Google’s new Pixel 10 Pro is less about radical hardware changes and more about one thing: AI. The company’s latest flagship doubles down on Google’s vision of weaving Gemini-powered tools into daily smartphone use, from messaging and maps to photos and calls.
On the hardware side, upgrades are incremental but welcome: a brighter screen, more RAM, and the debut of Pixelsnap, Google’s MagSafe-like Qi2 charging system. The base Pixel 10 even gets a telephoto camera for the first time. Inside, the new Tensor G5 chip, fabbed by TSMC, is designed to boost on-device AI performance, running Gemini Nano models directly.
But the real story is software. Google’s AI suite now permeates nearly every corner of the Pixel experience. Features like Magic Cue surface contextual info across apps, showing contacts, restaurant suggestions, or YouTube recs based on past screenshots or messages. Early tests suggest promise, but also misses, such as failing to pull Gmail delivery data into conversations.
Other headline AI additions include real-time call translation (with mixed results depending on language), Gemini Live object recognition in video, and new tools in Gboard and Recorder for editing and sharing. NotebookLM now ships pre-installed, and musicians can even add backing tracks to voice recordings.
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The camera system, long a Pixel hallmark, sees modest hardware changes but big AI boosts. Camera Coach offers real-time shooting advice, while Super Res Zoom pushes up to 100x, with AI-generated detail filling in the gaps. Google’s Best Take stitches group shots for the perfect smile, while Portrait mode now reaches 50MP.
Still, AI isn’t flawless. Magic Cue is limited mostly to Google apps for now, translation support is narrow, and features roll out unevenly depending on region. Some AI-generated suggestions can also veer into uncanny territory.
For upgraders, the Pixel 10 Pro feels meaningfully better, especially for those coming from a two-year-old device. And unlike Apple’s stalled Siri AI push, Google is clearly betting its future on these features, even bundling free AI Pro subscriptions for buyers. But the question remains whether all this AI makes the phone indispensable, or just more experimental.
The Pixel 10 Pro is polished, powerful, and loaded with AI, but not every user will find themselves living in Google’s AI-first world.
