Google Pixel 10 Review: The Biggest Upgrade to the “Base” Model Yet

Forget the "Pro." This year, the Google Pixel 10 is the sleeper hit you didn’t see coming. While everyone’s drooling over marginal upgrades, the base model quietly underwent amassivecamera transformation. We’re talking a complete sensor overhaul, capped off with a brand-new 5x telephoto lens – a feature previously reserved for its pricier siblings.

But does a camera bump alone make a phone worth buying? The answer, surprisingly, might be yes. Google held the line on price, sticking to a competitive $799. That’s the same as the iPhone 17… which now boastsdoublethe storage. Suddenly, the Pixel 10 isn’t just a good phone; it’s a compelling value proposition. Is this the year the underdog takes the crown?

Pixel 10: To Pro or Not to Pro? Our definitive review cuts through the hype to help you choose your next Google phone.

Google Pixel 10 Specs

View Device Specs

Google Pixel 10 Review: Design and build quality

The Pixel 10 isn’t reinventing the wheel, design-wise, and that’s okay. Dismissing it as "just like the Pixel 9" misses the point entirely. Google doubled down on refinement. Picture this: subtly rounded edges melting into your palm, a feeling of substantial quality thanks to a barely-there increase in thickness and weight. It’s not a revolution; it’s evolution in the best way.

Packing a hefty 4,970mAh battery, Google’s nearly matching the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s power cell (only 30mAh shy!) at almost half the price. While the added thickness houses this impressive battery life, don’t expect groundbreaking cooling. Google’s holding back the vapor chamber for the "Pro" models – a detail we’ll dissect further in the benchmark results.

The Pixel 11 boasts a redesigned camera bar, maintaining the familiar size but showcasing a bolder aesthetic. The extended glass now houses a trifecta of lenses. Say goodbye to the Pixel 10’s dual-lens setup, because Google has upped the ante with a 5x telephoto lens. This upgrade blurs the lines between the standard Pixel 11 and its Pro siblings.

The familiar cool touch of matte aluminum still frames a shimmering glass back. While most will immediately sheath it in a protective case (understandably!), those brave souls who dare to go naked might want to lean towards a lighter hue to minimize fingerprint smudges. Personally, I’m captivated by the deep Indigo, but the Frost variant is what landed on my desk.

Prepare to either love or loathe Google’s Pixel design for the foreseeable future. Because what you see in the Pixel 9 is what you’ll get, give or take minor tweaks, for the next three generations. Personally, I’m a fan. Especially that horizontal camera bar. Finally, a phone that lies flat on a table! Take notes, Samsung. My desk, and my sanity, thank you.

Google Pixel 10 Review: Display

Forget squinting! The Pixel 10 blasts through sunlight like never before. While the screen itself remains familiar, Google cranked the brightness to a scorching 3,000 nits peak, with a sustained 2,000 nits in high brightness mode. Numbers aside, the real-world impact is undeniable. Picture this: you’re battling midday glare, and the Pixel 10 remains crystal clear. And unlike some competitors that quickly dim under pressure, the Pixel 10 holds its brilliance, making it a true outdoor champion.

The screen explodes with vibrant color, OLED blacks swallowing light for infinite contrast. Movies become cinemas, games morph into alternate realities, and even mundane scrolling transforms into a captivating experience. Fortified with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, it shrugs off scratches and laughs in the face of drops, leaving you to immerse yourself worry-free.

Forget the oversaturated hues of its rivals. The Pixel 10 paints the world with a refreshingly honest palette. Unlike Samsung’s vibrant but sometimes artificial saturation or the cool, clinical tones of certain iPhones, Google embraces a more authentic visual experience. Colors aren’t muted; they resonate with a lively realism that’s both captivating and easy on the eyes. It’s a vibrant, balanced approach – color done right.

The Pixel 10’s display isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it’s a masterclass in the essentials. Forget fancy LTPO – this screen is all about delivering vibrant, true-to-life colors and unwavering reliability. It’s a display that simplyworks, brilliantly, where you need it most.

Google Pixel 10 Review: Performance

Pixel season arrived with a laser focus: Tensor G5. Google, in a bold move, severed ties with Samsung’s foundries, entrusting TSMC’s cutting-edge N3E process with the chip’s creation. Whispers of a performance revolution rippled through the tech world – could this rival the Snapdragon 8 Elite? But Google’s strategy was more nuanced. Forget brute force; the aim is unwavering performance, power efficiency, and unlocking uniquely Pixel experiences. This year, a custom-designed ISP takes center stage, poised to redefine the limits of Pixel photography. We’ll dissect its capabilities later in this review.

The Tensor G5? It simplyvanishedin my daily routine. No fiery outbursts, no frustrating stutters. It just…worked. So seamlessly, so effortlessly, that after a few days, I completely forgot about the silicon brain humming beneath the surface. And honestly, that’s the ultimate compliment I can give a processor.

Benchmarks don’t tell the phone’s complete story. The Pixel 10 Pro might not appear to be a gaming champion on paper, and hardcore gamers chasing peak frame rates might prefer a dedicated gaming phone. Yet, in the real world, it tackles demanding games like Genshin Impact with ease. While it’s not going to shatter any records, its performance is surprisingly adequate for most gamers.

Benchmarks

Alright, let’s address the woolly mammoth in the room: benchmarks. The Tensor G5 likely won’t shatter any records, but early indications suggest the Pixel 9 will see a respectable performance bump over its G4-powered predecessor.

Geekbench 6 performance paints an incomplete picture on this pre-release Pixel 10 Pro. The GPU appears severely throttled, dragging down the score significantly. Consider this just a sneak peek. We’re eager to revisit these numbers with the retail version and unleashed GPU. For now, see how this handicapped Pixel 10 Pro prototype stacks up against the Pixel 9 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the OPPO Find X8 Pro.

Witness the dawn of a new era! We pit the Pixel 9 against future titans: the Galaxy S25 Ultra and OPPO Find X8 Pro. This isn’t just a comparison; it’s a glimpse into the heart of 2025’s mobile power. The Pixel 9 showcases Google’s leap from Tensor G4 to G5, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra and OPPO Find X8 Pro unleash the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400, respectively – rival flagships battling for supremacy.

| Device | Geekbench Single | Geekbench Multi | Geekbench GPU | | — | — | — | — | | Google Pixel 10 | 1656 | 4,684 | 2,839 | | Google Pixel 9 | 1,771 | 4,502 | 6,464 | | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | 3,128 | 9,793 | 18,379 | | OPPO Find X8 Pro | 2,790 | 8,285 | 21,502 |

The Tensor G5 is here, but how much faster is itreally? Google’s playing coy with the specifics, but benchmarks paint a revealing picture – and the absence of a vapor chamber is screaming volumes. Initial tests show the Pixel 10’s single-core performance actuallylags behindthe Pixel 9. Multi-core scores eke out a marginal victory, but the real shocker? The GPU performance is abysmal, echoing the struggles we’ve seen across all three Pixel 10 devices we’ve put through their paces. Is this the flagship performance we were promised? The numbers tell a different story.

AnTuTu benchmark: the ultimate device stress test. It dissects your phone, scrutinizing storage speed, RAM performance, CPU prowess – the whole shebang. Let’s see how it fares under pressure.

| Device | AnTuTu | | — | — | | Google Pixel 10 | 1,415,890 | | Google Pixel 9 | 1,125,355 | | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | 2,439,788 | | OPPO Find X8 Pro | 2,552,179 |

The AnTuTu benchmark tells a familiar story: a performance leap over the Tensor G4, yet still gazing up at the Snapdragon 8 Elite and the Find X8 Pro’s commanding lead.

For our final trial, we pit the contenders against a real-world video editing task: exporting a 60-second 4K60 video in CapCut. Forget synthetic benchmarks – this simulates a content creator’s everyday workflow. The export process is usually swift, but the milliseconds matter. Let’s see how these devices transformed raw footage into polished content and who emerged as the video-editing champion.

| Device | Capcut time | | — | — | | Google Pixel 10 | 9.4 seconds | | Google Pixel 9 | 12.62 | | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | 5.56 | | OPPO Find X8 Pro | 7.01 |

The Tensor G5 shows a respectable leap over its predecessor, but let’s be honest, it’s still playing catch-up with the big leagues. This reinforces a crucial point: obsessing over benchmark scores is like judging a book solely by its cover. Real-world performance is where the true story unfolds.

Thermals

Let’s crank up the heat! We’re diving headfirst into thermal testing, and we’re not holding back. We’ve got four trials by fire, starting with the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test – our torture chamber. This test doesn’t just tickle the components; it throws them into a volcano. We’re talking scorching temperatures, pushing the device to its breaking point. It’s a brutal glimpse into how far manufacturers are willing to let their creations sweat before the dreaded throttling kicks in.

| Device | 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test | | — | — | | Google Pixel 10 | 110.5°F | | Google Pixel 9 Pro | 110.8°| | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | 104.1°| | OPPO Find X8 Pro | 109.9°|

The Pixel 10 manages to keep its cool, a definite plus, but let’s be honest, it’s not exactly dethroning the Galaxy S25 Ultra in the temperature department. While most phones in our testing oven reach a scorching 109-111°F, the Pixel 10 lands squarely in the expected zone. So, good job, Google? You didn’t spontaneously combust.

Genshin Impact: An hour-long crucible of graphical glory, brightness cranked to eleven. Brace yourself, this game doesn’t just push limits; it annihilates them.

| Device | Genshin Impact Test | | — | — | | Google Pixel 10 | 108.6°F | | Google Pixel 9 | 107.3°| | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | 95.1°| | OPPO Find X8 Pro | 95.6°|

Similar results here as with the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test, which is not a surprise at all.

Now, let’s put the camera to the ultimate test: 4K60 video recording. We’re pushing it to the limit with a 10-minute recording session, meticulously monitoring the temperature at the 5-minute and 10-minute marks. Intriguingly, this test often reveals subtler temperature fluctuations compared to our other rigorous assessments. Does it hold up? Let’s find out.

| Device | 4K60 Video Recording (5m) | 4K60 Video Recording (10m) | | — | — | — | | Google Pixel 10 | 96.6°F | 99.7°F | | Google Pixel 9 | 97.2°| 99.2°| | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | 94.4°| 97.8°| | OPPO Find X8 Pro | 92.8°| 95.7°|

The Pixel 10 runs surprisingly cool, even without the advanced vapor chamber cooling found in its pro siblings. While a vapor chamber would undoubtedly crank things up a notch, Google’s Tensor G5 chip proves its mettle, keeping the heat at bay.

Google Pixel 10 Review: Battery life and Charging

The Pixel 10 arrived with a question mark hovering over its battery life. Sporting a larger battery than its Pro sibling, but missing the coveted vapor chamber, I was curious how it would fare. The verdict? Surprisingly similar endurance. I consistently squeezed a full day, plus some, from a single charge. The trade-off, however, was noticeable warmth. Without the vapor chamber’s cooling prowess, the Pixel 10 ran a bit hotter during daily use compared to its chilled-out counterparts.

While the charging speed tops out at 30W, which isn’t exactly blazing, the battery life’s stamina picks up the slack. I easily breeze through a full day, so the charging speed becomes a non-issue. Nightly plug-ins are all it takes to keep this phone powered and ready to go.

Benchmarks

We torture test phone batteries. We fully charge each device, then top it off for an hour (OnePlus, we’re looking at you!). Setting brightness to a piercing but not blinding 200 nits, we unleash a YouTube marathon until the battery screams for mercy at 1%.

The Pixel 10 clocked in at 22 hours and 40 minutes in our video playback test, a near dead-ringer for the Pixel 9’s performance last year. However, this mirror image also highlights a frustrating truth: the Pixel 10 seems to be stuck in neutral when it comes to video playback optimization.

From a near-empty 1% to a full 100%, the Google Pixel 10 juiced up in roughly one hour and 36 minutes using a compatible fast charger. That’s a hair faster than its predecessor, the Pixel 9, despite the 10’s need to fill a slightly smaller battery.

Google Pixel 10 Review: Software

Forget day-one updates. The Pixel 10 arrives pre-loaded with Android 16 QPR1 – the absolute bleeding edge of Google’s software. Remember the Pixel 9’s Android 14 launch, stuck waiting for 15? Kiss those days goodbye. But the real kicker? Google’s future-proof promise: a staggering seven years of OS and security updates. That’s not just keeping current; that’s a fortress of security and innovation stretching deep into the 2030s.

Android 16 heralds Material 3 Expressive, Google’s audacious design evolution. Forget subtle tweaks; this is a full-throated embrace of vibrant, responsive color palettes, whimsical forms, and a revitalized interface that screams "Pixel." Initial reactions might be mixed, but after settling in, the new aesthetic feels undeniably contemporary and uniquely Pixel. Think bold, think fresh, think the future of Android, Pixel-style.

The Pixel 10 isn’t just about raw specs; it’s the dawn of proactive AI, thanks to the Tensor G5. Imagine your phone anticipating your needs. That’s Magic Cue. Trapped in a dinner debate via text? Boom, restaurant address, shared. Arguing with the airline? Flight details materialize mid-call. Okay, it’s a toddler genius – still learning, occasionally face-planting in the context puddle – but it’s evolving. The more you use it, the sharper it becomes, turning your Pixel 10 into a mind-reading sidekick.

Imagine effortlessly chatting with someone across the globe, language barriers dissolving in real-time. The Pixel 10’s Live Translation transforms phone calls into seamless international conversations. Speak naturally, and your words are instantly translated for the other person, even if they don’t have a Pixel. While not perfect, it’s a game-changer for travelers and global professionals. The catch? This magic relies on the Pixel 10’s cutting-edge Tensor G5 chip, bringing advanced on-device AI that older Pixels simply can’t match.

Tired of jumping between apps? Google’s cooking up a "Daily Hub" – a one-stop shop nestled in your Discover feed. Imagine: calendar reminders, weather updates, Gemini insights, and YouTube’s best picks, all served up in a single scroll. Think of it as Google throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. It’s a bit rough around the edges now, but this experimental feature could morph into your go-to for daily life hacks. Keep an eye on this one – it might just become indispensable.

The Pixel 10: Google’s sleek software, now with a sprinkle of AI stardust. It’s the buttery-smooth experience you crave, amplified by clever new tricks. While features like Magic Cue and Daily Hub hint at future brilliance – think nascent superpowers – Google’s quarterly updates promise rapid evolution. This isn’t just a phone; it’s a platform constantly sharpening its AI edge.

Google Pixel 10 Review: Camera

Pixel 10’s camera got a shakeup this year, specifically the rear lenses. Google slapped in a 10.8MP 5x telephoto, the same one gracing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the 10 Pro Fold. Truthfully, it’s not blowing minds. BUT, hold on. Peep the competition: phones in this price bracketwitha telephoto? Suddenly, that Pixel 10 telephoto starts looking less "meh" and more "hey, not bad."

The Pixel 10 camera packs a 48MP main lens and a 13MP ultrawide, a curious choice considering they’resmallerthan the expected Pixel 9 upgrades. But here’s the twist: Google’s secret sauce, their computational photography, arguablythriveson these downsized sensors. And after extensive testing with the Pixel 10, we’ve definitely seen some magic happen.

Strapped with the new Pixel 10, I traded my office chair for a beach chair at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit in Maui. Forget boardroom presentations; think breathtaking Pacific sunsets and starlit nights captured through the Pixel 10’s lens. Below, you’ll find a gallery of untouched images – think straight-from-the-camera raw beauty (resized for your loading pleasure, of course). Judge for yourself: is this the new king of smartphone photography?

Should you buy the Google Pixel 10?

Pixel 10 vs. iPhone 17: A Tough Choice?

Before the iPhone 17 crash-landed onto the scene, recommending the Pixel 10 was a no-brainer. It wasthephone to get. But Apple, in a move that can only be described as audacious, has dropped the iPhone 17, and it’s a game-changer. Suddenly, the Pixel 10 faces stiff competition.

The problem? Apple cranked the value dial to eleven. For thesameprice, the iPhone 17 doubles the storage. Ouch.

Still a die-hard Android devotee? Pixel loyalist until your last breath? Then the Pixel 10 remains a solid choice. But objectively speaking, that iPhone 17 offer is mighty tempting, even for seasoned Pixel fans. The storage alone might sway you.

You should buy the Google Pixel 10 if:

You don’t need the “Pro” experience.
You want a smaller phone, at a smaller price.

You should not buy the Google Pixel 10 if:

You want a great telephoto camera.
You need a phone with a vapor chamber and thus more battery life.

Thanks for reading Google Pixel 10 Review: The Biggest Upgrade to the “Base” Model Yet