{"id":116649,"date":"2025-09-05T15:50:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T15:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/116649\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T15:50:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T15:50:07","slug":"google-pixel-10-review-ign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/116649\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Pixel 10 Review – IGN"},"content":{"rendered":"

Google\u2019s 2025 Pixel lineup of Android smartphones<\/a> is here, and the Pixel 10 sets the baseline with an $800 price and a shift to the formula that has previously divided the base model and the Pro versions. Packed with a telephoto sensor of its own and an almost identical design and internals to the Pro, the Pixel 10 looks promising. But looks can be deceiving. <\/p>\n

Google Pixel 10 \u2013 Photos\"\"Google Pixel 10 \u2013 Design and Features<\/p>\n

This year, Google has blurred the lines a bit more between the new Pixel 10 and its higher-tier Pixel 10 Pro<\/a>. The phones already shared similar form factors in the previous generation, but now the Pixel 10 even carries a triple-camera system to match the 10 Pro \u2013 even if they are slightly different cameras. That said, the difference in cameras \u2013 and pretty much all the differences between the two phones \u2013 is subtle. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Left: Pixel 9 Pro, Center: Pixel 10, Right: Pixel 10 Pro.<\/p>\n

The Pixel 10 includes a pleasant matte aluminum frame sandwiched by tough Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back. It feels good and sturdy, and it offers IP68 protection to keep water out \u2013 all what you should expect from a flagship phone. <\/p>\n

If you like a small phone, the Pixel 10 may satisfy your hands just like its predecessor. Between its smoothly rounded corners and relatively small 6.3-inch display, the Pixel 10 is pretty easy to manage with one hand. At just over 200 grams, it\u2019s not very hefty, though it does feel a little weightier than I\u2019d expect for a smaller phone. For perspective, the OnePlus 13<\/a> only weighs a few grams more and fits a 6.82-inch display. <\/p>\n

Despite having a display identical in size to the Pixel 10 Pro, it\u2019s not quite at the same level. The screen offers a lower \u2013 but still perfectly solid \u2013 1080×2424 resolution, and it supports 60-120Hz refresh rates, which isn\u2019t quite as impressive as the 1-120Hz refresh rate range of the Pro model, which can benefit more from that efficiency. The display isn\u2019t quite as bright either. The Pixel 10 can reach 2,000 nits for a full white screen in HDR or 3,000 nits for small highlights. That\u2019s plenty bright, though the Pixel 10 Pro goes 10% brighter still. Thankfully, the Pixel 10\u2019s display is already at such a high point that there\u2019s little reason to worry about even higher specs. It simply looks great. <\/p>\n

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The display pairs with a solid set of speakers. They sound every bit as good as what Google has packed into the Pro model, offering ample volume for listening to music, watching movies, and playing games in a quiet space. They even pass the test of being able to play a podcast loud enough to hear in the shower. And they do that all without noticeable distortion or EQ dips when music gets loud. <\/p>\n

The Pixel 10 supports Google\u2019s new Pixelsnap feature, which is essentially a branded version of Qi2, which is itself more or less a wider standard of the MagSafe Apple introduced with the iPhone 12 lineup way back in 2020. This gives the Pixel 10 support for magnetic accessories that attach to the back, including wireless chargers with 15W charging speeds. <\/p>\n

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The rest of the Pixel 10\u2019s features and capabilities largely carry over from last year. It still offers a USB-C 3.2 port that can send a video signal out for easy screen mirroring. It has a quick fingerprint scanner built into the display for easy unlocking and it supports facial recognition that has proven just as quick. And just like the 10 Pro, the Pixel 10 has dumped support for physical SIM cards entirely, opting exclusively for eSIM, which is an annoying lack of flexibility. Having eSIM as an option is convenient, but going exclusively eSIM isn\u2019t. <\/p>\n

Just like last year, it still doesn\u2019t support mmWave 5G or ultra-wideband, and that latter point will leave it out of any advanced device tracking that Google might bring to market. Google also moved the 10 Pro ahead to Wi-Fi 7, but is only offering Wi-Fi 6E on the Pixel 10 \u2013 it\u2019s not the end of the world, as even Wi-Fi 6 is more than fast enough for much of what we do on our phones, but it\u2019s still an odd little letdown. <\/p>\n

Google Pixel 10 \u2013 Software<\/p>\n

The Pixel 10 comes running Android 16 and will get seven years of updates. It\u2019s a clean enough version of the operating system, with no major bloatware beyond Google\u2019s extra AI tools. Those are really the star of the show anyway, or at least Google would like them to be. Unfortunately, how well they work or whether they work at all is still a big question. <\/p>\n

For instance, Google\u2019s Magic Cue feature is designed to scan information in your apps and provide relevant information whenever it thinks you might need it \u2013 say, pulling up your flight itinerary when you get an email from someone asking about it. Unfortunately, even in this exact scenario, I didn\u2019t hear a peep from Magic Cue. On both the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10, I tried to set it up with some easy home runs just to see it in action, and in all cases it was a swing and a miss. Magic Cue never popped up. I did get it to appear once following a specific example Google shared, looking at a list of local restaurants in an article at Eater.com<\/a> and then opening Google Maps. But even then it was a little slow with the suggestions, and though I had read only the first restaurant on the list \u2013 Publican \u2013 none of the suggestions Magic Cue made were for that restaurant. Never mind that I wouldn\u2019t have found AI typing a single word into a search bar for me all that compelling. <\/p>\n

Another new feature, the ability to ask for specific edits from the Photos app and have them managed automatically by AI, wasn\u2019t available in Illinois at the time of testing. Meanwhile, some features aren\u2019t offered for the Pixel 10. Google\u2019s Pre Res Zoom is limited to just the Pro models, for instance. Based on my testing of that feature for the 10 Pro review<\/a>, it\u2019s not a huge loss for the Pixel 10.<\/p>\n

The varying reliability of these AI features may come down to them needing more time to gather and parse information before they can properly get in the swing of things. But based on my experience with them so far, they don\u2019t justify the purchase of a new device just to get them. <\/p>\n

Google Pixel 10 \u2013 Gaming and Performance<\/p>\n

The Pixel 10 runs on Google\u2019s new Tensor G5 chip, which provides some modest improvements to performance over the Pixel 9 family. It\u2019s great for everyday use, keeping up with most things I\u2019ve thrown at it. And there\u2019s no gap between the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro where this performance is concerned. <\/p>\n

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In Geekbench 6, the Pixel 10\u2019s Tensor G5 performed roughly on par with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the OnePlus 13R for multi-core performance and even came out ahead in single-core performance. But it still lags a ways behind the faster Snapdragon 8 Elite and A18 chips in the OnePlus 13 and iPhone 16, respectively. <\/p>\n

Respectable though the CPU performance may be, the GPU drags the phone down. It can run games<\/a>, but not terribly well. To play Delta Force, the phone has to use some dialed back graphics and fps settings. And trying to run the new Destiny: Rising game, I found that not only were the graphics options limited but also that the game had numerous artifacting issues that rendered it unplayable. <\/p>\n

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3DMark\u2019s graphical benchmarks saw the Pixel 10 beat the Pixel 9 Pro by 24% in Wildlife Extreme, and in the more graphically demanding Steel Nomad Light test, the Pixel 10 actually fell behind that phone. By contrast, the OnePlus 13 offered more than double the performance in those two tests. <\/p>\n

The Pixel 10 also builds up heat pretty quickly, so it can get fairly uncomfortable to hold after gaming for a while. Google seems to have performance almost capped even before that heat builds up though. Running 3DMark\u2019s Steel Nomad Light Stress test \u2013 a 20-run gauntlet \u2013 showed the Pixel 10 retaining 93.4% of its performance even as the internal temperatures grew hotter and hotter. That\u2019s good for consistency, but still looks bad with some perspective: the OnePlus 13 saw its performance drop considerably after the 20-run benchmark, but even its worst run was better than the Pixel 10\u2019s best. <\/p>\n

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The Pixel 10\u2019s shortcomings at the extreme end of the performance demand spectrum don\u2019t hold it back from being plenty serviceable, though. It\u2019s not a slow phone, and it keeps up with typical use. Its limited horsepower also helps it make the most of its 4970mAh battery \u2013 sizable for a compact phone \u2013 and run all day with ease. <\/p>\n

Google Pixel 10 \u2013 Cameras<\/p>\n

Cameras have historically been what set Pixel phones apart from the rest of the market. And this year, the cameras are doing more to set the Pixel 10 apart from the Pixel 10 Pro. Rather than borrowing any of the sensors from Pro models as Google had done in previous years, the Pixel 10 simply borrows the zoom ranges, landing it a new 5x telephoto camera while opting for lower-quality sensors all around. In fact, the Pixel 10 actually downgrades the main and ultra-wide sensors from what was on offer in the Pixel 9, instead borrowing those found in Pixel 9a. Here\u2019s a rundown of what the Pixel 10 has onboard:<\/p>\n

48MP Wide, 1\/2″ sensor, f\/1.7, Laser AF, OIS, EIS13MP ultrawide, 1\/3.1″ sensor, f\/2.2, 120-degree FOV10.8MP telephoto, 1\/3.2″ sensor, 5x optical zoom, f\/3.1, OIS, EIS10.5MP Selfie, f\/2.2, 95-degree FOV<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the end of the world. Even with lower-quality sensors, Google does a great job producing a good picture. The main sensor hardly feels like it\u2019s falling behind in most cases, capturing sharp images with natural color. When there is a lot of fine, high-contrast detail in an image, it can appear to oversharpen, giving images a somewhat artificial look. But generally, photos from this sensor look great and prove hard to distinguish from shots taken on the Pixel 10 Pro. I still lean in favor of the images that the OnePlus 13\u2019s main sensor produces for their warmer tone, more vibrant color, and less noticeable sharpening, but all of these sensors are quite closely matched. <\/p>\n

Google Pixel 10 \u2013 Camera Samples\"\"<\/p>\n

The ultra-wide sensor can also look great in bright settings. It captures a wide field-of-view while maintaining the look and feel on the main sensor. It definitely struggles in dim settings though, introducing a lot of noise. <\/p>\n

The Pixel 10 having a 5x telephoto sensor isn\u2019t nothing, but it naturally couldn\u2019t be as good as the Pixel 10 Pro\u2019s. And in side-by-side shots, it\u2019s clearly the inferior camera, offering less clarity, less light-gathering, and more washed-out shots. It does give the Pixel 10 an edge on the OnePlus 13\u2019s 3x telephoto sensor, as the Pixel optically gets in a little bit closer, but its quality lags behind enough that the trade-off generally won\u2019t be worth it. <\/p>\n

Selfies from the front camera look great. Details are sharp, colors are vibrant, and the angle is wide enough to squeeze a friend or two into the shot. It could be sharper, but unless you\u2019re taking selfies for a living, I think the quality is more than good enough. <\/p>\n

Purchasing Guide<\/p>\n

The Pixel 10 is available starting at $799<\/a> for 128GB of storage or bumping to $899 for 256GB. It comes in four colors: Indigo, Frost (tested here), Lemongrass, and Obsidian. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Google\u2019s 2025 Pixel lineup of Android smartphones is here, and the Pixel 10 sets the baseline with an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116650,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2306,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-116649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-mobile","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}