The Google Pixel 10 series has launched in Ireland. The phone marks Google’s biggest push of an AI-powered device yet, arguably the biggest push of AI in a phone by any company.
Google is lagging behind in the AI battlefield right now. For general usage, ChatGPT is still dominant, and it is for me too. When it comes to specialising, professionals have preferred platforms. For example coders like Cursor.
Yet, there’s a real place for Google’s Gemini AI offering. It’s an accessible all-rounder, packed with powerful features that link into your Google eco-system (Gmail, Google Maps etc). And the Google Pixel 10 Series embodies that AI-powered ecosystem incredibly well showing Google’s AI strategy that could really start to bear fruit.
I put the newest Pixel (specifically the Pixel 10 Pro XL) through its paces to see if the hype holds up, whether you’re a loyal Android fan or just iPhone-curious.
Design and Build
I’ve spent the past few years using iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro. I’ve always loved the solid and extremely premium feel of the phone’s body. Until recently, Pixel phones didn’t meet this same level of premium feel, but the new Pixel 10 Pro XL that I’ve been testing is absolutely stunning.
The phone weight 232g spread across a 6.8-inch frame. This isn’t a phone for people with small hands. Picking the Pixel 10 Pro XL is a deliberate choice to choose a beefy handset – so fortunately, Google gives you two other options if needs be!
The bodies of the entire Pixel range is aluminium and protected, featuring Gorilla Glass. Which, while I haven’t drop-tested this phone, gives me a fair bit of confidence in the phone’s robustness.
At a glance, the phone is unique. The “camera bar” across the back is different to other phones which tend to gravitate towards everything on one side. Naturally, this leads to a phone that rocks around the table, so the Pixel 10 camera bar design negates this.
What else can I say except that I really like the look, feel and handling of the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Personally, I’d just get the Pixel 10 Pro because I like the smaller form factor. I did always pick iPhone Pro, not iPhone Pro Max. But you’ll be the better judge of what you want and need.
I’ve reviewed quite a few Google Pixel phones at this stage, and I always have to include one point. This is Android the way the creators of Android envisioned it. It truly is, in my opinion, the best version of Android. It just works well, looks well and is one of the most intuitive skins out there for Android. But that’s not the headline here.
The headline feature of the Pixel 10 series for me is Pixel Snap – so let’s give that it’s own section.
Pixel Snap
Google’s Pixel 10 series is the first non-Apple device to feature magnetic snap-on charging. While Apple calls this MagSafe, Google calls it Pixel Snap.
Pixel Snap works like Apple’s MagSafe, letting you snap chargers, stands, grips, wallets and other accessories directly to the back of your phone.
Pixel Snap adopts the Qi2 wireless charging standard, meaning your Pixel 10 can charge at up to 15W on the standard and up to 25W on the Pro XL when paired with the official Pixelsnap Charger Stand.
You can dock your phone in portrait or landscape orientation, detach the charger for travel, or use the Pixelsnap Ring Stand for hands-free viewing. When docked you can also choose what is shown on your phone, whether that be pictures from Google Photos or live weather updates.
I liked that feature on iPhone, but Google has gone a little further by including portrait too.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL is a big phone with a fair bit of weight in it. It still worked with the Anker MagSafe accessories that I have on my desk and in the car, including when using the Pixel 10 Pro XL case (which ensures Pixel Snap retains snap strength).
I’m almost certain that the weight of the phone will be an issue for some lighter MagSafe accessories that struggled with it. Those other accessories are designed for a phone weighing a maximum 227g, not 232g without a case.
Pixel Snap is honestly one of the standout features of the new Pixel range for me. I’ve wanted this standard to emerge beyond the iPhone ecosystem for so long and am delighted it now is. I fully expect the next flagship device for most major manufacturers to feature it too – obviously with their own spin on the name.
Pixel 10 Pro Camera
The new Pixel is strong on its own when it comes to hardware. A triple rear camera system featuring a 50 MP wide lens, a 48 MP ultrawide with Macro Focus, and a 48 MP 5x telephoto lens. Combined with Pro Res Zoom, you can push that telephoto all the way up to 100x with optical-quality results at multiple steps in between. Being real though, as with most phones, once you go past 30x oom your mileage will vary significantly.
Around the front, a 42 MP autofocus selfie camera with a 103° wide field of view makes it one of the best phones for group selfies.
Unsurprisingly, the Pixel 10 Pro XL leans heavily into AI software to supplement the phone’s photography experience. Pixel has always been right at the top of my favourite cameras, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL is really no different.
The new Camera Coach, powered by Gemini models running directly on the Tensor G5, gives real-time suggestions for framing, lighting, and mode selection. Features like Auto Best Take ensure everyone looks their best by combining multiple shots, while Add Me can drop the photographer into group photos without feeling like a clunky Photoshop job.
Video gets a significant lift too. With Video Boost, Night Sight Video, and 8K capture, the Pro XL delivers its richest and most stable footage yet. Optical stabilisation has been doubled in range compared to the previous generation, which means smoother handheld video even at high zoom.
Of course, Pixel staples like Night Sight, Portrait Mode, Real Tone, and Magic Eraser are still here, but with Tensor G5 and Gemini, they work faster and produce more natural results. The AI-first approach also powers editing features such as Reimagine, which can intelligently reposition or relight subjects, and Zoom Enhance, which sharpens digital zoom shots.
I’m in the privileged position of having tested every main smartphone camera on the market this year, having used the iPhone 16 Pro, Honor Magic 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Xiaomi 15 along with a very close look at the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and finally the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
The top spot for cameras is retained by either Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (particularly on availability) or the Xiaomi 15 Ultra (probably the very best if you get the full camera kit).
But the Pixel is highly capable and produces photos that leave you wanting to post them. The editing suite, again largely powered by AI, is also user-friendly and removes many of the barriers when it comes to editing.
Pixel 10 Pro Performance and AI Power
At the heart of the Pixel 10 Pro is the all-new Tensor G5 processor, Google’s biggest silicon leap since the first Tensor chip launched in 2021. Google is always interesting because, like Apple, they are bringing another chip into the smartphone space.
Built on a 3nm process and co-designed with Google DeepMind, the Tensor G5 promised double-digit performance gains across CPU and GPU, with a TPU that’s up to 60% more powerful for AI workloads. Obviously this is some important hardware when you’ve built such an AI-forward smartphone.
Where Tensor G5 really earns its keep is AI. The chip is the first capable of running Gemini Nano entirely on-device, which means many of Pixel’s newest AI features – from Magic Cue’s proactive suggestions to live translations during calls – happen locally, without sending your data to the cloud. This has two big advantages: responses are faster because they don’t depend on network speed, and your information stays private because it never has to leave your phone.
Realistically, what this gives most of us on a day-to-day basis is snappier AI-powered jobs like image editing and I’d hoped translation – which has fast become how I measure phone makers.
Unfortunately, despite having arguably the best known translation app in the world, I’m still not won over by Google Translate. Google is perpetually underestimating the starting position they had with this app and how much ground they’ve lost to apps like DeepL and other manufacturers like HONOR.
I’m extremely frustrated to see Google speak so much of “on device” services because of their processor advancements, yet when I’ve downloaded a German language pack for translate, features are still not available when not connected to the internet.
This might seem like a silly annoyance, but for me this stems from the confusing language around phones these days. Phone makers are weaving a web of features, AI and promises that don’t always meet expectations.
Regardless of that frustration, overall the phone is powerful, you’ll probably be connected to the internet more often than not when you need translation anyway, and there are lots of other performance features to be excited about.
Battery life remains a strong suit. The Pixel 10 Pro features a 5200mAh battery that was comfortably getting me through a day of regular usage. Fast charging gets you to 55% in about 30 minutes using a 30W charger.
A nice feature, I guess, is that Pixel 10 series phones include a 1 year subscription to Google AI Pro. This gives you access to cloud-based tools Gemini Pro and Veo 3 video generation. It is, however, another subscription to worry about. I already pay substantially for YouTube Premium, ChatGPT and Cursor, leaving me wondering why I would pay for Google’s AI services. Indeed, it leaves me seeing that AI is really the route phone makers want to take in order to turn phones into subscription.
Verdict: Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
I’ve just switched from iPhone to Android with another phone, and I’m reminded how clean Google’s take on Android is with Pixel. Elsewhere, I have to admit Google has been coughing and spluttering its way through the past few years with an uncharacteristic amount of L’s. Google’s AI Overviews and losing ground to other AI platforms shows that Google isn’t invincible nor infallible.
But the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is a stunning phone. The build quality is impeccable, the software fantastic and the AI integrations largely helpful.
There is a little part of me, after moving back from iPhone, a little concerned that Google is going to start locking down Android more and more. Recent reports indicate stricter rules around sideloading apps – which would be disappointing to see.
If photography with no compromise is your preference, one of the other two phones I mention above might be better. If you’re interested in all the other bells and whistles, this is a better priced, all rounder powerful smartphone.
The Google Pixel 10 series is on sale now, including from Google direct, starting from €919.
