Pixel 10 Is Google’s best shot yet at winning over iPhone users — and Google knows that

The best time to switch?

Android phones have been trying to win over iPhone users for years — and mostly failing. But now, with the Pixel 10 series just weeks from launch, Google finally seems to have the hardware, software, and ecosystem to pull it off. Add in a snarky new ad campaign taking shots at Apple’s “coming soon” AI features, and the message is loud and clear: if you’re tired of waiting, it’s time to switch.

With smarter software, Qi2 magnetic charging (finally!), and a base model Pixel with a triple camera, the Pixel 10 might just be the “iPhone of Androids,” but better.

The boldest Pixel yet (and boldest Google ad too)

Google’s new Pixel 10 ad doesn’t name Apple, but it doesn’t need to. The message — “If you’re still waiting for ‘coming soon’ features, maybe it’s time to change your phone” — hits exactly where Apple is weakest right now: delivering on AI.

Apple Intelligence was announced in 2024 with lots of hype around it, but the rollout has been slow and inconsistent, to say the least. Most of its flagship features are still marked as “coming later in 2025,” and some, like the smarter Siri, are expected as late as spring 2026. In the meantime, Google has shipped multiple generations of on-device AI through Gemini Nano and is now doubling down with Pixel Sense — a smarter, predictive virtual assistant that ties into your apps and habits in real time.

Unlike Apple Intelligence, Google has delivered, and is frankly the current leader on this front. In fact, if anyone can pull off that truly smart AI that’s said to be the next big thing for phones, it is Google.

Pixel 10 checks all the iPhone user wish list boxes

Apple users often cite the same reasons for sticking with their phones: camera quality, accessories, ecosystem, and consistent updates. But Google is matching, or might even beat Apple on all of those fronts this year:

• Cameras: The base Pixel 10 is reportedly getting a triple rear camera setup, including a telephoto lens. That’s a feature Apple still limits to its Pro models. Even if the main sensor is slightly smaller than last year’s, it’s a big upgrade in versatility for the entry model.
• Qi2 magnetic charging: Google is expected to be the first Android brand to fully support Qi2 wireless charging with magnets. That means the same convenience iPhone users get with MagSafe finally coming to Android, and done right.
• A real ecosystem: Between the Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds, and the rumored “Pixelsnap” accessories line, Google will offer a complete suite of first-party products that play nicely with your phone.
• Software updates: Pixel phones still lead the pack when it comes to major Android updates. They often get new features months before Samsung.

Why Pixels are winning over long-time Android fans and what that means for iPhone users

Before Google can win over iPhone users, it had to win over Android loyalists. That’s already happened.

The Pixel series has quietly become the default choice for Android users who care more about experience than specs. While brands like Samsung and OnePlus chase bigger numbers and flashier hardware, Google focused on making phones that just feel right: more comfortable, more intuitive, and more reliable.

This matters because many of the same reasons Android users now pick Pixel are the exact reasons iPhone users stick with Apple: comfort, simplicity, and trust.

Pixel’s camera “just works” without shutter lag or overprocessing. Its compact, balanced design avoids the bulk of most Android flagships. Its smart features — like Call Screen and Hold for Me — solve real problems instead of adding complexity. And thanks to clean software and fast updates, the whole system feels stable and predictable.

In other words, Google has already proven that it can win people over with consistency. That’s the kind of experience iPhone users expect. The Pixel 10 gives iPhone users everything they love about Apple — polish, stability, an ecosystem — but adds what Apple still doesn’t: the ability to easily exit the ecosystem, truly useful AI, and more generous hardware features.

The AI edge: Not just features, but actual usefulness

This is where Google has quietly leapfrogged Apple (and to some extent, the rest of the market). Instead of flashy demos, Google provides time-saving features powered by AI.

• Call Screen answers unknown numbers for you and shows a real-time transcript.
• Hold for Me waits through automated menus so you don’t have to.
• Smart Voice Typing on Pixel is faster, more accurate, and punctuates automatically — with real-time voice commands for emojis, edits, and sending messages.

All of this runs on-device with zero waiting and no need to be online. It’s the future at your fingertips, not a future promised and hidden behind a beta tag for another year of waiting.

Qi2 is the final piece of the puzzle

One of the features that’s long been a stable for iPhones and possibly tied users to Apple is MagSafe. The magnetic wireless charging and accessories ecosystem is slick, convenient, and until now, exclusive.

But that’s about to change.

Multiple leaks point to full Qi2 support across the Pixel 10 lineup. That means not just the charging standard, but also the magnets to enable click-in-place docks, wallets, cases, and chargers. This would make the Pixel 10 the first Android to support magnetic alignment natively.

For anyone who’s spent years building their life around MagSafe accessories, this one feature could finally remove the friction of switching.

A Pixel you can trust — and leave, if you want

One of the Pixel’s most underrated strengths is that it doesn’t lock you in. Unlike the iPhone, there’s no walled garden forcing you to commit. You can switch to a different Android brand without losing your smartwatch compatibility, smart home integrations, or access to your photos, files, and cloud services.

That flexibility is exactly what makes the Pixel ecosystem feel more trustworthy. It’s a platform you stay with not because you’re stuck, but because you want to. That kind of freedom creates a stronger, more authentic loyalty — a dynamic Apple simply can’t match (although that might change in the next few years due to new regulations).

For iPhone users who are starting to feel boxed in, this openness may be the most liberating reason yet to switch.

The time to switch might finally be now

So, Google isn’t just launching a new phone this year, but the best alternative for long-time iPhone users that have grown frustrated with the path that Apple has stayed on for years.

The Pixel 10 is expected to have smarter AI, an arguably better camera setup, a new accessory ecosystem, better battery life, and — finally — magnetic wireless charging. All of this makes the Pixel 10 the biggest threat to the iPhone’s loyal users to date.

Google’s message couldn’t be clearer: It’s time to change your phone, and we have what you’re looking for.