The very best Android smartphone you should buy

Google’s Pixel sequence is again with the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. After spending a number of days utilizing the Pixel 10 Professional as my predominant smartphone, it is clearly a really iterative, however strong step ahead for the Pixel line, particularly in comparison with final 12 months’s wonderful Pixel 9 Pro.

On the {hardware} facet, there’s little or no distinction between the Pixel 10 Professional and its predecessor. The Pixel 10 Professional appears to be like similar, full with the identical squared-off sides and substantial digicam bump Google launched with the Pixel 9 sequence. I appreciated this look final 12 months, so I am completely high quality with it making a return. This time round, the important thing {hardware} upgrades embody the transition to Google’s TSMC-made Tensor G5 chip and the introduction of PixelSnap circumstances and equipment, which lastly brings magnetic iPhone-like MagSafe charging and equipment to Android. I am a giant fan of MagSafe and have discovered PixelSnap to be simply nearly as good, if not higher.

After all, there’s additionally a slew of recent AI options, together with Magic Cue, AI Digicam Coach, Digicam Coach, and extra. As is the case with most AI performance, not all of the Pixel 10 sequence’ additions are as helpful as Google goals for them to be, and in some circumstances, they do not even work — a minimum of not but.

Value, availability, and specs

The Pixel 10 Professional and Pixel 10 Professional XL begin at $1,000 and $1,200, respectively, and launch on August twenty eighth. This 12 months, there is no $1,099 128GB model of the Professional XL, with storage beginning at 256GB for the Pixel 10 Professional XL.

The Pixel 10 Professional includes a 6.3-inch 1,280 x 2,856 pixel decision (495ppi) OLED 1-120Hz Tremendous Actua display screen, and the Pixel 10 Professional XL features a 6.8-inch 1,344 x 2,992 pixel decision (486ppi) OLED 1-120Hz Tremendous Precise show (these are the very same screens as final 12 months). Nonetheless, peak brightness has been elevated to three,300 nits from 3,000 nits.

RAM is available in at 16GB throughout each smartphones, with storage for the Pixel 10 Professional measuring at 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Alternatively, the Pixel 10 Professional XL provides 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage variants. On the digicam entrance, the shooters are similar to final 12 months’s, together with a f/1.6 50-megapixel predominant, a f/1.7 48-megapixel ultrawide, and a f/2.8 48-megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom. The selfie shooter can also be nonetheless f/2.2 42-megapixels.

Battery capability is available in at 4,700mAh (the identical because the Pixel 9 Professional) and 5,200mAh (up from 5,060mAh final 12 months), respectively. Lastly, the Pixel 10 Professional is able to 30W wi-fi charging, whereas the Pixel 10 Professional XL can deal with 45W. Each telephones can be found in obsidian, moonstone, porcelain, and jade.

• 	Google Pixel 10 Professional	Google Pixel 10 Professional XL
  Model	Google	Google
  SoC	Tensor G5	Tensor G5
  Show	6.3-inch Tremendous Actua show 1280 x 2856 pixel decision OLED (1-120Hz)	6.8-inch Tremendous Actua show 1344 x 2992 pixel decision OLED (1-120Hz)
  RAM	16GB	16GB
  Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB
  Battery	4,870mAh, 30+ hours of battery life	5,200mAh, 30+ hours of battery life
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  Working System	Android 16	Android 16
  Entrance digicam	42-megapixel f/2.2 selfie digicam	f/2.2 42-megapixel
  Rear digicam	50-megapixel f/1.68 extensive digicam, 48-megapixel f/1.7 ultrawide digicam, 48-megapixel f/2.8, telephoto digicam with 5x optical zoom	Large f/1.68 50-megapixel, ultrawide f/1.7 48-megapixel, telephoto f/2.8 48-megapixel
  Dimensions	6 x 2.8 x 0.3-inches (152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm)	6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3-inches (162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm)
  Weight	7.3oz (207g)	8.2oz (232g)
  Cost velocity	30+ hour battery life As much as 100-hour battery life with Excessive Battery Saver	Quick charging – as much as 70% in about 30 minutes7 – utilizing 45W USB-C, Pixelsnap wi-fi charging (Qi2.2-certified) as much as 25W

Pixel 10 Professional construct and design

Should you’ve used the Pixel 9 Professional, you may know what to anticipate

When capturing footage of the Pixel 10 Professional and Pixel 9 Professional for this evaluate, I briefly obtained the telephones confused — they appear actually comparable. This is not essentially a nasty factor because the Pixel 9 Professional is a great-looking smartphone. I like its squared off-sides and sizable digicam bump. In an trade stuffed with slab-shaped smartphones, the Pixel 10 Professional’s rear digicam island offers the telephone a much-needed dose of individuality that stands out. Initially, I did not just like the digicam bump final 12 months, however over the previous few months, it is grown on me significantly.

Final 12 months, I mentioned the Pixel 9 Professional borrowed just a few design cues from the iPhone 15 Professional after which put its personal spin on it. I’ve comparable emotions in regards to the Pixel 10 Professional, but when current rumors are correct, it appears to be like like Apple is poised to borrow from Google with the iPhone 17 Pro’s look this coming September. It appears Google is onto one thing with its sizable horizontal-oriented digicam bump and has began a development.

Nonetheless, identical to final 12 months, I want the Pixel 10 Professional featured the identical coloured matte sides because the Pixel 10 as an alternative of the shiny, jewelry-like edges which are mud and smudge magnets. They appear fairly garish, particularly in direct daylight, and are removed from my vibe. On the plus facet, the telephone options the identical great-feeling matte Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 again as final 12 months, which repels smudges and dirt extra successfully than the Pixel 10’s shiny again. I all the time put my smartphones in circumstances, so this is not a giant deal to me, however it’s nonetheless one in every of my key gripes with the Pixel 10 Professional’s design. The colours are somewhat low-key once more this 12 months, with jade (you’ll be able to see the colour all through this evaluate) and moonstone being the standout choices.

It is price mentioning that within the US, the Pixel 10 Professional is eSIM solely, which might make switching to the smartphone simpler or tougher, relying in your service. The Canadian model of the smartphone nonetheless has a bodily SIM card slot.

Lastly, there’s PixelSnap, Google’s magnetic Qi2-powered line of circumstances and chargers. I have been ready for Qi2’s MagSafe-like tech to return to Android for years, so it is nice to see Google lastly make it occur. The PixelSnap Charger ($40) sits firmly on the again of the Pixel 10 Professional, whether or not you’ve got a case on it or not, and the PixelSnap Charger with Stand ($69) appears like a high-quality dock on your smartphone.

Fortunately, all iPhone MagSafe equipment appear to work with the Pixel 10 Professional, together with my beloved MagSafe PopSocket and numerous MagSafe chargers. Which means that regardless of there solely being just a few official PixelSnap equipment obtainable proper now, the Pixel 10 Professional will work with each MagSafe accent already on the market. PixelSnap is a long-overdue step in the correct path for the Pixel line and one in every of Google’s newest flagship’s key promoting options.

Pixel 10 Professional show

Final 12 months’s spectacular display screen is again and brighter

The Pixel 10 Professional’s show appears to be like nice and is barely rivaled by Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro. Colours are vibrant and movement is {smooth}, because of its variable 1-120Hz refresh charge. Actually, I am unable to ask far more from a smartphone display screen — all the things appears to be like nice on it, whether or not I am watching the most recent season of King of the Hill on Disney+ or researching retro handhelds I need to stop buying on Reddit.

New this 12 months is the soar to three,300 nits of peak brightness, up from the Pixel 9 Professional’s 3,000 nits. This may not appear to be a leap on paper, however whenever you’re wanting on the Pixel 10 Professional’s show in direct daylight, you’ll be able to positively see the distinction. I’ve additionally discovered that I have to decrease the show brightness at night time, as it may be blinding.

It could have been good to see Google scale back the Pixel 9 Professional’s show bezels a bit, as they seem considerably substantial in comparison with the Galaxy S25 Extremely, however this can be a minor concern. Plus, the bezels form of disappear whenever you put the smartphone in a PixelSnap case, anyway.

Pixel 10 Professional digicam

Final 12 months’s cameras are again with an AI twist

On paper, the Pixel 10 Professional’s cameras are similar to final 12 months, together with a f/1.6 50-megapixel predominant, f/1.7 48-megapixel ultrawide, and f/2.8 48-megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom. The selfie shooter can also be nonetheless f/2.2 42-megapixels. As anticipated, I’ve discovered the pictures efficiency to be wonderful, providing true-to-life pictures that rival the most effective smartphone cameras obtainable.

The Pixel has all the time supplied a combination between Galaxy system’s extra ethereal type and the iPhone’s grounded strategy to pictures, and that continues to be true with the Pixel 10 Professional. Colours are brilliant, photos are clear, and the optical zoom is spectacular throughout the board.

This 12 months, the 50-megapixel predominant digicam options improved picture stabilization, however I did not discover a notable distinction throughout my time with the telephone to this point. The important thing digicam improve comes within the type of baked-in, AI-powered 100x Professional Res Zoom. This additionally brings up the query of what a photograph even is anymore if AI algorithms are altering images instantly in your digicam position as you’re taking them. Nonetheless, moderately than dive into that ethical conundrum, I am specializing in the characteristic’s typically spectacular efficiency.

While you jack Professional Res Zoom as much as 50x-100x, images simply do not look good. Pictures are over-sharpened, textual content is unreadable, and usually, these aren’t pictures I might need to share on social media and even save in my Photographs app. Alternatively, Professional Res Zoom appears to be like first rate from about 30x-40x, relying on what you are capturing.

Within the 30x Tremendous Res Zoom pictures above, each the sailboat and the geese are considerably sharper, but additionally noisier. I discover that at 30x, Tremendous Res Zoom pictures look fairly good and considerably resemble the magical characteristic Google is positioning it as.

While you flip Tremendous Res Zoom as much as 100x (or significantly much less usually), the artifacting is wild. The writing on the ship within the picture may be very odd, and so is the rear of the sailboat — it is nearly just like the water within the background melts into the boat. The identical could be mentioned in regards to the symbols on the life ring’s signal. What are they even speculated to be? They are not there in actual life.

General, Tremendous Res Zoom is spectacular, however it simply appears like a barely extra succesful model of Samsung’s 100x House Zoom. It really works moderately properly at nearer focal lengths, however at 50-100x, images are too processed and odd-looking for my style.

It is price noting that Tremendous Res Zoom has a number of limitations, together with that it does not work on individuals. I’ve additionally noticed that it will probably’t deal with textual content or transferring objects very properly. In my expertise, it really works finest with stationary topics like a constructing or a panorama.

Pixel 10 Professional efficiency

Google’s Tensor G5 is not the quickest chip round, however that does not matter

There’s loads of chatter on the web in regards to the Tensor G5 chip’s lackluster benchmarks. Smartphone chips have been overkill for years, whether or not it is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, Apple’s A16 Bionic, or, on this case, Google’s Tensor G5 chip. In line with Google, the G5 provides roughly 34% quicker efficiency in comparison with the G4. I am unsure if that is correct, however in my expertise, the Pixel 10 Professional and the Tensor G5 provide greater than sufficient energy. All the things I threw on the smartphone, together with picture modifying with Lightroom Traditional CC, listening to music on Spotify, doom-scrolling on TikTok, and enjoying a few video games all ran easily with no cases of lag.

By way of Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the Pixel 10 Professional achieves 2,294 for single-core and 6,163 for multi-core, putting it above smartphones that characteristic the Snapdragon 8 Gen like final 12 months’s Galaxy S24 Extremely, in single-core efficiency, however considerably behind it in multi-core. Should you’re a specs nerd, this decrease rating in all probability bothers you, however in on a regular basis use, the Pixel 10 Professional provides buttery-smooth efficiency, no matter what you are doing.

By way of battery life, I discovered I skilled outcomes much like final 12 months’s Pixel 10 Professional. The battery lasted properly into the night, so long as I saved my utilization average all through the day, together with just a few hours of listening to music/podcasts, scrolling on social media, and enjoying the occasional recreation. If I did something extra intensive, like watching a few episodes of a TV present, the battery drained extra shortly than I had anticipated.

Whereas not a significant concern, it is nonetheless price noting as a result of I did not encounter this downside with the Pixel 9 final 12 months. I am unsure if that is tied to the Tensor G5 drawing extra energy than the G4 with sure duties, however one thing like that appears to be taking place.

Pixel 10 Professional software program

Questionably helpful new AI options

Earlier than delving into the Pixel 10 Professional’s numerous AI options, I need to give Google credit score for making an attempt one thing completely different with Material 3 Expressive. It is brilliant, colourful, and most significantly playful, giving the Pixel 10 sequence a singular id so far as UI is worried. There are a number of delicate animations I’ve grown to understand, and I am a giant fan of the brand new dynamic theming choices. I am wanting ahead to this general look coming to extra Google apps and third-party apps sooner or later, and I am hoping the ultimate model of Apple’s iOS 17 Liquid Glass evokes an identical design.

On the AI facet, there’s rather a lot to unpack, together with Magic Cue, the most important disappointment on this 12 months’s Gemini-powered lineup. Throughout my 5 days with the smartphone to this point, its contextual options have solely proven up a few occasions, and even then, just one was helpful (it concerned mechanically chopping a portion of Hold be aware to Messages).

The frequency Magic Cue reveals up might change over the following few weeks, however the truth that it solely makes use of knowledge from particular Google apps, together with Pixel Screenshots, Gmail, Messages, Hold, Contacts, and Calendar, severely limits its usefulness. It’s worthwhile to be firmly planted in Google’s app ecosystem for Magic Cue to make sense.

Google has additionally launched a brand new Day by day Hub recap of related data. It is supposed to sit down simply above your Uncover feed, which is offered whenever you swipe proper on the house display screen. Sadly, I have never been in a position to get the Day by day Hub to indicate up on my Pixel 10. I will proceed utilizing Magic Cue and Day by day Hub over the following few weeks and replace this evaluate because the expertise evolves. Each of those options might doubtlessly be helpful for many Pixel 10 customers, offered you are snug sharing a big quantity of your knowledge with Google.

Digicam Coach appears a bit foolish since I already perceive the fundamentals of pictures, however I can see it being genuinely helpful for many who aren’t conversant in the topic. It enables you to decide what you need within the picture after which provides options, akin to rotating your telephone to portrait orientation or getting a bit nearer to what you are capturing — it is surprisingly cool and intuitive. Sticking with pictures, Ask Photographs, which lets you make picture edits via voice instructions, looks as if a extremely helpful strategy to make fast edits and, in a means, the way forward for picture modifying. Sadly, Google confirmed to me it is not obtainable in Canada at launch, so I have never been in a position to try it out but.

Options that we first noticed final 12 months on the Pixel 9 Professional, like Pixel Screenshots, Pixel Studio, and the surprisingly nice Add Me (it makes use of AI so as to add topics to group pictures), are again once more. The important thing concern with all of the Pixel 10’s most attention-grabbing and doubtlessly helpful Gemini options is that they both flat out do not work or require extra time to assemble my private knowledge for them to truly be helpful.

Do you have to purchase the Pixel 10 Professional?

It will depend on what Pixel you are utilizing now

The Pixel 10 Professional is a formidable smartphone with strong video and pictures capabilities, however it’s not a big leap over the Pixel 9 Professional. That is in all probability probably the most incremental smartphone replace Google has launched in its long-running Pixel line. With that in thoughts, should you’re a hardcore Pixel fan that already owns the Pixel 9 Professional, you’ll be able to skip this 12 months with out concern of lacking something main.

Nonetheless, should you’re utilizing a Pixel 7, Pixel 8, or Pixel 9, now is perhaps the time to improve. The one key draw back is that a lot of the Pixel 10 Professional’s new AI options, together with Magic Cue and Day by day Hub, aren’t very helpful but. Will they get higher in just a few weeks as soon as Google pulls extra of my knowledge? Presumably, however I do not know for positive. There’s additionally the query of why Ask Photographs is not obtainable in Canada but and when or if it’s going to launch?

So far as Android gadgets go, the Pixel 10 Professional is by far my favourite that I’ve used this 12 months, partly as a result of I actually like Materials 3 Expressive — it is simply a lot extra enjoyable than the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s typically complicated One UI 8. Should you’re firmly planted on the earth of Android and on the lookout for a brand new smartphone, you will not be dissatisfied within the Pixel 10 Professional.

The Pixel 10 Professional and Pixel 10 Professional XL begin at $1,100 USD ($1,349 CAD) and $1,200 USD ($1,629), respectively, and launch on August twenty eighth.

This system was offered to Pocket-lint by Google.

Model

Google

SoC

Tensor G5

Show

6.3-inch Tremendous Actua show 1280 x 2856 pixel decision OLED (1-120Hz)

RAM

16GB

The Pixel 10 Professional options Google’s new Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. The smartphone’s general design appears to be like similar to its predecessor, together with its sprawling digicam bump.