The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (starting at $1,199) is the largest and most expensive phone in the Pixel 10 series. It brings refined hardware to the table with a waterproof build and a super bright display. As expected, the Pro 10 XL takes excellent photos, and with its powerful new Tensor G5 processor, the phone is capable of science-fiction-level AI tricks. Though some of Google's AI tools may need a little more time to smooth out the rough spots, the Pixel 10 Pro XL makes the strongest case yet for carrying an AI-enabled phone in your pocket. Ultimately, the smaller Pixel 10 Pro ($999) wins our Editors' Choice award and is the best Android phone for most people, thanks to its identical feature set and performance for $200 less. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ($1,299.99) is just as good a piece of hardware, offers equally exceptional cameras, packs plenty of Galaxy AI, has superior battery life, and includes a stylus, so it remains our Editors’ Choice for flagship devices.

Design: Possibly Peak Phone

The Pixel 10 Pro XL is an elegant, refined update to the Pixel 9 Pro XL. There are minor visual differences, like the metallic Google G on the 10's back and a slight shine on the camera bar's left bezel, in addition to changes that are felt more than seen, like the rounder frame and smoother transition between the front and back glass panels. Otherwise, the two look mostly the same.

The 10 Pro XL measures 6.41 by 3.02 by 0.33 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.18 ounces. The 10 Pro XL is the same size as the 9 Pro XL, though the latter is lighter at 7.8 ounces. The 10 Pro XL feels dense, and the 0.38-ounce difference is noticeable. For comparison, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is about the same size (6.41 by 3.06 by 0.32 inches), but a smidge lighter at 7.69 ounces. Meanwhile, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max ($1,199) is taller and wider (6.42 by 3.06 by 0.32 inches), but lighter (7.99 ounces).

(Credit: Eric Zeman)

Google protects the front and back panels with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and uses aluminum with a high-shine finish for the frame. The matte back glass contrasts with the frame and resists fingerprints. For durability, every Pixel 10 is rated IP68, just like its Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhone competitors, and is fully protected from dust and water.

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A power button and volume rocker are on the right side, while two speakers flank the USB-C port (v3.2) on the bottom rail. Google has removed the SIM tray from the US model, so the Pixel 10 phones are eSIM-only. You'll have to buy from overseas if you want a Pixel 10 that supports a physical SIM card. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack or microSD card slot, either.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

An under-display fingerprint sensor and the front-facing camera act as biometric inputs. Both are secure enough for sensitive applications like banking and finance. They work reliably in testing. Google Pixels are among the few Android phones that carry secure face identification; none of the Galaxy S25 models have it.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Google usually selects conservative colors for the Pixel Pro series, and this year is no different. It is available in Jade, Moonstone, Obsidian, or Porcelain.

Display: Beating Back the Sun

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The Pixel 10 Pro XL features the largest screen of the Pixel 10 series, a 6.8-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2,992 by 1,344 pixels and a maximum brightness of 2,200 nits (HDR) and 3,300 nits peak. By default, the XL is set to a resolution of 2,404 by 1,080 pixels, but you can adjust it in the settings.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

The display features a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz, which allows for smooth animations when needed and lower rates to conserve power when not. Apart from the brightness, the Pixel 10 Pro XL's screen is the same as the 9 Pro XL (3,000 nit peak).

For comparison, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.9-inch OLED display with a resolution of 3,120 by 1,440 pixels, a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. The iPhone 16 Pro Max's 6.9-inch OLED has a resolution of 2,868 by 1,320 pixels, a variable 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. The Pixel 10 Pro XL outshines the competition, literally.

The Pixel 10 Pro's extra brightness is handy for framing pictures outdoors since you can see everything on the screen even with lots of sunshine. The display is easy to read and sharp, regardless of lighting conditions.

Performance: Improved, But Not Head of the Class

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Every Pixel 10 is powered by Google's new Tensor G5 chip, which the company claims improves speed and efficiency by 34%. The Pixel 10 Pro series has 16GB of RAM, and the XL has three storage options: 256GB ($1,199), 512GB ($1,319), or 1TB ($1,549).

For the first time, the Tensor processor is not made by Samsung. Traditionally, Google has opted for a variant of a Samsung Exynos processor. This year, Google turned to TSMC, which fabricated the chip using its 3nm process. The chip has all-new components, including the ISP, GPU, DSP, TPU, and Titan M2 security module. The chip is far more capable of processing AI and LLM tasks on-device, rather than in the cloud—meaning faster performance and better security, since you're not sending requests over the internet to the cloud.

( Credit: Geekbench/PCMark/GFXBench/PCMag)

For every review, we run a series of benchmarks to gauge processor performance. In Geekbench 6, which measures raw CPU power, the Pixel 10 Pro XL scored 2,340 on the single-core test and 6,430 on the multi-core test. This is quite the improvement compared with the Pixel 9 Pro XL (1,677 and 4,100), but the Galaxy S25 Ultra (3,121 and 9,937) and the iPhone 16 Pro Max (3,312 and 8,086) are on a whole other level.

On the PCMark Work 3.0 test, which evaluates how well a phone handles everyday tasks, the Pixel 10 Pro XL scored 15,722, which is actually a dip compared with the Pixel 9 Pro XL's 17,847. The S25 Ultra blazed past them both with a score of 20,502. This test does not run on Apple devices.

On the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test (which measures GPU performance), the Pixel 10 Pro XL managed to push 75 frames per second (fps), a big jump from the 9 Pro XL's 43fps on this same test. Again, the S25 Ultra outperformed the Pixels at 86fps, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max managed 59fps.

To measure real-life gaming performance, I played the resource-intensive Asphalt Legends. In a 15-minute gaming session with the graphics set to high quality and a frame rate of 60fps, the Pixel 10 Pro XL rendered the game smoothly and fluidly without any dropped frames or slowdowns. The back of the phone got warm, mostly near the camera bar, but remained comfortable to the touch.

Battery: It's Slightly Bigger and Lasts Slightly Longer

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The Pixel 10 series features higher-capacity batteries than the 9 series. The XL packs a 5,200mAh battery, an improvement on the 9 XL's 5,060mAh battery, and can charge at up to 45W wired and 25W wirelessly.

New for the 10 series is Pixelsnap, Google's answer to Apple's MagSafe. It lets you magnetically attach your Pixel 10 to various accessories, including a wireless charger. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is also compatible with MagSafe accessories.

In our battery rundown test, in which we set the screen to full brightness and stream a 1080p video, the Pixel 10 XL lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes. That's a 10-minute improvement compared with the 9 XL, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra beats it handily at 14 hours and 15 minutes. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is on another level at 22 hours and 5 minutes.

When plugged into a compatible fast charger, the depleted 10 Pro XL reached a 27% charge in 15 minutes, a 54% charge in 30 minutes, and a 100% charge in 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Connections: Up to Date and Up to Speed

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For connectivity, the phone supports 5G (sub-6GHz, C-band, and mmWave), Bluetooth 6, NFC, and Wi-Fi 7. The US versions of the Pixel 10 Pro XL support up to two active eSIMs, but (again) do not include a SIM tray for physical cards. International models have a SIM tray, but not mmWave 5G.

On Mint Mobile (which runs on T-Mobile's network) in New York City, the Pixel 10 Pro XL reached a maximum download speed of 450Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 41.3Mbps. For comparison, a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 on T-Mobile's network reached 478Mbps down and 41.8Mbps up when tested in the same location. 

When connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point, the Pixel reached peak speeds of 489Mbps down and 28.1Mbps up. A Pixel 9 Pro XL hit 414Mbps down and 22.2Mbps up from the same spot. Both performed well when I took the phones to the limits of my Wi-Fi network. The XL reached 247Mbps down and 22.6Mbps up, while the 9 Pro XL reached 321Mbps down and 21.7Mbps up.

Audio: Full Sound With Surprising Bass

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The phone's call quality is good. In a test recording, voices sound clear, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL does an excellent job of removing background noise in noisy spaces.

The earpiece speaker reaches a maximum volume of 83.3dB when held against a decibel meter, while the speakerphone hits 80.7dB with the meter positioned six inches away. Sounds at or around 70dB are easy to hear, and the 10 Pro XL easily exceeds that threshold.

The 10 Pro XL's stereo speakers reach 93.4dB when playing music, like Metallica's "Enter Sandman." Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the deepest bass notes of our test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," come from the Pixel's speakers. The phone pumps out well-rounded audio and can fill a small room, though it's always a good bet to use Bluetooth earphones for a clearer sonic experience.

Cameras: Gorgeous Imagery

(Credit: Eric Zeman)

Google's Pixel line continues to be a photography powerhouse. The 10 Pro carries over the hardware from the Pixel 9 Pro, so the revised image processing accounts for the bulk of improvements.

The 10 Pro XL has a 50MP main shooter with an aperture of f/1.68 and an 82-degree field of view (FoV), a 48MP ultra-wide camera with an aperture of f/1.7 and a 123-degree FoV, and a 48MP telephoto camera with an aperture of f/2.8, 5x optical zoom, and optical image stabilization (OIS). Multi-zone laser-detect auto focus helps get your subject in focus quickly. By default, images are 12.5MP via quad pixel binning, but you can capture full-resolution pictures by tapping a few buttons.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL generally takes gorgeous images with well-preserved details and better color accuracy than before. Instead of brightening everything, it preserves more shadow depth when needed for a more natural look. Colors are still slightly oversaturated, but that's the Pixel way.

You can download an AI model to unlock the Pixel 10 Pro's 100x Pro Res Zoom. It's free; you can opt in when you first launch the camera app. Even with a 48MP sensor with a 5x optical zoom lens, at 100x, there are some gaps in your photos. The Pixel uses AI to fill them in. The results are often mixed. General shapes may be correct, but fine details (like lettering in words) can be problematic.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Night Photography

Google's night photography tools are still impressive. The phone can pull details out of what looks like complete darkness to my eye. In some photos, the black night sky looks like a deep blue. A shadowy sidewalk photographs as if it were drenched in light. The sky and leaves may be brightened, but dark shadows in distant objects are preserved. Note that taking photos in Night Sight mode requires keeping the Pixel 10 Pro XL steady for three seconds. If your hand wavers, the resulting images may be blurry.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Selfie Camera

The Pixel 10 Pro XL has a 42MP front-facing camera with an aperture of f/2.2 and a 103-degree FoV. Again, colors are accurate, and harsh shadows are lightened to produce pleasant images. The selfie camera's night photography powers mirror the rear cameras' output, pulling light out of the dark, but colors are not always perfect, and Portrait mode still has some difficulty separating out glasses from the background.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Video Recording

The Pixel 10 Pro XL can shoot up to 4K resolution at 60fps locally and can produce video at 8K30 if you use Google's Video Boost tool. This uploads your video to Google Photos, where its AI processing does the heavy lifting. You receive a notification once the video is processed. A 48-second video clip took over four hours to make a round trip. For comparison, the Galaxy S25 series can shoot 8K30 video on-device.

Thanks to the phone's OIS, the video footage looked smooth even when I jogged up the stairs. Footage tweaked by Video Boost looks noticeably brighter than standard 4K60 footage. The selfie camera's video colors look natural, and the results are stable even without OIS.

One thing to note: Google says the Pixel 10 will mark AI-adjusted photos and videos as such. In other words, you won't be able to pass off pictures or videos you've edited with the Pixel's AI as your own, unadjusted images.

Software: Android 16 With AI Bells and Whistles

The Pixel 10 series runs on Android 16 with the Material 3 Expressive UI design and will get seven years of OS updates, feature drops, and security fixes. This is equal to Samsung's seven-year commitment to some of its phones, the longest support period in the Android world.

Google packs the Pixel 10 with many new features, and they all work just as Google claims. The two marquee features are Magic Cue and Voice Translate, the latter of which caused my jaw to almost hit the floor.

Magic Cue

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Magic Cue proactively gives you pertinent information when you need it without asking. If you don't want to use the feature, you can opt out during setup or later in Settings.

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In demos, a person called an airline using the Google Phone app. During the call, a card with their flight information, such as the flight number, time, date, and confirmation number, popped up.

I tested this by putting reservations in my calendar for Magic Cue to find. In a text exchange, I asked a friend about the time and location for our dinner. At first, Magic Cue pulled up the dates of past reservations. In subsequent tests, it found the new reservation and brought it up in a card. When I asked my friend where the restaurant is located, Magic Cue automatically populated the full address on a card. I think this feature needs some time before it really "knows" what information to present, so don't expect Magic Cue to pick out every relevant detail immediately.

Voice Translate

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Voice Translate requires you to download the language packs to the Phone app before it will work. Once you do, it is available in calls under the Call Assist button. Voice Translate lets you talk to people in French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Hindi and Japanese are available as previews. I tested it with a French speaker.

I made a call, tapped the Voice Translate feature, and set the language to French. Once the call connected, it played a recorded message for my callee, letting them know the conversation was being translated on the device.

The Pixel sampled my voice, and it spoke to my callee in French, complete with my vocal tones and patterns. The caller responded in French, and the Pixel sampled their voice, so I heard the response in English in their voice and intonation on my phone. We found the conversation timing may be awkward because you can hear the other person speak their native language before the Pixel translates the response. The Pixel also displays an on-screen text transcription, which is useful if you miss something. Keep in mind, only one party in the call needs to have a Pixel 10 phone for this to work.

If you can get around these quirks, the Pixel 10's Voice Translation tool works well enough to hold a rough conversation with someone in another language, which is terrific.

Photography Tools

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Camera Coach is a new tool in the Photos app that gives you basic tips on how to frame your photos as you take them. The feature is not finished yet, but it gives you a general idea of what to do. Camera Coach provides suggestions and then highlights targets on the screen as it teaches you.

Auto Best Take is a variant of Best Take, which lets you easily edit group photos by replacing people's faces from other photos. With Auto Best Take, you can just tap Edit, and if Best Take is an option, you'll see it. The new image takes just a few seconds to load, and you are presented with a fully finished picture with happy faces. You can accept the image as is or tap one or more faces in the group to choose an alternate expression.

(Credit: Google/PCMag)

Google Photos now lets you edit photos using plainspoken language. In the photo above, I asked the app to replace the background with a dumpster fire in one session and then to put me in a suit. The resulting image was better than my imagination, especially since Pixel Studio corrects lighting to match the background. My black suit actually has a red tinge from the fire behind me. This is perhaps more fun than functional, but a little fun never hurt anyone, right?

It is unclear if all of Google's AI features in the Pixel series will make their way over to the Galaxy S25 line. While Samsung's Galaxy AI is nothing to sneeze at, a benefit of buying a Pixel is that you are guaranteed first access to the latest and greatest from Google.