Pixel 10 Review: Performance, AI, and New Features
The Google Pixel line has always carved its niche not through brute force hardware, but through intelligent software and a photographic prowess that often defied its spec sheet. It represents Google’s vision for Android—clean, smart, and deeply integrated with AI. With the arrival of the Pixel 10, the expectation was a refinement of this successful formula. It brings the much-anticipated Tensor G5 chip, a brighter display, and, for the first time in the non-Pro model, a dedicated telephoto lens.
However, after spending considerable time with the device, the Pixel 10 presents itself as a perplexing paradox. For every exciting step forward, it seems to take a baffling step back. It is a device powered by futuristic AI ambitions but grounded by some questionable hardware choices that leave it feeling strangely out of step with both its predecessor and its competition.
Google Pixel 10 Specs at a Glance
- Body: 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.6 mm, 204g; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant.
- Display: 6.30″ OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2000 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak), 1080x2424px resolution (422ppi).
- Chipset: Google Tensor G5 (3nm TSMC): Octa-core (1×3.78 GHz Cortex-X4 & 5×3.05 GHz Cortex-A725 & 2×2.25 GHz Cortex-A520); PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU.
- Memory: 128GB (UFS 3.1) or 256GB (UFS 4.0) storage, 12GB RAM.
- OS/Software: Android 16 with 7 years of OS and security updates.
- Rear Cameras:
- Wide (Main): 48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm, 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS.
- Telephoto: 10.8 MP, f/3.1, 112mm, 1/3.2″, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom.
- Ultra wide: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/3.1″, PDAF.
- Front Camera: 10.5 MP, f/2.2, 20mm, 95˚ FoV, PDAF.
- Battery: 4970mAh; 30W wired (PD3.0, PPS), 15W wireless (Qi2-certified Pixelsnap), Reverse Wired Charging.
- Connectivity: 5G, LTE, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6e, BT 5.4, NFC.
- Misc: Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader, stereo speakers, Satellite SOS.
- Pricing:
- 128GB/12GB RAM: $799 / €777 / ₹76,990
- 256GB/12GB RAM: $899
Design and Ergonomics: Familiar Excellence
Unboxing the Pixel 10 is a typically spartan affair: you get the phone, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and the usual paperwork. There is no charger in the box, so you’ll need a 30W Power Delivery charger with PPS support to achieve the maximum advertised speeds.
In hand, the Pixel 10 is a masterclass in ergonomics. It continues the design language of its predecessors with the iconic monolithic camera bar stretching across the back. The build quality is impeccable, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back seamlessly meeting the matte-finished aluminum rails. At 6.3 inches, it hits the sweet spot for a “compact” flagship in 2025—easy to manage one-handed without feeling cramped.
A subtle but welcome upgrade is the introduction of Qi2 wireless charging, which Google has branded Pixelsnap. The internal magnets ensure perfect alignment with compatible chargers, providing a satisfying and secure snap, much like Apple’s MagSafe.
However, two classic Pixel quirks remain. The power button is still positioned above the volume rocker, a layout that continues to defy industry convention and will require a brief adjustment period for newcomers. Secondly, while the move to an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is a huge improvement in speed and reliability over past optical sensors, it remains inactive when the display is fully off. You must tap the screen or lift the phone to wake it before you can unlock, a minor but persistent annoyance.
Display: A True Beacon of Light ☀️
The Pixel 10’s display is, without a doubt, a highlight. While it’s not an advanced LTPO panel—meaning its refresh rate only switches between 60Hz and 120Hz—its sheer brightness is astounding. We measured a dazzling 2,030 nits in auto mode, making it one of the most legible screens we’ve ever tested under direct sunlight. HDR10+ content on Netflix and YouTube pops with incredible vibrancy and specular highlights.
Colors are accurate, viewing angles are excellent, and the 120Hz refresh rate ensures that scrolling through the OS is a fluid, responsive experience. While competitors may offer more granular refresh rate control for better power efficiency, you’d be hard-pressed to find any fault with the visual quality of this panel.
Performance: The Tensor G5 Conundrum ⚙️
The new Tensor G5 chip, built on TSMC’s more efficient 3nm process, was meant to be a significant leap. And in some ways, it is. In pure CPU and GPU benchmarks like GeekBench and 3DMark, it shows a healthy generational improvement over the Tensor G4.
However, the overall picture is complicated. In holistic benchmarks like AnTuTu, the Pixel 10 actually scores lower than the Pixel 9. This suggests a potential bottleneck, possibly with the UFS 3.1 storage controller on our 128GB review unit.
The more pressing issue is sustained performance. The Pixel 10 gets noticeably warm under load and throttles heavily. In our 30-minute CPU stress test, performance dropped to a shocking 28% of its maximum capacity. While day-to-day navigation and app usage remain smooth, this aggressive throttling makes the phone a poor choice for serious mobile gamers or power users. The raw power simply isn’t available for extended periods.
Battery Life and Charging: A Race to the Bottom 🔋
On paper, a larger 4,970 mAh battery and a more efficient chip should yield better endurance. In reality, the Pixel 10’s battery life is deeply disappointing. It achieved a meager 9 hours and 38 minutes in our active use score, a significant regression from the Pixel 9 and trailing far behind every major competitor. The phone struggles particularly with video playback and gaming, draining much faster than expected.
Charging speeds are equally underwhelming. A full charge from 0% took a sluggish 1 hour and 37 minutes. A 30-minute top-up only gets you to 46%, which feels archaic in an era where rivals offer full charges in under an hour. Google’s focus on long-term battery health is commendable, but the day-to-day experience is frustratingly slow.
Software: The Saving Grace ✨
If the hardware story is one of compromise, the software is where the Pixel 10 truly shines. Running Android 16 and backed by Google’s industry-leading promise of 7 years of OS updates, the user experience is intelligent, fluid, and intuitive.
This year’s standout features are powered by a vastly more capable on-device TPU:
- Magic Cue: This proactive AI assistant is a game-changer. It analyzes your on-screen context and cross-references information from your other apps. For example, if you’re texting a friend about dinner plans, Magic Cue will pop up with relevant restaurant suggestions from Maps and availability from your Calendar, all without you having to switch apps.
- Gemini Live (Enhanced): Gemini’s real-time conversational abilities now extend to your camera. You can point it at a plant, and it will not only identify it but also visually guide you through pruning it by highlighting the correct stems to cut on your screen.
- Vibe Edit in Photos: The new “Vibe Edit” tool is remarkably powerful. Instead of manually tweaking sliders, you can simply type a description like, “Make this sunset photo look more dramatic and warm,” and the AI will perform a complex, multi-layered edit in seconds.
The Pixel software experience remains unmatched in its cleverness and utility, but it feels constrained by the underperforming hardware it runs on.
Camera: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back 📸
The Pixel 10’s camera system is the embodiment of its identity crisis. The addition of a 5x optical telephoto lens is a fantastic upgrade for versatility, finally allowing for high-quality zoomed-in shots on the base Pixel model.
Unfortunately, this addition comes at a steep cost. Both the main and ultrawide cameras have been downgraded to smaller sensors compared to the Pixel 9. The result is a noticeable step back in core image quality.
- Main Camera: In good light, photos have that classic “Pixel look”—excellent dynamic range, pleasing colors, and perfect contrast. However, the smaller sensor struggles to resolve fine detail. Foliage, distant textures, and complex patterns look soft and over-processed upon closer inspection.
- 5x Telephoto Camera: The zoom is genuinely useful for getting closer to subjects. The images are decent for social media, with good color matching to the main lens, but they are soft and lack the crisp detail of telephoto lenses on competing flagships.
- Ultrawide Camera: The downgrade here is significant. Not only is the sensor smaller, but it also loses the autofocus capability of its predecessor, rendering it useless for macro shots. Image quality is acceptable in bright daylight but quickly becomes soft and noisy as light levels drop.
- Low Light: Google’s Night Sight processing works its magic, pulling impressive images from the main camera. However, the telephoto and ultrawide cameras struggle immensely, producing soft, noisy, and often unusable shots.
Overall, while the 5x zoom adds flexibility, the fundamental image quality from the two most-used cameras has regressed. It’s a trade-off that we believe was not worth making.
Verdict
The Google Pixel 10 is a deeply frustrating phone. It is home to one of the brightest displays on the market and a software experience that feels like it’s from the future. The promise of seven years of updates remains a powerful reason to choose a Pixel.
However, these strengths are critically undermined by baffling hardware decisions. The abysmal battery life, slow charging, and aggressive performance throttling are issues that affect the core user experience daily. Most critically, the decision to downgrade the main and ultrawide cameras in favor of a mediocre telephoto lens feels like a miscalculation of what users value most.
While the AI features are brilliant, they feel trapped in a phone that can’t keep up. In its current state, the Pixel 10 drifts further from its competitors, making it difficult to recommend over the better-value Pixel 9 or more capable rivals from Samsung and Apple.
Pros:
✔️ Class-leading display brightness and quality.
✔️ Superb ergonomics and premium build.
✔️ Genius-level AI software features on Android 16.
✔️ Unbeatable 7-year software update commitment.
✔️ Addition of versatile Qi2 “Pixelsnap” charging.
Cons:
❌ Deeply disappointing battery life.
❌ Slow charging speeds for a 2025 flagship.
❌ Tensor G5 throttles heavily under load.
❌ Main and ultrawide cameras are a downgrade from last year.
❌ Entry-level 128GB model uses slower UFS 3.1 storage.
