Google Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL hands-on review: A leap forward for AI

In the race to have the best phones, Google has heavily leaned on AI features to help distinguish the last two generations of Pixel phones from everything else. So far, that bet has paid off big time as the company’s set of AI features have been able to stave off its closest competitors in Galaxy AI and Apple Intelligence.

For its tenth generation models, the story’s no different as the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL are exemplified by AI assistance. I’ve been able to spend some time with them, along with the Pixel 10, to get a feel for what these two Pro phones bring to the table.

On paper, the hardware doesn’t appear to gain a whole lot of upgrades over last year’s model, but don’t let that fool you because I started off feeling underwhelmed — only to realize there’s more to them when you look deeper. In my Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL hands-on, you’ll find out exactly what makes them special.

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Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: price and release

There’s a little bit of a shakeup with their pricing, one that I can’t say for sure if it’s good or bad. The Pixel 10 Pro is priced at $999 with 16GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Higher storage options are available at 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, which are priced at $1,099, $1,219, and $1,499 respectively. This pricing structure is identical to the current Pixel 9 Pro, so no surprises here.

However, the surprise comes in the form of the ‘price hike’ with the Pixel 10 Pro XL. That’s because the starting price is now $1,199, which is an increase of $100 over the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s cost. I’m only complaining because it’s a price hike nonetheless, but now it’s accompanied by 256GB of storage — which is double the amount offered with the cheapest Pixel 9 Pro XL. I suppose this is okay given how its main rivals, the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max, both start off with 256GB of storage.

In terms of color options, you get your standard black and white options: Porcelain and Obsidian. If you want color, then you’ll have your choice between Moonstone and Jade. Between them, I prefer Moonstone because it reminds me of the Bay color of the Pixel 8 Pro — whereas Jade doesn’t have as much color saturation as I’d want.

Preorders for the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL are available right now, with full retail availability beginning on August 28.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: design

Not much has changed with either phone, since they recycle the same design as their predecessors — and that’s not a bad thing either. I’m a fan of smaller phones, so I naturally gravitate towards the Pixel 10 Pro.

No matter your size preference, both phones continue to feel solidly built and premium. That's because they employ spacecraft-grade aluminum frame, polished edges, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. On the back is the classic matte finish.

This year’s color options are a bit subdued in my opinion, seeing that the new colors, Jade and Moonstone, aren’t as polarizing as prior colors. Still, there’s no compromise with their constructions since they feature IP68 ratings.

I really don’t understand why Google continues to keep the temperature sensor, which is situated on the back near the LED flash. I suppose if there’s room and there’s no major price hikes, it’s one of those "let’s just throw it in" features.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: display

If you look at the display specs of both phones, they’re familiar because they’re no different from last year’s models — so that’s a 6.3-inch Super Actua display for the Pixel 10 Pro and a 6.8-inch one for the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Indoors, they look amazing and have all the hallmark qualities that OLED screens offer.

What I’m really interested in is how bright either phone can get because the Pixel 9 Pro XL still has the record for the brightest screen we've ever tested by reaching 2,469 nits. Google only needs to beat itself, so it’d be only setting the bar higher for everyone else.

Google has it rated for a peak brightness of 3,300 nits, but I just hope it can exceed the 1,769 nits that the Pixel 9 reached.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: cameras

I spent more time checking out the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL cameras during my hands-on time. First of all, you should know that the triple camera system on both phones are identical to one another — so that’s a 50MP main shooter, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 42MP selfie. Secondly, the camera specs are identical to last year’s phones.

It would’ve been nice to get some new hardware upgrades, but that means a lot is going to hinge on new processing algorithms to get more out of them. Google mentions there’s improved low light capabilities with both phones, including shooting video with their updated video boost features — but I’ll be the judge of that once they’re properly tested.

The most appealing aspects of the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL cameras is how they heavily lean on more AI features. I got to try many of them and let me tell you they’re impressive.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: Pro Res Zoom

This one’s exclusive to the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, which uses AI to process photos using generative AI models to enhance them. From the other side of the room, I used the 48MP 5x telephoto zoom camera with the Pixel 10 Pro XL to capture an Android figurine that looked super soft and noisy through the camera app — but Pro Res Zoom kicks in to process the image and adds more detail to the shot. The side-by-side comparison looks impressive, as the Pro Res Zoom enhanced shot came out substantially better.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: Camera Coach

I also briefly tried out Camera Coach, which is a Gemini-powered feature that guides me to take better photos through on-screen instructions through the camera app. This one’s promising because it can make you take better photos, but I’m curious to see how well it works with more situations.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: Auto Best Take

As much as I love Best Take on Pixel, the issue I have with it is that I have to constantly take several photos to make it effective at swapping out faces. Well, I’m thrilled that Google solves this problem with Auto Best Take, which now works with only a single capture. That’s because it’s using AI to analyze faces to generate options I can switch out after taking the shot. I tried it out with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but it works just the same on the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: Ask Photos

While Pro Rez Zoom is impressive, I think Edit with Ask Photos will be more of a revolutionary feature. It takes the generative AI capabilities of its Reimagine feature, but now makes it much easier to edit photos by just typing in your descriptions. I was able to transform my collared shirt into a plaid blazer, which I think looked convincing.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: Performance

There’s more pressure than ever before with the Tensor G5 that’s powering both phones. This is because prior Tensor chips have underperformed compared to its rivals, but this TSMC-made chip is made using a 3-nanometer manufacturing process — which Google says offers 60% better TPU performance and 34% faster CPU performance.

So far, the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL feel super responsive just navigating around the interface. Apps open fast and every action feels instant, but this isn’t new — since all Pixels I’ve reviewed have the same qualities.

The area where Google’s Tensor chips underperformed have been around benchmark scores, which still have a lot of importance. One area that's significantly underperformed on past Tensor chips is GPU performance, so I’m crossing my fingers that the G5 makes bigger gains around it.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: battery life and charging

While I’m confident that we’ll get better power efficiency out of the Tensor G5, Google is packing larger sized batteries in its new devices — a 4,870 mAh cell in the Pixel 10 Pro and an even larger 5,200 mAh one in the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Both of these capacities are larger than their predecessors, which makes me more optimistic that they’ll offer bigger improvements with their battery life.

Rumors about Google offering Qi2 support for its Pixel phones have been around forever, but it’s finally a reality with the Pixel 10 series thanks to Pixelsnap.

There are now magnets embedded into the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL that allow them to work with new accessories, including a new Pixelsnap Charger with Stand for wireless charging. I’ve even attached my MagSafe wallet to the back of the Pixel 10 Pro and it works like a charm, so I’m stoked about this addition.

Speaking of wireless charging, Pixelsnap offers Qi2 wireless charging support up to 15W with the Pixel 10 Pro — and an even faster 25W wireless charging speed with Qi2.2 support for the Pixel 10 Pro XL. If you want the fastest charging times, the Pixel 10 Pro XL supports 45W wired charging while the 10 Pro offers a less impressive 30W.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: software and AI

Usually Google’s Pixel phones are first to come preloaded with the latest version of Android, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 already gave us our first taste of Android 16. It’s perfectly alright that Samsung stole Google’s thunder with this, but what makes the Pixel 10 Pro series special is how it dives deeper into AI — and it’s a revolution unlike any other.

There’s just an expansive set of new AI features that prove to me that other phones continue to play catchup. These aren’t just novel features you might use once in a blue moon, they’re stuff you can reliably use in your day-to-day duties. Here’s what I got to check out with the Pixel 10 Pros:

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: Magic Cue

This is the assistant I’ve always wanted because Magic Cue doesn’t just work behind the scenes at understanding your routines on the phone. What makes it special is that it takes the extra step of making proactive actions based on the context of what you’re doing on the phone. The best example of this was a phone call to an airline, with the Pixel 10 Pro XL knowing what’s going on and proceeds to pull up the flight details during the phone call.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: Voice Translate

This one is a perfect example of generative AI working in real time because not only does Voice Translate on the Pixel 10 Pro help with translating conversation between two different languages on a phone call, but it even adopts my voice so that I sound like I’m speaking another language. I demoed this out on a phone call with someone who was speaking German to me. His voice was translated into English on my end, while my responses on his end were in German — but with my voice and not some other assistant.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review: Take a Message

I’ve already put the Pixel’s Call Screen feature to the test against Apple’s version, but the Pixel 10 is adding on to the experience with a feature called Take a Message. When you miss or decline a call, it will create a suggestion based on the context of the missed call message.

Another thing worth pointing out about the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL is that they get a 12 month Google AI Pro subscription, whereas the Pixel 10 doesn’t. This gives them access to the best AI tools, like being able to generate video with Veo 3, more researching capabilities, and all the AI multimodal capabilities with Gemini Live. This subscription normally costs $19.99/month, but Pixel 10 Pro owners won’t have to worry about that for a whole year.

Lastly, Google’s pledge of offering 7 years of major software and security updates means that these Pixels will keep on getting better thanks to new versions of Android and all the Pixel Drop features that come in between.

Google Pixel 10 Pro & 10 Pro XL hands-on review outlook

I’m eager to put these phones through more testing to see how well they perform, but what I’ve been able to check out first hand convinces me that Google’s pulling ahead of the pack. The company has already established itself for having the best AI phones around, and the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL keeps on widening that gap.

Samsung has done well to keep up with its Galaxy AI features, but I think it puts Apple Intelligence on notice because of the amount of new AI features present here with these Pixel 10 Pro devices. They add on to the existing set that Google has delivered, like Call Screen, Pixel Studio, Magic Editor, and much more.

Hopefully other aspects of these phones are improved, namely the performance of the Tensor G5 and their battery life. One thing's certain: they make other phones look dumb.

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