There are two types of flagship phone users out there. The first kind are considered early adopters because they’re always interested in the latest and greatest features, whether it be in cameras, battery, performance, or display. Then there’s the second kind, who values the latest features and specifications, but is also conscious about the price.
If you’re in the latter group, you’ll find your options fit into two distinct categories, judged by the number of smartphone cameras. On the one hand, theGalaxy S25andOnePlus 13are both priced at between $800 and $1000, and feature three cameras complete with strong zoom performance.
Then there’s the other category for phones with two cameras, commonly associated with the entry-leveliPhone 16and prior. Another key competitor in this category is last year’sGoogle Pixel 9, and today Google unveiled its successor, theGoogle Pixel 10, in New York. There are many changes, but the biggest is clear: the first telephoto lens on a base Pixel.
I went hands-on with the Pixel 10 for half an hour earlier today, and one thing became apparent almost immediately: this could make the Pixel 10 one of the best value-for-money phones you can buy. Here’s why.
One more camera makes all the difference
The Pixel 10 marks a significant shift for Google, moving from competing with the dual-camera-wielding iPhone 16 to the triple-camera-toting Galaxy S25. On paper, the new telephoto lens is the only change, but the changes in the Pixel 10 camera extend much further.
The main camera drops slightly from a 50MP sensor in the Pixel 9 to the 48MP wide sensor in the Pixel 10 with the same f/1.7 aperture and 25mm focal length. Then there’s the ultra-wide camera, which drops from a 48MP sensor with f/1.7 aperture to a smaller 12MP sensor.
This drop in the ultra-wide is almost certainly due to the new telephoto, and the Pixel 10 features the same 10.8MP telephoto lens found in the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. This sensor delivers 5x optical zoom, but lacks the Pro Res Zoom feature for up to 100x zoom that’s found in the Pixel 10 Pro series with the same telephoto camera.
Despite the other changes to the camera, the new telephoto lens on the Pixel 10 is a welcome improvement for anyone who’s buying a phone at this price point. Yes, the rest of the camera has some downgrades, but three cameras and a strong telephoto would likely appeal more to customers than two better lenses.
A new era for the Tensor processor
The Pixel 10 also sees the launch of the Tensor G5, the fifth-generation processor designed by Google. This change also marks a watershed moment, as Google has switched from Samsung Foundry to the world’s largest chipmaker, TSMC.
The Tensor G5 is built on TSMC’s 3nm process, which is the same architecture used in rival flagship chipsets powering phones like theiPhone 16 Pro,Galaxy S25 Ultra, andGalaxy Z Fold 7. The shift to the 3nm process brings a host of improvements for Google to take advantage of, specifically when it comes to AI performance. The Tensor G5 is paired with 12GB of RAM.
Google says the Tensor G5 offers deeper customization and is custom-built to support the latest advancements in AI. The Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) is 60% more powerful, ensuring much faster performance in machine learning and on-device AI. The Tensor G5 also features a 34% faster CPU as well as an upgraded ISP for better camera performance.
Bigger battery and better charging
Like the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup, Google has made the battery slightly larger at 4,970 mAh. Unlike the Google Pixel 9a — which features the largest battery in a Pixel at 5,100 mAh — the Pixel 10 is only slightly larger than the Pixel 9.
Battery life was a strong part of the Pixel 9 experience last year, and the larger battery should ensure this continues this year. However, the Tensor G5 consumes more power, so there shouldn’t be a significant increase in overall battery life.
There have also been improvements to charging. The Pixel 10 charging speeds jump from 27W to 29W, which Google says can charge the phone up to 55% in around 30 minutes, when used with a 30W charger. Like most phones, there’s no charging brick in the box.
The biggest change in the battery this year is the addition of Qi2 magnetic wireless charging. Dubbed PixelSnap, the feature allows the Pixel 10 to charge wirelessly at up to 15W using a MagSafe-compatible charger. The Pixel 10 is the first Android phone to feature this built-in; while Samsung ensures the best Samsung phones are Qi2-compatible, they require an additional case to take advantage of the feature.
Software is Google’s strong point… yet again
As you might expect, the Pixel 10 runsAndroid 16, the latest version of Android, out of the box alongside Google’s Material 3 Expressive UI. The Pixel 10 is also backed by seven years of software and security updates, meaning it should be supported to at least Android 23.
Beyond the core platform, the Pixel 10 also comes equipped with several new AI features as part of Gemini, and some of these are set to be exclusive to the Pixel range.
First, there’s Magic Cue, which leverages the Tensor G5 processor and Google’s Gemini Nano model for real-time processing of your usage to enable contextual suggestions. These suggestions can include adding events to the calendar, previewing weather forecasts, or settling a bill, with Google set to expand this feature considerably over the coming months.
One particular point of note is that Magic Cue is designed to surface suggestions that Google thinks you need before you need to ask for them. As such, the more you use the Pixel 10, the better the training of the models; as a result, suggestions should become far more accurate and frequent as you use your phone.
There is also a wide range of other changes throughout the OS. Google’s Veo 3 model is now available on phones, while a new Daily Hub provides a daily digest that’s similar to Now Brief on the Galaxy S25. There are also improvements to Call Screening and a new addition to voice calls, with the Pixel 10 able to translate your call in real-time.
The Pixel 10 proves that affordable doesn’t mean compromises
The Pixel 9 was one of the best phones last year, and the myriad of changes in the Pixel 10 mean it goes further than just picking up the mantle; starting at $799, the Pixel 10 is likely to be the best $800 phone that you can buy.
Like theGoogle Pixel 9aand prior, the Pixel 10 proves that affordable doesn’t have to mean big compromises, and while there are some lesser specs compared to the Pixel 9, the Pixel 10 is a more complete all-around phone for most people.
There’s one big thing to also keep in mind: Google has followed Apple’s lead, and the Pixel 10 is eSIM-only in the US, meaning it doesn’t come with a physical SIM card tray like the iPhone 16 series. It’s a shame that Google has gone eSIM-only, but it does feel inevitable that the industry as a whole will eventually follow.
Google Pixel 10 price and availability
The Pixel 10 is available to pre-order starting at $799, which comes with 128GB of storage. Pre-orders open today (August 20) ahead of the release date on August 28. If you want additional storage, you can double the storage for a $100 premium, but 256GB is the largest available storage capacity.
The Pixel 10 series comes in four distinct colors: Obsidian, Frost, Lemongrass, and Indigo. The latter is my favorite color, but Lemongrass is also a beautiful shade of green. This might be Google’s best color lineup as all four colors look fantastic in person.
