The Google Pixel 10 is a story of promise and problems—a brilliant leap forward in AI, let down by a step back in core performance. Here's my review.
The Google Pixel 10 will be available in India in Obsidian, Frost, Indigo and Lemongrass colours
Google Pixel 10 is the entry point to the new Pixels, yet again, following closely on its predecessor, the Pixel 9. But this year, the base Pixel 10 model is no longer the model that misses out on some must-have features. The perfect case in point is the new telephoto sensor onboard the Pixel 10 that makes the smartphone much more versatile. There are other improvements as well, such as an all-new TSMC-made chip, battery enhancements, and more, which I will discuss in this review.
Every year, when the new Pixels launch, one question that repeats in plenty of queries that I get in my inbox is - Should we invest in the base Pixel model? And, this year, I want to answer that slightly in a better way, thanks to Google packing the 10 as a true compact flagship. This year, Google is marking the 10th anniversary of the Pixel series launch. But the Pixel 10 is no longer the only compact premium Android smartphone in the Indian market - there's the OnePlus 13s, Xiaomi 14, and more.
For the Pixel 10, the price in India is set at Rs. 79,999 for the 256GB storage model. Notably, the starting price of the Pixel 10 is the same as the Pixel 9, so no incremental upgrade in the prices. Now, let's jump into my review.
The Pixel 10 price in India is set at Rs. 79,999 for the 256GB storage variant
If you're following the smartphone industry, then you can recognise a Pixel device with its iconic camera bar design. The company introduced the camera bar design in 2021, and ever since then, the iconic bar has become a cohesive visual identity of Pixels. Unfortunately, design-wise, the Pixel 10 doesn't bring anything new and reminds you of the Pixel 9 from the moment you hold it in your hands. There's one notable difference: the camera bar on the Pixel 10 is slightly taller than the one we saw on the Pixel 9—no points for guessing that this was done to accommodate the new telephoto sensor.
The Pixel 10 offers a satin-finish metal frame that feels solid in the hand and sports a polished glass back. The rear is a fingerprint magnet, though, it will depend on how much you get bothered by the colour choice you make. It is available in India in Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, and Obsidian colours. I got the Frost colour for review, and it could easily hide the smudges unless I looked closely. Interestingly, the Pixe 10's Frost colour on the online listing looks Blue-ish in tone, though in real life it is closer to a light purple shade. Nevertheless, the Frost shade looks good.
It measures 8.6mm thick and weighs 204 grams
You gain confidence while using the Pixel 10 with just one hand, something you can't do with phones that have larger displays. The rear design is a head-turner, and I noticed people around me turning to check for the model and colour, which was surprising for me. For protection, the Pixel 10 features scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass on both front and back.
The satin finish spacecraft-grade aluminium frame gives confidence in everyday use, and I was more inclined to use the Pixel 10 without putting a back case. It also gets an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Google lists that the Pixel 10 gets a fingerprint-resistant coating, though that's not very effective in everyday usage.
Similar to other Pixels, the Pixel 10 gets seven years of software and security patch support
The right panel features power and volume rockers that provide good tactile feedback and are easily accessible with my thumb when I hold the device with my right hand. The front is dominated by the 6.3-inch display with a punch hole selfie camera placement in the middle. The bezels are slightly thick, considering that Pixels are now 10 years old, and by this time, Google should have realised that consumers prefer thin bezels. But, this is not a deal breaker.
At 8.6mm, the Pixel 10 isn't the thinnest device you will come across, while the 204 grams for a phone with less than a 6.5-inch display feels on the heavier side. To compare, the OnePlus 13s features a similar screen size to the 10, but weighs considerably lighter at 185 grams. The under-display fingerprint is ultrasonic, and it's snappy for everyday use. Compared to the face unlock, the fingerprint biometric authentication felt more snappy during the review.
The back panel of the Pixel 10 is slippery because of the glass use
Jumping to the display, the Pixel 10 features a 6.3-inch Actua OLED display with 1080x2424 pixel resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and it offers 422PPI pixel density. It features a bright display, supports up to 3000nits peak brightness, and comes with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Pixel 10 also supports HDR and Widevine L1 for high-resolution multimedia playback on platforms like Netflix and YouTube.
The display feels bright enough and great for everyday use, though I wish it was an LTPO panel. As for refresh rate, you have to choose between 60Hz and 120Hz, depending on your preference. For instance, if you want to save on battery, switching to a lower refresh rate makes sense. In real-world usage, the Pixel 10 packs an excellent display, and I had no complaints in the display department.
The smartphone supports 3000nits of peak brightness
Jumping to the performance of the Pixel 10, the device can handle multitasking - jumping from one app to another or booting new apps without lag. The UI feels snappy, and Google calls the latest Material 3 Expressive UI, and it looks and feels familiar to what we have seen on the previous Pixels, with give or take a few new additions, mainly in the AI features list. Visually, the new animations feel good, like when you dismiss notifications on your phone, you can feel a satisfying rumble, and the interface now has dynamic colour themes. For real-time updates on your delivery, Live Updates show alerts on the home screen, including for ride-sharing apps. All of these minor additions make the UI experience more enriching.
It is powered by the Google Tensor G5, which TSMC has made this year
Similar to other Pixels, the Pixel 10 also gets seven years of Android updates and security patches - the best software support in the industry.
I tried about 25 apps, and the Pixel 10 handled them all really well. The moment it crossed 25 apps open simultaneously in the background, the Pixel 10 started to show signs that it needed air to breathe. Another department where the Pixel 10 clearly indicates it's not designed for is gaming. I tried Call of Duty Mobile on the Pixel 10, and it ran smoothly for some time. However, after about 20 minutes, I noticed it started getting hot, to the point where I had to shut the game down. If you're a casual gamer looking to try games like BGMI, Genshin Impact, Racing Master, Minecraft, and more in the same genre, then look elsewhere. Even on standard navigation using Google Maps, the Pixel 10 tend to get warm after 60 minutes of continuous screen use.
The Pixel 10 comes in a single 256GB storage option
I tested the Pixel 10 on our synthetic performance benchmarks to compare it to the Pixel 9 and other devices like the OnePlus 13s and Galaxy S25 in the same price range, and here's how the phone fared.
| Benchmark | Google Pixel 10 | Google Pixel 9 | OnePlus 13s | Samsung Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu v10 | 1060808 | 916098 | 2449859 | 2113343 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 | 16,538 | 12,363 | 14,491 | 20,833 |
| Geekbench Single | 2,080 | 1,657 | 2,874 | 3,034 |
| Geekbench Multi | 4,687 | 3,630 | 8,741 | 9,211 |
| GFXB T-rex | 120 | 120 | 60 | 120 |
| GFXB Manhattan 3.1 | 120 | 119 | 60 | 120 |
| GFXB Car Chase | 83 | 74 | 60 | 113 |
| 3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | Maxed Out |
| 3DM Slingshot | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | Maxed Out |
| 3DM Wild Life | Maxed Out | 8,913 | Maxed Out | Maxed Out |
| 3DM Wild Life Unlimited | 12,556 | 9,193 | 23,225 | 24,983 |
Calls on the Pixel 10 were excellent, and the network connectivity wasn't a problem either during our testing. Thanks to the compact design, the Pixel 10 is excellent for long calls. The handset also offers fantastic haptic feedback for typing, and I had a great time editing articles on the Pixel 10. Jumping to the speaker performance, the Pixel 10 is loud enough for a small room and has a setup that includes a bottom-firing speaker and one integrated into the earpiece. In my testing, I found the Pixel 10 speakers performing better than what we saw on the Pixel 9.
The Pixel 10 runs Android 16 out of the box
Overall, the Pixel 10 is a device targeted towards true Android lovers and people who are not gaming enthusiasts. If you're someone who loves compact devices and always wanted to try the Pixels for everyday use but hardly plays games on the device, then the Pixel 10 is for you.
AI Smarts: The Brains of the Operation
On the AI front, the Pixel 10 retains some of the top features we saw last year, like the Best Take, which combines multiple photos with the same subjects and angles and offers the best; Photo Unblur, which still works as magic, and unblurs photos, and Magic Eraser, well, Google has beaten Apple in this specific area, where eraser does far better job than what iPhones currently do. There's also an audio magic eraser that can focus on the scene and reduce ambient noise. There's also Pixel Studio that you can play around with as much as you want.
The smartphone packs multiple AI features that make the Pixel 10 worth the price
But what truly is making headlines is Magic Cue, which reads details from Google apps like Gmail and suggests recommendations. The only problem is that not all my friends use a Pixel, so not everyone relies on the same set of apps. In my time with the Pixel 10, I couldn't find great use of the Magic Cue, but this might change if I keep using the device for a few months. On the other hand, the Voice Translate feature works flawlessly.
Another feature that grabbed headlines was Camera Coach, which basically guides you on how to frame a shot. The good thing about the AI features on the Pixel 10 are that they are not forced on the user and are more or less voluntary, which is the part that I loved. For anyone planning to buy the new Pixels, you will fall in love with some of these AI features, which have been baked in really well.
The phone comes with IP68 dust and water resistance
The new Pixel 10's story of compromises is primarily around the cameras. While the 10 packs a new camera setup in terms of sensors, and the addition of a 5x telephoto makes it more capable in every way. For context, the Pixel 9 missed out on the telephoto sensor, so yes, the 10 scores more when we consider the on-paper spec. But this is where things start to get interesting. The Pixel 10's primary camera has been downgraded to a 48-megapixel camera with a smaller sensor compared to the Pixel 9's 50-megapixel camera. A similar story applies to the ultra-wide unit as well. But how does this reflect in real-world camera performance? Let's check that out below.
The camera department gets the much-anticipated telephoto sensor
The 48-megapixel primary camera remains a capable shooter, and you will be impressed with its daylight shots - plenty of details, excellent dynamic range, and decent sharpness. As you can see in the camera samples below, the daylight shots are crisp. Notably, the primary camera has also improved close-up range shots - something we never saw Google talking about during its keynote.
Pixel 10 primary camera daylight samples (click to expand)
Overall, the shots came out with good exposure and a wide dynamic range in the highlights. The white balance was pretty neutral in the shots across different lighting conditions—and, most importantly, nice colours for photos and videos.
The 1x shots outperformed the 2x shots during my testing. Additionally, I noticed that 2x mode significantly impacts autofocusing. In 2x mode, I ended up with some samples that came out soft.
Pixel 10 ultra-wide camera samples (click images to expand)
The ultra-wide shots had nice colours and neutral white balance. The autofocusing struggled a bit at times during the camera testing. Overall, the colours were solid, and the details were good, but not as good as what you see in the primary sensor. One issue that emerged in our ultra-wide samples was related to sharpness.
Google Pixel 10 telephoto sensor in full action (click images to expand)
The 5x telephoto sensor is the star attraction of the all-new Pixel 10. The real-world performance, however, is not something that steals the show. The 10.8-megapixel tele sensor impresses in good lighting conditions, but it's in low-light scenarios that its limitations become apparent. The noise levels are not in check, and details take a hit in low-light conditions. The daylight shots, on the other hand, are decent and almost comparable to the primary shooter.
Pixel 10 low-light camera samples (click images to expand)
The low-light shots generally came out well, and Night Sight was in full action. Google's Pixel series is known for handling challenging shots with some software support, and it was evident. In low-light conditions, the details remained reserved, but the software also did some heavy noise reduction, which looked unnatural at times. However, detail retention on the Pixel 10 was better than what you can see on a Samsung Galaxy 25 or OnePlus 13s.
Jumping to selfies, the Pixel 10 primarily retains the Pixel 9's selfie shooter, and the quality is the same. The selfies taken in good lighting come out great, but those taken in low light get Google's software treatment and are good enough for your social media and chat platform uploads. On the video front, the Pixel 10 supports 4K at 60fps on all cameras, and the quality is consistent. The videos have accurate and stable target exposure with a relatively wide dynamic range. However, when compared to iPhones, the Pixel 10 falls short of the quality that creators can rely on for their daily video production.
The Pixel 10 offers Emergency SOS, Crisis Alerts, Car Crash Detection, Android Earthquake Alerts System, and Theft protection built-in features
The Pixel 10 can last about a day, offering about 4-5 hours of screen time depending on your usage. My everyday use included regular tasks like checking emails, texting on messaging apps, streaming on YouTube and other OTT apps, occasional camera use, browsing and reading on Chrome, and some gaming while testing the device.
It packs a 4970mAh battery and supports up to 30W fast-charging
Considering the Pixel 10 packs a larger battery than what we saw on the Pixel 9 (4700mAh), my expectations for the battery were slightly higher. To test improvement over the Pixel 9, I ran the in-house HD video loop test and saw the Pixel 10 lasting about 26 hours, which is an hour more than what the Pixel 9 delivered last year in the same test.
The Pixel 10 supports dual SIM (single nano SIM and eSIM)
Overall, the Pixel 10 isn't a benchmark when it comes to the battery department for compact flagships, but it is not a slouch either. For fast charging, it supports 30W charging, which is slower than what we have seen elsewhere. The Pixel 10 takes close to 100 minutes to charge fully, while a 30-minute charge can bump the battery to about 50 percent. Another piece of good news this year is that the Pixel 10 now supports Qi 2, which means wireless charging, finally, Google!
Alright, time to answer the big question - should you buy the new Pixel 10? If you're using an older Pixel, anything before the Pixel 9, the 10 is a massive upgrade, so you should definitely consider it. For those who bought the Pixel 9 last year, it's worth sticking with it for another year since the 10 doesn't offer significant improvements. But if you're someone planning to buy your first Pixel, 10 isn't the best fit. Consider adding some money and going for the Pixel 10 Pro, which is by far better than this one.
The Pixel 10 is a great device if you are not into gaming and heavy-graphics video editing on the go. For most tasks, the Pixel 10 can handle everyday usage with ease
What works in favour of the Pixel 10? Well, the showstopper has to be the addition of the telephoto sensor, which, although not the best out of the box, offers a feature that is missing on other rivals. If you're not into gaming and mostly use your phone for browsing, calling, chatting, and streaming shows and movies, then the Pixel 10 can be your perfect companion. There's, of course, a plethora of excellent AI features onboard the Pixel 10, which make the device much more capable and worth it. This year, the entry-level Pixel 10 is by far the best in terms of upgrades without a price increase.
For alternatives, consider the OnePlus 13s (Review), which features the flagship-grade Snapdragon 8 Elite, or the Samsung Galaxy S25 (Review) for a strictly compact flagship experience. If you can go big, then the OnePlus 13 (Review) and iQOO 13 (Review) are also great options.
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