Review Summary
Expert Rating
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is the middle child in the Pixel family, positioned between the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro XL. The handset aims to deliver the best of both worlds: the compact form of the former and the display and camera upgrades of the Pro XL. After using the phone for over a week now, though, it becomes clear that while the Pixel 10 Pro has its strengths, it can’t match the appeal that the most affordable Pixel 10 and ultra-premium Pixel 10 Pro XL bring to the table.
Read on as I tell you my experience with the smartphone in this Google Pixel 10 Pro review.
Table of Contents
Compact, but not lightweight
The Google Pixel 10 Pro matches the dimensions of the regular Pixel 10. The handset measures 152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm, making it easier to handle and use than the Pixel 10 Pro XL, which comes in at 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.6mm. However, you’ll still need a bit of finger gymnastics to reach the far corners of the Pixel 10 Pro with one hand. Nevertheless, it doesn’t concern me as much as the weight of the smartphone. At 207g, the phone already feels substantial, and once you add a case, like the Pixelsnap I’m using, it quickly starts to weigh on the hand. Even after using the phone for a week, I can still feel the heftiness.
Having said that, the weight is well-balanced, allowing the phone to be held horizontally with both hands for extended periods, whether you’re watching a film or gaming, without causing noticeable fatigue. The phone feels durable with its aerospace-grade aluminium frame, sandwiched between the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The display didn’t pick up any scratches, despite using the phone without tempered glass. This could partly be attributed to the case, which features a raised lip that prevents the screen from making direct contact with hard surfaces.
Furthermore, the Pixel 10 Pro is IP68 water and dust resistance certified. We received the smartphone in the Porcelain colour option, which has a slightly off white finish at the back, complemented by shiny silver edges. While it looks great in person, those shiny edges are susceptible to picking up fingerprints and smudges, spoiling the overall look of the smartphone. Putting a case can prevent it from happening. The case will also prevent the paint from that unique-looking camera visor from chipping off.
Good battery life, let down by charging speeds
Powering the device is a 4,780mAh battery, which is the smallest capacity in the entire Pixel lineup. That capacity is good for all-day endurance for moderate users. In my usage, mostly streaming, social media browsing, navigation, AI, and video recording, the phone held up without ever causing battery anxiety. However, heavy users who push the device with intensive multitasking, editing, or gaming may find themselves topping up once during the day to make it through comfortably. This was evident in our internal testing as well.
While playing games such as BGMI, Call of Duty, and Real Racing 3 for 30 minutes each, the Pixel smartphone consumed close to 30 percent battery in total. This is the highest we have seen on a smartphone so far. The video streaming test also saw the smartphone’s battery depleting by 5 percent after half an hour, which is higher than the Pixel 10 Pro XL. It doesn’t help that the Pixel 10 Pro’s charging speeds are slower than its elder sibling. The handset supports 30W wired charging and 15W Qi2 wireless charging as opposed to 45W and 25W on the XL version, respectively.
With a compatible charger that needs to be purchased separately, the Pixel 10 Pro takes almost 80 minutes just to reach 100 percent from 20 percent. Charging the device from zero will take longer, which could be frustrating for users who are always on the go.
Capable display, with good audio output
The Pixel 10 Pro sports a 6.3-inch Super Actua OLED panel with a resolution of 1,280 x 2,856 pixels, a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, HDR support, and an impressive peak brightness of up to 3,300 nits. While the display size is exactly the same as the regular Pixel smartphone, the handset comes with an LTPO display technology that can dynamically adjust the refresh rate for battery efficiency. It is an A-grade display that holds up equally well indoors and outdoors. That said, slimmer bezels would have made the display feel even more immersive. And unlike Apple, Google has yet to adopt an anti-glare coating on its Pro models, which could further cut reflections and improve readability in bright outdoor conditions.
These are minor nitpicks in what is otherwise an excellent display, delivering vibrant colours, wide viewing angles, and reliable HDR playback on Netflix and other streaming platforms. Complementing the visuals are stereo speakers, one on the bottom edge and the other integrated into the earpiece, that provide a well-rounded audio experience. The speakers can get decently loud, though with distortion at maximum volume. There is still clarity and good bass to the audio to enhance the listening experience on the smartphone.
Identical performance & software experience
All Pixel 10 smartphones are powered by the all-new TSMC’s Tensor G5 chipsets and run Android 16 out of the box. The experience is identical to the Pixel 10 and the Pixel 10 Pro XL. If you wish to learn the chipset capabilities in detail, check out our Pixel 10 Pro XL performance review. The software experience and AI features have been covered extensively in our Pixel 10 (review) and Pixel 10 Pro XL (review) reviews.
In short, the Pixel 10 Pro capably manages everyday tasks and AI-driven features without breaking a sweat. It may not be the fastest chipset around, but thanks to the new TSMC process, its chipset, and by extension the phone itself, stays cool, particularly during intensive use cases like photography and AI-assisted editing. Speaking of AI, Google has packed in plenty of tools, including Magic Cue, real-time natural conversations with Gemini Live, Pixel Journal, Camera Coach, ProRes zoom, and Auto Best Face, among others.
A month after reviewing the Pixel 10, Magic Cue still falls short of its promise; it doesn’t reliably surface contextual information during chats and calls as advertised. Auto Best Take also struggles, often failing to correct facial expressions in group selfies automatically. On the brighter side, Camera Coach and ProRes Zoom prove handy. The former offers guidance on angles and shooting modes to help capture better shots, whereas the ProRes Zoom enhances the zoomed shots with generative AI, making the overall results sharper. Moreover, the Pixel Journal helps you take down notes and thoughts, with the help of AI that can assist you in writing, summarising them, and pulling up insights.
While these AI features are impressive on paper, they still feel under-integrated for everyday use. ProRes Zoom, for instance, takes time to process and delivers its best results only with still subjects, non-humans in particular. Camera Coach, though useful, comes with caveats too: it requires an active internet connection, takes noticeable time to analyse a scene, and needs the app to remain open throughout. You also have to follow multiple steps before getting the recommended shot.
Google could improve the experience by streamlining processes and automatically applying suggestions once the frame is aligned in future updates. The Pixel 10 Pro is backed by a promise of seven years of major OS and security updates. It currently ships with Android 16 and the Pixel Launcher, which remains one of the cleanest and easiest-to-use interfaces around. Only Google apps come pre-installed, though the count is higher than on most devices at 29 in total. Performance has been largely smooth during my usage, though I did come across a few minor bugs, something Google is usually quick to patch.
At the time of review, the phone was running the September 2025 security patch, with the October update expected shortly. That said, customisation options are limited compared to what custom Android skins offer.
Pro-level cameras, with saturated colours
The Pixel 10 Pro carries a familiar camera setup from the 10 Pro XL and last year’s Pixel 9 Pro series. The handset features a triple rear camera system: a 50MP primary sensor, a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide shooter. Up front, the 42MP punch-hole camera remains unchanged as well. In practice, this setup proves highly capable, producing vibrant, detailed shots with punchy colours both in daylight and lowlight. HDR processing is particularly impressive, balancing highlights and shadows effectively while preserving detail in darker areas and offering a wide palette of tones. However, it seems Google has gone overboard with colours, boosting them slightly to appeal to social media enthusiasts and deviating from reality, something that the purists may not like.
This was observed in the Pixel 10 Pro XL review, where we compared the results with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The latter delivered images with near-accurate colours. It was also observed that portraits, which were once the forte of Pixel smartphones, lack proper edge detection and close to reality skin tones. For some reason, the Pixel smartphones don’t utilise their telephoto lens for portraits, which produces better details than the primary camera.
We will be testing the cameras along with the latest iPhone 17 series, so stay tuned to 91mobiles for that.
Verdict
The Google Pixel 10 Pro comes with an asking price of Rs 1,09,999 for the sole 16GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, and there aren’t too many competitors at that particular price range. One can consider the Xiaomi 15 Ultra (reviews) and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (review) for that price, even lower with festive season discounts. However, the Samsung caters to a different audience with its sleek, premium design, while the Xiaomi offering, though powerful, isn’t as compact as the Pixel 10 Pro and misses out on Google’s advanced AI features.
Despite these aspects, the Pixel 10 Pro still struggles to carve out a distinct identity of its own. While it is more compact and easier to handle than the XL, the weight makes it feel substantial in the hand. Coupled with the smallest battery in the Pixel lineup, slower charging speeds compared to its bigger sibling, and limited customisation options, it often comes across as a compromise rather than the sweet spot Google intended.
Even so, the Pixel 10 Pro holds its ground as the only compact Pixel smartphone with a Pro-level display and cameras available today. Add to that Google’s promise of seven years of updates and the growing potential of its AI features, and the Pixel 10 Pro can still be a solid choice for those who value a compact flagship.
Editor’s rating: 8.1 / 10
Reasons to buy
- Compact size with premium build and IP68 rating.
- Excellent LTPO OLED display with high brightness and HDR support.
- Strong camera system with sharp detail and impressive HDR.
- Smooth performance with Tensor G5 and cool thermals.
Reasons not to buy
- Heavier than expected for its size.
- Battery drains quickly with gaming and heavy use.
- Portraits struggle with edge detection, facial details, and accurate representation of colours.
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