The rear cameras on the Pixel 10 are totally fine. For someone who\u2019s not picky about image quality, they\u2019d be better than fine. And maybe I\u2019d think they were fine, too, if I wasn\u2019t cursed with the knowledge that the cameras on last year\u2019s model<\/a> are better. And that\u2019s because up until this year, the non-Pro Pixel came with the same main and ultrawide camera hardware as the Pro. But we can\u2019t have everything, and when Google added that telephoto lens this year, it downgraded the other two rear cameras to essentially what\u2019s in the midrange Pixel 9A<\/a>. So the Pixel 10 has a perfectly fine camera system, as long as you\u2019re not too greedy.<\/p>\n $799<\/p>\n The GoodQi2 wireless charging with magnets is greatAI is actually kind of useful, finallyTelephoto camera is a nice additionThe BadMain and ultrawide cameras aren\u2019t quite as good as the ProBattery life is just okay<\/p>\n Outside of the camera situation, the Pixel 10 comes with the same major upgrades as the Pro phones this year: a new chip and some magnets. Tensor G5 is the new processor on the 10 series, which I\u2019ve found to run a tad cooler than previous versions. The G5 is Google\u2019s first custom chipset made by TSMC, and it handles heavier workloads well. The regular 10 comes with 12GB of RAM compared to 16GB in the 10 Pro, and I did notice a little more stuttering on dense web pages than on the Pro. But for the non-professional phone user, it handles most tasks just fine.<\/p>\n Google Pixel 10 specifications<\/p>\n Tensor G5 chipset with 12GB of RAM | 128GB or 256GB of storage6.3-inch 1080p 60-120Hz OLED48-megpaixel f\/1.7 main camera | 13-megapixel ultrawide | 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto | 10.5-megapixel selfie camera4,970mAh lithium-ion batteryQi2 wireless charging up to 15W; 55 percent charge in 30 minutes with wired 30W chargerIP68 dust and water resistant<\/p>\n There\u2019s a whole lot of on-device AI running on the new chip \u2014 which you can read more about in my Pixel 10 Pro review<\/a> \u2014 and I suspect it contributes to the Pixel 10\u2019s just-okay battery life. A full day of moderate use is no problem, but if you add some intensive activities like an extended hotspot or gaming session, then you might start looking for a charger in the late afternoon. The average person probably won\u2019t be bothered by it, but power users will want a charger or power bank handy to avoid battery anxiety at the end of the day.<\/p>\n AI is still hit-or-miss, but the hits are getting better.<\/p>\n AI is still hit-or-miss, but the hits are getting better. The Pixel 10 doesn\u2019t offer the generative AI-assisted camera zoom feature<\/a> that the Pro and Pro XL have, but you do get Magic Cue, which fetches helpful information based on what you\u2019re doing. And it actually does work. It\u2019s only in a handful of Google apps right now, but it can help put something on your calendar as you hash out plans in Messages or suggest a destination when you open Google Maps based on something you saved in your screenshots. I had a few more false positives while testing it on the Pixel 10 than I did with the 10 Pro; there were times when it suggested information that wasn\u2019t relevant or it offered to create a calendar event when I told a friend I\u2019d \u201cbe there in 30.\u201d I still found it more useful than not, and it\u2019s easy enough to ignore when its suggestions are off the mark.<\/p>\n The Pixel 10 gained a telephoto camera but lost a little image quality in the process.<\/p>\n The Pixel 10 has Qi2 with built-in magnets, and it\u2019s a delight. There\u2019s no case required (unlike with the Samsung S25 series phones<\/a>), and I thoroughly enjoyed thwacking the phone onto a bedside PixelSnap charger at the end of each day. With the addition of what is essentially MagSafe<\/a>, the Pixel series is looking like a pretty complete alternative to the iOS ecosystem these days. Each night when I put my phone on the charger, triggering bedtime mode, my Pixel watch followed suit and changed modes, too. That\u2019s not a new feature, but little moments like that add up throughout the day.<\/p>\n I spent a week with the Pixel 10 Pro before switching to the regular 10, and there\u2019s not much that feels radically different on the cheaper model \u2014 except the display. The standard 10 comes with a 6.3-inch 1080p screen with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, compared to the 1280p display on the 10 Pro. Its peak brightness of 3,000 nits is enough to keep the phone usable on a sunny day, and 1080p is just enough resolution for a screen that size. The screen seems more prone to dropping from its top 120Hz refresh rate, which is fine but a little jarring when you\u2019re scrolling the NYT Games app and suddenly looking at 60Hz.<\/p>\n I also noticed some vignetting when using the phone in bright light \u2014 darkness around the edges of the screen, like you might see in a photograph. This turns out to be a known issue<\/a>, resolved by switching to the \u201cnatural\u201d display color profile. Overall, it\u2019s a fine display but you definitely get more by spending more on the Pro.<\/p>\n On the subject of getting more for more with the 10 Pro: cameras. The Pixel 10\u2019s 48-megapixel f\/1.7 main camera doesn\u2019t seem all that different from the 10 Pro\u2019s 50-megapixel f\/1.7 camera \u2014 until you get to the sensor size<\/a>. The regular 10 uses a 1\/2.0-inch type sensor that\u2019s about half the size of the 1\/1.31-inch type sensor in the Pro models. A bigger sensor will produce cleaner images with better dynamic range, and it\u2019s a difference I felt, especially in portrait mode. Particularly if light is low, your subject is moving, and if you\u2019re using the 2x zoom option, portrait mode on the regular 10 isn\u2019t as good as on the Pros. Images show more noise, fine detail like hair looks crunchy, and subject isolation isn\u2019t as precise.<\/p>\n A portrait-mode photo with the subject moving toward the camera at high speed is about as tough a scenario as you can throw at a phone camera, so it\u2019s not too surprising that the Pixel 10 can\u2019t handle it well. But it\u2019s one way that the smaller camera sensor results in noticeably worse performance. Outside of portraits, the Pixel 10 takes perfectly nice photos. The ultrawide \u2014 also a smaller sensor than on the Pros \u2014 handles dim indoor lighting acceptably. The 5x telephoto lens is handy and definitely an upgrade over using 5x digital zoom. Maybe a telephoto lens and a killer main camera are too much to ask for in a $799 phone, but I\u2019ll keep wishing for both anyway.<\/p>\n Gotta admit the blue color is nice.<\/p>\n Last year, the Pixel 9 felt like the phone that Android had needed for a long time: something elegant, simple, and durable. The Pixel 10 takes that same model and mostly improves it, adding Qi2 and a telephoto lens. The price stayed the same, which is nothing to sneeze at when the prices of everything else keep going up.<\/p>\n Losing the higher-end camera might not be a dealbreaker for most people, but it\u2019s a little tough to swallow if you know what you\u2019re missing out on. Most people who buy this phone won\u2019t be burdened with that knowledge, and I think the Pixel 10 will make that group perfectly happy.<\/p>\n Photography by Allison Johnson \/ The Verge<\/p>\n Agree to Continue: Google Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL<\/p>\n Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it \u2014 contracts that no one actually reads. It\u2019s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit \u201cagree\u201d to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don\u2019t read and definitely can\u2019t negotiate.<\/p>\n To use a Pixel 10 series phone, you must agree to:<\/p>\n The following agreements are optional:<\/p>\n Provide anonymous location data for Google\u2019s services\u201cAllow apps and services to scan for Wi-Fi networks and nearby devices at any time, even when Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is off.\u201dSend usage and diagnostic data to GoogleTalk to Google hands-free: \u201cIf you agree, Google Assistant will wait in standby mode to detect \u2018Hey Google\u2019 and certain quick phrases.\u201dAllow Assistant on lock screen<\/p>\n Additionally, if you want to use Google Assistant, you must agree to let Google collect app info and contact info from your devices. Other features like Google Wallet may require additional agreements.<\/p>\n Final tally: five mandatory agreements and at least five optional agreements<\/p>\n 0 Comments<\/a>Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Allison JohnsonClose Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n PlusFollow<\/p>\n See All by Allison Johnson<\/a><\/p>\n GoogleCloseGoogle<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n PlusFollow<\/p>\n See All Google<\/a><\/p>\n Google PixelCloseGoogle Pixel<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n PlusFollow<\/p>\n See All Google Pixel<\/a><\/p>\n Phone ReviewsClosePhone Reviews<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n PlusFollow<\/p>\n See All Phone Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n ReviewsCloseReviews<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n PlusFollow<\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/257901_Made_by_Google_2025_AJohnson_0015.jpg\"\/)
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