Summary
- Google took the wraps off its Pixel 10 series at a recent hardware keynote on August 20.
- The company launched four Pixel 10 smartphones, in addition to three all-new Pixelsnap accessories and two new wearables.
- Unsurprisingly, the leaks and rumors surrounding the Pixel 10 lineup proved remarkably accurate.
After many months of non-stop rumors and speculation, Google has formally unveiled its next-generation Pixel 10 series of smartphones to the world. At its Made by Google hardware conference, the company took the wraps off the Pixel 10, the Pixel 10 Pro, the Pixel 10 Pro, and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, in addition to three new charging peripherals and two new wearable gadgets.
As posited by leaks of both the sanctioned and unsanctioned variety, Google’s main slab-style flagship Pixel 10 models are physically similar to their Pixel 9 series counterparts from last year. Externally, the devices maintain the sleek aesthetic we’ve come to know and love, right down to the signature Pixel camera bar flanking each unit’s rear panel. All models retain roughly similar footprints to their predecessors, with a familiar 6.3-inch display size for the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro, and a 6.8-inch display size for the 10 Pro XL.
- Brand
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Google
- SoC
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Tensor G5
- Display
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6.3-inch Actua Display 1080 x 2424 pixel resolution OLED (60-120Hz)
- RAM
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12GB
Google’s Pixel 10 features the tech giant’s new Tensor G5 chip and a three-camera setup for the first time that includes a 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera.
Colorways are also nearly exactly as predicted, with the standard Pixel 10 coming in a choice of obsidian (black), lemongrass (yellowish-green, originally rumored to have been called limoncello), frost (light blue), and indigo (dark blue) — indigo being a clear throwback to the days of the original 2016 Pixel’s popular very blue hue. The Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL, meanwhile, are available in obsidian (black), porcelain (white), jade (pale yellowish-green), and moonstone (light gray with blue undertones).
Notably, the standard Pixel 10 is the first non-Pro model from Google to feature a triple rear camera array.
Key hardware and software specifications are shared across the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL, including the all-new Tensor G5 mobile chipset, IP68 water and dust resistance, Android 16 with Material 3 Expressive out of the box, and the much-anticipated inclusion of built-in Qi2 wireless charging magnets (branded as Pixelsnap) within each handset.
Notably, the standard Pixel 10 is the first non-Pro model from Google to feature a triple rear camera array, with a combination of wide angle, ultra-wide angle, and 5X telephoto zoom lenses similar to that of the 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL. While the setup itself isn’t as advanced as the Pro variants from a megapixel, sensor size, and zoom distance standpoint, Google’s computational photography prowess is doubtlessly firing on all cylinders in the background.
The Pixel 10 starts at $800 USD / $1,099 CAD, and ships with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage (configurable up to 256GB). The Pixel 10 Pro is listed at $1000 USD / $1,350 CAD, and ships with 128GB of storage (with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options also available). Last but not least, the Pixel 10 Pro XL starts at $1200 USD / $1,630 CAD, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of base storage, configurable in 512GB and 1TB options.
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- Brand
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Google
- SoC
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Tensor G5
- Display
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6.3-inch Super Actua display 1280 x 2856 pixel resolution OLED (1-120Hz)
- RAM
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16GB
- Storage
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128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Battery
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4,870mAh, 30+ hours of battery life
The Pixel 10 Pro features Google’s new Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. The smartphone’s overall design looks very similar to its predecessor, including its sprawling camera bump.
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- Brand
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Google
- SoC
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Tensor G5
- Display
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6.8-inch Super Actua display 1344 x 2992 pixel resolution OLED (1-120Hz)
- RAM
-
16GB
- Storage
-
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Battery
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5,200mAh, 30+ hours of battery life
The 6.8-inch Pixel 10 XL features the same specs as the Pixel 10, including Google’s Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and a suite of Gemini AI-powered features.
Refinement is the name of the game
With Google’s latest slab-style Pixel phones, it’s all about improving the end-user experience
With a design language and overall hardware aesthetic that matches that of last year’s Pixel 9 lineup, it’s clear that the Pixel 10 series is an ‘S’ upgrade through and through. I’d argue that this isn’t a bad thing in the slightest — Google has taken a winning formula and sprinkled some nice quality-of-life additions into the mix, such as the aforementioned Pixelsnap Qi2 support and the telephoto camera on the non-Pro Pixel 10 model.
The company has also been hard at work giving its Android 16 operating system a visual glow up, and the fruits of this labor are on full display with the Pixel 10 series’ Material 3 Expressive visual flourishes right out of the box. The system is teaming with playful new animations, blur effects, and haptics that are sure to make the Pixel 10 look and feel that little bit more premium right from day one.
Personally, I’ve been a big fan of the Pixel 9 Pro for the better part of a year now, and the potent mix of built-in Pixelsnap, a lovely new moonstone colorway, and a faster processor might just be enough to entice me to take the plunge on Google hardware for a second year in a row. And while I’m still firmly on the side of slab-style phones at the moment, Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is shaping up to be an enticing book-style foldable worthy of checking out in its own right.
