This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
For years, one of the biggest issues with every Pixel smartphone has been its uncompetitive performance. That was supposed to change with the improvements of the Tensor G5 chipset inside the Pixel 10. Google has switched the chip’s manufacturing from Samsung Foundry to TSMC and to the more advanced 3 nm process. The company even boasted about the new chip during the Pixel 10 premiere, further raising hopes about its performance.
Disappointing as it may be, the hard truth about the Tensor G5 is not at all surprising. Early reports on the Pixel 10 Pro GPU performance claimed that the device is not only slower than the Galaxy S25 Plus and the iPhone 16 Pro but also significantly slower than the Pixel 9 Pro.
Our own benchmark tests are not as bad as those early reports, but the Pixel 10 Pro is still lagging behind the competition. Such a discrepancy could’ve been easily excused back in the day, when Pixels were much cheaper than the latest iPhone and Galaxy S models, but that’s not the case anymore. Unfortunately, that’s also not the only reason I don’t consider switching to Pixel an option right now.
Yes, performance is still important
The Pixel 10 Pro looks great, but its performance is lagging | Image credit — PhoneArena
I’d be the first to say that performance is not the most important detail about a smartphone. I’d also be the first to clarify that it is still essential, especially if you hold on to your smartphone longer or push it with more advanced tasks. It’s also a crucial element for every top-tier flagship device on the market. Even if we cut Google some slack and accept subpar performance, the results of the Pixel 10 Pro are simply unacceptable.
Google promised the Tensor G5 would provide a 34% faster CPU, and our benchmarks show that it has kept its promise. Even with that improvement, the Pixel 10 Pro benchmarks can’t reach the numbers achieved by the Galaxy S24 and the iPhone 14 Pro, both released about two years ago. If we only focus on the GPU performance, the Pixel 10 Pro is comparable to the Galaxy S23, which will turn three in a few months!
Obviously, no common everyday task could prove a problem for any of those devices, and the Pixel 10 Pro is definitely feeling snappy and nice. If you’re good with sticking to the mundane, the Pixel 10 Pro will probably continue to work great for a few years.
If you’re into mobile gaming and enjoy titles like Genshin Impact, or you want to push your device to edit video and photos with Premiere Rush or Lightroom more often, you should be worried. Initially, the Pixel 10 Pro will work fine, and it’ll do that for some time. However, its performance limitations will start showing much sooner than those of an iPhone 16 Pro or a Galaxy S25.
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Meanwhile, the benchmark results of the iPhone 14 Pro are similar to those of the Pixel 10 Pro, proving that Apple is still the king of smartphone longevity. I wouldn’t argue that a three-year-old device will work faster than a new one, but the drop in performance on an iPhone was always much smaller than most Android devices. More importantly, the usual culprit for a lagging iPhone is the battery, and not the chipset.
Google’s ecosystem doesn’t need an Android
The iPhone 14 Pro has a similar performance to the Google Pixel 10 Pro | Image credit — PhoneArena
Android has come a long way in recent years, and it feels and looks fantastic. I’d even say that the Material 3 Expressive design sparks much more joy in me than Apple’s Liquid Glass. However, I don’t really need an Android device to get the best of Google.
Google’s ecosystem is so open and accepting that I can use it all on my Apple devices, which I’m already doing. Gmail and Google Calendar are synced with my Apple devices, I navigate with Maps and Waze, and I use a Chromium-based browser on my MacBook. I might be missing out on the Gemini assistant, but I’m using ChatGPT anyway.
Would you switch sides between iPhone and Android?
Yes, I want to try an Android
31.48%
Yes, it’s time for an iPhone
5.56%
I’d like to, but I’m stuck with Apple
9.26%
I would, but I like Android too much
27.78%
No way, I don’t want to change
25.93%
Apple, on the other hand, has Continuity, Handoff, and Universal Control, which don’t have an Android equivalent. While AirDrop and Universal Clipboard have Android alternatives, none of them work as seamlessly as Apple’s versions. Then there’s iMessage, which isn’t very important for me, but is crucial for many.
Even if I switch all my devices, I’d lose access to features I like and use every day, but I wouldn’t gain much. After all, Google’s best services are easily available everywhere.
In the end, it’s good we have a choice
Neither the iPhone nor the Pixel is perfect, so whatever choice you make, it will come with tradeoffs. Adding to them the hassle involved in switching from one ecosystem to another makes the requirements for such a jump even higher. The Pixel 10 Pro looks like a great phone for people who already use an Android, but it’s a tough sell for me as an iPhone user.
Even if I don’t plan to switch sides, I am glad that the Pixel 10 series exists. It has all the fun Gemini features I can only dream of on an iPhone, and it shows that Google is more committed to making great hardware than ever before.
With the iPhone 17 coming, Apple has a lot of catching up to do, and it can only be grateful that it has made switching away that difficult. Otherwise, the Pixel 10 could’ve been much more compelling for Apple users.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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