I tested the Google Pixel 10 for a week, and I feel like this AI phone is finally worth the $800

The Pixel 10 is the culmination of 10 years of design exploration and AI innovation. Where it seemed to me like Google was doing the bare minimum with hardware and putting all of its eggs in the software basket, the Pixel 10 feels like an enticing marriage of both, with its hardware catching up to its software ambitions.

The Pixel 9 was a good phone, but I had a hard time justifying its $800 price tag. And while the Pixel 10 isn't a massive overhaul from its predecessor, it manages to include some upgrades we hoped to see but didn't really expect. The result is a phone that feels like it's finally worth what you're paying for it.

Google Pixel 10 review: Price and availability

The Google Pixel 10 was announced alongside the rest of the Pixel 10 series on August 20, 2025. The phone went up for preorder on the same day and goes on sale starting August 28.

The Pixel 10 starts at $799 for the 12GB+128GB configuration, while the 12+256GB configuration will set you back $899.

There are four available color options to choose from: Indigo, Lemongrass, Frost, and Obsidian. Each color is available in either configuration.

Google Pixel 10: Specs

Google Pixel 10: Design and display

• The Pixel 10 design refines the Pixel 9 design, lacks a SIM tray and mmWave bar.
• The AMOLED display is bright and vibrant with sizable bezels.
• The PWM rate is still low compared to competitors.

The Pixel 10 is nearly identical to the Pixel 9. It's slightly thicker, and the camera bar is a bit wider, but it retains the general shape and design cues. The iconic camera bar and vibrant Indigo color help this phone stand out, and anyone even vaguely familiar with Pixel phones would recognize this as one.

There are some minor changes that Google made, such as removing the SIM card slot at the bottom and the mmWave bar at the top. As a result, the Pixel 10 frame is cleaner and more symmetrical.

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The display is a 6.3-inch OLED panel with rather sizeable bezels, which don't bother me as much as I thought. The panel is much brighter than its predecessor and quite vibrant, even in Normal display color mode.

Some potential buyers may not be pleased with the seemingly low PWM rate, which appears to have remained unchanged from its predecessor. The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL can effectively double this rate using an accessibility toggle, but the Pixel 10 misses out on this. Fortunately, it doesn't bother me, but it's something to note.

Google Pixel 10: Network and eSIM

• The Pixel 10 is eSIM-only in the U.S., but the transfer is streamlined.
• The phone has a harder time retaining a 5G connection.

As you may have heard, the Pixel 10 lacks a SIM card slot in the U.S., which initially had me worried.

Fortunately, it wasn't all bad; while the initial eSIM transfer during setup failed, a second try after the setup process worked without a hitch. I transferred and converted the physical SIM from the Razr Ultra to the Pixel 10, and even transferred the eSIM back and forth, just to see if it would be just as easy. It was.

It's still not as simple as just popping out my SIM card from one phone to another, but the process feels very streamlined.

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I tested the Pixel 10 with my own T-Mobile phone number, which works very well in Seattle. Usually, I get 5G/Ultra-Capacity in most places, with a few spots where it temporarily falls back to LTE. With the Pixel 10, I've noticed that the phone displays LTE more frequently than any other phone I've tested, which feels a little concerning and doesn't give me much confidence in the Tensor G5 modem.

Google Pixel 10: Hardware and performance

• Tensor G5 performance feels solid, but gaming isn't its strong suit.
• Stereo speakers and haptic feedback sound and feel great.

The Pixel 10 is powered by the Tensor G5 chipset, a significant shift from Samsung to TSMC-made chips. CPU performance is said to have improved by 34%, while TPU performance jumps 60%. How that translates in real-world use means the Pixel 10 feels plenty snappy when performing everyday tasks.

It might not match the performance of something like the Snapdragon 8 Elite or even its upcoming successor, but for most people, that won't really matter. Despite that, this phone performs just as I would expect an $800 phone to. Storage also receives a minor upgrade to UFS 4.0, but only for the 256GB variant.

Heavy gaming isn't a strong suit for the Pixel 10, so if that's what you're looking for, you might want to consider something with more power. You can still get away with playing games like Honkai: Star Rail on high settings, but don't expect consistently high frame rates.

Alongside great speakers, haptic feedback is phenomenal. Pokémon Go and Duolingo are great examples, from the shake of a Poké Ball when capturing a Pokémon to the congratulatory animation when extending your lesson streak.

Google Pixel 10: Software and AI

• Android 16 is vibrant and reactive, thanks to Material 3 Expressive.
• New and upgraded AI tools feel genuinely useful.
• Magic Cue has a lot of potential, but my experience has been limited so far.

The Tensor G5 may not compete with some other flagship chips in terms of raw performance, but software is where the Pixel 10 shines. Android 16 is more vibrant than ever, thanks to Material 3 Expressive, which is visually and physically expressive. I love how dismissing a notification will not only trigger a bouncy and almost sticky animation, but you'll feel the moment you swipe the notification away.

I also love the new customizable Quick Settings menu, as the unnecessarily large buttons in previous Android versions were my biggest gripe with the Pixel UI.

I actually find myself using the Pixel screensaver, which surfaces the Weather app, photos, or your Google Home controls. It rotates, too, which is a nice touch when it's mounted on a charger.

The Live Effects for wallpapers add some new flair to your images with animated shapes, cinematics, and even weather (being in Seattle, I opted for rain over a photo of the Space Needle).

Google's new AI features have been mostly a hit during my time testing the Pixel 10. I already love Gemini Live, and its video feature was upgraded to highlight objects on your screen. I asked it for a good book recommendation for my friend who enjoys Star Wars, and it pointed me to my copy of Jedi Battle Scars on my bookshelf (although I think I'll keep it for myself).

Voice Translate continues to impress me, allowing others to hear my actual voice speaking another language while I'm actually speaking English. I previously tried a similar feature on a Samsung phone, but it was awkward and used a preloaded voice. Furthermore, Google's implementation is processed on-device, which is excellent for privacy.

Daily Hub and Pixel Journal feel a little less useful than they may be. The former hides in the Discover feed, next to your home screen, and it surfaces upcoming Calendar events, video recommendations, and various topics for you to explore. It's Google's version of Samsung's Now Brief, but it doesn't seem to enhance the experience.

Pixel Journal is an AI-powered journaling app, which is more of a nice-to-have feature than a core experience. You can set goals for your journal, and it will use AI to suggest images to add from Google Photos or even topics to reflect on, based on past entries. And after you finish an entry, it will provide an AI-generated insight as a sort of post-entry reflection.

This may not be for everyone, but as someone who hasn't really journaled since middle school, I think it's pretty cool. That said, the app would be more useful if it had a widget or provided daily entry reminders.

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Magic Cue is a highlight feature of the Pixel 10, which aims to turn it into a more proactive AI assistant. It'll bring up relevant and contextual chips or cards in various apps like Messages, allowing you to perform actions faster and without having to dig for info.

For example, I asked a friend when the next Pokémon Go community day was, and he told me it was this upcoming Saturday. Magic Cue then surfaced a chip to create an event. Tapping it opened the Calendar app with an event already filled out titled "Pokémon Go Community Day with Andrew."

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Other instances would surface contact phone numbers when asked or events already in my calendar that I can share with one tap. There are more examples of Magic Cue popping up in phone calls with appointment or flight info (when calling businesses or airlines), Google Maps with places you've previously searched, and more, but my experience has been mostly limited to Messages.

Still, there's a lot of potential with this kind of feature, which feels like the most proactive and useful example of AI I've seen on a phone thus far. I imagine more time with the Pixel will make Magic Cue even more useful.

Google Pixel 10: Cameras

• The Pixel 10 adds a 5x telephoto sensor.
• Images are crisp and colors are true to life.
• Camera Coach and other AI features make it easier to take good photos.

The Pixel 10 features seemingly "downgraded" primary and ultrawide sensors at 48MP and 13MP, but it also gains a 5x telephoto camera, which feels significantly more capable than the zoom sensors on competing phones, such as the Galaxy S25.

Still, photos from each of the sensors are crisp, and colors are pretty true to life. Images didn't blow me away, but the Pixel 10 takes quite good photos.

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For those of you who need help taking good photos (I'm not the best photographer), Camera Coach is an optional new feature that I find intriguing. It uses AI to analyze your scene and then suggests compositions for you, guiding you step-by-step through the process of capturing a good photo.

Best Take, Add Me, and Guided Frame have all received useful upgrades that also aim to give the Pixel 10 a larger role in your photo-taking experience. It's clear that Google wants you to think as little as possible about the intricacies of taking a good picture.

This also extends to the editing experience. Thanks to Gemini in Google Photos, you can now skip manual editing and let Gemini do it for you. And while it can't do everything, it can perform tasks such as removing certain elements, leveling the image, or enhancing colors.

It works surprisingly well using natural language, but I can't help but feel like it's teetering on a line of how much AI should be doing for us, especially when manipulating photos. Fortunately, the Pixel 10 camera features CP2A Content Credentials, which identifies images that have been edited, whether by AI or otherwise.

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Unfortunately, the Pixel 10 still lacks "Pro" features. There's no 8K video, no Video Boost, no full-resolution images, no 100x zoom, and no Pro Controls.

Google Pixel 10: Battery and charging

• Charging speeds still trail competitors.
• Full Qi2 support opens the Pixel to a convenient world of accessories.
• Google throttles the battery after 200 cycles.

The larger Pixel 10 battery manages about a day of use on a single charge, which is nothing groundbreaking, but still good. Unfortunately, wired charging is on the slower side.

On the plus side, 15W Qi2 magnetic charging is here, which opens the Pixel 10 to a whole new world. I have a few Qi2 chargers around the house, and I really enjoy slapping them on the phone, with or without a Pixelsnap case. And as someone who always carries a power bank, I'm excited to try a portable Qi2 charger for the added convenience.

A report notes that Google will begin throttling the battery after 200 cycles with the Battery Health Assistance feature, which feels concerning. It's unclear how this will actually affect battery life and real-world charging speeds over the phone's long lifespan, but something like this would be better as an optional feature.

Google Pixel 10: Competition

The Galaxy S25 is the Pixel 10's closest competitor and another $800 phone with a strong focus on AI. However, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, it's arguably more of a powerhouse than the Pixel. It also comes with seven years of support and is preloaded with Gemini and Galaxy AI.

That said, it doesn't support full Qi2, so magnetic charging is only possible with a case. Furthermore, the zoom range is arguably weaker with its 3x telephoto camera.

Alternatively, you could go for something like the OnePlus 13, which was one of our favorite phones this year. It comes with more storage, exceptional cameras, IP69 for water and dust protection, and a huge battery with incredibly fast charging.

Software support isn't as robust, and OnePlus's AI offering isn't as impressive. The phone is also much larger than the Pixel 10. However, you can find it at a nice discount at the time of writing.

Google Pixel 10: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want a good compact camera phone.
• You want a phone with built-in Qi2 magnetic charging.
• You want the latest and greatest Google AI features.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You don't want to miss out on Pro features.
• You want a phone with very fast wired charging.
• You need more than 256GB of storage.

The Pixel 9 was not a bad phone, but the Pixel 10 does a better job of justifying its price tag, thanks to upgrades like the triple camera system, new Tensor G5 chip, and built-in Qi2 magnetic charging.

The Pixel 10 continues Google's crusade of creating a phone that can do it all for you, and with new AI features like Camera Coach and Magic Cue, it feels like it's taking a significant step toward being the ultimate AI phone. The only problem is that it's held back by its more expensive Pro siblings, but if you can live without some extra camera features, the Pixel 10 feels as close to Pro as you can get for the price.