Google Pixel 10 battery life really isn’t as good as I’d hoped

For the past few weeks, we’ve been thoroughly exploring all three of the new Google Pixel 10 models across the Android Authority team and have come to the joint conclusion that battery life could, frankly, be better. Thankfully, we’ve all been reaching the end of most days without desperately dashing for a charger. However, some models are definitely better than others, and the phones certainly haven’t closed the gap on rivals that offer longer screen-on-time.

Surprisingly, despite its larger battery, the Pixel 10 Pro XL has fared worse in our testing than the two smaller handsets. Anecdotally, we’ve struggled to reach much beyond four hours of screen-on time with the XL, while the regular Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro manage closer to five hours — or even a little more with lighter use. That’s a pretty significant discrepancy, and one we certainly didn’t expect.

Compounding our sense of disappointment is that pre-launch expectations were high. Google’s switch to TSMC’s smaller and more efficient 3nm process (from last year’s 4nm Samsung Foundry chips) was supposed to bring major power savings for the Tensor G5, putting it closer to the efficiency we expect from Apple and Qualcomm. Pair that with slightly larger batteries across the Pixel 10 lineup, and it looked like battery life might finally take a decent step, if not a leap, forward.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. While the Pixel 10 models sometimes outperform their predecessors, they also fall short in other scenarios. Our test suite paints a mixed picture.

Our data shows gains in web browsing and 4K video playback, pointing to efficiency improvements in the Tensor G5’s CPU and video decoder for lighter tasks. However, in more CPU-heavy workloads, like Zoom calls and 4K recording, both the Pixel 10 and Pro XL perform worse than last year’s models. Camera endurance is also weaker on the 10 Pro XL, though roughly the same on the Pixel 10 compared to the Pixel 9. This inconsistency aligns with the mixed day-to-day results we’ve experienced.

Perhaps the most concerning trend across all of these results is that the Pixel 10 outperforms the Pixel 10 Pro XL, except for 4K capture. The bigger and more pixel-dense display, 120Hz adaptive display enabled by default, and perhaps memory or other hardware differences could all contribute. Maybe some of the new AI tools are eating away at whatever efficiency gains Google managed to make? Whatever the cause, our hands-on use makes it clear: the Pixel 10 Pro XL doesn’t deliver the strong battery life its size suggests.

As always, treat these battery life benchmarks as rough estimates rather than absolute values. Throw in background tasks, browsing different sites, or dubious cell reception; the results will skew a bit. That said, there are some clear trends, and none of them paint the Pixel 10 series in a particularly great light.

None of this is to say you shouldn’t buy a Pixel 10. For most people, a full day of use is enough. But you should carefully consider battery life before spending your hard-earned cash — especially given the fact that the Pixel 10 series remains slow to charge. The most demanding users may find that these handsets struggle to keep up.

In our time with the phones, the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro usually reach the end of the day with a little power left in the tank, but neither has managed to make it meaningfully into a second day without recharging. That’s fine, but far from impressive compared to rival phones at similar price points. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is more worrying: while it generally can power through, it often dips below 20% and Battery Saver mode kicks in before we’re ready to call it a day. For anyone needing five or more hours of screen time each day, the XL might not be a dependable choice.

Yes, you can carry a power bank or top up occasionally, but there’s another concern. Google’s Battery Health Assistant will start slowly capping the phone’s peak battery capacity after as few as 200 charge cycles — well within the first year of use. What is just about acceptable today will feel frustratingly inadequate in two years. If you plan on keeping your Pixel 10 for the long haul, just factor in the likelihood of one or two battery replacements over its promised seven-year support cycle.