Google's new Pixel 10 smartphone just landed with one critical camera upgrade
In the age of incremental phone upgrades, Google just gave the Pixel 10 a leg up over a lot of other baseline flagship smartphones.
For its Made by Google event on Wednesday, Google lifted the veil off the Pixel 10 lineup today. The base model, which starts at $799, looks and seems very similar to its predecessor, the Pixel 9, with a similar design language to last year's phone. In the interest of not wasting time, the biggest upgrade Google gave the Pixel 10 this year is a third rear telephoto camera lens, which the base Pixel model has never had before.
We got an up-close look at the new Pixel 10 phones recently, and we've got a full breakdown for you. The new Pixel 10 smartphone also launches alongside a new Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel Buds 2a.
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Pixel 10: By the numbers
Pixel 10 comes in four colors: Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, and Obsidian. Here are the most important specs to know:
6.3-inch display with 1080x2424 resolution and 60-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Up to 3,000 nits peak brightness
12GB RAM
128GB/256GB storage
Google Tensor G5 chipset
Rear cameras: 48MP wide, 13MP ultrawide, 10.8MP telephoto
Front camera: 10.5MP
4,970mAh battery
Setting aside the camera changes for a second, many of those specs will look familiar to anyone who used a Pixel 9. The display is almost exactly the same, just with higher peak brightness. RAM and storage are unchanged, though the new Tensor G5 chip should theoretically provide performance boosts. One big thing to note is the battery, which Google says can last for more than 30 hours. Battery life has been a complaint with recent Pixel phones, so that will be something to watch once the Pixel 10 is out there in the wild.
Pixel 10 cameras: One step forward, two steps back
Unfortunately, the addition of a telephoto camera seems to have impacted the other two rear lenses. Last year's Pixel 9 had 50MP wide and 48MP ultrawide modules on the back, but those have been downgraded in terms of megapixel count. They'll more than likely still be able to capture great photos (this has been a staple of the Pixel brand for years), but going purely by the numbers, that is a step down. However, the ability to capture high-quality zoom shots might make up for that.
Of course, there are some new AI features across the Pixel 10 lineup, as well. A new feature called "Magic Cue" can recognize what you're doing and pull up context-sensitive suggestions, with one example being pulling up flight information when you call an airline. Live Translate is coming to phone calls, while the new Daily Hub gives you a rundown of what your day is looking like, including scheduled activities, weather, and news that is relevant to your interests.
How does the Pixel 10 differ from the Pixel 10 Pro?
The Pixel 10 Pro comes with the usual step-up in key specs. Specifically, the base model comes with 12GB RAM and up to 256GB of storage, while the Pro starts with 16GB of RAM and goes up to 1TB of storage. The Pixel 10 does offer the same Google Tensor G5 processor as its big siblings
The Pixel 10 also sacrifices camera quality in the name of affordability. The Pixel 10 has a 10.5MP dual selfie camera, and its zoom lens maxes out at 20x. Compare that to the Pro's 42MP selfie cameras and 100x zoom. The Pro can also shoot up to 8K video, a feature the base Pixel 10 lacks.
Finally, there are different color options. If you liked the bubblegum pink available with the Pixel 9, there is a light pink available in the 10 Pro line.
Preorder details
Pixel 10 launches on Aug. 28 and is available for preorder now. The new Pixel smartphone is priced at $799, while the Pro model is priced at $999.
Topics Google
Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.
