At the annual Made By Google event, Google unveiled its latest Pixel series in the form of the Pixel 10.
The lineup looks pretty similar to 2024’s Pixel 9 series, and is made up of the entry-level Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Looking at the line-up, we’re keen to determine whether you really need to pay more for the Pixel 10 Pro compared to the Pixel 10 – especially with upgrades to this year’s entry-level model in the camera department.
Although we’re yet to review the Pixel 10 or 10 Pro, we have compared the specs between the two new Android smartphones below. Keep reading to learn more about the phones, which one will likely suit you best and whether either has a chance at making our best smartphones list.
Price and Availability
The entry-level model of the latest Pixel series, the Pixel 10, is unsurprisingly the cheapest of the lot with a starting price of £799/$799/€899 for the 128GB handset.
As its name suggests, the Pixel 10 Pro is more expensive, with a starting price of £999/$999/€1099. Like the Pixel 10, this price is for the 128GB-sized Pixel 10 Pro handset. While the Pixel 10 maxes out at 256GB, the Pixel 10 Pro is available with up to 1TB of storage.
Google Pixel 10 Pro has a Super Actua display
Although both the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro have the same 6.3-inch display, the two differ with their respective screen technologies. While the Pixel 10 has an Actua display, the Pixel 10 Pro benefits from a Super Actua panel, which essentially boasts a higher resolution, brightness and smoother refresh rate.
Essentially, the Pixel 10 has a 422 PPI resolution, with up to 3000 nits peak brightness and a 60-120Hz refresh rate. Comparatively, the Pixel 10 Pro has an LTPO panel at 495 PPI, sees up to 3300 nits peak brightness and is more power efficient with a 1-120Hz refresh rate.
It’s worth noting that it’s unlikely you’ll notice the real difference between the two handsets’ peak brightness in reality. However, the enhanced resolution and refresh rate will likely give the Pixel 10 Pro an edge, with better detail and smoother on-screen animations.
Otherwise, both handsets are fitted with a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 coating, which Corning promises is scratch-resistant and can even survive drops of up to one meter on a surface replicating concrete. Speaking of durability, both the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro also benefit from an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
Google Pixel 10 has a slightly larger battery
Perhaps surprisingly, as the cheaper of the two, the Pixel 10 sports a slightly larger battery capacity than the Pixel 10 Pro. Even so, the difference here is negligible, with both phones falling short compared to many of the best Android phones that offer 5000mAh at a bare minimum.
While the Pixel 10 Pro has a 4870mAh capacity, the Pixel 10 has a 4970mAh capacity. Although Google says the two handsets should see over 30 hours of battery life, or even up to 100 hours when Extreme Battery Saver is enabled, we can imagine the slightly larger capacity makes up for the lack of battery-efficient LTPO tech.
Speaking of batteries, the Pixel 10 retains last year’s 30W wired charging while the Pro model kicks things up a notch with faster 45W wired charging. Both also support PixelSnap, which allows you to magnetically attach wireless chargers and the likes to the back of your handset, even if the handset has a case on – just like Apple’s popular MagSafe tech.
Both run on the Tensor G5 chip
Unlike many other flagship phone lineups, the entire Pixel 10 collection benefits from the same Tensor G5 performance. This essentially means that the entry-level Pixel 10 offers the same amount of power as the top-end Pixel 10 Pro Fold for performance parity.
In true Google fashion, the Tensor G5 favours AI support over sheer power, which means we’ll likely see low benchmark scores once we get our hands on both the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro. Even so, with previous Tensor chips in Pixel handsets, we rarely notice a significant performance gap, and find the phones can handle most everyday tasks.
The Tensor G5 processor is “designed for the Gemini era”, which Google promises to support Pixel’s “most advanced on-device AI”. This should mean users can expect a smoother experience across both everyday tasks and, of course, Google’s plethora of AI tools, which we’ll dive into shortly.
Not only that, but Google promises the Tensor G5 also includes a fully custom Imaging Signal Processor (ISP), which should deliver “Pixel’s best image and video quality yet”.
Both include Google’s AI features
As touched upon earlier, both the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro run on the Tensor G5 chipset that allows for the smooth running of Google’s AI tools. Alongside familiar favourites like Google’s photo editing suite, the Pixel 10 not only improves the likes of Add Me and Best Take, but also adds in new tools.
One of the new tools is Magic Cue, which Google says will bring “a new level of personalised intelligence and helpfulness to Pixel.” Magic Cue should proactively suggest information and relevant actions based on the context on your phone, with Google providing the example that if you call your airline, Magic Cue will automatically find your flight details as soon as you dial.
Google Pixel 10 Pro has a Pro triple camera setup
Before we compare the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, it’s worth noting that the former is the first entry-level Pixel to sport three rear lenses, as usually the entry-level model is fitted with just a dual camera set-up.
Similarly, and in keeping with the Pixel Pro’s tradition, the Pixel 10 Pro also sports three rear lenses. However, while the Pixel 10’s camera setup is coined as “Advanced”, the Pixel 10 Pro’s is described as “Pro.”
While both are made up of a wide (primary), ultrawide and 5x telephoto zoom lens, they differ with their resolutions. The Pixel 10 Pro sports a 50MP wide lens that’s supported by a 48MP ultrawide and 48MP telephoto, whereas the Pixel 10 is fitted with a 48MP wide, 13MP ultrawide and 10.8MP telephoto instead.
That’s not where the differences end. Although the Pixel 10 supports Super Res Zoom up to 20x, the Pixel 10 Pro boasts a Pro Res Zoom of up to a massive 100x. This is a huge upgrade from both the Pixel 10 and last year’s Pixel 9 Pro. With this in mind, we’re keen to see how the Pixel 10 Pro performs.
There are similarities elsewhere however, including the use of Camera Coach. The Gemini-powered tool is built directly into the camera and offers suggestions on angles, lighting and shooting modes, based on the scene you’re capturing.
As we have yet to review either handset, we can’t confirm how much of a difference there is between the two. Considering the Pixel 10 Pro’s camera is relatively unchanged from last year’s Pixel 9 Pro, which we praised as being “one of the most capable camera systems around”, it’s expected this year’s Pro model may very well have a shot at entering our best camera phones list.
Early Verdict
If you prefer a smaller handset, then at 6.3 inches, either the Pixel 10 or Pixel 10 Pro is a brilliant option. However, if you want a more affordable handset that runs on Google’s latest chip and doesn’t scrimp on AI tools, then the Pixel 10 should be a perfectly sufficient choice.
On the other hand, if you don’t mind spending a bit more and want a Pro-level camera and a brighter, more detailed display, then you’ll likely be better off with the Pixel 10 Pro instead.
We’ll be sure to update this versus once we’ve reviewed both handsets.
