This is why I stick with Google Pixel phones — despite the weaker specs

As with every Google Pixel launch, this year’s Pixel 10 series has been no stranger to criticism, with much of it directed at the Pixel 10’s poor specs.

Compared to flagships from Samsung, OnePlus, and others, there’s plenty to critique about the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro. The Pixel 10 lineup doesn’t stand out for its amazing battery life. Google isn’t pushing any boundaries with its wired charge speeds. And, perhaps the hottest point of contention, the Tensor G5 chip just isn’t as powerful as its Snapdragon and MediaTek rivals.

Those are all fair points to raise, and if you’re a power user, I understand why those shortcomings can make Google’s Pixel phones so unappealing. But despite those weaker specs, there’s a reason why I stick with Pixel, and it’s something no other Android phone can replicate.

We often mention Pixel-exclusive features in passing when talking about Pixel phones, but that doesn’t do the features justice. Take Google’s Call Assist tools as an example. It’s one thing to say they’re great, but once you use them for yourself, you realize just how game-changing they really are.

Every Android phone has some type of spam call filtering, but Scam Detection on Pixel phones is by far the best I’ve ever used. It runs on-device to answer suspected scam calls in the background, so your phone never rings, and you don’t need to do anything. As a result, I receive significantly fewer spam calls when I use a Pixel compared to any other Android phone, and that alone is a massive win.

I also love Direct My Call, which transcribes automated phone menus and turns those “Press 1 for X” prompts into buttons you can easily read and tap. And the new Take a Message feature, which transcribes voicemails and displays them right on the Home page (along with a suggested Google Calendar reminder based on the message), has been wonderful.

Now Playing also remains one of the best features ever on any Android phone, even eight years after it initially debuted on the Pixel 2. Having my phone automatically detect and ID a song playing in a bar or coffee shop will never not feel like magic. My mom recently saw Now Playing in action while we were getting tea over the weekend and immediately asked if it was something she could get on her phone.

Pixel Screenshots is a newer Pixel feature, and while I don’t use it every day, I always appreciate it when I do. When I take a screenshot of a barcode for a movie ticket that my theater emailed me, Pixel Screenshots provides a shortcut to instantly add it to Google Wallet. The At a Glance widget on Google’s Pixel Launcher does an excellent job of showing upcoming calendar events, reminders, weather forecast, and more right on my home screen — and, more conveniently, at all times with the always-on display enabled.

These features may not sound all that impressive on paper, especially if you’ve never used a Pixel. But the way they all come together in daily use means my Pixel 10 Pro feels smarter and more helpful than a Galaxy S25 Ultra or OnePlus 13. They’re features that genuinely make my day easier, and if having them comes at the expense of multi-day battery life or blazing fast charge speeds, that’s a price I’ll happily pay.

I’ve been a fan of Google’s Pixel software for years at this point, but my appreciation for the Pixel experience grew even more in 2025 with the release of Android 16 and Google’s Material 3 Expressive design language.

Google’s Pixel interface has always had a simple, clean aesthetic, though it never felt unique or opinionated. Material 3 Expressive and its big, bold, and “expressive” design elements add much-needed character to the Pixel UI, and it does so without looking gaudy or overbearing.

I realize not everyone is in love with Material 3 Expressive, but having now used M3E since this summer with the Android 16 QPR1 beta, it has firmly cemented itself as my new favorite Android skin. The bouncy animations, clever haptic feedback, and bright colors add a sense of whimsy to Google’s Pixel phones that I don’t feel with Samsung’s One UI or OnePlus’s OxygenOS.

Furthermore, Google has also done an excellent job of bringing this design language to apps like Gmail, Keep, Wallet, and more. When you use those apps on a Pixel — combined with the system-wide Material 3 Expressive UI elements — you end up with a level of software cohesion not seen on any other Android phone today. And for a design/UI nerd like me, I absolutely love it.

Thanks to the enormous privilege of my job, I have access to many of the year’s best Android phones at any given time. If I opened my office closet right now, I could grab the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 7, OnePlus 13, Motorola Razr Plus — the list goes on. Many of those phones have better specs than the Pixel 10 Pro, whether that’s a better chipset, longer battery life, faster charging, etc.

But because of the user experience the Pixel 10 Pro provides, it’s the phone I carry instead. It’s not the fastest phone I have, the best for mobile gaming, or the longest lasting. But what it is is one of the smartest and most enjoyable phones I’ve used in 2025.

Google’s Pixel phones aren’t for everybody, and I’ll be the first to acknowledge that. If specs matter to you, then yeah, you should probably stick with OnePlus or Samsung. But for someone like me who craves thoughtful software over crazy benchmark numbers, Pixel phones are the perfect choice. They have been for years, and pending any drastic strategy shift from Google, they’ll continue to be for the foreseeable future.