Pixel 10: Everything You Need to Know
Google has officially unveiled the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold as well as a new watch and some new buds. Rather than 12 different articles, let’s break it all down right here.
The Pixel 10 Series: Choices for Everyone
Let’s start off with the base model, the Pixel 10, which starts at $799 and is available from August 28th like the other two slabs. It comes in Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, and Obsidian and has an IP68 rating. The phone features a 6.3-inch Actua OLED screen with a 60-120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3000 nits. The device is powered by the Google Tensor G5 processor, has 12GB of RAM, and offers storage options of 128GB and 256GB. It has a 4970mAh battery and a triple rear camera system with a 48 MP wide, 13 MP ultrawide, and a 10.8 MP 5x telephoto lens.
If you’re looking for more, the Pixel 10 Pro starts at $999. Both Pro models come in Moonstone, Jade, Porcelain, and Obsidian. The Pro model has a 6.3-inch Super Actua display with a higher 1280 x 2856 resolution and a 1-120Hz LTPO refresh rate. The screen’s peak brightness is 3300 nits. The RAM is 16GB, and storage options go up to 1TB. The battery is 4870mAh, and the camera system includes a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP ultrawide with Macro Focus, and a 48MP 5x telephoto. It can also record video in 8K.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL starts at $1,199. It has a 6.7-inch display and a large 5200mAh battery. It also supports faster 45W wired charging and 25W wireless charging via Qi 2.2. The Pro XL has 16GB of RAM, and its storage options begin at 256GB, going up to 1TB. The camera setup is the same as the Pixel 10 Pro, with a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP ultrawide with Macro Focus, and a 48MP 5x telephoto lens.
All three models are now eSIM only in the States, which is a bummer.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold: A Game-Changing Foldable
Google is also back with another foldable and this time, it's all about durability. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold starts at $1,799 and it's the first foldable to get an IP68 rating, so it's fully dust and water resistant. The Fold is available from October 9th. The device is available in Moonstone and Jade colors. A new gearless steel hinge makes the phone feel more solid and gives it a slimmer side bezel, enlarging the cover display to 6.4 inches. That large foldable inner screen still measures 8 inches and a new 90/10 split mode should allow you to make better use of that screen real estate.
Both the inner and outer displays can reach up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness and is powered by a large 5015mAh battery with support for fast charging that will let you hit 50% in about 30 minutes. It comes with 16GB of RAM and storage options of up to 1TB. The triple camera system includes a 48 MP wide lens, a 10.5 MP ultrawide with Macro Focus, and a 10.8 MP 5x telephoto lens, though the ultrawide and telephoto cameras are still a step down from the non-folding Pixel 10 models. Thankfully, the Fold retains its SIM tray for another year..
Pixel Snap
The much rumored Pixel Snap is Google's new magnetic charging and accessory system for the Pixel 10 series, designed to be similar to Apple's MagSafe. It is built on the Qi 2 standard, which allows it to work seamlessly with many existing MagSafe accessories. This feature is available on the entire Pixel 10 lineup including the foldable model, with the Pixel 10 Pro XL version supporting faster 25W wireless charging for compatible accessories. The system enables easy attachment of chargers, wallets and other magnetic accessories.
Pixel Watch 4: More Powerful and Smarter
The new Pixel Watch 4 gets some serious upgrades. It starts at $349 for the 41mm Wi-Fi model and it has a larger, brighter, and more domed display with Gorilla Glass 5. Like the Fold, the new Watch is available from October 9th. Google promises faster charging and an impressive 25% increase in battery life. Google it also claiming that 15 minutes charging will equate to 15 hours of use. A new charging stand allows the watch to act as a tiny clock while charging. On the software side, the watch runs on the latest Wear OS and features hands-free Gemini access, improved haptics and a satellite SOS feature for emergencies.
Pixel Buds 2a
Google's new affordable earbuds, starting at $129.99 and launching on August 28th, are the first in their series to feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). They are powered by the new Tensor A1 chip, which enables Gemini integration and have an IP54 water and sweat resistance rating. The charging case also features a replaceable battery. As a fan of the Buds 2 Pro, I’m glad to see that these have the same wing that helps keep the buds in place.
New Software Features You Might Actually Use
It's not just about the hardware. Google is bringing some interesting new software to the Pixel 10 series:
Daily Hub: This is a personalized feed of information you can access with a simple swipe on the home screen. It pulls useful info like calendar events, weather and YouTube recommendations from your Google accounts. Think Now Brief from Samsung devices.
Magic Cue: This new On-Device AI-powered tool provides proactive contextual suggestions by accessing information from your Google services like Gmail, Calendar, Photos and Messages. It surfaces relevant details as Smart Reply-like bubbles or within the "Daily Hub" card. For example, it can provide a friend's address from a calendar event when they ask for it in a message.
Conversational Editing: Now you can edit photos by simply telling the phone what you want to change. Powered by Gemini, this feature lets you boost colors, remove unwanted objects, or even "reimagine" a scene by turning a road into a river, all with a simple voice or text command.
Pixel Journal App: This new app is a private and secure way to keep a journal. It uses on-device Gemini Nano AI to give you prompts and insights, with all your data stored locally on your phone.
Live Translate on Calls: This feature allows for real-time voice translation during phone calls. It is processed locally on the device using the Tensor chip so no internet connection is needed and the translated voices even mimic the original voices, just in another language. This demo is one you almost need to see. Incredibly impressive.
Camera Coach: This option appears in the camera app and uses AI to give multiple suggestions on how to frame your shot. After selecting one, it’ll guide you along as you take the actual shot.
Everything mentioned in this article is already available at the Google Store and Amazon.