The Pixel 10 lineup brings measured but meaningful improvements across all models, including a dedicated telephoto lens on the base Pixel 10 and Qi2 wireless charging with integrated magnets. The base Pixel 10 targets most buyers with balanced features and a new Indigo color, though integrating a telephoto into the rear camera bar creates design trade-offs. The Pixel 10 Pro XL stands out for top performance and superior battery endurance, making it the preferred choice for power users. Hands-on impressions emphasize refinement over radical redesigns, with one higher-end model delivering the clearest gains.
I'll be honest: My expectations going into my demos were on the lower side. I had just wrapped up testing Samsung's $1,900 foldable phone, and Google all but confirmed the new Pixel phones would look identical to last year's, spoiling the surprise ahead of this week's event. The question I had going in was simple: Was this a lack of ambition or a sign of unwavering confidence?
It took only minutes of hands-on time to find the answer -- and realize just how wrong I was about which Pixel model I would actually want this year. No, the designers at Google haven't run out of ideas for decorating a glass rectangle; instead, they've improved something that was already great. And one model in particular left the biggest impression on me.
Going into the Made by Google event, I was fully prepared to slap my wallet down for the standard Pixel 10 model, ending a seven-year streak of buying the XL/Pro variant. The writing was on the wall: A dedicated telephoto lens would give the base Pixel the camera bump it needed to rival its Pro siblings, Qi2 wireless charging with integrated magnets set the stage for Android's MagSafe moment, and a charming Indigo color (pictured above) had my caseless habits drooling.
Collection
[
|
...
]