Google Pixel 10 Series Launch: Models, Cameras, and Innovation

Google’s Pixel 10 Series debuts with some advanced AI smartphone photography features, an upgraded Tensor G5 chip, and some interesting camera innovations, including C2PA Content Credentials support.

After a summer of constant leaks, Google has introduced its new Pixel 10 lineup. Three new phones, the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL are available for pre-order as of now. The Pixel 10 starts at $799, the Pixel 10 Pro starts at $999, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL starts at $1199. There’s also a Pixel 10 Pro Fold available for $1799. Why are we listing that separately? Because foldables seem to be opening up a new territory between phones and tablets as far as we can see. We’re also not entirely convinced that they’re a mass market choice just yet.

Plenty of new stuff in the new phones as you would expect. There’s a new Google Tensor G5 chip at their heart, there is AI everywhere in the shape of the latest Gemini Nano model, and the new Material 3 Expressive UI promises more personalization and fluidity, with springy animations and smooth interactions, and there’s now 30-hour battery life across the range. But what about the cameras, you say? Glad you asked.

Left to right: The Pixel 10 Pro, XL, base spec model, and Pro Fold

Pixel 10 Camera Features: What’s New for Photos and Videos

Google says that the Pixel 10 range comes with huge camera improvements. It’s certainly a decent-sized list, and includes a 5x telephoto lens for the first time. It delivers ‘best-in-class’ zoom quality (with Google adding an entertaining ‘in the US’ caveat), fast autofocus, 10x optical quality, and Super Res Zoom up to 20x.

Here are some quick headlines:

• There are tweaks to the HDR+ pipeline and further tuning on color, focus, detail, noise reduction, zoom, etc
• Portrait Mode has been overhauled with improved segmentation, detail, sharpness, and texture.
• AI is, of course, everywhere. A new Camera Coach mode is powered by Gemini and provides step-by-step lessons in becoming a better photographer

• Thanks to a new diffusion model, Pro Res Zoom on Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL extends the zoom range to 100x. Google says this is the largest AI model ever used on Pixel Camera. The demo video above is certainly impressive
• Auto Best Take activates automatically when taking a group photo and will either choose from 150 shots or blend the best together
• Voice-based photo editing has been introduced, at least in the US. “Just ask Photos to “remove the reflections on the window” or “remove the glare, brighten the photo and add clouds to the sky” — then watch your edits come to life,” says Google
• Guided Frame adds impressive new accessibility functions to help visually-impaired users take pictures
• Panorama Mode now supports 5x telephoto panoramas

Pixel 10 Video Capabilities: 4K, 8K, AI Video Boost, and AV1 Codec

The hardware has been overhauled too, but not always in a good way. While the addition of a telephoto camera takes the base model number of cameras to three from the usual base spec two, that seems to have necessitated a downgrade in the main camera sensor. Rather than sharing the Pro’s sensor as in previous years, it now features the 48 megapixel 30.7mm2 sensor that was in the budget Pixel 9a. To showcase what a backward step this is, last year’s Pixel 9 featured a 50 megapixel 72mm2 sensor. This chip is now reserved for the Pixel 10 Pro and XL. 

The base spec ultra wide has also been downgraded to a 13.1MP 16.1mm2 sensor, while the new telephoto camera it features is also a hardly spectacular 10.8MP 15.5mm2 affair. The Pro and XL phones feature 48MP 23.5mm2 chips here, showing some clear blue water between the capabilities of the units.

Pixel 10 Video Capabilities: 4K, 8K, AI Video Boost, and AV1 Codec

There’s also a noted difference in video capabilities between the base and Pro/XL tiers. The Pixel 10 is limited to 4k60 and a Super Res Video Zoom of 20x. The Pro/XL models boost this up to 100x and also support 8K video. As with last year’s models, this is not native, however, but rather uprezzed in the cloud using Google’s AI-powered Video Boost, which also works to improve lighting, color, dynamic range and stabilization, and decrease noise and grain. 

Users can also choose to store video in the AV1codec, which promises to reduce video file sizes by up to 30% compared to the current default H.265 with no quality loss.

Snap Verdict on the Pixel 10 Series

The upshot of all this is that if you’re an Android user and photos and video are important to you, then the base spec Pixel is no longer a decent budget choice. Its capabilities have been too severely nerfed for that. But, on the other hand, the Pixel 10 Pro/XL represent some interesting steps forward, both mechanically and on the software side, with some interesting new AI smart photography capabilities.

None of these phones are launched in isolation though. The debut of the iPhone 17 series is only a couple of weeks away and, while it is unlikely that the misfiring Apple Intelligence will deliver anything like the AI features of the new Pixel, persistent rumours suggest that Cupertino may be planning some serious camera upgrades. More about all that on (perhaps) September 9.