Google Delivers the AI Cellphone That Apple Promised

{Hardware} upgrades and downgrades

I’ll get to the AI half in a second as a result of regardless that the Pixel 10 appears much like the Pixel 9, Google did make some small, however notable enhancements. These embrace a 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED show that may attain a better 3,000 nits of peak brightness, a extra highly effective Tensor G5 chip, a bigger 4,970mAh battery, barely better-sounding audio system, and a ten.8-megapixel telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The Pixel 10 additionally helps sooner Qi2 wi-fi charging and the brand new Pixelsnap magnetic wi-fi charging puck, which is Google’s personal model of Apple’s MagSafe for iPhones. I’m glad to report that the Pixelsnap puck hooked up to the Pixel 10 with a satisfying snap, and it’s fairly sturdy. There’s nothing groundbreaking about any of those upgrades, however I respect all of them the identical, particularly the longer battery life and Pixelsnap.

The Pixel 10, from a {hardware} standpoint, could look much less interesting whenever you dig deeper into a few of the different specs. Whereas lastly having a telephoto lens is nice, the primary and ultrawide cameras are literally smaller picture sensors with much less decision in comparison with the identical cameras within the Pixel 9. The principle digital camera acquired knocked down from a 50-megapixel principal digital camera to a 48-megapixel one, and the 48-megapixel ultrawide right down to a 13-megapixel shooter. If these digital camera modules sound acquainted, that’s as a result of they’re the identical ones discovered within the $500 Pixel 9a. The selfie digital camera is identical 10.5-megapixel shooter from the Pixel 9.

They’re not dangerous cameras by any means—Google’s personal picture processing nonetheless does a number of the heavy lifting to tweak photographs in order that they appear respectable—however sticking the identical cameras from a $500 cellphone into an $800 one is just not going to go over properly with nerds. Pictures from the Pixel 10 are adequate for posting on Instagram, however for those who actually zoom in on the small print, you’ll discover much less vibrant colours, mushy and muddied particulars, and simply an total lack of sharpness even outdoor. The 5x telephoto is making use of an up to date model of Tremendous Res Zoom, which reinforces the sharpness of photographs at 5x zoom and above. It really works, however I wasn’t blown away by zoomed-in photographs. If you need higher photographs on a Pixel, it’s clear to me that you just’ll have to step as much as the Pixel 10 Professional or 10 Professional XL. I’m nonetheless slightly shocked that Google’s digital camera stack has fallen so behind because it prioritizes AI digital camera options like Auto Greatest Shot, which mixes a number of related photos into one “finest” shot. It’s time for Google to return to fundamentals and deal with picture high quality once more.

Different unforgivables that will upset folks embrace the elimination of reverse wi-fi charging, an LTPS as a substitute of LTPO display, no vapor chamber for higher cooling, and the lack of the SIM card slot for U.S. Pixel 10 fashions. The one which bugs me the least is the show know-how. Like I stated in my Nothing Phone 3 review, the real-life beneficial properties of an LTPO show that may drop right down to a decrease refresh fee versus an LTPS display that may’t go as low are negligible. Shedding reverse wi-fi charging, which was helpful for juicing up Pixel Buds on the go, inconvenienced me essentially the most. Google’s official motive is that the magnets for Pixelsnap interfered with the reverse wi-fi charging coils; honest sufficient, however I think Google justified the explanation as a result of few folks used it. And whereas eSIM is extra extensively used these days, I nonetheless want a bodily SIM card that I can simply transfer between units. I’m no hardcore cell gamer, however the lack of any vapor chamber goes to have players taking a look at different telephones to get their leisure repair.

AI and Gemini all over the place

Now, on to the primary occasion—AI and Gemini. It’s no secret that there’s an all-out AI race at the moment occurring. Like each tech firm, Google is throwing AI on the wall and seeing what sticks. The foundations are being written and rewritten at a velocity we’ve not seen in know-how. Even practically three years after ChatGPT’s breakout second, we’re nonetheless determining what AI is, what it may be, and the way it can match into our lives. The Pixel 10 is a vessel for Google’s experiments, and mastering the numerous AI and Gemini options would require altering a decade-plus of smartphone muscle reminiscence.

With the Pixel 10, Google’s asking you to rethink the way you work together along with your cellphone utilizing AI. There’s a lot AI and Gemini sprinkled into Android 16 that it may be overwhelming—it was for me, and it’s my job and keenness to fiddle with new know-how. That’s actually the large problem of injecting AI into the present touchscreen cellphone expertise. How a lot AI is an excessive amount of AI? Samsung and Apple have taken a more reserved approach to including AI options into their telephones, selecting to introduce just a few new purposes in small doses yearly or so. That has the advantage of not breaking with familiarity—customers hate adjustments to their stuff that drive them to relearn all the things. The draw back to those slow-and-steady AI drops is that they might not go far sufficient. The identical approach folks requested extra of Siri after which gave up on the assistant when it couldn’t do what they requested, if Gemini can’t do what Pixel house owners ask it to do, then it leaves a bitter style within the mouth. Unconvinced individuals are going to be much less doubtless to offer it one other shot when issues enhance.

Having tried most AI options within the newest crop of flagship telephones, I’ve seen a development, which is considerate AI. Google has put a number of thought into arising with useful AI options that ought to both make doing cellphone stuff sooner or simpler. Many stick the touchdown; some don’t. For instance, Magic Cue could be very properly achieved when it really works. The opt-in AI function suggests related data or actions inside sure apps, just like the Cellphone, Messages, and Google Maps apps. As an alternative of manually having to search out one thing like a resort reservation or flight reserving particulars from inside an e mail, Magic Cue can merely floor it when the AI detects chances are you’ll be speaking about it. You’ll know one thing is a Magic Cue suggestion as a result of it’s labeled as such or there’s slightly rainbow define round it. Magic Cue is proscribed proper now—I actually appreciated trying up restaurant critiques in Chrome after which seeing the enterprise prompt as an choice in Google Maps—however I see the potential. That is simply the beginning of proactive intelligence on telephones to assist triage all the knowledge now we have saved in our apps. Rightfully so, this comfort of letting AI “join the dots” of all of your information from throughout your apps does imply it’s important to take into account the privateness of all of it. Whereas Google has repeatedly stated that privateness is core to the Pixels and Google service, and a few AI options are processed on units, solely you possibly can resolve whether or not you’re comfy letting any firm have what’s basically a map of your digital life.

The remainder of the AI and Gemini options on the Pixel 10 actually comes right down to a matter of private choice. Possibly there are individuals who will use the entire AI options within the Pixel 10, however most definitely, you’ll solely use those that go well with you. In the event you’re clueless about enhancing photographs or simply wish to do a fast edit, the “Assist me edit” function could be clutch. As an alternative of manually transferring sliders round or circling issues to erase from a photograph, you possibly can merely describe the way you need a picture to be edited, and Gemini will do all of it for you. Outcomes are principally good, however as with all generative AI, generally you’ll get some dangerous and even comical edits. I used to be stunned by how Gemini nailed “take away shadows from faces.” And don’t fear, “Assist me edit” works on all photographs in your Google Pictures library, not simply ones you’re taking with the Pixel 10.

Voice Translate throughout cellphone calls is a possible game-changer. The AI options basically deepfakes your voice into one other language in close to actual time. In my testing, it was usually quick and correct with the translations (so I used to be advised by my pals). It nonetheless freaks me out to listen to my voice communicate French or Spanish. On the time of testing, the function solely helps translation for languages to and from English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. I’ve been studying Mandarin Chinese language for over a yr, and I’m stunned {that a} language spoken by about 1 billion folks isn’t supported at launch however Swedish, which is spoken by round 10 million folks is.

I additionally discovered AI options like Writing Instruments in Gboard (mainly a spellcheck or fashion rephraser), the improved Pixel Screenshots (helps you to flip screenshots into useful and searchable notebooks with NotebookLM), and Take a Message (real-time transcriptions for missed or declined calls) helpful, although chances are you’ll by no means use them in any respect.

Per week is just not sufficient time to totally immerse myself in the entire Pixel 10’s AI options and get an excellent understanding of the way it’ll change my cellphone workflow long-term, however I already know a few of the duds I received’t be revisiting. There’s a function that allows you to flip voice recordings within the Recorder app into music (you select a vibe resembling “chill beats” or “dancy get together” and the AI will generate a track); Pixel Studio, which is a greater model of Apple’s tacky Picture Playground, and makes use of Imagen 4 to generate photos for no matter you may want some media for; Digicam Coach helps you to level your Pixel 10 digital camera at a scene and Gemini will counsel just a few methods to enhance the shot like specializing in sure objects or switching to a distinct lens or tilting up or down (it’s mainly images for dummies).

Once more, there’s so much of AI and Gemini contained in the Pixel 10, and whereas most of it’s simple to grasp, it would take longer to sink in. My first intuition was to only do all the things on the Pixel 10 the identical approach I’ve all the time been doing it—bounce between apps and faucet, faucet, faucet, swipe, swipe, swipe—however when you let a few of the AI do the driving (i.e. Magic Cue surfacing information from inside Google apps), the entire AI “imaginative and prescient” clicks into place. AI is a greater method to make sense of all of your information. Google has mainly achieved what Apple promised with its botched Apple Intelligence and AI-powered Siri for iPhone.

Just the start of “AI telephones”

In a desk of tech specs evaluating the Pixel 10 to different telephones beginning at $800, just like the iPhone 16 or Nothing Cellphone 3, Google’s Tenth-generation cellphone goes to appear like a lesser deal. Positive, the construct high quality is tops and the cameras are strong (although not the most effective anymore), however the efficiency of the Tensor G5 chip lags behind the competitors, particularly for gaming. However, for those who have a look at the Pixel 10 by means of the lens of an “AI cellphone,” it leads the pack. Apple has but to get its botched Apple Intelligence act collectively, and as I already stated, Samsung and others are integrating AI with a slower tempo, in order to not upset customers with the unfamiliar.

Google has put collectively essentially the most complete “AI cellphone” that I’ve seen. The Pixel 10 is definitely extra AI-centric than the Copilot-powered “AI PCs” that Microsoft has been pushing unsuccessfully over the previous few years. Sensible AI that you just truly wish to use and that really helps you do issues sooner and simpler is lastly right here. It’s not excellent by any means, however the Pixel 10 exhibits that AI is the long run for telephones. That is the best way.