Google Pixel 10 vs 10 Pro vs 10 Pro XL vs 10 Pro Fold: Which smartphone should you get?

Google has unveiled its latest Pixel 10 lineup of smartphones. This year, the company is bringing four distinct models, in line with other major manufacturers like Samsung and Apple. In other news, Pixel is getting a telephoto camera even on the base model with an industry-grade IP68 rating on the foldable — even Samsung's foldables, which are widely considered industry leaders, haven't achieved this feat. Alongside, you also get a better SoC, Tensor G5, which improves CPU performance by 34%.

Here's everything you need to know about the devices launched this evening, alongside our analysis of which one you should consider buying.

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Google Pixel 10 vs 10 Pro vs 10 Pro XL vs 10 Pro Fold: How would real-world performance vary?

The Pixel 10 brings significant improvements in processing and cameras (Image via Google)

For starters, the Pixel 10 series is shipping with the same seven-year update commitment as the last generation. The pricing is staying the same this gen, which is a welcome move after Google has consistently jacked up the asking amount for the phones.

Coming to more fine-grained details, the display is being upgraded to a 3,000 nit LTPO on the Pro models, which exceeds the industry standard. Tensor G5 is also based on the improved TSMC 3N node, with fully customized CPU cores. Google claims the improvised design has added 34% extra processing and rendering capabilities, which should be huge for both gaming and AI.

Qi2-based faster wireless charging is coming to all Pixel devices this year, with battery capacities upgraded to 4,970 mAh to 5,200 mAh depending on the model you're buying. With a graphite-based cooler on the base variant and a vapor chamber-based cooling solution on the Pro models, you can expect slight improvements to body heat management.

Here's a look at the specs of the devices side-by-side:

Specification	Pixel 10	Pixel 10 Pro	Pixel 10 Pro XL	Pixel 10 Pro Fold
DISPLAY
Screen Size	6.3"	6.3"	6.8"	6.4" (cover) + 8.0" (inner)
Display Type	Actua Display OLED	Super Actua LTPO OLED	Super Actua LTPO OLED	OLED (both displays)
Resolution	2424 x 1080 (422 PPI)	2856 x 1280 (495 PPI)	2992 x 1344 (486 PPI)	2424 x 1080 + 2076 x 2152
Refresh Rate	60-120Hz (adaptive)	1-120Hz (LTPO)	1-120Hz (LTPO)	120Hz (both displays)
Peak Brightness	3,000 nits	3,300 nits	3,300 nits	3,000 nits (both)
HDR Brightness	2,000 nits	2,200 nits	2,200 nits	2,000 nits
Protection	Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Ultra-thin glass (inner)
PROCESSOR & MEMORY
Chipset	Google Tensor G5 (3nm)	Google Tensor G5 (3nm)	Google Tensor G5 (3nm)	Google Tensor G5 (3nm)
CPU	1x 3.78GHz + 5x 3.05GHz + 2x 2.25GHz	1x 3.78GHz + 5x 3.05GHz + 2x 2.25GHz	1x 3.78GHz + 5x 3.05GHz + 2x 2.25GHz	1x 3.78GHz + 5x 3.05GHz + 2x 2.25GHz
GPU	Imagination DXT-48-1536	Imagination DXT-48-1536	Imagination DXT-48-1536	Imagination DXT-48-1536
RAM	12GB LPDDR5X	16GB LPDDR5X	16GB LPDDR5X	16GB LPDDR5X
Storage Options	128GB, 256GB UFS 3.1	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB UFS 3.1	256GB, 512GB, 1TB UFS 3.1	256GB, 512GB, 1TB UFS 3.1
CAMERAS
Main Camera	48MP, f/1.7, OIS	50MP, f/1.7, OIS	50MP, f/1.7, OIS	50MP, f/1.7, OIS
Ultrawide Camera	13MP, f/2.2 (Sony IMX712)	48MP, f/1.7, macro (2cm)	48MP, f/1.7, macro (2cm)	48MP, f/1.7, macro (2cm)
Telephoto Camera	10.8MP, f/2.8, 5x optical	48MP, f/2.8, 5x optical	48MP, f/2.8, 5x optical	48MP, f/2.8, 5x optical
Front Camera	10.5MP, f/2.2	42MP, f/2.2, OIS	42MP, f/2.2, OIS	10MP (cover) + 42MP (inner)
Max Digital Zoom	30x	100x Pro Res Zoom	100x Pro Res Zoom	100x Pro Res Zoom
Video Recording	4K@60fps, 10-bit HDR	8K@24/30fps, 4K@60fps, 10-bit HDR	8K@24/30fps, 4K@60fps, 10-bit HDR	8K@24/30fps, 4K@60fps, 10-bit HDR
BATTERY & CHARGING
Battery Capacity	4,970mAh	4,870mAh	5,200mAh	5,015mAh
Wired Charging	25W	30W	45W	23-30W
Wireless Charging	15W Qi2 magnetic	15W Qi2 magnetic	25W Qi2 magnetic	15W Qi2 magnetic
Battery Life (claimed)	30+ hours	30+ hours	30+ hours	24+ hours
BUILD & DESIGN
Dimensions	152.8 x 72.0 x 8.6mm	152.8 x 72.0 x 8.6mm	162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm	155.2 x 76.3 x 10.8mm (folded)
Weight	204g	207g	232g	270g
Materials	Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Aluminum frame, glass back
Water Resistance	IP68	IP68	IP68	IP68 (industry first for foldables)
Colors	Obsidian, Frost, Lemongrass, Indigo	Obsidian, Porcelain, Moonstone, Jade	Obsidian, Porcelain, Moonstone, Jade	Moonstone, Jade only
SPECIAL FEATURES
Cooling System	Graphite thermal solution	Vapor chamber cooling	Vapor chamber cooling	Vapor chamber cooling
Hinge Design	N/A	N/A	N/A	Gear-less hinge (10+ year rating)
Magnetic Charging	Qi2 "Pixelsnap" compatible	Qi2 "Pixelsnap" compatible	Qi2 "Pixelsnap" compatible	Qi2 "Pixelsnap" compatible
AI Features	Gemini Nano, Circle to Search	Gemini Nano, Circle to Search	Gemini Nano, Circle to Search	Gemini Nano, Circle to Search
SOFTWARE & UPDATES
Launch OS	Android 15	Android 15	Android 15	Android 15
Update Guarantee	7 years	7 years	7 years	7 years
Security Updates	7 years	7 years	7 years	7 years
PRICING (US)
Starting Price	$799 (128GB)	$999 (128GB)	$1,199 (256GB)	$1,799 (256GB)
Max Price	$899 (256GB)	$1,449 (1TB)	$1,699 (1TB)	$2,199 (1TB)
AVAILABILITY
Launch Date	August 20, 2025	August 20, 2025	August 20, 2025	October 2025
Markets	33 countries	33 countries	33 countries	21 countries

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Which Pixel 10 is the best buy for photography?

The base model is significantly improved this generation, featuring a 5x optical zoom that brings high-quality telephoto capabilities to a wider audience. Moreover, the Pro design has a 48 MP ultrawide with an industry-grade 2cm macro. The front camera has a 42 MP sensor with OIS, which adds to its capabilities for vlogging, etc.

Night Sight has also improved this generation (on top of the lead Pixel's AI already had). The Pro models also get 100x Pro Res Zoom, which, although purely digital, offers better quality than ever before, and AI-based upscaling. All of this is possible given the Tensor G5's compute improvements. You can also notice this in portrait photos, where better segmentation and edge detection lead to more realistic results.

With these improvements, the Pixel 10 easily bests the iPhone 16 and Samsung S25 in computational photography. Differences in sensors and processing remain, however, and the final results will continue to be dominated by personal preference.

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Pixel 10 prices: Which model provides the best value?

The Pixel devices are targeting different price points (Image via Google)

The Pixel 10 phones aren't getting any costlier than the last generation. The prices are $799 for the base model, $999 for the Pro, $1,199 for the Pro XL, and $1,799 for the Pro XL Fold. This makes the base phone a crazy deal for most users as it brings the flagship-grade processor with improved image processing and telephoto capabilities.

If you pre-order on the Google Store, you're eligible for up to $1,000 in trade-in credits with new lines and unlimited plans. If you're already on an older Pixel device, this means you can sell it off for 45-55% of the original buying price. This reduces the cost of ownership in the United States significantly. However, given the significant markups in the EU and Australia/Canada, you'd have to be a real fan of the Pixel to opt for one.