Google Pixel 10 overview: the brand new benchmark for the standard flagship cellphone | Pixel

Google’s new least expensive Pixel 10 has been upgraded with extra cameras, a quicker chip and a few high quality software program that has introduced it out of the shadow of its pricier Pro siblings to set a brand new normal of what you must anticipate from a base-model flagship cellphone.

The common Pixel 10 prices £799 (€899/$799/A$1,349) – the identical as final 12 months’s Pixel 9 – undercutting the ten Pro by £200 and matching rivals from Samsung and Apple whereas providing extra to your cash.

The design is sort of equivalent to the Pixel 9, aside from some new daring colors and the all-important new third digital camera within the pill-shaped lump on the again. The satin aluminium and glass physique seems like a high quality piece of {hardware} and the design actually stands out in a sea of samey slab telephones. The 6.3in OLED display is crisp, super-bright and clean with a 120Hz refresh price.

The glass again hides one other improve: Qi2 wi-fi charging and magnetic accent help. Google is making its personal Pixelsnap devices however Qi2 is an open standard and cross-compatible with the plethora of equipment designed for Apple’s glorious MagSafe, together with chargers, wallets, handles and stands that simply persist with the again of the cellphone.

Specifications

• Screen: 6.3in 120Hz FHD+ OLED (422ppi)

• Processor: Google Tensor G5

• RAM: 12GB

• Storage: 128 or 256GB

• Operating system: Android 16

• Camera: 48MP+ 13MP UW + 10.8MP 5x tele; 10.5MP selfie

• Connectivity: 5G, eSim, wifi 7, UWB, NFC, Bluetooth 6 and GNSS

• Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for half-hour)

• Dimensions: 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.6mm

• Weight: 204g

Tensor G5

The new Tensor G5 chip is about 34-38% quicker than Google’s earlier prime processor in testing, which is kind of a leap for the model, however nonetheless falls in need of the uncooked efficiency of Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon chip utilized in rivals. The Pixel feels speedy in operation and can deal with most issues simply positive.

The battery life is stable if not class-leading. It manages roughly two days of sunshine utilization between prices or about 33 hours of heavy use, together with 5 hours of 5G out and about with seven hours actively utilizing the display. Most individuals might want to cost it each different day.

The Tensor G5 additionally features a considerably quicker AI processor that runs Google’s superior AI faster and handles extra advanced programs on-device, making the Pixel a showcase for Google’s AI prowess.

Android 16 with AI

The Pixel 10 runs the most recent Android 16 out of the field and comes with software program help until August 2032. Google’s take on Android is filled with daring colors, huge buttons and enjoyable typography with loads of good touches and haptic interactions all through the system. It’s a high quality expertise even in case you select extra delicate color combos.

The Pixel is a car for a few of Google’s most superior AI programs, working the most recent model of Gemini Nano on-device, which powers all kinds of AI options together with numerous writing, dictation and image-editing instruments. A flashy new voice translation system for cellphone calls can converse to you in a simulacrum of the caller’s voice, relatively than one of many default Gemini voices.

But Magic Cue is essentially the most superior new AI function which runs regionally in your cellphone and goals to be your little assistant working within the background in your gadget to proactively enable you do issues quicker in your cellphone. It combines data out of your Google account with a number of information sources in your cellphone to pop-up options of helpful data when utilizing sure Google apps. For occasion, it pulled up my order affirmation emails in a little bit card within the cellphone app once I known as to examine the place my supply was, giving me one-tap entry to the order quantity.

Or if somebody texts about when your flight is because of land, it reveals the time and date pulled out of your calendar able to ship them with a single faucet. The climate app suggests areas to your upcoming journeys out of your calendar, too.

These issues don’t sound notably thrilling, however are a step in the best path for AI away from flashy gimmicks to helpful little background time savers. Magic Cue at the moment works with Gmail, maps, calendar, Keep notes, screenshots, contacts and messages, with Google Photos and some different Google apps coming quickly. The largest downside is that it doesn’t work in third-party apps but, so in case you use WhatsApp relatively than textual content messages it might probably’t enable you.

Camera

The Pixel 10 incorporates a 10.5-megapixel selfie and three rear cameras: a 48MP primary, 13MP extremely large and a ten.8MP 5x telephoto. It addresses the principle grievance concerning the base-model Pixel telephones, which have lacked a telephoto cameras.

The primary and ultrawide cameras produce glorious pictures throughout a spread of lighting situations, doing higher than rivals at this value in increased distinction scenes or dimmer indoor lighting. The new 5x telephoto considerably closes the gap to things taking pictures nice pictures and reaching as much as 20x digital zoom if wanted. The pictures from all three cameras present a little bit grain when seen at full crop, however most shall be more than happy with them.

Google remains to be the very best at reliably producing good pictures with out a lot thought. The new auto Best Take mode improves on the favored group shot Best Take system by taking pictures a number of pictures to mechanically mix them collectively for a picture the place everyone seems to be trying on the digital camera. In most pictures it gained’t should do an excessive amount of, however the extra individuals and the extra advanced the state of affairs, the extra the AI intervenes.

The well-liked Add Me function permits the photographer to be added in to bigger and extra advanced group photographs, and has been improved to help bigger teams of individuals, extra advanced backgrounds and pictures of pets. The digital camera app additionally now provides C2PA content credentials to pictures that present how the picture was captured and whether or not generative AI was concerned.

One of essentially the most overtly AI instruments is the brand new Camera Coach function, which makes use of Gemini that can assist you compose and body a shot for a greater image. Press a small button on the prime of the viewfinder and it sends the present view to Google’s servers to analyse and counsel a number of completely different potential compositions. Select the one you just like the look of and it guides you thru the steps of transferring the digital camera, framing the shot and taking the picture. In testing, the options have been fairly good, so for anybody concerned with enhancing their images, this may very well be a low-key approach of getting a little bit of assist.

Overall, the Pixel 10 shoots nice pictures and movies with usually useful AI additions, notably with Best Take and Add Me, however it’s potential you find yourself with pictures of a second which will by no means have truly occurred.

Sustainability

The battery is rated to last in extra of 1,000 full cost cycles with a minimum of 80% of its authentic capability. The cellphone is repairable by Google, third-party retailers or self-repair with manuals and components accessible.

The Pixel 10 is incorporates 32% recycled supplies by weight together with aluminium, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, plastic, rare-earth parts, tungsten and tin. The firm breaks down the phone’s environmental impact in its report and can recycle old devices totally free.

Price

The Google Pixel 10 prices from £799 (€899/$799/A$1,349) in a alternative of 4 colors.

For comparability, the Pixel 10 Pro prices from £999, the Pixel 9a prices £399, the Samsung Galaxy S25 prices £799 and the iPhone 16 prices £799.

Verdict

The Pixel 10 units a brand new bar for base-model flagship telephones, providing a high-quality expertise and nice digital camera with a significant telephoto zoom that doesn’t really feel like a poor second cousin to the Pro fashions.

The outdoors has not modified quite a bit since final 12 months however it’s a gorgeous design that stands out within the sea of relatively samey telephones, a minimum of from the again. It feels snappy in operation, even when it doesn’t have the quickest chip accessible, and the battery lasts an honest 1.5 to 2 days between prices.

Some of the brand new AI options truly look like significant enhancements, notably Magic Cue, auto Best Take and different small bits that run regionally within the background when you are doing issues. Combined with Gemini, Google is leagues forward within the period of truly helpful AI instruments in contrast with rivals equivalent to Apple, and it doesn’t get in the best way of the core smartphone expertise.

It just isn’t fairly the killer cut price of Google’s cheaper Pixel 9a however the Pixel 10 is among the greatest telephones you will get and nice worth nonetheless.

Pros: seven years of software program updates, nice digital camera with 5x telephoto, nice display, Magic Cue and spectacular native AI options, Qi2 wi-fi charging and magnetic accent help, good battery life, good dimension, quick fingerprint and face recognition.

Cons: face unlock possibility not as safe as Face ID, uncooked efficiency and battery life in need of best-in-class, no bodily sim card slot within the US.