Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL are all about upgrades you can’t see, still starting at $999 [Hands-on]

Ben Schoon | Aug 20 2025 - 9:02 am PT

Google’s Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL are, on the surface, the least upgraded devices in the company’s 2025 smartphone lineup, but that’s because everything is hiding under the hood.

The Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL both build on Google’s established design from the Pixel 9 series. You get a boxy glass slab with a matte finish on the back and a polished aluminum side rail. The smaller Pixel 10 Pro has a 6.3-inch OLED display at 1280×2856 while the XL gets a larger 6.8-inch OLED display at 1344×2992.

The design as a whole is largely unchanged this year, though you’ll find a handful of tweaks here or there to the speaker grills, colors, and more.

Google’s color lineup this year includes the usual “Porcelain” and “Obsidian” – which have been slightly updated – as well as a “Jade” and a “Moonstone.” These colors are still pretty subdued, especially compared to the base Pixel 10, but there’s a lot more nuance to seeing them in person versus in renders. The yellow-green of “Jade” reacts to the nearby lighting a lot, with pretty drastic differences in how the color looks based on where you are. In some lighting, it’s a very subtle green but, in others, it has a more vibrant, almost lime color going on. The gold accents are also a nice touch. Meanwhile, “Moonstone” is in a similar boat, with the off-gray color looking very blue in some light, but very gray in others. I still personally wish Google would go a little heavier on colors, but I’m still pretty happy with the two signature offerings this year.

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*Google’s signature colors change a lot depending on their surroundings*

But, if you’re just getting the standard white or black, what’s actually new?

Obviously, there’s Tensor G5, Google’s first fully-self-made chipset which delivers some AI and efficiency upgrades. But that’s now paired with the first storage upgrade Google has made in several generations. “Zoned UFS” is based on UFS 4.0, a much faster storage version that’s found in virtually every other modern Android flagship. It’s a very overdue upgrade.

Further, you’ll also find that the displays are brighter at 2,200 nits for HDR and 3,300 nits at peak brightness, but under the same Gorilla Glass Victus 2 as last year.

Batteries are bigger, with 4,870 mAh on the smaller Pixel 10 Pro and 5,200 mAh on the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Charging rates are similar to last year, but wireless charging gets a huge boost thanks to Qi2. Pixel 10 Pro can charge at 15W while Pixel 10 Pro XL gets 25W wireless charging, assuming you’re using a fast enough power brick (25W and 35W, respectively) and capable Qi2 accessories. Still, it’s a big upgrade from the Pixel Stand-only faster wireless charging limits of past models, and Google now claims “30+ hours” of battery life compared to the Pixel 9 series’ “24 hours+” of battery life.

There’s a thickness and weight cost for those additions, but they’re hardly noticeable. The Pixel 10 Pro is 0.1mm thicker and 8g heavier (152.8 x 72 x 8.6, 207g), while Pixel 10 Pro XL is 11g heavier and the same dimensions (162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm, 232g) as its predecessor.

Of course, you’re also getting built-in magnets which work both for Qi2 chargers, as well as any MagSafe accessories that were originally designed for Apple’s iPhones.

In the camera department, sensors are unchanged as previously mentioned, but you will find 100x hybrid zoom thanks to Google’s improved camera ISP in Tensor G5. But the hardware as a whole is unchanged. Both phones get a 50MP main camera, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 5x telephoto, and 42MP selfie camera on the front. Google’s big new camera feature this year is the Gemini-assisted “Camera Coach” alongside the AI-powered “Auto Best Take” which can pick from a few shots to get the best facial expressions from a group shot.

There’s also a change that not everyone will love. In the US, Google is ditching phyiscal SIM card support, with the Pixel 10 series (apart from Pixel 10 Pro Fold) going all-in on eSIM. You’ll get support for two active eSIMs at once with storage for “8 or more” eSIMs. In every other region but the US, a physical SIM card is still offered.

In terms of the software, Android 16 with Google’s big Material 3 Expressive redesign will be available out of the box. Like all other recent Pixels, too, you’ll get 7 years of both security and Android OS updates.

Pixel 10 Pro starts at the same price as last year, coming in at $999 for its base 128GB model and going up from there. Pixel 10 Pro XL, meanwhile, now starts at $1,199. That’s not a price hike, though, as Google is just eliminating the 128GB option and instead starting at 256GB.

Both devices are available for pre-order starting today and will be available on August 28.

What do you think of the Pixel 10 Pro series?