Google Pixel 10 Pro Review: Subtle Upgrades, Smarter Experience

The Google Pixel 10 Pro is largely the same as last year’s Pixel 9 Pro, but there are some really nice upgrades this time around. Of course, the big one is going to be that addition of Qi2 magnets. Unlike the Pixel 10 Pro XL, it does not sport the same Qi2.2 standard, so it is limited to 15W here. It also gets a better and more efficient processor, more AI and better cameras.

But is the Google Pixel 10 Pro worth your money? Let’s find out.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Review: Design and Build Quality

Google’s design language for Pixel phones has settled into a rhythm, and the Pixel 10 Pro doesn’t stray far from it. Last year’s Pixel 9 marked the big shift — flatter sides, sharper lines, and a distinctly more iPhone-like feel compared to the rounded designs of older Pixels. That wasn’t an accident. Google has made it clear that while they’re happy to keep Samsung and OnePlus users in the Android family, the real prize is luring iPhone owners over.

This year, the Pixel 10 Pro looks and feels almost identical to the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL. The only meaningful change you’ll notice in the U.S.? No SIM card slot. Google has gone all-in on eSIM stateside, though international models still retain the tray — now relocated to the top edge instead of the bottom.

Dimensionally, the phone is nearly unchanged. Break out the calipers and you’ll spot a 0.1mm increase in thickness, likely to fit the new 5,200mAh battery and the PixelSnap magnetic system. Otherwise, it’s business as usual: polished aluminum rails and a glass back that looks premium but loves fingerprints. It’s gorgeous out of the box, but unless you case it up, expect to be wiping it down regularly.

The bottom line? If you weren’t a fan of the Pixel 9’s look, the Pixel 10 won’t change your mind. And don’t expect the Pixel 11 or Pixel 12 to either — Google is rumored to be sticking with this blueprint for at least the next few years, with only small refinements along the way.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Review: Display

Google hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the Pixel 10 Pro’s display, but it did make one meaningful upgrade: brightness. Peak brightness now tops out at 3,300 nits, with high brightness mode pushing up to 2,200 nits. You’ll never hit those exact numbers in real-world use, but the takeaway is simple — even under harsh sunlight, the Pixel 10 Pro remains perfectly visible. More importantly, it doesn’t throttle as aggressively as rivals like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or iPhone 16 Pro Max, both of which tend to dim quickly when they start heating up. Even the new iPhone 17 Pro Max only tops out at 3,300nits.

The rest of the panel is the same recipe that’s worked for Google: a sharp, vibrant OLED with deep blacks and punchy contrast that’s a joy for movies, TV, or just scrolling through social feeds. Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 sits on top, giving you a bit more peace of mind against scratches and drops.

Color tuning is where Google continues to stand apart. Rather than leaning into Samsung’s oversaturated, hyper-vivid approach, the Pixel 10 Pro delivers a more natural, balanced look. It’s not dull — just accurate, and easy on the eyes.

At the end of the day, there’s little to nitpick. The Pixel 10 Pro’s display isn’t a revolution, but it nails the fundamentals and makes a great screen even better where it counts.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Review: Performance

Heading into Pixel season, all eyes were on the new Tensor G5. For the first time, Google ditched Samsung’s foundry and tapped TSMC’s N3E process to build its custom chip. That immediately sparked hopes of a massive performance leap — maybe even Snapdragon 8 Elite–level horsepower. But that was never really Google’s goal. Instead, the focus has always been on consistency, efficiency, and enabling Pixel-exclusive features. This year, that includes a custom-built ISP designed specifically to push the Pixel camera further — something we’ll dig into more later in this review.

In day-to-day use, the Tensor G5 performs exactly as I expected: smooth, stable, and refreshingly cool. It doesn’t overheat, it doesn’t bog down, and within a couple of days I honestly stopped thinking about what chip was inside. That’s a win in my book.

This also reinforces why benchmarks just don’t tell the whole story. On paper, the Pixel 10 Pro isn’t a gaming powerhouse, and if you’re looking for maxed-out FPS in every title, you’ll be happier with a dedicated gaming phone. But in reality, it handles demanding games like Genshin Impact just fine. It’s not mind-blowing, but it’s more than enough for the vast majority of people.

The takeaway? Google didn’t build the Tensor G5 to chase Snapdragon or Dimensity scores — it built it to make the Pixel experience feel seamless. And in practice, that’s exactly what it does.

Benchmarks

Now, let’s talk about that elephant in the room, benchmarks. We weren’t expecting the Tensor G5 to hit any new records, but it is a nice upgrade over the Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9 series.

Starting off with Geekbench 6. It’s worth noting that this test was done on pre-release software, and the GPU is apparently massively underclocked, which resulted in a much lower score than it should have. We will be testing it again after the phone is released to the public, and hopefully it is fixed then. But as of now, here’s how the Pixel 10 Pro stacks up to the Pixel 9 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra and the OPPO Find X8 Pro.

The reason for these devices in our comparison is that the Pixel 9 Pro shows the year-over-year difference from Tensor G4 to Tensor G5. And the Galaxy S25 Ultra and OPPO Find X8 Pro run on the other flagship chips for 2025, the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400.

Now, Google does not say how much better the Tensor G5 is versus the Tensor G4, other than to say it is faster. But we can see here on Geekbench that it is about 16% faster in single-core and about 29% faster in multi-core. And as mentioned, the GPU is severly underclocked right now, so that score is not correct.

Next up is AnTuTu. WIth AnTuTu this test tests every aspect of the device. From the storage, to RAM, to CPU speed and everything in between. So here’s how it stacks up.

Unsurprisingly, the AnTuTu score is higher than on the Tensor G4, but still far behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Find X8 Pro.

The final benchmark we run is a video export test. What we do with this test is we load up the same 60-second video into Capcut and export it at 4K60, timing how long the export takes. It is generally fairly quick, but here’s how all four devices stacked up.

So it’s a pretty good increase from last year’s Tensor G4, but again, still behind the other flagship chips, which is what we expected. And this just goes to show that benchmark scores really aren’t the end all be all.

Thermals

Now let’s talk about Thermals. For thermal testing, we have four different tests. First, we run the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test. This is designed to push the device to its absolute limits and it will get about the hottest it ever will. This really shows how far companies will let devices go before throttling them.

As we can see here, the Pixel 10 Pro does stay a bit cooler, which is good to see, but still nothing like what the Galaxy S25 Ultra is able to accomplish. Most devices we test, hit around 109 to 111° in this test. So Google is right where it should be.

Next up is playing Genshin Impact for an hour at max graphics and max brightness level. Genshin Impact is a pretty intense game and is known for really pushing devices to their limit.

Similar results here as with the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test, which is not a surprise at all.

Finally, video recording. We test out recording 4K60 video for 10 minutes while taking the temperature at 5-minutes and again at 10-minutes. There’s usually a smaller difference here versus the other tests that we do.

What these tests show us is that the thermals on the Google Pixel 10 Pro are quite good. Of course, it does also help that Google has included a pretty large vapor chamber inside, which does really make a difference, as we’ll see when we review the Pixel 10. Since the base model still doesn’t have a vapor chamber.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Review: Battery Life and Charging

Battery life has long been the Pixel’s Achilles’ heel, so every new model comes with the same question: did Google finally fix it? With the Pixel 10 Pro, the answer is… mostly. Battery life this year is solid — not amazing, but definitely a step above the “just okay” endurance of past Pixels.

In my testing, I’ve consistently hit 7–8 hours of screen-on time, which easily gets me through a full day and often into the next morning. For context, I consider anything above 6 hours to be “good,” while the 10-hour mark is “great” territory — something only a handful of phones from OnePlus or OPPO really reach these days. The Pixel 10 Pro comfortably lands in the good zone.

Charging, however, is still where Google lags. Officially, the phone can hit 70% in 30 minutes when paired with a 45W charger. In reality, it hovers closer to 37–40W, though I actually managed to hit more than 70% in half an hour. As always, charging speeds can vary based on conditions, so your mileage may differ.

The good news is that with all-day battery life, charging speed doesn’t feel like a dealbreaker. I just drop it on a PixelSnap or MagSafe dock overnight, and by morning it’s topped off — the same way I charge my iPhone. For most people, that routine will be more than enough.

PixelSnap is finally here!

Speaking of PixelSnap, this is Google’s own version of MagSafe using Qi2 (or in the case of Pixel 10 Pro XL, Qi2.2). It does charge wirelessly at up to 25W, which is really great to see. Especially since it’s not a proprietary charger, like what OnePlus has for the OnePlus 13.

But more specifically, with PixelSnap, you can also use a bunch of other magnetic and MagSafe accessories, like the Spigen MagFit Wallet, or different rings to help hold the phone easier. That right there, is a big deal for the Pixel 10 series, since the magnets are built-in and do not need a case to work – like on Galaxy S25.

Benchmarks

When it comes to battery life and charging, we do have benchmarks for these as well. For battery life, we charge the phone to 100%, and let it stay plugged in for another hour to ensure that is actually at 100%. Because some phones show 100%, but don’t flip over to “Fully Charged” for another half hour – OnePlus is a big culprit of that. Then we set the brightness to about 200 nits which is very bright, but not max brightness since not every phone has the same max brightness level. And then we pull up a YouTube video and play it nonstop until the battery drops to 1%.

For the Pixel 10 Pro, it had a time of 23 hours and 43 minutes. That is almost two hours longer than the Pixel 9 Pro, and actually beat out the Galaxy S25 Ultra. For this test, anything over 24 hours is pretty impressive, and Google did get very close.

For the charging test, we then plug the phone into a charger that can max out the charging speed, and time how long it takes to go from 1% up to 100%. For the Google Pixel 10 Pro, that was about one hour and 32 minutes. A tiny bit shorter than the Pixel 9 Pro was, though it did have a smaller battery.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Review: Software

This year, the Pixel 10 Pro launches right out of the box with the latest software — Android 16 QPR1. That’s a nice change from last year, when the Pixel 9 series shipped with Android 14 and had to wait a month or two for Android 15 to arrive. As expected, you’re still getting seven years of OS and security updates, keeping the phone supported well into the 2030s.

Android 16 also brings Material 3 Expressive to the forefront. I’ve been using it on my Pixel 9 Pro since Google I/O, and while it takes some getting used to, it feels like a bold refresh for the platform. Some people may not love the new look, but I think it’s a welcome change that helps the Pixel stand apart.

On the features side, the big newcomer is Magic Cue — essentially a smart assistant that works contextually inside apps like Messages and Phone. If a friend texts you about dinner plans, it’ll suggest sharing the restaurant location. If you’re on a call with your airline, it can surface your flight details in real time. In practice, it works surprisingly well, though I did have to leave a beta app to get it functioning correctly. Even then, it’s not 100% reliable yet when asking about things like my next flight. Google says the feature needs time to fully index your data and models, so expect it to get smarter over time.

Another highlight is Live Translation in calls, which allows real-time translations across several languages — and only one person on the call needs a Pixel 10. It’s not flawless, but it’s impressive, and will be especially handy for international travel. Google has confirmed this won’t come to older Pixels since it relies heavily on the Tensor G5’s upgraded processing and on-device LLMs.

Then there’s the Daily Hub, Google’s take on Samsung’s Now Bar. It lives inside the Discover feed as a “Daily Brief” tab and pulls together things like weather, YouTube recommendations, Gemini suggestions, emails, and calendar reminders. Right now, it feels more like a proof of concept than a must-use feature, but like many of Google’s experiments, it has plenty of room to grow.

Overall, the Pixel 10 Pro software experience is excellent — smooth, fast, and polished thanks to Tensor G5. Some of the brand-new features clearly need more time in the oven, but with Google’s QPR updates scheduled for September and December, I expect Magic Cue, Daily Hub, and others to mature quickly.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Review: Camera

Google didn’t shake up the hardware on the Pixel 10 Pro cameras this year, and honestly, that’s not surprising. The company has always leaned on computational photography more than raw specs. You’re still getting the same trio as last year: a 50MP main sensor (1/1.3″), a 48MP ultrawide, and a 48MP 5x telephoto. It’s solid hardware, capable across the board, but the real story this year is Google’s new custom-built ISP. For the first time, Google controls the entire imaging pipeline, from sensor to final shot.

So, what does that mean for actual photos? In practice, not much changes. Pixel photos still look like Pixel photos. The color science remains accurate and true-to-life, avoiding the oversaturated pop you’ll find on Samsung devices. That’s why so many people stick with Pixels: they trust what they see.

The camera performance here is quite good. With the Pixel 10 Pro, I started to use it full-time just before heading to Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2025. So I used it quite a bit for our IFA coverage. And well, that also makes for some really great photo samples.

I took photos around Berlin, more specifically the Alexanderplatz area, and products at IFA. Which is primarily what I take photos of, since I do attend a lot of the events here. There are also some pictures in the gallery below at 10x, mostly of Lenovo on-stage announcing new products. Take a look for yourself.

These pictures have been resized to 1280×720 to reduce the file size so that this page will load in a reasonable amount of time. Otherwise, there was no editing done at all.

A more interesting addition is Camera Coach, which uses Gemini AI to guide you in framing better shots — helping straighten lines, adjust angles, and suggest small tweaks in the moment. It’s the kind of subtle assist that could be invaluable for casual shooters.

Editing, though, is where Google is flexing. Beyond the usual sliders for exposure and contrast, you now get AI-powered auto-enhance that can adjust lighting, sharpen focus, and even reframe your shot. It’s slower than I’d like, but the results are impressive. Ask Photos takes it further, letting you type in edits — even vague prompts like “make it better” — and Gemini will take a stab at improving the image.

Because AI editing is such a big push here, Google has also built in C2PA Content Credentials, making this the first phone to embed them directly in the camera app. In the photo info panel, you’ll see whether an image was AI-edited or captured straight from the camera. It’s not as obvious as Samsung’s watermarking approach, but it’s a step toward transparency.

At the end of the day, the Pixel 10 Pro XL camera is still excellent — color-accurate, reliable, and packed with smart tools. But it’s not my personal favorite. Phones like the OPPO Find X8 Ultra push hardware further, and you can feel the difference if you’re deep into mobile photography. Still, for most users, the Pixel 10 Pro XL remains one of the most dependable shooters you can buy.

Should you buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro?

If you’re coming from a Pixel 9 Pro — or even a Pixel 8 Pro — the answer is probably no. The differences are subtle, and most of what you’re getting feels like refinement rather than revolution. The design is essentially unchanged, the camera hardware is the same, and while the Tensor G5 brings welcome efficiency gains, it’s not going to feel dramatically faster than last year’s chip in day-to-day use.

But if you’re upgrading from the Pixel 7 series or older, that’s where the Pixel 10 Pro really starts to make sense. The jump in performance thanks to the Tensor G5 and TSMC manufacturing is noticeable, especially when it comes to stability, heat management, and AI features that simply don’t run as well on older hardware. The modem improvements alone are worth calling out — connectivity is stronger and more reliable than it’s ever been on a Pixel. Add in the brighter display, bigger battery, PixelSnap wireless charging, and the seven years of software support, and you’re getting a phone that feels far more future-proof than anything Google shipped two or three years ago.

It’s also worth remembering that smartphones as a whole are in a very mature stage. Huge year-over-year leaps just don’t happen anymore, outside of niche categories like foldables or upcoming rollables. What we’re seeing now are incremental but meaningful improvements — better efficiency, smarter AI features, longer support windows, and small refinements to design and usability.

You should buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro if:

• You have a phone that is at least 2 years old.
• You want a phone that will be supported for at least 7 years.
• You want a phone with a good camera and battery life.

You should not buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro if:

• You want the latest and greatest specs and the best benchmark scores.
• You want the absolute best camera on the market.
• You want the absolute best battery life on the market.