Forget the Pixel 10 Pro. Here's why the base Pixel 10 could be the best Pixel to buy this year
The Pixel 10 Pro is shaping up to be a solid compact flagship, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL should be an excellent choice for folks who want a bigger handset. And if it's a foldable you're after, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a lot going for it, too.
But after the latest Pixel 10 leak, I'm starting to think that Google's base model phone could actually be the Pixel to buy in 2025.
Based on the leaks so far, which Pixel 10 model would you buy?
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Why the Pixel 10 is so promising
We're expecting decent upgrades for the entire Pixel 10 lineup, so what makes the base Pixel 10 so special? It's a combination of its telephoto camera, new Tensor chip, and price.
One of the earliest Pixel 10 leaks suggested that Google would add a telephoto sensor to its base model Pixel for the first time. While that was an exciting prospect, it seemed too good to be true. However, subsequent leaks have continued to reiterate that point, and after the latest leak of 'official' Pixel 10 renders, the telephoto camera is all but guaranteed.
After years of reserving telephoto functionality for its Pro phones, it's incredibly consumer-friendly for Google to finally trickle down that third sensor to a base model Pixel. It means not having to splurge for a Pro just to zoom in closer to your kids' recital or, in my case, birds on my birdfeeder. Even if it means losing a few megapixels for the primary and ultrawide cameras compared to the Pixel 9, I think adding a telephoto sensor stands to be one of the best things Google has done for its base Pixel in years.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
The other big change is one we'll see on every Pixel 10 handset, and that's Google's Tensor G5 chip.
I've talked about the importance of the G5 enough already, but the gist is this. Between a new 3nm design and Google switching from Samsung to TSMC, the potential for this year's Tensor is enormous. If executed properly, we're looking at a chip that could deliver the battery efficiency and adequate thermals we've long been missing from a Google Pixel phone. And while this won't be unique to the Pixel 10, the Pixel 10 will be the most affordable way to experience Google's next-gen silicon.
As for how affordable we're talking about, word on the street is that Google isn't raising prices compared to the Pixel 9 series. As such, the base Pixel 10 is expected to start at the same $799 asking price as its predecessor. But between the addition of a telephoto camera and the upgrades expected from the Tensor G5, the Pixel 10 is poised to be a substantially better phone than the Pixel 9. If there were ever a year to justify a price increase, this would be it, but that doesn't seem to be the route Google is headed.
Google's got something special on its hands
Android Headlines
Pixel 10 leaked renders
Does this all mean the Pixel 10 will be the best, most technically capable Pixel you can buy this year? No. If you want the overall best Pixel smartphone of 2025, the Pixel 10 Pro will still be that phone.
This has been the case for every Pixel generation, and it won't be any different for the Pixel 10 family. From what we've seen, choosing the Pro over the base Pixel 10 this year will get you higher-quality primary and ultrawide camera sensors, a nicer display, more RAM, and higher storage options.
But more than any other year, the upgrades between the base Pixel and its Pro sibling feel like nice-to-haves rather than must-haves. When you're looking at the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro next month, the foundation for both phones — triple cameras, Tensor G5 chip, etc. — will effectively be the same. Splurging for the Pixel Pro will now mean getting minor spec bumps to the base Pixel experience, rather than adding all-new functionality like a telephoto camera.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
For spec heads and power users, those upgrades may be well worth an additional $200 for the Pixel 10 Pro (or $300 for the Pixel 10 Pro XL). But for everyone else, sticking with the base Pixel this year is looking more appealing than ever. Even for an Android phone nerd like me, I'm looking at the Pixel 10 and thinking it's a phone I could be very happy with — especially in that gorgeous Indigo blue color.
I'm certainly interested to see how the Pixel 10 Pro's new PWM-friendly displays look in person, and I'm curious to see how the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's bigger battery and larger displays perform, too. But when it comes to the Pixel 10 handset I'm most seriously considering buying, and the one that I'll probably recommend to most folks, too, it's hard to see anything beating the base Pixel 10 right now.
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