Google Pixel 10 Pro XL Review: Small Steps and Giant Leaps

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Finest Costs Right this moment: Google Pixel 10 Professional XL

Google’s smartphones have hit double figures, and the corporate means enterprise.

On paper, the Pixel 10 collection is its most completed technology but, fusing ultra-premium {hardware} with the software program polish no different model can match.

Until you need a foldable, the Pixel 10 Professional XL sits on the high of that lineup. Google has been cautious with its {hardware} upgrades this time round, specializing in boosting the battery and charging expertise.

However the firm has come out swinging on the software program aspect, with a number of new and doubtlessly game-changing options. And, after per week spent utilizing it as my predominant cellphone, I’m able to declare it the very best smartphone of 2025 thus far.

Right here’s every part that makes it so good, plus the handful of issues that I want Google had achieved in another way.

Design & Construct

• Signature Pixel design language
• Sturdy glass and aluminium construct
• IP68 water and dirt resistance

Gone are the times when Pixel homeowners needed to put up with a cheap-looking cellphone. The Pixel 10 Professional XL is a murals, combining traditional design language with a standout digital camera module.

The latter continues to divide opinion, however I’m a fan. The pill-shaped design is immediately recognisable and particular person, with out trying obnoxious or dominating the again of the machine. And should you apply one in all Google’s official circumstances, you possibly can remove the results of the digital camera bump.

I’d suggest most individuals apply a case for grip – the ten Professional XL feels slippery within the palms in any other case. Nonetheless, I recognise that it’s simple to say that after I’m testing the fairly boring Obsidian mannequin, which is actually a darkish gray.

The cellphone can be obtainable in Moonstone (mild gray), Jade (mild inexperienced) and Porcelain (off-white). In case you go for one of many latter two, you won’t need to cowl it up. A matt coating on the again of the machine avoids seen fingerprint smudges except mild is shining immediately on it.

The Pixel 10 Professional XL is a murals, combining traditional design language with a standout digital camera module

If grip is somewhat missing when going case-free, sturdiness actually isn’t. The glass on each the back and front of the cellphone is Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is particularly designed to guard towards falls onto exhausting surfaces.

I inadvertently examined this after I dropped the ten Professional XL face down onto a wood ground from about 1m excessive. I picked it up fearing the worst, however the cellphone was completely unscathed. That’s spectacular.

One other key sturdiness metric is the IP68 score, which confirms that the machine is proof against submersion in as much as 1.5m of contemporary water for as much as half-hour and is protected towards all mud particles. It’s nothing new for flagship units, however nonetheless necessary to say.

The reflective aluminium body feels simply as sturdy. That’s the place you’ll discover the clicky energy and quantity controls, plus a USB-C port and audio system on the backside. The SIM tray has moved to the highest of the cellphone, however I doubt anybody will care.

Nonetheless, there’s little doubt that the selection of those premium supplies contributes to its general weight. At 232g, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is considerably heavier than the 221g Pixel 9 Professional XL, and one of many heaviest non-folding telephones you could purchase.

Alongside dimensions of 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm (equivalent to the 9 Professional XL), be sure you’re proud of an enormous, cumbersome machine earlier than buying. I’ve fairly massive palms and may make use of the sizeable pockets on most males’s trousers and shorts, so it’s not an enormous situation for me.

Display & Audio system

• 6.8-inch, 120Hz OLED show
• Even higher peak brightness
• Punchy stereo audio system

Google hasn’t made any important modifications to the show on the Pixel 10 Professional XL, nevertheless it didn’t have to. Final 12 months’s 9 Professional XL already had one of many best screens on any smartphone, and the identical will be mentioned for its successor.

The one improve is in its brightness, which now peaks at a powerful 3300 nits. A extra related determine is the one I recorded at 100% – 948 nits – which makes for wonderful out of doors visibility, even in direct daylight.

Elsewhere, it’s the identical 6.8-inch OLED panel, which seems gorgeous in just about any situation. The wealthy, vibrant colors and deep blacks we’ve come to affiliate with OLEDs are very a lot obvious right here, making the ten Professional XL very best for scrolling social media or watching movies.

The show can be LTPO, that means it will probably routinely regulate between 1- and 120Hz refresh charges, relying on what you’re doing. This ensures you get the slick, responsive advantages of 120Hz with out the unfavourable influence on battery life.

The FHD+ (1344 x 2992) decision is nothing particular, however element and readability are each wonderful. It won’t be the very best show on any cellphone – that award most likely goes to the Galaxy S25 Extremely – however the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s display excels in all of the areas that matter.

As common, you’ll discover a fingerprint sensor throughout the show. That is an ultrasonic scanner, which is taken into account superior to the optical model discovered on most telephones, and it exhibits. Regardless of solely enrolling one fingerprint briefly throughout setup (a easy course of), it was impressively quick and dependable.

The Pixel 10 Professional XL’s display excels in all of the areas that matter

Nonetheless, I nonetheless want the 3D face unlock in most conditions. It’s much more seamless and safe sufficient for use for authenticating funds and logging into apps.

Elsewhere, the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s speaker high quality is properly above common. Like most flagships, it has a stereo setup, however utilises two grilles on the backside of the machine, plus the earpiece. The result’s an impressively full-bodied sound that delivers wealthy vocals and detailed soundscapes, even when the bass is somewhat sub-par. Readability can be sturdy, till you push the quantity up near most, the place some distortion is audible.

As common, join a speaker or headphones should you’re severe about high-quality audio, however the built-in audio system on the Pixel 10 Professional XL are a strong different for informal use.

Specs & Efficiency

• Google Tensor G5 chipset
• 16GB RAM on all fashions
• Storage now begins at 256GB

All 4 of the Pixel 10 telephones have been outfitted with Google’s new Tensor G5 chipset. It’s a extra important improve from the Tensor G4 than the identify suggests, with Google transferring manufacturing from Samsung to TSMC and upgrading to a 3nm course of.

However does it yield a serious efficiency enhance on the Pixel 10 Professional XL? Completely not. I’ve used the Pixel 9 Professional XL for round 5 months in whole, and I can’t spot a distinction between the 2.

Nonetheless, that’s not a criticism of the brand new cellphone. Efficiency was already so sturdy that these minor beneficial properties had been at all times unlikely to have a serious influence. The Pixel 10 Professional XL is a powerhouse of a cellphone, dealing with the complexities of heavy utilization days with out breaking a sweat.

I’m speaking internet looking (with a whole bunch of open tabs – oops), WhatsApp messages, Gmail, YouTube movies and a variety of pictures, together with rapidly switching between them. Apart from a number of hesitations, which I believe had been software program bugs fairly than efficiency limitations, the Pixel 10 Professional XL was a stellar performer.

Gameplay was clean and responsive, with no noticeable dropped frames

As you would possibly anticipate, this extends to cellular gaming. I examined the cellphone on among the Play Retailer’s most demanding video games, together with Name of Responsibility: Cellular, Genshin Affect and Actual Racing 3. Gameplay was clean and responsive, with no noticeable dropped frames. And whereas the again of the cellphone turned heat to the contact after a couple of minutes, it didn’t negatively influence my expertise in any method.

In relation to storage, Google has ditched the most cost effective 128GB mannequin. This is sensible in 2025, though it does give the Pixel 10 Professional XL a better beginning value than its predecessor. You may select between 256GB, 512GB and 1TB, however be sure you get sufficient, as there’s no assist for expandable storage.

Disappointingly, a twin bodily SIM slot can be lacking, although the rise of eSIM makes this much less of a problem.

Google Pixel 10 Professional XL benchmarks

The Pixel 10 Professional XL has wonderful efficiency, however you wouldn’t essentially realize it from the benchmark scores under, which present it properly behind Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered telephones by way of CPU energy.

Cameras

• 50Mp predominant, 48Mp telephoto, 48Mp ultrawide, 42Mp selfie
• Similar digital camera {hardware} to Pixel 9 Professional XL
• New Digital camera Coach and Tremendous Res Zoom options

On the face of it, the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s cameras are unchanged from its predecessor.

The {hardware} is the very same, with a 50Mp predominant lens supported by a 48Mp 5x telephoto and 48Mp ultrawide on the again. On the entrance, a 42Mp selfie digital camera additionally stays.

Nonetheless, Google has been working exhausting on the software program aspect, introducing a number of new options that make the Pixel 10 Professional XL digital camera expertise really feel contemporary and new.

However let’s begin with what Pixel telephones are identified for: nice point-and-shoot pictures. In my view, the principle rear lens is unmatched relating to constantly high-quality images.

Irrespective of the situation, I can whip the cellphone out of my pocket, rapidly launch the digital camera and snap away, secure within the information that I’ll get a great outcome 9 instances out of 10.

In good lighting situations, images are punchy, vibrant and brimming with element. Dynamic vary is great, and it handles shadows and sophisticated exposures very properly. Colors are usually somewhat extra saturated than in actual life, however meaning enhancing in publish is never vital.

Not like most telephones, the ten Professional XL is equally spectacular in low-light situations. ‘Night time Sight’ works wonders

Not like most telephones, the ten Professional XL is equally spectacular in low-light situations. ‘Night time Sight’ works wonders, growing the publicity time in trade for a practical brightness enchancment and restricted noise. With out including exterior lenses, I don’t suppose smartphone evening modes get any higher than this.

AI-powered group picture options stay, with ‘Add Me’ permitting the photographer to be added to the picture and ‘Finest Take’ making certain that everybody seems their greatest if you take a burst of images. The latter also can now be automated, however simply as with the Prime choose function in Google Pictures, it received’t at all times select the very best one.

Lots of my testing of the ten Professional XL got here at a music competition, the place the 48Mp periscope telephoto lens got here into its personal. The 5x optical zoom was very best for capturing artists in full stream on stage with none noticeable drop-off in high quality.

Something as much as round 10x seems fairly good, however high quality rapidly declines when you transcend that. At something above 30x, Google’s new ‘Professional Res Zoom’ kicks in, utilizing generative AI to spice up the standard of the in any other case blurry pictures.

In concept, anyway. In my testing, it typically labored properly on landscapes and structure, albeit with some artificial-looking parts. However pictures of individuals had been a complete catastrophe, with unrealistic faces that hardly resembled a human being. I’d extremely suggest sticking with good old style digital zoom, at the least for now.

The ten Professional XL additionally utilises the telephoto lens for portrait pictures, one other key energy of Pixel telephones. On the pattern images I captured, pores and skin tones are impressively correct and the separation between topic and background may be very sensible.

When taking a portrait picture, I enlisted the assistance of ‘Digital camera Coach’, one other new Pixel 10 function. It makes use of AI (in fact) to analyse the body and counsel methods through which you could possibly enhance the ultimate picture. It takes a number of seconds (I wouldn’t suggest attempting it on a busy tube platform), however the finish outcome was a real enchancment. I’m impressed.

One other key energy of the Pixel 10 Professional XL digital camera expertise is the 48Mp ultrawide, which ensures you could get a wider, 123-degree subject of view and not using a noticeable drop-off in high quality. Color accuracy, dynamic vary and publicity all stay sturdy, with solely a slight variation in sharpness across the edges of the picture.

Definitely, the ten Professional XL’s 42Mp selfie digital camera is my favorite on any cellphone. Its excellent selfies or groupfies (as they’re supposedly identified – ‘groupies’ understandably not being an choice), providing class-leading element, pores and skin tone accuracy and vibrancy. It’s a pleasure to make use of.

Sadly, the Pixel 10’s new ‘Assist me edit’ function isn’t obtainable within the UK on the time of writing, so I haven’t been capable of take a look at it. In concept, it ought to make AI enhancing a lot simpler, permitting you to only ask utilizing pure language, fairly than discover and apply the instruments your self.

I wouldn’t usually speak a lot about smartphone video high quality, however attending a music competition gave me loads of alternatives to try it out. The Pixel 10 Professional XL can seize 4K at 60fps, however the default 1080p at 30fps is simply advantageous for most individuals.

Normally, footage from the cellphone is crisp and detailed, with OIS (optical picture stabilisation) on the principle and telephoto lenses making certain footage stays comparatively regular.

Definitely, the ten Professional XL’s 42Mp selfie digital camera is my favorite on any cellphone

However ‘Night time Sight video’ (nonetheless a Professional unique) is what actually impressed me. It allows low-light video that’s nearly as good as something you’ll get on an Android cellphone, avoiding the frequent publicity and noise pitfalls. Simply be affected person, although, because it requires an web connection and some hours to totally course of.

Sadly, the microphone high quality isn’t fairly as much as scratch, that means the influence of booming vocals and throbbing bass is considerably misplaced. That is an space through which I’d actually wish to see Google enhance.

Nonetheless, relating to pure picture and video high quality, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is true up there with the perfect. Until you’re a pictures fanatic who enjoys manually tweaking numerous settings, you’ll be greater than happy with the general digital camera expertise.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5200mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 25W Qi2 wi-fi charging

That is the place the most important {hardware} upgrades will be discovered on the Pixel 10 Professional XL.

Let’s begin with the battery itself, which has elevated from 5060mAh to 5200mAh. It’s a modest enhance, nevertheless it ensures the ten Professional XL has the most important battery of any Pixel cellphone up to now.

The outcome? Strong, reliable battery life that may nearly at all times get you thru a full day with cost to spare.

For a extra excessive instance, a single cost on the ten Professional XL needed to final me over a day and a half at a music competition. My transportable energy financial institution gave up after only a few minutes, so I went from Friday night to Sunday afternoon with 90% battery and a quick top-up at a charging level.

By Sunday morning, some intense power-saving was required to make sure it didn’t run out of cost, as I wanted it to indicate my practice ticket. However this was after many hours of excessive brightness, cellular information and GPS use in a busy setting. Supplied you’ve gotten a good energy financial institution, the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s battery life is undoubtedly festival-proof

After I received house, the wired charging was a nice shock. Google has lastly boosted speeds to 45W, though that requires the separate buy of a suitable charger.

Google is the primary main Android cellphone maker to construct MagSafe-style magnets into the again of its telephones

Utilizing one I already had at house, my assessment pattern went from 0-19% in quarter-hour and 38% by the half-hour mark. A full cost took an hour and 47 minutes, however you possibly can undoubtedly do it sooner than that.

That’s earlier than we even get to the most important upgrades: Qi2 wi-fi charging. Google is the primary main Android cellphone maker to construct MagSafe-style magnets into the again of its telephones, enabling sooner (now 25W) and safer wi-fi charging.

A variety of ‘Pixelsnap’ equipment are already obtainable, with tons extra prone to pop up within the coming months and years. Sadly, I haven’t been capable of take a look at these and actually put the Qi2 by its paces, nevertheless it has nice potential.

Software program & Apps

• Android 16 out of the field
• Consists of Materials 3 Expressive design
• Seven years of updates

Alongside the opposite Pixel 10 telephones, the ten Professional XL is among the first handsets to run Android 16’s new ‘Materials 3 Expressive’ software program.

Google has pitched this as an enormous design overhaul to the acquainted Android expertise, one thing I used to be sceptical about. Nonetheless, relating to the apps and instruments I exploit regularly, it seems that little or no has modified.

The brand new Fast Settings panel seems cleaner than earlier than, whereas the colour-coded organisation in the principle Settings app is less complicated to navigate. It’s just about enterprise as common elsewhere, though I’d argue that’s a great factor.

Magic Cue is my favorite AI addition on the Pixel 10, and it has the potential to be a real game-changer

The Pixel tackle Android has at all times been one in all my favourites, with an intuitive UI, loads of customisation choices and restricted bloatware. Nonetheless, the checklist of additional pre-installed apps has grown this 12 months, with the likes of NotebookLM and Pixel Journal. I haven’t used the latter to get any of its AI insights, and I actually don’t need to.

Magic Cue is my favorite AI function on the Pixel 10, and it has the potential to be a real game-changer. Proper now, it solely works in a handful of eventualities, similar to a Calendar immediate or reserving affirmation inside Messages or recommended pictures from Google Pictures.

It additionally generally takes some time to pop up, by which era you’re already sorting it out your self. However I can already see its immense potential, particularly if third-party app builders get on board. Magic Cue places AI entrance and centre within the Pixel expertise in a method few others do.

My largest frustration with Pixel software program continues to be the house display, with Google nonetheless not permitting you to take away the ‘At a Look’ widget, search bar or app labels. The vary of third-party widgets can be a lot much less enticing than these on Samsung’s One UI 7, so I not often use them.

Nonetheless, software program updates are an enormous a part of the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s enchantment. Google has dedicated to a full seven years of standard function and safety updates, that means the machine shall be secure to make use of till 2032.

Because the maker of Android, Google may also at all times roll out a brand new main model to Pixel telephones first, that means you received’t be ready months to get your palms on the brand new options. These two elements make it the very best all-around software program expertise of any Android cellphone.

Worth & Availability

The Pixel 10 Professional XL has a £100/$100 increased beginning value than its predecessor, however that doesn’t inform the complete story.

You’ll must pay at the least £1,099/$1,099 at launch, although you’ll get 256GB of storage as a substitute of 128GB. When evaluating the 2 configurations immediately, there’s been no change.

As common, you should buy the ten Professional XL from all kinds of various retailers, together with Google and Amazon within the UK and Google and Amazon within the US. There’s additionally widespread community availability in each international locations.

At this value, it’s going up towards lots of the highest telephones you should buy, together with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Extremely. The upcoming iPhone 17 Professional Max is probably going to offer sturdy competitors, too.

Do you have to purchase the Google Pixel 10 Professional XL?

Sure, in order for you the very best all-round cellphone proper now and are prepared to pay for it. The Pixel 10 Professional XL is massive, cumbersome and costly, however should you can cope with all these issues, it’s the final word 2025 handset in some ways.

A surprising show and sturdy but trendy design set the tone for an ideal smartphone. The cameras on the again present the very best point-and-shoot digital camera expertise round, with greater than a touch of AI assist. And Android 16 is extra polished than ever with its new Materials 3 Expressive design.

That’s earlier than we even get to the battery, which has spectacular longevity and expenses sooner than some other Pixel. In the meantime, Qi2 has the potential to revolutionise wi-fi charging on Android telephones.

The Pixel 10 Professional XL is the entire bundle, each now and into the longer term. However it won’t be best for you, so be sure you’re content material with its compromises.

Specs

• Android 16 with seven years of updates
• 6.8-inch FHD+ 120Hz LTPO OLED
• Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner
• Face Unlock
• Google Tensor G5 chipset
• 16GB RAM
• 256GB/512GB/1TB non-expandable storage
• 5200mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 25W Qi2 wi-fi charging
• Reverse wi-fi charging
• 50Mp f/1.7 predominant digital camera
• 48Mp f/1.7 ultrawide digital camera
• 48Mp f/2.8 5x telephoto digital camera
• 42Mp f/2.2 entrance digital camera
• Twin stereo audio system
• USB-C
• 5G
• NanoSIM + eSIM
• Wi-Fi 7
• Bluetooth 6.0
• IP68
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (back and front)
• 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm
• 232g