Smartphones are helpful instruments each single time we go away the home, however there are particular conditions the place they grow to be indispensable.
A music pageant is undoubtedly one in all them. Whether or not you’re checking the lineup, looking for mates you’ve inevitably misplaced or determining the place on earth your tent is, being with out your cellphone can be a nightmare. That’s earlier than we even get to the cameras, which might make or break your pageant expertise.
Studying Competition is without doubt one of the UK’s largest music festivals, and it simply occurred to fall in the course of my testing time with the Pixel 10 Professional XL (my full evaluation is now stay). It gave me the perfect alternative to place the cellphone via its paces in a real-world atmosphere.
In complete, there have been 7 most important Pixel 10 options that I examined extensively on the pageant. So, was the Pixel 10 Professional XL a killer addition to my pageant package, or did it fall flat on its face? Right here’s how the brand new handset fared.
Brightening my day
My first potential impediment was really seeing the rattling display. The day I arrived on the pageant was brilliant and sunny, which might trigger visibility points on some telephones.
However not the Pixel 10 Professional XL. Google has upgraded the height brightness to 3300 nits, whereas even the 948 nits I recorded at house is nicely above common.
The consequence? Wonderful visibility in all environments, from a blinding sundown to the erratic lighting of an up-tempo set. With a surprising 6.8-inch OLED and silky-smooth 120Hz refresh fee, it set the tone for a terrific expertise.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
A festival-proof design
Tenting at a music pageant locations a singular set of calls for on a cellphone. The obvious one is sturdiness, as a handset is usually thrown round with little regard for the delicate parts inside.
For me, it alternated between my sweaty palm, the within of a unclean pocket and the ground of a tent, none of that are nice choices. I additionally intentionally tried to not be too mild – I’m making a judgement concerning the long-term suitability of a cellphone from only a week of use, in spite of everything.
Fortunately, I had nothing to fret about with the Pixel 10 Professional XL. The mixture of a sturdy aluminium construct, powerful Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and a strong case made it really feel virtually indestructible.
Mattias Inghe
The dry floor led to numerous mud being kicked up, however the 10 Professional XL’s IP68 ranking means it’s absolutely protected towards these small particles. It’s additionally proof against submersion in freshwater, however I nonetheless didn’t dare take it into the bathe with me.
Whereas the Pixel 10 Professional XL can’t fairly compete with devoted rugged telephones, it’s loads sturdy sufficient to deal with less-than-ideal situations equivalent to these.
All-day (and evening) battery life
The Pixel 10 Professional XL’s battery share was a daily supply of tension for me, however that doesn’t inform the total story.
I left the home on Friday morning with a full battery and transportable energy financial institution in tow, assured that I’d have loads of cost to final the weekend. Nonetheless, after organising the tents and plugging my cellphone in (it was at 80 % on the time), catastrophe struck.
My energy financial institution, which I didn’t suppose to test earlier than leaving, had no cost left! It meant I wanted to go virtually two full days with restricted entry to an influence supply.
I say restricted, as a result of I did make use of a charging level on the pageant, however that solely acquired me round 10 % again. With my prepare ticket dwelling saved on my cellphone, I wanted it to final.
Nonetheless, it was fantastic. Except for turning the cellphone off for a few hours on the morning of our departure, I used to be in a position to make use of the Pixel 10 Professional XL simply as I usually would.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
That meant persistently excessive brightness, fixed cellular information utilization, 120Hz refresh fee enabled, common picture and video taking, and GPS on the entire time. In different phrases, numerous actions and settings that I knew would deplete the battery extra rapidly.
Ultimately, I caught the prepare (the place there have been energy shops) with round 10 % battery remaining. Phew!
Keep in mind, that is an excessive instance. If, like most individuals, you cost your cellphone round as soon as a day, you’ll haven’t any drawback attending to bedtime earlier than it runs out. With lighter utilization, it might probably even stretch to 2 days.
Newbie turned knowledgeable
Cameras have been undoubtedly what I used to be most excited to check, with Google including a number of new options to the Pixel 10 sequence.
Among the many highlights is Digital camera Coach, which analyses a scene after which makes use of generative AI to supply options on learn how to enhance your image. As an novice photographer, I used to be eager to see if it might really enhance my pictures, so I gave it the duty of a portrait picture (one thing Pixels have been good at for some time).
The usual shot I took was fantastic, if a little bit unremarkable, nevertheless it wasn’t instantly clear the way it may very well be improved. But, inside a couple of seconds, Digital camera Coach suggested me to alter the angle, transfer nearer to my topic and ensure solely the highest half of his physique was in body.
The consequence, as I’m certain you’ll agree, was a way more skilled picture. I’d like to check this extra totally, however the early indicators are promising.
Night time fever
Studying Competition supplied an ideal alternative to check the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s low-light skills. Each time I stepped into the Chevron tent, the brilliant pure mild was changed with near-total darkness, with solely occasional bolts of sunshine and pyrotechnics emanating from the stage.
Later within the day, the solar exterior gave technique to a dramatic sundown and finally darkness. And all through all of it, the cellphone’s digicam coped admirably.
The ten Professional XL is undoubtedly a wonderful digicam cellphone through the day, nevertheless it’s arguably much more spectacular when all of the pure mild has gone. That’s when the ‘Night time Sight’ works its magic throughout each photographs and video, with persistently very good outcomes.
Google has managed to strike the proper stability: including some much-needed additional mild, however not a lot as to look synthetic or over-processed. Noise is stored to a minimal, whereas all the pieces on stage stays clear and crisp. I’m an enormous fan!
Night time Sight Video was a little bit extra hit-and-miss, combating publicity at instances. Processing additionally requires an web connection and might usually take a couple of hours to finish, though the top result’s normally an enormous step up from common video.
I used to be capable of seize some nice footage utilizing Night time Sight video, making for a a lot better viewing expertise as soon as I acquired again dwelling.
Taking the mic
Sadly, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is badly let down by the standard of its microphones. The handset has three mics in complete, and so they’re loads adequate for calls and voice recordings.
Nonetheless, they’re severely missing in any situation the place the sound is coming from a protracted distance away, which is just about completely the case at a music pageant.
Within the movies I shot, the ten Professional XL rapidly locks onto the singer as the principle supply of sound, drowning out the folks speaking within the foreground. Nevertheless it finally ends up sounding muddy and washed out, shedding plenty of the environment that was there within the second.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Once you take a video with the Pixel 10 Professional XL, it’s a must to be okay with the truth that the audio high quality is extremely inferior to the visuals, and that’s an actual disgrace.
Distance? What distance?
Let’s face it: for those who’re going to a music pageant, you’re in all probability not going to be wherever close to the stage. Even when I needed to do this (I fairly like my listening to, thanks), my 6ft 3in body wouldn’t be doing anybody behind me any favours.
So, I most popular to remain a snug distance away from the stage all through my time in Studying. Not on the sting of a mosh pit, not surrounded by shirtless teenage boys, simply capable of benefit from the music.
Nonetheless, if I needed good-quality photographs, I knew I’d be closely reliant on the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s zoom capabilities. On paper, they sound like the actual deal, with a 5x optical zoom supplemented by as much as 100x digital zoom enhanced by AI.
The ten Professional XL is undoubtedly at its finest with the shorter zoom lengths. At something as much as 5x, photographs are wonderful, with the 48Mp periscope telephoto displaying no noticeable drop-off in high quality in comparison with the very good 50Mp most important lens.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
It allowed me to take photographs that actually captured the essence of a set, displaying an artist in full stream. And with virtually no shutter lag, the method from cellphone in pocket to picture taken was recurrently lower than 5 seconds.
The ten Professional XL begins to indicate its limitations as soon as you progress into digital zoom territory, although. The 5x to 10x vary is okay, however something nearer to the earlier 30x restrict led to blurry photographs that have been severely missing intimately.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
However does Google have an answer? A brand new Professional characteristic for this yr is Professional Res Zoom, which will increase the vary all the best way to 100x, a characteristic Samsung has had on its flagships for some time.
Nonetheless, this can be a zoom characteristic with a distinction, as Google is utilizing generative AI to upscale the picture and add element that might in any other case be lacking. An instance proven to Tech Advisor in a media briefing earlier than the Pixel 10 launch was mind-blowing, so I had excessive expectations.
Sadly, it’s MUCH higher suited to landscapes and structure than folks, which I discovered the exhausting approach. At something over 30x, Professional Res Zoom tried and failed so as to add significant element to the performers and band on stage. Typically, it made completely no distinction. On others, the distorted figures have been barely terrifying.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Both approach, Professional Res Zoom isn’t a characteristic that you ought to be utilizing for high-quality photographs at gigs or festivals. After all, you possibly can flip this off, nevertheless it’s finest to stay to 10x and below in order for you usable outcomes.
Regardless of this apparent weak point and the subpar zoom high quality, the Pixel 10 Professional XL was a wonderful Studying Competition companion total. The show and design are wonderful, battery life is robust and the cameras are very good more often than not.
So long as you’re not too formidable together with your pictures or looking for studio-quality audio, you’ll be very proud of the ten Professional XL, which is why we rank it as the perfect cellphone you should purchase proper now.
My journey to Studying Competition was hosted by Three UK. There have been no preconditions on what I write or how we consider any of the corporate’s presents or companies now or sooner or later.