We got our first good look at the Google Pixel 10 series a few days ago, with leaked renders revealing a trio of Pixel handsets that look virtually identical to their predecessors. If you’ve seen the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, then you’ve seen the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL. Besides the peculiar addition of a third camera on the base Pixel 10, there really isn’t anything new here.
While the knee-jerk reaction may be to dismiss these renders as boring, I’m actually perfectly happy with Google keeping this design language for another generation. Google’s build quality for the Pixel 9 series is among the best in the industry, and I love the overall aesthetics. A new design would have been exciting, sure, but it’s hard to complain too much when the current offering is this good.
However, I say all of that with a looming asterisk. As much as I love the build and visuals of this Pixel design, I do have one problem with it — and there’s no sign of it being fixed with the Google Pixel 10 family.
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The Google Pixel 9 and 9 Pro have a weight problem
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On paper, that might sound crazy. The Pixel 9 Pro weighs 199 grams, and while that is on the heavier side, plenty of other phones weigh more than that. For some context:
- The Nothing Phone 3a weighs 201 grams.
- The OnePlus 13 weighs 210 grams.
- The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra weighs 218 grams.
- The Xiaomi 15 Ultra weighs 226 grams.
However, there’s a significant difference here. Whereas the Pixel 9 Pro has a fairly compact 6.3-inch display, all of the above phones have display sizes ranging from 6.7 to 6.9 inches. It’s the same deal with the regular Pixel 9, which also has a 6.3-inch display and weighs 198 grams.
C. Scott Brown /
Compared to other “small” phones, the unusual weight of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro becomes more apparent. The base model Galaxy S25, for example, has a 6.2-inch screen and weighs just 162 grams — and it’s so much more comfortable to hold. The same is true of the iPhone 16, which has a 6.1-inch screen and weighs 170 grams.
Despite having roughly the same display size, the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro feel bulky in a way the Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 do not. While not the heaviest phones on paper, because all that weight is crammed into a much smaller profile, you feel it more than on other devices.
The Pixel 9 Pro’s weight is one of my least favorite qualities about the phone.
Of course, the counterargument here is that the Pixel 9 Pro has to be heavier than those other phones because it’s doing more than them. The Pixel 9 Pro has a significantly larger battery than the S25 and iPhone 16, and it’s the only one with a periscope telephoto camera, too. Bigger batteries + more advanced cameras = more weight, and it’s a tradeoff to be expected at least to some degree. Conversely, that argument falls apart when you factor in the base Pixel 9 weighing just as much and only having two cameras.
Furthermore, it’s not just other small phones that the Pixel 9 Pro doesn’t compare well against. Holding the Pixel 9 Pro and the OnePlus 13 side-by-side, the OnePlus 13 feels lighter even though it’s 11 grams heavier. Since the OnePlus 13 is wider and taller, there’s more space for its weight to be evenly distributed, resulting in a much better in-hand feel. And that’s despite also having a periscope telephoto camera and a battery that’s 1,300 mAh larger than the Pixel.
It doesn’t look like the Pixel 10 will fix this
Pixel 10 Pro leaked renders
Assuming the latest Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 renders are accurate, the weight issue almost certainly isn’t going anywhere. The Pixel 10 Pro’s dimensions are basically identical to that of the Pixel 9 Pro, with the new model supposedly measuring 0.10mm thicker than its predecessor. The base Pixel 10 is also a hair thicker, but with the possible inclusion of another camera sensor, there’s a chance it could be even heavier.
It’s entirely possible that Google may find a way to trim down this year’s phones — and I hope it does. But if we’re getting such similar designs and dimensions as the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, it’s hard to envision that leaving Google any wiggle room to shed a few much-needed grams.
The display size is right, but the weight sours the whole small phone experience.
While I certainly don’t think this will ruin Google’s next Pixel phones, I can’t help but feel disappointed. Especially for the Pixel 9 Pro, the whole point between it and the XL model was to have the Pro features in a small, compact phone. The display size is right, but the weight sours the whole small phone experience in a way that I really do not enjoy.
We should learn a lot more about the Pixel 10 series in the weeks ahead, and while I’m not holding my breath for lighter phones this year, I’m still crossing my fingers that Google finds a way to make it happen.
