The center of August was Pixel 9 season this 12 months, however together with that launch got here just a few notable troubles. The Tensor G4 processor inside is not any sooner than earlier Tensor processors in day by day efficiency — particularly when enjoying video games on the Pixel 9 — the show nonetheless makes use of an abysmally low PWM price, a few of Google’s AI options have been known as ethically questionable, Google as soon as once more raised the worth of its newest telephones by $100, and the quantity of cupboard space is pitiful for the worth.
All of that left a few of us feeling upset. So possibly you ought to wait to purchase a Pixel 10, as an alternative. We’re looking at what we already know concerning the Pixel 10, together with the brand new Tensor G5 processor, and placing every thing collectively so you may make the best-informed choice along with your hard-earned {dollars} this 12 months.
The oft-leaked Google Pixel 9 was one of many {industry}’s worst-kept secrets and techniques. That is not notably stunning given Google’s free observe file with leaks, and this 12 months we noticed prototypes and circumstances within the wild a lot sooner than common. The variety of Pixel 10 leaks continues to be pretty low however, provided that the discharge is not doubtless till Summer season 2025, we’ve got loads of time to take a position based mostly on a number of identified elements.
Google Pixel 10: Worth and launch date
Google’s present Pixel lineup is a bit convoluted. The Pixel 9 collection debuted in 4 totally different sizes for the primary time ever, and we’re nonetheless anticipating the Pixel 9a to make a debut at a decreased value someday in Spring 2025. That leaves an enormous query mark on what Google will do for the Pixel 10.
Our ideas are that Google must drop the “Professional” moniker and simply stick to one predominant line of telephones with a secondary line of extra inexpensive Pixel A-series telephones. For the Pixel 10 collection, that may imply one thing like this:
- Pixel 10a
- Pixel 10
- Pixel 10 XL
- Pixel 10 Fold
The Pixel 9 launched the primary smaller Professional-level mannequin, so we do not anticipate Google to return on that concept. The smaller Pixel 9 is confusingly lacking options that the “Professional” fashions have, and we expect it could make extra sense for an A-series mannequin to be the one lacking options, if Google goes to proceed doing that.
As for the Pixel 10 launch date, we anticipate that Google will doubtless launch the Pixel 10 close to the top of Summer season 2025. Google launched the Pixel 9 simply 10 months after it debuted the Pixel 8, making it the shortest time between releases we have seen but. There is not any motive to anticipate Google to do that once more, however that may rely upon gross sales of its newest flagships.
Google Pixel 10: Design and shows
The Pixel 9 launched essentially the most radical change to Pixel cellphone design because the Pixel 6, however that does not imply Google will keep on with this radical new design language with the Pixel 10. One Pixel 9a leak means that the corporate is already contemplating a special path for the longer term, and the corporate’s head designer even mentioned the Pixel 9’s particular digital camera bar design may not stick round endlessly.
The Pixel 9’s flatter design has acquired combined opinions, one thing the Pixel 6-8 did not actually see. Whereas Google ramped up construct high quality with this launch, the shiny, flat aspect rails not solely make it look an terrible lot like an iPhone, however in addition they make the cellphone tougher and fewer comfy to carry than extra ergonomic designs just like the Pixel 8a.
Google has modified up the design language on Pixels so much over time. Pixels one by way of six all look utterly totally different, and it wasn’t till the Pixel 6 that the corporate appears to have selected the digital camera visor because the factor that makes a Pixel primarily appear to be a Pixel. There is not any assure of a radical change once more subsequent 12 months however there’s plenty of historical past behind the corporate doing that, so it would not be a shock.
Not everybody likes the brand new design, however Google has been identified for radically altering the Pixel design language over time.
The Pixel 9 debuted a brighter AMOLED show than ever, topping out at 3,000 nits. The corporate additionally upgraded the show with a brand new moist contact function that makes it doable to make use of the display even with moist arms, just like how the OnePlus 12 works.
However whereas Google may need one of many brightest cellphone shows on the planet, the corporate has utterly ignored {industry} developments to make shows extra eye-friendly.
Specifically, the corporate nonetheless makes use of the bottom PWM dimming frequency within the {industry}. At 240Hz, Google’s shows flicker at half the speed of the Samsung Galaxy S24 collection and the newest iPhones. Moreover, telephones just like the OnePlus 12 solely change to PWM dimming at low brightness and, even once they do, use a considerably greater 2160Hz price.
We all know Google can push this price a lot greater based mostly on our personal testing and the truth that most different smartphone producers already do it.
Google Pixel 10: Cameras
There’s little probability we’ll see something radical change with the cameras within the Pixel 10 collection particularly provided that Google continues to push the envelope for AI-centric options. The corporate’s personal head of design mentioned that the present digital camera bar design is especially used to accommodate bigger digital camera sensors however that the corporate needs to shrink that going ahead as AI replaces the necessity for extra superior bodily {hardware}.
With tips like Zoom Improve, Google can proceed to shrink the quantity and dimension of digital camera sensors on the again with little to no distinction in the long run. It is unlikely we’ll see this type of change occur with the Professional collection of telephones — which we anticipate to proceed to make use of a triple digital camera system on the again — however the extra budget-minded Pixel telephones may see a change within the digital camera bump dimension and form to additional differentiate Professional fashions.
We have additionally seen an uptick within the variety of AI-powered software program options instantly associated to the digital camera. The Pixel 9 launched improved Night time Sight Video, Night time Sight Panoramas, enhanced Video Increase for higher video high quality, and new AI tips like Add Me, Reimagine, and others. Little question, Google is cooking up loads of new methods to include AI into its cameras to ship the wow issue we anticipate from the corporate.
Google Pixel 10: Software program
The Google Pixel 9 collection surprisingly launched with Android 14, the identical model of Android the Pixel 8 debuted with. That is principally as a result of Google launched the Pixel 9 simply 10 months after the Pixel 9, giving the Android staff lower than a full 12 months to churn out a brand new model of Android.
A delayed Android model complicates Google’s software program promise, which is meant to ship seven years of Android and safety updates for Pixel telephones. Due to the discharge window, the Pixel 9 will see help finish with the identical Android model because the Pixel 8 — that is Android 21 — however will see ten further safety updates over that older cellphone.
The Pixel 10 will launch with not less than Android 15 and will even see a launch alongside Android 16 relying on when Google needs to debut its subsequent era of telephones.
Google Pixel 10: Specs and efficiency
Here is the place we anticipate the Pixel 10 to ship the most important enchancment but. Google has lengthy targeted on the AI processing capabilities of its Tensor processors. The Tensor G4 within the Pixel 9 can course of AI 2.25x sooner than the main competitor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. However day by day efficiency is a very totally different story.
In my Pixel 9 Professional overview, I famous that the gaming efficiency for the Pixel 9 Professional collection was worse than the Pixel 8 Professional. The silver lining is that the Pixel 9 would not get as sizzling because the Pixel 8 does. Google prioritized effectivity with the Pixel 9 however the Tensor G4 continues to be based mostly on the extraordinarily inefficient Exynos line, which has bother competing with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in lots of conditions, a 2021 chipset.
Fortunately, every thing we all know concerning the Tensor G5 to this point tells us that it needs to be a monumentally higher chipset in each means. Google has allegedly completed its design and despatched it alongside for manufacturing at TSMC, ending the period of Samsung-produced designs.
The Tensor G5 is claimed to be Google’s first absolutely in-house developed chip, manufactured by TSMC as an alternative of Samsung.
TSMC tends to fabricate higher chipsets than Samsung. For reference, Qualcomm used Samsung to provide the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, a processor that was notorious for overheating and heavy throttling. They then switched to TSMC midway by way of the 12 months for the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a processor that is largely the identical design however, due to TSMC’s superior tech, was capable of considerably outpace the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in each benchmark. It additionally stays far cooler and is best on battery life.
That is all to say that we anticipate the same factor to occur with the Tensor G5 in comparison with the Tensor G4. Not solely ought to it’s a much more environment friendly and cooler chipset due to TSMC’s manufacturing course of, however a brand-new chipset designed absolutely in-house by Google. It will mark the primary time Google would not use a reference design from Samsung’s Exynos line for the brand new chip, as properly.
It may lastly flip the narrative that Tensor is a sluggish, inefficient processor, serving to Google additional pitch the Pixel as an excellent premium gadget.
Google Pixel 10: Wishlist
Whereas we have already lined numerous totally different adjustments we anticipate — and hope — to see, but it surely’s typically simpler to see them multi functional checklist.
Higher processor
We’re already very positive that the Tensor G5 within the Pixel 10 goes to be so much higher than earlier Tensor processors, however there is not any assure till we’ve got one in our arms. Tensor is already the king of AI processing amongst smartphone processors, however we wish to see it thrive elsewhere, too.
Google appears to have put a band-aid on the warmth drawback with Tensor G4 by throttling the processor shortly when it is doing so much, however we would prefer to see the Tensor G5 push heavy workloads with out getting steamy within the first place. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can also be vulnerable to heavy throttling when working heavy workloads however as a result of it is so a lot sooner than the Tensor G4 in regular duties, that throttling is not felt like it’s on Tensor.
For the reason that Tensor G5 is each in-house Google developed and manufactured by TSMC, there’s hope that these points will likely be solved within the Pixel 10.
Extra eye-friendly show
Google has burdened that the Pixel’s shows have industry-leading brightness and colour accuracy, however the firm is reaching these metrics on the expense of your eye well being. In the meantime, firms like OnePlus are additionally utilizing ultra-bright shows however managing brightness in a means that is way more pleasant to human eyeballs.
As brightness continues to extend, it is of paramount significance that Google additionally begins growing its PWM price. All Pixels have used 240Hz PWM dimming so far — the lone exception is 360Hz on the Pixel 7a — whereas different firms are pushing as much as 4320Hz on telephones just like the Honor 200.
There is not any motive Google cannot supply a shiny, color-accurate show and a excessive PWM price. On the very least, Google wants to think about the truth that some people want the next PWM price with the intention to use its telephones, once more, particularly as brightness continues to ramp up at exponential ranges.
Fingerprint sensor adjustments
Google shifted to utilizing in-display fingerprint sensors with the Pixel 6, and the corporate had issues with reliability on each that era and the Pixel 7 after it. However final 12 months, the Pixel 8 collection optical fingerprint sensor labored extremely properly. Regardless of that, Google swapped out the optical sensor and changed it with an ultrasonic sensor on the Pixel 9 collection.
Whereas ultrasonic fingerprint scanners work very properly for some folks, they’re problematic for others. I occur to be a type of individuals who discover ultrasonic sensors to be unreliable and commented on it in my Pixel 9 Professional overview. Ultrasonic sensors are additionally very choosy about which display protectors you need to use, which means you may by accident waste your cash if you do not get the precise one.
As an alternative of all this in-display nonsense, Google ought to change to a fingerprint sensor within the energy button. They already do it on the Pixel Fold line and it really works completely. The ability button — or “aspect key” as some firms name it now — is the best place for a fingerprint sensor as it is simple to achieve and use regardless of the way you’re holding the cellphone. It is also extra correct than any in-display choice.
Design adjustments
The Pixel 9’s design has triggered a good bit of controversy with its iPhone-like aspect rails, buttons, and different related design cues. It additionally does away with the “pleasant” curves Pixel telephones had been shifting towards for a much more sterile, industrial design. Whereas some get pleasure from this new look — as Android Central’s Managing Editor, Derrek Lee, famous in his Pixel 9 overview — I am not a fan.
Not less than on the Professional fashions, I discover the Pixel 9 Professional and 9 Professional XL to be harder to carry with out a case. Google beforehand mentioned its designs are actually targeted towards people who use circumstances, so this is not a bit that everybody will agree with and even care about, however I would prefer to see Google return to utilizing extra rounded aspect rails once more. Extra particularly, I would like to see matte rails like we had on the Pixel 6, which stays some of the comfy telephones Google has ever made.