Pixel 10 Release: The $1,199 Way to Prove You’re Still Google’s Favorite Beta Tester

Well, folks, it’s that time of year again — Google has released yet another Pixel, and this time they’ve decided to throw a birthday party for themselves. Yes, the Pixel 10 is here, marking a full decade of Google asking, “What if we just added more AI?” The answer, apparently, is: “Charge you more.”

The new lineup includes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL, which is just the Pro but big enough to qualify as an end table. Prices start at $799 and climb to $1199, because inflation is real, but so is Google’s ability to convince you your current Pixel is suddenly a dumb brick.

A design so modern it might almost be new

Google insists the Pixel 10 comes with a “modern design.” Translation: they’ve once again adjusted the camera bar that nobody asked for but everyone can recognize from three tables away at Starbucks. This year, you can get your Pixel in colors like Obsidian, Frost, Indigo, and Lemongrass — because why say “black, white, blue, and yellow” when you can name them like cocktail specials at a Brooklyn speakeasy?

Of course, it’s all made from “the most recycled materials yet,” which is Google’s subtle way of saying: congratulations, your new phone is basically last year’s Pixel reincarnated in shinier glass. At least you can feel environmentally virtuous while doomscrolling.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL even supports 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging, which sounds impressive until you realize Apple will probably “invent” it in 2028 and call it “revolutionary.”

Tensor G5: Now with more buzzwords per watt

The heart of the Pixel 10 is the Tensor G5, a custom chip that is apparently the “most significant upgrade since Tensor’s debut.” Which, considering Tensor debuted as “basically fine,” means we’ve graduated to “slightly better than fine.” Google claims it’s co-designed with DeepMind, which makes sense — nothing screams cutting-edge AI like the same lab that beat humans at Go deciding how fast your Instagram feed refreshes.

Naturally, all of this silicon wizardry exists to run Gemini Nano, Google’s newest AI model, which will live in your phone like a digital roommate. It’s “personalized, proactive, and helpful,” which is exactly how everyone described their Roomba until it ate a charging cable and died.

Magic Cue: because you can’t be trusted to find your own cat photos

The headline AI feature this year is Magic Cue, a proactive assistant that “meets you in some of your favorite apps.” Translation: Google wants to shove Gemini into every possible corner of your phone until even your calculator starts suggesting inspirational quotes.

Magic Cue will pull your flight information from Gmail when you’re calling an airline, fetch dinner addresses while you’re chatting, and automatically locate cat photos for your mom — because the future of AI is apparently outsourcing common sense. And don’t worry, it all runs “privately and securely on your phone,” which is exactly what tech companies always say right before a bug shares your passport photo with your group chat.

Camera Coach: Google’s passive-aggressive photography teacher

The Pixel 10 camera, long marketed as the only reason to buy a Pixel, now comes with “Camera Coach,” an AI that teaches you how to take better photos. Picture this: you line up a shot, and instead of capturing the moment, your $999 phone tells you you’re standing in the wrong place and your composition is trash. Nothing like being negged by your own camera to really boost confidence.

And if that wasn’t enough, the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL introduce Pro Res Zoom, which lets you zoom up to 100x using AI-generated details. Yes, you read that right: your phone will now invent pixels that never existed. Perfect for those who always wanted their photography to look like an AI image prompt titled “moon but kinda melty.”

Material 3 Expressive: now with extra bounce

On the software side, the Pixel 10 debuts Material 3 Expressive, a new UI that promises “fluidity” and “springy animations.” So now, when your phone crashes, at least it’ll do so with whimsical flair. Add in seven years of Pixel Drops and OS updates, and you can feel secure knowing Google will still be updating this device long after you’ve traded it in for the Pixel 13 Pro Max Ultra AI Edition.

Specs so shiny they almost distract you from reality

The Pixel 10 comes with a 6.3-inch Actua display at 3000 nits, which is bright enough to double as a tanning bed. Audio has “exceptional bass,” perfect for when you want to annoy your entire subway car with Netflix reruns.

The Pro models crank everything to 11: triple rear cameras, 16 GB of RAM, bigger batteries, and upgraded speakers. The Pro XL is a massive 6.8 inches — essentially a small billboard you carry in your pocket. With storage options, upgraded charging, and free Google AI Pro for a year, the Pro versions scream: “Please justify this price to yourself by calling it productivity.”

Preorder now, regret later

The Pixel 10 family is available for preorder today, and if you don’t rush to spend $799–$1199, are you even living in 2025? Sure, your Pixel 9 probably still works fine, but why settle for a perfectly functional device when you could own one that tells you where to point the camera while it spies on your flight bookings?

On August 28, you’ll be able to find the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL on shelves at the Google Store and “retail partners,” aka the same Best Buy where you swore you were just going to look.

The verdict

The Pixel 10 is Google’s latest attempt to make your phone less of a tool and more of a life coach that occasionally lets you text. With Magic Cue creeping into your conversations, Camera Coach judging your selfies, and Pro Res Zoom hallucinating the surface of Mars at 100x, it’s less “smartphone” and more “stage mom with a lens.”

Still, if you love AI features you didn’t ask for, a camera that won’t stop correcting you, and the opportunity to buy the same recycled glass wrapped in a slightly shinier bow, the Pixel 10 is waiting. For everyone else, just remember: your current phone still calls, texts, and shows you TikToks of raccoons. But does it do that with 3000 nits of brightness and Gemini Nano whispering in your ear? Didn’t think so.