lot like the Pixel 9 series, which is fine by me. The design is premium and unique, with a big pill-shaped camera visor on the back, curved corners, and flat sides. There arenât any extra buttons or functions on the sides, either; youâre getting the same volume and power buttons, USB-C ports, and dual speakers.
𪨠Durable design. All three standard Pixel 10 phones are IP68 rated and come with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. They also ship with spacecraft-grade aluminum. Google touts that these phones are pretty durable against drops (the Pixel 10 Pro is twice as durable as the Pixel 8 Pro, apparently), but weâll need to see how they hold up over time.
đ¨ Snazzier colors. There are some nifty new colors with this yearâs Pixel lineup. The Pixel 10 is available in four finishes: Indigo, Lemongrass, Frost, and Obsidian. Meanwhile, the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL come in Moonstone, Jade, Obsidian, and Porcelain. We got to go hands-on with all the new colors, and the renders donât do them justice - these are some of our favorite colors Google has crafted in the history of the Pixel series.
Google flexes its AI yet again
đ¤ Magic Cue could be life-changing. Google upgrades its AI chops with the Pixel 10 series thanks to a number of features, including Magic Cue. Itâs a new AI-powered way that your phone will display information in convenient places when it thinks itâs relevant; for example, if youâre on the phone with an airline, your flight details will be sourced from apps like Gmail and presented right on the screen. It also works in Google Messages and Daily Hub, the companyâs alternative to Samsungâs Now Brief.
đŁď¸ Voice Translate breaks language barriers. Google is also including Voice Translate on the Pixel 10 series. It uses AI and the Tensor G5 (more on that later) to translate phone calls in real time, allowing you to speak to people in different languages without having to rely on translated texts. At launch, itâll support translating to or from English with Spanish, German, Japanese, French, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian, and Indonesian.
đˇ Camera Coach helps to get the perfect photo. We were delightfully surprised when we learned about Camera Coach. Powered by Gemini, the feature walks you through framing a photo based on the scene in front of you and recommends different angles, lighting, filters, and more to help you get the perfect photo. During our demo, the feature seemed quite interesting as it walked us through how to take a photo of a bunch of Pixel phones. Iâm definitely looking forward to trying it when I can spend more time with the phones.
đď¸ Use Auto Best Take to look your best. Another new AI-powered trick for the Pixel 10 camera is Auto Best Take. It builds on Best Take that Google introduced last year; it still captures multiple photos to see which one everyone looks best in, except now, itâll automatically merge the best frames into a single photo, eliminating the need for you to make the decision.
đ Pro Res Zoom is incredible. The Pixel 10 Proâs 5x telephoto camera takes a page out of Samsungâs book with 100x Pro Res Zoom. Using AI, you can zoom in 100x into the scene youâre looking at. Gemini AI then analyzes the frame and tries to restore details and clarity that dissipate when you get that close. The result? We still need to do more intensive testing, but early demos we were shown were quite impressive outside of certain scenarios where things like text on a distant school bus, for example, get a little murky.
đ A grab-bag of other updates. Google also threw in a slew of other AI upgrades on the Pixel 10. In Gemini Live, answers to your questions will pop up depending on what youâre asking about thatâs on your screen. Googleâs NotebookLM is also integrated directly with Pixel Screenshots and Recorder, so you can add content from both to your notebook. Thereâs also the new Pixel Journal app for tracking your wellbeing and practicing gratitude. Writing Tools have been improved in Gboard, auto-generated music tracks are available in the Recorder app, and you can now see real-time transcripts for missed or declined calls with Take a Message.
A boost in performance
âď¸ Brighter screens. The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL all come with the same displays as last year. The Pixel 10 has a 6.3-inch Actua display, while the 10 Pro and Pro XL have 6.3-inch and 6.8-inch Super Actua displays, respectively. You still get 120Hz refresh rates, sharp resolutions, and HDR support on each, with the sole upgrade being higher brightness. The Pixel 10 can now reach up to 3,000 nits of brightness (up from 2,700 nits on Pixel 9), while the 10 Pro and Pro XL can reach 3,300 nits (up from 3,000 nits compared to last year).
âď¸ Tensor G5 is here. Under the hood is Googleâs biggest processor upgrade yet. The Tensor G5 comes with a 34% faster CPU for managing everyday tasks, while the TPU (responsible for processing AI stuff) is up to 60% more powerful than the G4. Itâs built on a 3-nanometer processor, which means itâll run more efficiently on top of the performance gains. Iâll be very curious to see how it compares to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which has been used in virtually every other flagship Android phone this year.
đž Beefy storage and RAM. No matter what kind of user you are, Google has your back with enough storage and RAM to keep your Pixel 10 flying. The regular Pixel 10 comes with 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage, while the Pixel 10 Pro series has 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage.
đ¤ Android 16 with seven years of updates. The Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL come with Android 16 out of the box, outfitted with Googleâs new Material 3 Expressive UI. The company is promising seven years of software upgrades with the devices, which means youâll likely get Android 24 when it comes out in 2032.
Same cameras with some tweaks
đ¸ Triple cameras all around. The Pixel 10 Pro series has the same 50MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, and 48MP 5x telephoto cameras as the Pixel 9 Pro. Meanwhile, the Pixel 10 gets a third rear camera for the very first time in Googleâs base Pixel lineup. In addition to the main 48MP camera and the 13MP ultra-wide, thereâs a 10.8MP 5x telephoto that can zoom in up to 20x. Itâs a welcome change for those who might not want a pro Pixel but still like the versatility of three rear cameras.
đł More stability. Google includes an improved optical image stabilization module on each Pixel 10 phone, which is supposed to deliver steadier photos and videos regardless of the sensor youâre using.
đ Photos look better in post. Instead of serious hardware upgrades, Google says itâs improved its HDR+ pipeline. The company says itâs further tuned things like color, focus, detail, noise reduction, and zoom to help you get better photos. Combined with an improved portrait mode, Iâll be curious to see if these upgrades make any difference. The Pixel 9 Pro cameras were already excellent, so experimenting with these upgrades will be fun.
Bigger batteries
đ A welcome increase. Google included a larger battery in every Pixel 10 model. The regular Pixel 10 has a 4,970mAh cell, the Pixel 10 Pro gets a 4,870mAh cell, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL has a whopping 5,200mAh cell. All three phones are quoted as having â30+ hour battery life,â according to Google, with up to 100 hours of endurance using Extreme Battery Saver. Weâll have to put this to the test when we get our hands on the phones.
âĄď¸ Same charging speed. Unfortunately, Google retains the same charging speed as the Pixel 9 series. The regular Pixel 10 and 10 Pro support 30W charging, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL is the only one to get faster 45W charging support.
Qi2 and Pixelsnap
𧲠Itâs about darn time. To make up for the stagnant charging speed, Google includes proper Qi2 support. This is the first time an Android phone has actually shipped with Qi2 built-in - not just 15W wireless charging. The Pixel 10 series has magnets built into the back so you can connect MagSafe wireless chargers and other accessories, all without needing a special case. Itâs just like using MagSafe on the iPhone.
đď¸ First-party Qi2 accessories. Google is offering a few Qi2 magnetic accessories for the Pixel 10 family, including Pixelsnap, the companyâs own take on a 15W Qi2 magnetic wireless charger. Itâs also selling a magnetic stand for the phones that uses a metal ring to prop your phone up, as well as cases with Pixelsnap magnets built in. Over time, more accessories will likely be sold, and you can use any existing MagSafe accessory on the market, like wallets and tripods.
Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro release date
Google is launching the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL on August 28. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel Buds 2A will arrive much later on October 9.
We have plenty more coverage on all of Googleâs new products coming up shortly, so be sure to subscribe so you donât miss out.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. Heâs been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.