On paper and in person, the Pro Pixel is a tricky value proposition. It resembles the Pixel 10 but costs $200 more, despite having the same chipset, three similar cameras, the same camera tuning, and no particularly new features. Why then pay extra for the Pro model? With the Pixel 9, the minor tweaks and improvements added up, and it could genuinely go toe-to-toe with the Pro iPhone, boasting some of the best cameras on the market and a luxurious feel. It was my primary phone for a long time.

And yet, the Pixel 10 was a significant downgrade for the line, and the 10 Pro continues that. As before, the Pro comes in both standard and XL sizes — 6.3 inches and 6.8 inches, respectively — and features 16GB of RAM. As before, it comes with the same underwhelming Tensor G5 chip, which lags behind the best options on the market. As I said in the Pixel 10 review, for today’s typical uses such as web browsing, photography, and standard apps, performance remains adequate. However, as local AI tools become more common — as Google is pushing for — these phones will age poorly compared to competitors with more powerful processors. I say that despite all of Google’s Pixel-exclusive AI features being underwhelming.

The most significant changes are an improved battery and the introduction of new magnetic wireless charging. The Pro gets a battery boost, with the 10 Pro boasting a 4,870mAh capacity — an increase from the Pixel 9 Pro’s 4,700mAh — and the Pixel 10 Pro XL boasting a 5,200mAh capacity, up from 5,060mAh in the 9 Pro XL. The 10 Pro XL also takes further advantage of its larger footprint with the faster Qi 2.2 wireless charging speed, allowing for 25 watts of wireless charging, compared to just 15 watts on the other Pixels.

If you’re upgrading from the Pixel 8 Pro, which was released in October 2023, that makes the Pixel 10 Pro XL a compelling phone; but if you had the last version, this is just an underwhelming buy, and if you are interested in Pixels, buy a previous generation phone or wait for the next.
The 10 Pro starts at $999, with the 10 Pro XL starting at $1,119 — a slight price bump reflective of the higher base storage compared to the 128GB 10 Pro.