The Google Pixel 10 (starting at $799) gives you most of the features from the Pixel 10 Pro line (starting at $999) for less money. It goes head-to-head with the $799 Apple iPhone 16 and the $799.99 Samsung Galaxy S25 in the affordable flagship space, and truly holds its own against these rivals. It combines high-quality hardware with competitive specs and performance, and some of the best software available in an Android phone. Google's AI tools delight, and the company promises support for years to come. If you can stretch your budget, the $999 Pixel 10 Pro has more RAM for faster multitasking, takes sharper photos, and has a brighter screen, making it our Editors' Choice winner, but the Pixel 10 is an excellent alternative for $200 less.

Design: A Strong Family Resemblance

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Like the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL ($1,199), the Pixel 10 is a refined upgrade of the Pixel 9. Google smooths over the latter's rough edges (literally) to create a phone that's easier to hold and use. Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covers the front and back surfaces, and the phone's aluminum frame features a matte finish that contrasts with the glossy rear panel. The glossy surface is prone to picking up and revealing fingerprints.

The Pixel 10 measures 6.02 by 2.83 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.2 ounces, which is a hair thicker and heavier than the Pixel 9 (6.02 by 2.83 by 0.33 inches, 6.98 ounces). Its small size makes it easy to grip. For comparison, the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16 are smaller and lighter at 5.78 by 2.78 by 0.28 inches and 5.71 ounces, and 5.81 by 2.82 by 0.31 inches and 6.0 ounces, respectively. Meanwhile, the 10 Pro XL is decidedly larger at 6.41 by 3.02 by 0.33 inches and 8.18 ounces.

(Credit: Eric Zeman)

The button and port layout is the same as its stablemates. The clicky power button and volume rocker are on the right edge, while two speakers flank the USB-C (3.2) port on the bottom edge. US models have no SIM tray, so you must use an eSIM, and there's no expandable storage via microSD or a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The phone is rated IP68 and fully protected from dust and water. The same is true of the Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 lines. For colors, the Pixel 10 comes in Frost, Indigo, Lemongrass, or Obsidian. Indigo is the boldest color, while the others are toned down.

Display: Compact and Bright

(Credit: Eric Zeman)

The Pixel 10 features a 6.3-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2,424 by 1,080 pixels, a variable refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz, and an HDR brightness of 2,000 nits and peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The Pixel 9 matches the size and resolution of the Pixel 10, but isn't as bright at 1,800 nits (HDR) and 2,700 nits (peak).

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

On a sunny day, the Pixel 10's screen is bright enough to see, apart from the occasional glare. This makes it easier to do things like take photos.

New this year, the Pixel 10 has an always-on display (which you can turn off in Settings). The display can be set to show the time or more complex things like Google Home controls or your favorite photo album if the device is charging. The 10 Pro models have always had an always-on display.

For comparison, the Galaxy S25 has a smaller 6.2-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2,556 by 1,179 pixels, a fixed 60Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.

Performance: Ready for Demanding Tasks

The Pixel 10 series runs on Google’s new Tensor G5 processor, the first Tensor made by TSMC rather than Samsung. Built on TSMC’s 3nm process, the G5 is optimized for on-device AI. The Pixel 10 ships with 12GB of RAM and your choice of 128GB ($799) or 256GB ($899) of storage. Since the latest Pixels are backed by a seven-year software and hardware support commitment, I would have liked to see higher storage options.

( Credit: Geekbench/PCMark/GFXBench/PCMag)

On Geekbench 6, which measures raw CPU power, the Pixel 10 scored 2,350 on the single-core test and 6,401 on the multi-core test, compared with the Pixel 9's scores of 1,742 and 4,573. That's a sizeable improvement over last year's model. For comparison, the faster S25 managed scores of 2,260 and 6,893, while the iPhone 16 achieved an even higher 3,091 and 7,129 on the same tests.

On the PCMark Work 3.0 test, which gauges how a phone handles general mobile tasks, the Pixel 10 scored 16,948—again, a significant improvement from the Pixel 9 (10,468), but lower than the Galaxy S25 (19,060). This test does not run on Apple devices.

In GFXBench, which measures graphics performance, the Pixel 10 pushed 73 frames per second (fps). That's a boost over the Pixel 9's 60fps, though the Galaxy S25 outdid them both at 118fps.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

For real-world gaming performance, I tested with the resource-intensive Asphalt Legends set to its highest graphics and frame rate settings. The Pixel 10 ran the game with smooth action and fluid animations.

Generally, I found the Pixel 10 can handle whatever I throw at it. Multitasking works well, apps launch quickly, and Google's AI features are mostly successful.

Battery: Over Half a Day

The Pixel 10 packs a 4,970mAh battery capable of charging at up to 30W via wire and at 15W wirelessly via Qi2-compliant chargers. It also supports Google's new magnetic charging solution, Pixelsnap.

In our battery rundown test, in which we set the screen to full brightness and stream a 1080p video, the Pixel 10 lasted 12 hours and 40 minutes. That's an improvement compared with the Pixel 9's 11 hours and 45 minutes, but not by much. Moreover, the S25 went for 14 hours and 15 minutes, while the iPhone 16 outdid the rest at 17 hours and 47 minutes under the same conditions. I would have liked to see more improvement here, particularly since Google claimed a 25% improvement year over year.

When connected to a compatible fast charger, the phone reached 26% in 15 minutes, 50% in 30 minutes, and 100% in 1 hour and 5 minutes. That's appreciably quick for an $800 phone.

Connections: A Curious, Though Minor, Downgrade

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

For connectivity, the phone supports 5G (sub-6GHz, C-band, and mmWave), Bluetooth 6, NFC, and Wi-Fi 6E. The Pixel 9 shipped with Wi-Fi 7, so this is a small and surprising downgrade. The 10 Pro models still support Wi-Fi 7. The US Pixel 10 series supports two eSIMs, but no physical SIMs.

On Mint Mobile in New York City, which uses T-Mobile's network, the phone reached a maximum download speed of 402Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 47.1Mbps. For comparison, a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 reached 560Mbps down and 50.2Mbps up in the same location. 

When connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point, the Pixel reached peak speeds of 517Mbps down and 22.3Mbps up. A Samsung Galaxy S25 hit 482Mbps down and 22.6Mbps up from the same spot. Both phones performed well when I took them to the limits of my Wi-Fi network. The Pixel reached 44.2Mbps down and 8.84Mbps up, while the S25 reached 88.2Mbps down and 21.2Mbps up. 

Audio: Loud and Balanced

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Call quality is good; the Pixel 10 keeps voices clear while deftly removing background noise. The earpiece speaker reached 84.4dB with the decibel meter right on top of it, while the speakerphone hit 77.0dB with the meter positioned 6 inches away.

(Credit: Eric Zeman)

For media playback, the Pixel 10 produces stereo audio from the earpiece and down-firing speaker. When playing Metallica's "Enter Sandman" at maximum volume, the decibel meter recorded 95.0dB—surprisingly, a little louder than the Pixel 10 XL Pro (93.4dB).

The deepest bass notes of our test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," are audible as long as you hold the phone close to your ears. It is not the most resounding bass response, but reproducing those frequencies is difficult for most devices. The speakers produce well-rounded sound at a volume that can fill a small room. For the best audio experience, consider a good pair of Bluetooth headphones.

Cameras: Not Quite Pro Level

(Credit: Eric Zeman)

The Pixel 10 is the first non-Pro Pixel phone to feature three rear cameras instead of two. The main camera has a 48MP sensor with an f/1.70 aperture lens and an 82-degree field of view (FoV). The rear camera takes 12MP images via quad pixel binning, and there is no option to take full-resolution pictures. The phone's ultra-wide camera has a 13MP sensor at f/2.2 and a 120-degree FoV. The big addition here is the 10.8MP telephoto camera at f/3.1 with 5x optical zoom, and optical image stabilization (OIS). Having three cameras this year, instead of two, gives the Pixel 10 an advantage over the iPhone 16.

Overall, the Pixel 10's photo quality is excellent, and you would be hard-pressed to notice the difference between an image shot on the Pixel 10 or the Pixel 10 Pro. It preserves details, and colors are more accurate than what we saw on last year's Pixel 9. Head-to-head, however, the Pro model captures finer details than the vanilla Pixel 10.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Night Photography

At night, shots from the ultra-wide camera lose some detail in far-off subjects and tend to show slightly darker colors than the Pro. The telephoto delivers strong results, though it does not match the Pro for fine detail; that gap only appears at high zoom levels.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Selfie Camera

The 10.5MP front-facing camera takes good photos regardless of lighting conditions. Images are pleasant and have accurate color, but details are softer than the Pixel 10 Pro's 42MP selfie camera.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Video Recording

Both rear and front cameras capture video at up to 4K60, producing accurate color and clean details. The rear camera’s OIS delivers steady footage, while videos from the front-facing camera show more shake.

Software: The Latest and Greatest Android and AI

Every Pixel 10 runs Android 16 and will receive seven years of OS updates, feature drops, and security fixes. Along with Samsung, this is the longest commitment for an Android phone maker. Apple usually supports its iPhones for five years or more.

Google packs the Pixel 10 series with lots of AI, and everything works as advertised. We reviewed all the new AI features in detail in our Pixel 10 Pro XL review. You can read about them in full there, but here's a quick rundown of the marquee features:

Magic Cue

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Magic Cue is a proactive assistant that displays contextually relevant information at the right time. By default, it searches through the Calendar, Contacts, Gmail, Keep Notes, Messages, and Pixel Screenshots apps for things like restaurant names and addresses, flight data, and so on. For example, it can surface your flight details on the phone app when you call the airline. In our tests, we learned that Magic Cue is imperfect and needs time to build its knowledge base. This is a promising feature that I hope gets better over time.

Voice Translate

Voice Translate is just what it sounds like: real-time translation that works both ways between English and 10 supported languages, although at least one caller needs to speak English. It even recreates each speaker's voice and intonation, so the other hears the translation as if the caller were speaking their language. It's uncanny and super impressive, despite a few quirks. For example, it requires you to set it up ahead of time, and the translations take a beat for the phone to generate, which makes the conversation a little awkward.

Photography Tools

(Credit: Google/PCMag)

Camera Coach is in the Camera app, and it gives you tips on how to shoot better pictures. It teaches, but it does not do everything for you.

Auto Best Take is an evolved version of Best Take. It allows you to edit group photos and find smiling faces from recent shots to replace non-smiling or uninteresting faces. I like that you can approve the edits in real-time and edit them after the fact.

(Credit: Google/PCMag)

Google Photos now lets you edit using spoken natural language, thanks to Gemini. In the photo above, I asked for the background to be changed to outdoors and to change my shirt to a baseball jersey. Upon seeing red piping, I asked for a Yankees jersey. It took just a few seconds, but it works.

These features work just as well on the Pixel 10 as on the 10 Pro XL.