This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Pixel 10 series | Image Credit - Google
This would be my honest elevator pitch for the Pixel 10: an AI device that can do phone stuff.
That may sound outlandish, but the truth is that apart from Tensor G5, Qi2 wireless charging, and dust protection for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Google's new phones are just repackaged Pixel 9 models.
Yes, the base model gets a telephoto camera, a remarkable addition given that not all standard flagships offer that option. However, the main camera is a downgrade.
All in all, this is as modest a spec bump as it gets, but the phone is huge on AI, similar to the two previous models.
And while those features may interest you for a bit, you would probably forget that they even exist after that first day with the phone. After that, it would just be you with your Pixel 10, its good-enough processor, and its soon-to-be-throttled battery.
All AI and no real updates make the Pixel 10 a dull phone
Tell me what that distant object might look like. | Image Credit - Google
The Pixel 10's value is perplexing, and it makes you wonder if Google is selling us incremental upgrades in the name of AI.
Or maybe we are too stuck in our ways to see things from Google's point of view. Maybe I really do want Magic Cue to butt in and tell me what I should tell my friend instead of letting a spontaneous conversation take place. What if I changed plans? What if I want to lie?Let me be!
Maybe I really need to see what that car parked miles away looks like, because why not? It doesn't matter if the Pro Res Zoom feature will come up with the details that the camera never captured. That's photography for you in 2025 – as fake as everything else.
Has Google lost the plot with the Pixel 10?
No, it's leading the way.
19.67%
Yes, it's distracting us with AI instead of bumping up specs
57.38%
Something good will come out of this in a few years.
22.95%
Or maybe it's not eerie at all for Google to imitate my voice when interpreting a conversation with someone who speaks another language. Your wingman could never!
Perhaps Google should stop trying to force AI features we will rarely – if ever – use, and focus on fixing the basics. No company succeeded by pretending it was too cool to care about the basics.
Flagship price for mid-tier specs
The fifth time still isn't the charm. | Image Credit - Google
The Pixel 10 has the same battery limitations as Google's older phones and will be throttled in the future. This will impact how long the phone lasts on a single charge as well as charging speed. Worst of all, we (or at least the anxious among us *raises hand*) would always be scared that the phone might catch on fire.
The Tensor G5 will continue to run at a leisurely pace, and Google and Pixel-diehards will admonish you for even uttering the word speed. Paying a premium price for a phone, I expect more than mid-tier performance. No one should tell me otherwise, even if I am not a gamer.
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Funnily, the chipset and battery are the most important specs, possibly even more than the camera. You will not necessarily be taking photos every day, but the battery and processor will dictate your experience at all times.
It took Google several attempts and many years to gain the recognition it has. Even now, the company is nowhere near Apple and Samsung when it comes to market share. Focusing on features that can be potentially useful instead of delivering on what customers need might undo all that progress.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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