I’ve tried Google’s stunning new mobile with photo trick that’s not on iPhone

GOOGLE, am I in love?

Well yes, probably – with the Google Pixel 10 Pro smartphone. It’s the tech giant’s latest mobile, and it’s packed with loads of tricks, including a clever camera feature missing on the iPhone.

14

I’ve been testing the new Google mobile out for about a week.

It’s part of a batch of four new models: the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

The first three have all just arrived in stores, but the latter – a foldable model – won’t drop until October 9.

The Pixel 10 Pro is the cheapest of the “premium” Pro devices at £999/$999, and it’s probably my pick in terms of value for money.

Google Pixel 10 Pro, from £999

PIXEL 10 PRO DESIGN

Physically? It looks and feels great.

It has a silky aluminium casing that keeps the phone nice and light.

And I’ve been using the Obsidian colour option, which is conservative but still beautiful. It’s probably my favourite. Moonstone and Jade are are bit more colourful, and there’s a stylish Porcelain colourway too.

The Pixel 10 Pro is smaller than the Pro 10 XL, with a 6.3-inch display rather than the 6.8-inch panel.

It’s the same size screen as you get on the iPhone 16 Pro, if you’re trying to visualise it.

The panel is OLED (so the pixels self-illuminate rather than needing a large backlight – and can be switched off individually), so you get great contrast with true blacks.

And it’s very pixel-dense at 495 pixels-per-inch, with a resolution of 1,280 x 2,856.

In fact, it’s marginally more pixel-dense than the Pro XL due to the smaller screen.

It’s protected by tough Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, although I’m not brave enough to toss it on the floor to test this.

The screen is very bright, reaching 2,200 nits with HDR video and 3,300 nits peak brightness.

14

If that doesn’t mean anything to you, what I’ll say is: it’s more than capable of being used outdoors in direct sunlight with zero visibility issues, and HDR-friendly movies look brilliant on it.

The panel is bright, colour-accurate, and has enough pixels to make watching movies on the train a detailed delight.

PIXEL 10 PRO CAMERA

Google has fitted the Pixel 10 Pro with a very respectable 42-megapixel selfie cam that takes lovely and accurate shots.

But the real magic is on the back, where Google is using a triple-camera system.

It’s made up of a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide shooter (also used for macro shots), and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens.

The camera is impressive – even in low light.

But high-end phone cameras usually are these days.

It has a few extra tricks, like a feature that guides you on how to take better pictures in real-time.

14

And there’s a trick that picks out the best expressions in group photos, so you don’t end up with one where your eyes are closed.

But by far, the feature I was most desperate to test was the 100x Pro Res Zoom.

As soon as Google announced it, I needed to see it in action.

It works using some clever computing and generative AI to go far beyond the 5x optical zoom that you’re getting from the telephoto lens.

It’s almost like extreme guesswork to get you a view of what the 100x should look like.

I tried it with a load of snaps, and it’s clearly very impressive.

14

14

14

14

14

14

There’s no denying that you’re left with what looks like a photo taken relatively close – even if you’re shockingly far away.

It raises some interesting philosophical questions. Is this really a photo? If you’re trying to capture memories, is this achieving that?

We’ve clearly been Photoshopping and filtering pics for a very long time, but this is something different.

I don’t know the answer. It’s a big question that probably doesn’t have an answer.

But what I can say is that it’s very cool, and it works as intended. So if you like the idea of it, then you’ll probably like it in practice too.

PIXEL 10 PRO SOFTWARE

The phone runs on Android 16, the latest version of Google’s operating system.

The advantage that Pixel phones have above all other Android rivals is that Google makes both the software and the hardware.

Firstly, that means that the phones can be designed as efficiently as possible.

But secondly, it means that Pixel phones get the latest features first – and sometimes, exclusively.

So if you’re a tech fanatic obsessed with getting the bleeding edge Google goodness, Pixel is the way to go.

Google is also promising at least seven years of software and security updates.

14

There are lots of new tricks on the Pixel 10 Pro.

Magic Cue serves up content from across your phone when you need it.

So if you’re catching a flight and someone asks you what time you’re flying over text, it’ll flag the answer for you. You can just tap it above the keyboard to send it.

It can pull from right across your mobile ecosystem, including from photos – because it understands what’s going on inside pictures.

There’s real-time voice translation that lets you make calls in foreign languages in your own voice. Yes, really.

And the phone can even take call notes for you. Clever stuff.

You also get very easy access to Google’s Gemini AI assistant.

It’s brilliant. I’ve written about its brains multiple times – from using it as a holiday hack to saving money on clothes and furniture.

Gemini is my favourite of the AI chatbot lot right now. Bravo, Google.

PIXEL 10 PRO PERFORMANCE

Powering all of this is Google’s nippy Tensor G5 chip.

Outright smartphone performance hasn’t been a huge issue for a while now. Most apps, games, and tough tasks like video editing can be capably handled by modern high-end mobiles.

But the pressures of on-device AI are putting fresh demands on mobile chips again.

Google says its Tensor G5 has is particularly focused on enabling AI tricks.

For instance, it’s behind the Pro Res Zoom I mentioned earlier. That feature works when you’re offline, because all of the processing is happening on the device rather than being shifted off to the cloud.

After all, you don’t want to snap a pic only to find that it didn’t capture properly because you had no phone signal.

You get 16GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as standard.

14

But you can pay extra to spec the storage right up through 256GB, 512GB, and on to 1TB.

It’s worth noting that there’s no 128GB option on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

PIXEL 10 PRO BATTERY LIFE

Battery life has been brilliant.

Inside there’s a 4,870mAh battery, which supports fast charging for a 55% top-up in 30 minutes.

The official claim is “24 hours plus”, which seems about right. You could definitely get away with not charging for two days if you’re careful.

Google has also taken a leaf out of Apple’s book with Pixelsnap, which allows accessories to magnetically attach to the back of the phone.

Part of this means support for Pixelsnap wireless charging up to 15W.

But it also means you could stick other things to the back of the phone.

14

Even Apple MagSafe accessories, it seems. I tried sticking my Apple MagSafe Wallet to the Pixel 10 Pro, and it attached neatly and securely. Lovely stuff.

SHOULD YOU BUY THE GOOGLE PIXEL 10 PRO?

This is about as good as Android phones get these days.

Sure, it’s not cheap at £999 / $999, but it’s a high-end mobile.

The Pixel 10 is available for a couple hundred less, and it’s great. You’ll have to put up with a slightly less pixel-dense display, less RAM and fewer storage options, and a worse (but by no means bad) camera.

But the Pixel 10 is probably the more sensible option for most people.

If you’re a phone fanatic and can afford it, the Pixel 10 Pro is a great buy and good value for money, considering the computing heft and feature set you’re getting.

This is pure Android bliss.

Sure, it doesn’t fold like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 – another spectacular mobile. Though it will on October 9 when the Pixel 10 Pro Fold drops.

But not everyone wants a foldable phone – and fewer still will be willing to pay the hefty price tag for one.

Obviously there’s an elephant in the room. The iPhone 17 Pro is looming, set for reveal on September 9 and probably due out on September 19.

But if you’re an Android fan, it’s probably worth just sticking with Android. 

This isn’t worth the upgrade over the Pixel 9 Pro.

But if you’re coming from a much older Android phone, this is a brilliant buy that you’ll absolutely enjoy.

If you don’t like the Pixel 10 Pro, you probably don’t like Android.

The Sun says: The purest Android phone with a gorgeous design, powerful camera, an endless supply of tricks and features, and a very reasonable price tag. 5/5

Google Pixel 10 Pro, from £999

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.

Always do your own research before making any purchase.

14