Google Pixel 10: Everything That's New Over the Pixel 9

The Google Pixel 10 is the most exciting vanilla Pixel release for many reasons. It's the first standard Pixel with a triple-camera setup, including a telephoto lens, and the first Pixel series that embraces the Qi2 standard. However, if you're confused between the Pixel 10 and Pixel 9, here's everything new the Pixel 10 brings over its previous iteration to help you make an informed decision.

In this guide, let's go over everything new that the Pixel 10 brings to the table over the Pixel 9, how big of an impact the new specifications or features make to the overall experience and in the end, let's look at whether the improvements make Pixel 10 a better buy over the Pixel 9.

Pixel 10 is heavier and has a brighter display

Starting with the design of the Pixel 10, it's quite similar to the Pixel 9. Boasting flat edges and rounded corners, alongside curvier edges, gives it an industrial design and a premium look.

The dimensions of the Pixel 10 are 152.8 x 72 x 8.6 mm, which is 0.1 mm thicker than the Pixel 9. It's also slightly heavier at 204 grams (vs the Pixel 9's 198 grams). You get the same camera island at the back, but with an extra lens this time, thanks to the presence of an extra telephoto lens.

While the design is pretty much identical to the last generation, what's different this time around is the colour options. Pixel 10 ditches Peony and Wintergreen for Indigo Blue and Limoncello. Both the colours are great additions, but Indigo Blue stands out as one of the best colours ever on a Pixel in our opinion. Obsidian and Porcelain are the rest of the Pixel 10 colours.

While both the Pixel 10 and Pixel 9 get the same 6.3-inch FHD+ 120 Hz LTPS OLED displays, the difference lies in the peak brightness, which has been increased to 3,000 nits from 2,700 nits on the Pixel 9. Overall, there aren't many upgrades display-wise.

Google Pixel 10 gets triple cameras

The Pixel 10 is the first vanilla Pixel to feature triple cameras, but the setup is significantly different from the Pixel 9. The primary and secondary cameras on the Pixel 10 are the same as the ones found on the Pixel 9a, i.e, a 48 MP wide f/1.7 1/2-inch snapper and a 13 MP ultrawide f/2.2 1/3.1-inch unit. The third is now a 10.8 MP telephoto f/3.1 1/3.2-inch sensor, which offers 5x zoom capabilities and Google 20x AI-enhanced super-res zoom.

On paper, the Pixel 10's 48 MP wide and 13 MP ultrawide sensors are a downgrade from the Pixel 9's 50 MP and 48 MP sensors. This is not only in terms of lower megapixels but also sensor sizes, as the 48 MP primary sensor on the Pixel 10 is a 1/1.31-inch unit, which will capture less light than the Pixel 9's 50 MP 1/2-inch sensor. The ultrawide downgrade could result in slightly less sharp pictures because they're no longer being binned, unlike on the 48 MP camera on the Pixel 9.

So the only upfront upgrade is the addition of a Telephoto camera, which should help you zoom into subjects without any loss in quality with its 5x optical zoom. Well, Pixels are known for their camera optimisations, so at the end of the day, the difference might not be visible to the general users and those who don't pixel-peep. However, the fact stands that the cameras on the Pixel 10 appear to be a downgrade on paper.

Tensor G5 on Pixel 10 improves performance

The Pixel 10 boasts Tensor G5, which is manufactured on TSMC's 3nm (N3E) process, relative to the Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9, which is made on Samsung's 4nm process. The G5 is an octa-core chipset and is expected to perform 15% better than the Tensor G4. The performance aligns with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Pixels have never been known for their raw performance numbers. And while there is a considerable performance improvement, the main selling point of the Tensor G5 could be the TSMC-manufacturing easing thermal throttling, which has been a major issue on Samsung-based Tensor processors.

All in all, with a decent bump in battery (which we'll get to in a bit), combined with TSMC's efficiency, the Pixel 10 could not only last longer but also contain heat better than the Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9. The storage and RAM are still UFS 3.1 and LPDDR5X, and Google still offers 128 GB in the base variant, which doesn't feel right in 2025.

Pixel 10 gets a larger battery and Qi2 interface

The battery on the Pixel 10 is getting a decent uplift to 4,970mAh versus 4,700mAh on the Pixel 9, and so is the charging speed, which has been bumped to 29W from 27W. Sure, the speeds are nowhere near what's standard in 2025, but the 2W increase should help complement the slight increase in battery, resulting in the Pixel 10 taking around the same time to get from 0-100% as the Pixel 9.

Sure, with Silicon Carbon batteries gaining momentum and similarly-sized smartphones boasting over 6,000mAh batteries, we would've liked to see a bigger battery, which, combined with the Tensor G5's expected efficiency gains, could've lasted for days. But a 4,900mAh battery isn't bad either. Another upgrade that might fly under the radar is that the Pixel 10 battery is much easier to replace.

What's new is the new Pixelsnap interface, which uses the Qi2 standard and could charge the Pixel 10 series wirelessly, more efficiently. Google says more Pixelsnap accessories like stands, grips and wallets will be made available soon.

The wireless charging speeds remain the same 15W, but the added convenience of just sticking the charging puck adds to the overall experience. No more fiddling with wireless chargers and your Pixel not lining up. This in itself feels like a decent win.

Pixel 10 gets new software tricks

Pixels are known for their software experience, and this time, Google has really upped its game with Material 3 Expressive. Android 16 initially didn't roll out without Material 3 Expressive, but with the launch of the Pixel 10 series, it could roll out when the Pixel 10 goes on sale on August 28, 2025. Material 3 Expressive completely overhauls Android's UI and makes it more, well, expressive with customisable Quick Settings, new animations and UI changes across the board.

The Pixel 9 will soon, but some of the standout features in Pixel 10 that Pixel 9 users won't be getting anytime soon, or ever, are Magic Cue and Camera Coach powered by Gemini. Besides, the Pixel 10 will also get the 7-year update promise and will be supported till 2032, while the support for the Pixel 9 series ends in 2031.

Should you consider the Pixel 10 over the Pixel 9?

Before we tell you our verdict about if it's worth buying the Pixel 10 over the Pixel 9, here's a detailed specifications table to paint a clearer picture about the areas where the Pixel 10 excels.

Overall, the Pixel 10 brings a good set of upgrades over the Pixel 9, but is it worth upgrading to the same? Not really, unless you absolutely need the telephoto camera. Yes, the Tensor G5 is superior on paper to the Tensor G4, and its battery is slightly larger. Still, considering there's no change in the design, and the new software features could potentially arrive on the Pixel 9, we suggest you stick to the same.

However, if you're on Pixel 6, 7 or 8 series and are looking to upgrade, the Pixel 10 could be a good upgrade. But you could also look at the Pixel 9 Pro, which offers a better Telephoto camera, an LTPO display and more RAM. That said, it seems like Google listened to users' complaints about the lack of telephoto and made the vanilla Pixel 10 a bit more compelling this year than other devices in the series.