You know what, I don't think the Pixel 10 family is quite as boring as it looks
Because the Pixel 9 family was so great last year, the Pixel 10 series may look... a little bland at first glance. But if you look closer, you might realize that's unnecessarily harsh.
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As a longtime Google fan and Android purist, it was an absolute honor for me to take care of yesterday's main Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL announcement post on our little website here, as that meant I could peruse and examine the three's official spec sheets before everyone else.
But I'm not going to lie to you, I was initially left pretty underwhelmed by what I saw in Big G's promotional materials for its hot new ultra-high-end handsets. While I've obviously become accustomed to seeing the latest Android phones from various top brands rehash and (at best) refine the designs of their predecessors while marginally improving a couple of hardware components here and there, I was (likely naively) expecting something different from Google this year.
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After doing my best to highlight the few things that are different about the Pixel 10 family compared to last year's Pixel 9 lineup in that aforementioned announcement post and getting a good night's sleep following a largely forgettable launch event hosted by the insufferable Jimmy Fallon, I think I might be ready to reconsider my disappointment.
Did the Pixel 9 series set the bar a little too high?
Instead of straight-up answering that question, allow me to point you in the direction of our comprehensive Pixel 9 Pro review. In that, the 6.3-inch Tensor G4 powerhouse is labeled the "dream compact phone", a title that made it virtually impossible for Google to upgrade a lot of stuff in just one year without fearing an adverse effect would be achieved. After all, you don't want to mess with (near) perfection, do you?
Google made its life almost unnecessarily hard this year with a phenomenal Pixel 9 family. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Our Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL reviews were a bit less hyperbolic, but the two's flaws were also massively outweighed by their strengths, raising the bar to a level that the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro XL could only match and not really exceed in many significant ways.
The thing about the Pixel 9 trio (or quartet, if you want to include the 9 Pro Fold as well) is that Google didn't even have to go so hard in certain departments. Yes, the search giant could have delayed its RAM upgrades until this year, for instance, putting just 12 gigs of the good stuff on the 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL to make sure the 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL would shine from that standpoint.
As things stand, the Pixel 10 Pro duo definitely excels in terms of multitasking skills, eclipsing all but the costliest Galaxy S25 Ultra variant as far as RAM count is concerned. But because the Pixel 9 Pro duo was so amazing, Google might be starting to look lazy and self-indulgent to some of you instead of bold and trend-setting.
What do you think is the Pixel 10 family's biggest problem?
The all-too-familiar designs
10.53%
The repetitive specs
36.84%
The lack of an Edge/Air model
0%
The Pixel 9 family's greatness
0%
I see no problems whatsoever
52.63%
Now, there are clearly areas where Big G could have done more to separate the Pixel 10 and Pixel 9 families. But I for one would like to commend the company for not following Samsung's suit... yet and trying to beat Apple to the Edge/Air ultra-thin flagship punch. Would I have liked to see the Pixel 10 Pro measure less than 8.5mm in thickness? Absolutely, but not at the expense of battery life or long-term battery durability.
Will the Pixel 11 push the bar even higher?
Knowing Google, I expect the answer to that question to be a resounding yes. But even if the Pixel 11 series miraculously reinvents the wheel rectangular silicon slab somehow, I'm here to tell you that the Pixel 10 is a perfectly honorable family of respectable high-end smartphones.
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Does that sound like I'm still trying to convince myself of the fact? Well, maybe I am, but that doesn't mean the little voice of reason in my head is wrong when it whispers how cool it is that the "vanilla" Pixel 10 is able to squeeze 270mAh extra battery capacity compared to the non-Pro Pixel 9 into a very similar body. Or how interesting the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL's 100x Pro Res Zoom functionality sounds, even if only from a number standpoint. Will it be a useless gimmick? I guess we'll find out soon, but for the time being, I'm intrigued.
I obviously don't know how the Pixel 11 will look or what it will bring to the table, so the Pixel 10 certainly looks enticing for the moment. | Image Credit -- Google
Meanwhile, although I'm not convinced it was the best call on Google's part, the Pixel 10's move from a dual to a triple rear-facing camera system... with an apparent downgrade to the ultra-wide-angle lens looks like the kind of gamble that could handsomely pay off, making the phone's value equation and overall photography skills simply unrivaled... at $800.
Speaking of, I'm sure some of you will argue that the Pixel 10 family's pricing structure is just as boring as those largely rehashed designs and repetitive specs, but let's be mature for a second here. There was simply no way for Google to make these devices cheaper than their predecessors in this macroeconomic climate, so instead of turning your nose up at those unchanged tags, you should be thankful for them... and the pretty cool pre-order deals available from retailers like Amazon.
Once again, the real problem is that the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold have been sold at ridiculously low prices of late by the same major US retailers, so Google's curse this year seems to be its excellence from last year. But who knows, perhaps we'll say the same thing about the Pixel 10 roster when the Pixel 11 family comes out in 2026.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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