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Title: Google Pixel 10 series hands-on: The base model takes center stage

Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:00:40 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/g...

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.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

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.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

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 Sam Rutherford for Engadget

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 Sam
Rutherford for Engadget

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 Sam Rutherford for Engadget

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. ItΓÇÖs 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.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/g...
the-base-model-takes-center-stage-160040470.html?src=rss

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