The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL marks 10 years of Pixel devices, but is Google’s latest release worth your time and money?
When Google entered the smartphone race back in 2016 it seemed like a no-brainer, and while the devices weren’t a runaway success, in the years that followed they’ve built up pretty serious market share. A full decade later, we now arrive at the Pixel 10 line-up, and after spending a week with the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, it’s clear that the tech giant has learned a thing a two.
Straight out of the box you could be forgiven for confusing the Pixel 10 Pro XL with last year’s counterpart. Aside from a couple of minor aesthetic changes, Google clearly doesn’t want to dramatically mess around with what’s working and honestly I can’t really blame them. The 9 series was the result of years of refinement, meaning the Pixel 10 Pro XL continues to be a sleek-looking device from top to bottom. I tested the Porcelain model and while it’s not as flashy as the new Jade and Moonstone colours, it exudes style thanks to its 6.8-inch display, polished aluminium frame and traditional camera visor that screams Google Pixel.
It’s also another year where picking the differences between an iPhone and Pixel is increasingly difficult, which continues to feel like an intentional (and intelligent) move on Google’s part to try and win over some of the Apple faithful. But while features like a 1–120 Hz refresh rate and increased peak brightness will please the tech-focused, the revised cameras might help seal the deal. At the rear you can make the most of the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s triple rear camera system, including a 50 MP wide, 48 MP ultrawide and 48 MP 5x telephoto lens. What that meant is that no matter whether I was shooting outdoors, indoors or in poor lighting the phone was able to deliver the goods. I’ve always been a fan of Google’s bold shot style, with rich, punchy colours that pop off the screen and that doesn’t change here.
Helping you along is Google’s continued focus on AI, which this time presents itself in the form of additional features like Camera Coach. Using the all-important Gemini to read your scene, it will offer up tips around better framing, shadow reduction and more. I’d hardly call myself a photographer but I was genuinely surprised by some of the suggestions Gemini raised, and while it won’t knock every shot out of the park, it certainly hit more than it missed if you’re willing to give it the time of day. Google is going hard on the AI front, and despite not testing every new bell and whistle I was a fan of Magic Cue which suggests helpful information at critical times (like dinner locations or booking details in a text chat or phone call), and its improvements to the Screenshots app.
If AI isn’t a big deal for you, the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s massive screen surely is, and I was genuinely surprised at the opportunities it provided – particularly multitasking. After using a Pixel 9 Pro Fold as my daily driver for the better part of a year I thought I’d struggle to deal without the ability to be able to have both a notepad and Chrome browser running side by side, but utilising split screen still gives me that fundamental ability, albeit at a fraction of the size.
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But something the 9 Pro Fold can’t match is magnetic Qi2 wireless support, and it’s easily one of the Pixel 10’s biggest selling points. Qi2 functionality opens the door to a whole slew of Qi2 supported accessories, including most of Apple’s extensive MagSafe line-up. From ring grips, to stands and even wireless chargers, it’s an absolutely huge boon for Google who has also introduced its own magnetic range dubbed Pixelsnap. I haven’t been able to test the range myself, but it does include a Google branded charging stand, ring and cases, just in case you want to stick within the ecosystem.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL can also utilise Qi2 for faster wireless charging compared to the rest of the family with a max of 25W, compared to 15W on the lower models (including the smaller Pro). Switch to a cable and you can expect a fast charging rate up to 45W, which will allow you to get up to 70% in about 30 minutes. That was perfect during my testing to give a quick boost during a morning shower or just before my commute home from work. That said, thanks to the larger 5,200 mAh battery within the 10 Pro XL can easily go the distance. Despite slogging the device over the review period (including utilising an always-on display and full resolution) I would comfortably finish a day with around 40% charge remaining, while lighter days were as high as 60-70%. It’s an incredibly promising start and should help prevent any kind of charge anxiety that occurs with plenty of other competitors.
The larger battery also helps when it comes to gaming, and while the extra juice is certainly welcome, as is the large display, performance can unfortunately be a bit of a mixed bag. Booting up the likes of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas or TMNT: Shredders Revenge via Netflix ran a treat, both hitting their 30fps and 60fps targets respectively, and were even better one I snapped on a BackBone One controller to amplify the experience. Likewise, Marvel Snap and other less demanding mobile titles ran without issue and often barely affected both battery life and thermal performance.
The same was true after linking both Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation remote play to the Pixel 10 Pro XL and it’s here that you’ll truly appreciate the updated peak brightness and larger display of the device, as well as Wi-Fi 7 compatibility, allowing me to experience minimal lag streaming both my Xbox Series X and PS5. It’s a great way to play if you’re away from home or simply have a main TV that is always in use.
Once you load up far more demanding titles like Genshin Impact or Zenless Zone Zero, on the other hand, you are inevitably going to see some relatively significant performance drops if you try to maximise the available settings. It just seems as though the Google Tensor G5 chipset isn’t quite able to match the grunt of its competitors, meaning if you do want to run beefier titles it will be at the expense of some visual fidelity.
With all that in mind I do want to state that the Pixel 10 Pro XL is not a gaming phone, nor has Google claimed gaming to be a core focus of the device, so this result shouldn’t be entirely surprising. It’s also largely possible that due to the Tensor G5 being a new custom chip, many titles have yet to be properly optimised, so performance for big players could very well change in the weeks and months ahead with a few updates. For the time being though, if you are a hardcore mobile gamer you may need to look elsewhere, but during my week with the device I had no serious issues with any of the titles I primarily booted into.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is an incredibly appealing device and has truly been a dream to use for the last week. It’s slick, well-designed and packs a few neat additions like Pixelsnap that’ll do well to lure you in. That said, with most of the device’s core features also mimicked on the main Pixel 10, justifying the extra asking price for the XL may be too difficult for some and that’s perfectly okay. As it stands, the Pixel 10 line-up might be more focused on careful iteration rather than radical revolution for its 10-year celebration, but that just means an already great family of phones is now that little bit better. I can’t imagine you’ll be disappointed no matter which unit you pick up.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is available now from $1,999 via the Google Store.
