Google Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The latest Pixel flagships are priced the same as last year, but get meaningful upgrades across the board.
- The Pro XL model, with its base storage of 256GB and faster wired and wireless charging, is the best Pixel phone right now.
- You’ll just have to settle for the same design and camera hardware as last year.
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aug / 2025
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It’s hard to believe that we’re officially at year 10 for the Google Pixel, but even just a look back at the past three generations of the search giant’s phone lineup paints a clear picture of its maturity and where things are headed.
Case in point, the Pixel 10 Pro series, consisting of the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, is, at first glance, a safe upgrade. Their designs look nearly identical to last year’s models, you’ll struggle to spot the differences in specs between the 10th and 9th generations, and they’re priced squarely in the threshold of modern flagships.
Also: I compared the Pixel 10 Pro to every older Google flagship model – the biggest upgrades
But they also have a software suite that truly advances the way we interact with our smartphones — or at least, that was my takeaway after using the phones for the past week. With the Pixel 10 series (standard model included), I’ve never been more convinced that AI on phones is here to stay. It doesn’t have to be forced, intrusive, or excessive; it just has to be intelligent enough to know its place.
Before I dive into all the AI madness, there’s a critical topic that deserves just as much attention: eSIM. It’s the first hurdle every new Pixel 10 owner (in the US) will encounter — whether they’re switching from an older Pixel or jumping ship from an iPhone — and thankfully, it’s one Google has made surprisingly painless.
To compare the setup processes, I ported my physical SIM from T-Mobile onto the Pixel 10 Pro XL and my secondary eSIM from Mint Mobile onto the Pixel 10 Pro. Both methods took less than five minutes and were only a few QR code scans away from working cellular connections.
Also: Google made a bold move with the Pixel 10, even if it’s not obvious yet. Here’s why
I’d never had a more burdenless interaction at my local carrier shop, but something did catch me off guard. At one point, the T-Mobile associate congratulated me on switching to a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. That’s not a typo. With the Pixel 10 Pro series, the year-over-year difference in hardware design is at an all-time low, and I don’t blame Google for that — or the associate for mixing up the models.
The Pixel 10 Pro in Moonstone (left) and Pixel 10 Pro XL in Jade (right).
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
The contoured edges still greet your fingers with a warm embrace, the polished aluminum frame exudes premium, and the camera bar constantly reminds you how seriously Google takes its mobile optics.
Allow me to chase my geekery with one of the few downsides of this year’s Pixel design: the weight. At 232 grams, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is one of the heaviest phones on the market, beating my previous daily driver, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (218 grams), and iPhone 16 Pro Max (227 grams). The phone isn’t necessarily top or bottom-heavy, either, meaning you’ll feel the slow build-up of wrist strain no matter how you hold the device up.
Also: Google Pixel 10 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: I tested both Androids, and it’s pretty darn close
Google tells me there are several reasons why its phones weigh more this year, which I can only nod in approval to. First, the Pixel 10 Pro series features upgraded top and bottom speakers, producing a change in loudness that I noticed almost immediately when playing my usual recipe videos by J. Kenji López-Alt in the kitchen.
The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL also have larger 4,870 and 5,200mAh batteries, respectively, up from last year’s 4,700 and 5,070mAh capacities. Throughout the weekend, I was ending my days with roughly 35% of battery remaining on the XL model, a minor but still appreciated improvement over its predecessor. The faster 45W wired charging, exclusive to the XL, was another welcome touch.
Perhaps the biggest new feature, and the one that may be most effective in convincing iPhone users to switch over, is Pixelsnap, a system of in-body magnets that can pull in wireless power at the Qi2 standard. Think MagSafe for Android. This enables the phones to snap onto the thousands of magnet-based accessories on the market, from tripod stands to wallet cases to charging docks.
Also: The best Google Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro cases of 2025
Google has fully embraced the technology by offering a slew of screen savers that appear when you’re charging its Pixel 10 phones. These include a full-scale weather display, a Google Photos slideshow, smart home controls, and a clock. As someone who often sets their phone on a wireless charging stand bedside and at the office desk, the ambient feature is easy to appreciate.
The option to proc the screen saver when the Pixel 10 Pro is charging or charging and set upright is a nice touch. You can also restrict the feature to when the device is in wireless charging only, as it would otherwise appear with even a wired connection.
However, the screen savers aren’t perfect. For one, the weather panel, especially when I saw it demoed on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold at the Made by Google event, can appear too conspicuous and display an excessive amount of information for what will likely be something I look at every half an hour. And while the clock screen saver can also display the temperature, it doesn’t show incoming notifications, making it feel more like a downgraded always-on display.
Also: I’m a longtime iPhone user, but Google just sold me on the Pixel 10 with these features
One of the looming questions going into my Pixel 10 Pro testing was how significant an upgrade the new Tensor G5 chipset brings. Since Google took the matter of processing power and silicon into its own hands, the brand has always played second fiddle to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon models. Based on benchmarks, that still holds true, with the Tensor G5 performing worse than the Snapdragon 8 Elite found on competing flagship phones.
Magic Cue naturally sifts through your various Google services to find relevant information and context.
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
But from a more practical outlook, I’ve found the Tensor G5 still capable enough to operate under intense workloads, from editing HDR, 60fps videos to gaming to running Android Auto navigation while on a call. The in-house processor, which features a modified architecture that dynamically shifts between full and sub models, is truly realized in the various new AI features on the Pixel 10 Pro series.
I’m talking faster compute times across Pixel Screenshots, Recorder transcriptions and translations, and other native AI tasks that would typically take seconds longer. That time adds up, folks.
Also: 7 AI features I’d like to see the iPhone 17 embrace from Google, OpenAI, and others
A standout AI feature for me is Magic Cue, which sifts through your Gmail, Calendar, and other Google services to populate relevant information and context when and where it makes sense. I recently booked the wrong return flight for a work trip, and during my call with United, Magic Cue displayed my flight and account information on the phone app screen, reducing the friction of me parsing through my Gmail and the various confirmation messages that typically come with booking flights.
It’s this seamless, intuitive integration of AI that keeps catching me off guard – in the best way. That carries through to the cameras, a familiar assembly of 50MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, and 48MP telephoto sensors. The most notable change with the Pixel 10 Pro camera is the Tensor G5 chip’s enhanced image signal processing (ISP) and the slew of AI tricks that it handles.
Camera Coach guides your shot, from the framing to the camera mode, to capture subjects effectively.
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
I took hundreds of photos over the past week with the Pixel 10 Pro XL, 9 Pro XL, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, and I found the former to deliver the ideal combination of colors, shadows, and highlights. The improved image stabilization on the main lens also helps preserve detail with fast-moving subjects and low-lit photography.
Also: Pixel just zoomed ahead of iPhone in the camera photography race
Where the Pixel 10 Pro camera truly shines this year is in far-distance capturing, thanks to a new Pro Res Zoom that uses generative AI to correct noise and distortion. It’s a touchy subject, I know, but the output, even at 100X zoom, is what customers who favor idealism over realism and convenience over labor have been waiting for. The difference between the Pixel Pro Res Zoom and Samsung’s Space Zoom leans heavily in Google’s favor.
The AI-enhanced zoom on the Pixel 10 Pro series isn’t flawless — at times, it overcorrects and makes people look like sci-fi characters. But when it works, which is at a 95% success rate for me, it’s genuinely impressive.
Camera Coach is the other big new AI feature within the camera app, and I found the on-screen instructions easy to follow, clear to understand, and flexible enough to capture various shots of the same subject. Where it falls short is in capturing moving objects like impatient children or speeding vehicles, as going through the tips and tricks requires time and constant focus. So long as you’re leaving the camera app with one helpful takeaway each time you use the feature, I’d consider that a win for Google.
ZDNET’s buying advice
There’s still plenty to unpack with the Pixel 10 Pro series, but my first week with the devices has shown me what living with AI superphones feels like. For longtime Pixel users eyeing an upgrade, both models are a no-brainer — showcasing Google’s best hardware to date and an Android 16 experience that feels tastefully familiar, delightfully playful, and genuinely useful.
The Pixel 10 Pro is the way to go for users who prefer a more ergonomic and comfortable mobile experience. If mobile entertainment and fast charging are high on your priority list, consider the Pixel 10 Pro XL. The larger model costs $100 more than last year, but it also starts with 256GB of storage (versus 128GB), so the $1,199 may be easier to justify.
As always, consider the various trade-in offers and promotions from your carriers and big-box retailers. There’s a good chance you’ll score a couple of hundred dollars off with minimum effort.
ZDNET’s review team spends upwards of a year testing the ins and outs of every major phone release, evaluating the day-to-day performance, camera quality, battery life and endurance, and special features. Here’s a breakdown of every factor we consider before we make recommendations:
- Design and ergonomics: How good a phone looks and feels plays a big role in many users’ buying journeys, so we consider these aspects heavily when testing.
- Performance: Several factors affect a phone’s performance, including LTE/5G signal, battery life, and background tasks. Therefore, we typically begin our evaluations with a fully charged handset, all background tasks closed, and as stable a mobile connection as possible.
- Camera quality: ZDNET tests phone cameras by capturing hundreds of photos and videos of various subjects and in various lighting conditions. We also compare the output to that of older models.
- Battery life and charging: It’s also important for us to evaluate how long phones last under light, moderate, and heavy usage, how long they take to recharge, and how they do it (wired, wireless, or both).
- Special features: These features distinguish tested devices from a bustling smartphone market and hopefully bring added value to users, not the opposite.
- Pricing and availability: Beyond budget considerations, we also note if a phone is available in the US or only internationally.
For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive phone testing methodology page.
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