Google Pixel 10 Pro XL hands-on preview: putting "smart" in smartphone
We had some hands-on time with Google's new Pixels to get a taste and run some tests!
Google just recently unveiled the next line of Pixel devices, pre-orders are open, and shipping should begin right at the start of September (unless you want a Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which will be coming out in October).
Among them, the biggest and best, the leader of the pack is the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. The biggest (non-foldable), most feature-packed, and — if history teaches us anything — the one that may be getting exclusive experimental AI drops in the near future. Let's hope Google doesn't do that, though, as all new Pixel 10 phones are powered by the upgraded Tensor G5 and have triple cameras.
Yes, the new processor is a big deal, now built on a 3 nm process and giving us a 30% performance bump over last year's model. What else is good? And is the Pixel 10 Pro XL worth your time, attention, and ultimately — money?
Our full review is pending, but we did have a generous amount of hands-on time with them. So, here's what we have so far:
Table of Contents:
Pixel 10 Pro XL Specs
Google's newest and best!
Let's start with an overview of the Pixel 10 XL specs, and how it compares to its predecessor:
| Pixel 10 Pro XL | Pixel 9 Pro XL |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm 232 g | Size and Weight 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm 221 g |
| Display 6.8" OLED 120Hz 3,300 nits | Display 6.8" OLED 120Hz 3,000 nits |
| Processor Tensor G5 by TSMC 3nm | Processor Tensor G4 by Samsung 4nm |
| Software Android 16 | Software Android 15 / eligible for Android 16 |
| Cameras 50MP main 48MP ultra 48MP 5X zoom | Cameras 50MP main 48MP ultra 48MP 5X zoom |
| Battery Size 5,200 mAh | Battery Size 5,060 mAh |
| Charging Speeds 39W wired 25W Qi 2.2 wireless | Charging Speeds 37W wired 23W wireless with Pixel Stand |
| Prices - 16/256GB - $1,199 16/512GB - $1,319 16GB/1TB - $1,549 | Prices 16/128GB - $1,099 16/256GB - $1,199 16/512GB - $1,319 16GB/1TB - $1,549 |
Pixel 10 Pro XL Design and Display
Revenge of the Tri-clops
If you've seen the Pixel 9 Pro XL, you've seen the Pixel 10 Pro XL — the camera bar, the polished metal frame and matte glass back, the size and thin bezels, it all feels instantly familiar. Yes, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is very slightly heavier, which is probably due to a slightly denser battery plus a magnetic ring inside that makes it fully compatible with Qi2 now (and the new Pixelsnap accessories).
Is this bad? Not really, the build looks and feels nice. Premium materials, solid feel in the hand, soft touch thanks to the slightly rounded corners, and no wobble when it's laid on a table, thanks to the full camera bar. The buttons are not wobbly, and are quite clicky, even if travel time is a bit shallow.
No extra controls on board — you've got a sleep/assistant button and volume rocker, nothing else.
Pixels typically come in at least one interesting color. This year, it has to be the duo-tone Jade for the Pixel 10 Pro XL, which mixes a gold frame with a green back. The other color options are Moonstone (gray), Porcelain (beige-ish off-white), and Obsidian (black).
The display on front is the familiar 6.8-inch OLED panel. Google brands it as Super Actua display — a tech they use to keep colors and contrast consistent through all brightness levels, especially when max brightness is hit. Speaking of, peak brightness is up by 10% this year, now hitting 3,300 nits.
It all sounds great and looks great in person, and we will give you more specific numbers when we get the Pixels through our measuring tools!
For biometrics, we have the familiar combo — an optical under-screen fingerprint scanner and face unlock with the selfie camera. Reminder here that Google's Android fork utilizes AI for extra security on the face unlock. Supposedly, it's so good that it can be used for financial and banking apps, all without extra infrared sensors for the selfie camera.
Pixel 10 Pro XL Camera
Optics created with smoke and mirrors
Not much has changed with the hardware of the cameras. We have the familiar 50 MP main camera, 48 MP ultra-wide, and 48 MP zoom camera with a 5x periscope lens. But Google did improve the brains behind it all. With new algorithms, and specifically a new Super Res Zoom.
Last year's Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 30x zoom cap. Now, Google joins the magnification wars — the new Pixel 10 Pros go up to 100x with the help of AI. And its enhancement capabilities are impressive, indeed — a couple of samples can be seen below:
In general, nothing unexpected. We can see the typical grounded Pixel colors, wide dynamic range, and a pinch of oversharpening. We'll be putting the Pixels through our elaborate camera benchmark soon enough.
In general, nothing unexpected. We can see the typical grounded Pixel colors, wide dynamic range, and a pinch of oversharpening. We'll be putting the Pixels through our elaborate camera benchmark soon enough.
Video Quality
Video also comes out exceptionally sharp and with realistic colors. It's also stable-ish... but if you need extra-smooth footage, you can engage Active Mode for some true magic. Unfortunately, you have to sacrifice 4K to do so.
Pixel 10 Pro XL Performance & Benchmarks
Welcome to the 3nm lane!
Google's Tensor chip was never about raw horsepower, and Google hasn't advertised it as such. It's about the extra NPU cores and image processing cores, which take care of the extra AI features and Google's amazing HDR algorithms.
That said, it's still a bit weird to have a flagship phone, which lags behind the competition in productivity benchmarks. All Tensors thus far have fallen behind the leading Snapdragons and Apple A chips in their respective generations.
Well, now we have the Google Tensor G5. Announced as the first-ever processor designed by Google (previously, Samsung was doing them that favor) and manufactured by TSMC on their 3nm process. Now 30% faster than last year's Tensor. What does that mean when compared to this year's competition, though?
CPU Performance Benchmarks:
CPU benchmarks confirm a 15-30% boost over last year's model, depending on whether you are looking at single- or multi-core performance. However, it's still not enough to touch the modern competitors — needs another 30% boost.
To be fair, we have no complaints about the performance of Pixel phones — they are very well optimized and feel super-fast and responsive. However, they don't score any bragging rights when running raw benchmarks.
GPU Performance
Google did talk up the new GPU inside the Tensor G5, and we see a good 25-30% increase here as well. Something to note — yes, the "Highest score" of the Pixel 10 Pro XL is well below the competition. But these scores are not sustainable — most phones always throttle down within one cycle of 3DMark Extreme Stress test. So, looking at the "Lowest" scores — the Tensor G5 is not that far off the competition here. Or is that copium?
Pixel 10 Pro XL Software
The Pixel 10 Pro XL will ship with Android 16 out the gates. New features include Live Translation within voice calls — the demo showed it to be much more adequate than Samsung's version of it. But, of course, demos are demos — we'll check it out in real life. There's also the new Camera Coach, which will help you set up a scene and frame it right (plus, teach you about why it's the "right" approach).
The big selling point for the new Pixels is Magic Cue — the phone is constantly aware about what's on your screen, specifically when viewing emails and texts. If someone asks you something and the relative information is within your emails, past messages, calendar, or pictures gallery — Magic Cue AI will find it and suggest an accurate one-tap reply. Google says this is all done on-device, as security is of course a concern here, and it's probably why it'll be exclusive to Pixel 10 phones and above. The new Tensor G5's power, supposedly, makes it possible.
There's also the new ability to AI-edit photos with just a voice prompt. Like, ask Photos to "remove the glare and make the sky blue" and it should do so. It is yet unknown if this is a Pixel 10-exclusive feature of it will travel back to older flagships.
We now get Pixel Journal, like the Journal that Apple added to iOS — a book where you can write down experiences, ideas, moods, and day-to-day shenanigans. Of course, the Pixel will use AI to sort and sift through them easier.
Gemini Live will now be able to use your camera. So, it's a conversational assistant that will now also be able to be fed further visual context for your queries.
Recorder should also now be able to generate AI music just from you humming into it. Which may sound grotesque — either as an idea in general, or the actual music output itself.
These are generally Android 16 features, which may or may not also become available on Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 generation phones. So, if you are on an older device — just hang tight and follow the conversations around the updates.
Pixel 10 Pro XL Battery
MagSafe Pixelsnap is here!
The Pixel 10 Pro XL did not grow in size, yet it managed to upgrade the battery capacity, even if it's a slight improvement. Now, at 5,200 mAh, it's a pretty respectable cell. We'll have to see how long it lasts through our battery tests, as the Tensor G5's efficiency will play a role here as well.
There are two big upgrades when it comes to charging, however. Via USB-C, the Pixel 10 Pro XL can now be charged with a 45 W power brick. It now has magnets inside to fully support the Qi2 standard, which dictates that a phone should be able to stick to and perfectly align with the coil of a Qi2 charging puck.
But Google did us one better — the Pixel 10 Pro XL (and only the Pro XL) supports Qi2.2, which ups charging power to 25W. It is also releasing an ecosystem of Pixelsnap accessories — stands, chargers, pop-rings, and cases. We would absolutely not be surprised to see magnetic wallets and power banks made for Pixels to be released by accessory makers soon.
Pixel 10 Pro XL: should you buy it now?
OK, so what are the big upgrades here? A notably more powerful processor, and a truly impressive 100x zoom. Probably a couple of exclusive AI features, too.
We'd suggest to hold off on the pre-order right now to see final results after all the benchmarks and reviews have been completed. And also, keep an eye on Android 16 updates for the Pixel 9 line.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL is not that much different than the Pixel 9 Pro XL. And, if the latter gets the most features of Android 16 — you may be able to get away with purchasing (or keeping) the older model!
That said, the Jade Pixel 10 Pro XL looks lovely...
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