Pixel

GOOGLE has always excelled when it comes to smartphone cameras – but the latest effort might have gone too far.

When I tried out the new Google Pixel 10 Pro XL’s star feature I gasped and said “Good God”.

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I showed friends some of the results and they were stunned – if a little disturbed – by what the device’s mega zoom was capable of.

My colleague Sean Keach has already tried the smaller Pixel 10 Pro and has given his verdict on the identical camera features on there too.

But is it all worth it?

As The Sun’s main Android smartphone reviewer I’ve been putting the Pixel 10 Pro XL through its paces and here’s what I found…

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Look and feel

Google has stuck to a pretty consistent, solid look on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

As ever with annual upgrades, you may even struggle to tell the difference between last year’s Pixel 9 Pro XL which I also reviewed.

I love the mat glass back and the shiny G logo, it just gives off such a confident premium vibe.

The camera bar is pretty much the same as last year too and I’m still undecided about the bulkiness of it, even though it’s quite tidy and neat.

But given the sorts of photos it takes, all that kit has to be packed in somewhere.

The display has had a noticeable upgrade this year, which is brighter and bursting with crisp detail too.

However, the Pixel 10 Pro XL hasn’t been taking a techy dose of Ozempic like Samsung and iPhone this year with thinner models – it weighs 232g, up a bit on last year.

I absolutely adore the new colours this year too, with Moonstone (the one I’m reviewing) Jade, Porcelain and Obsidian.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Performance and features

Google continues to use its own Tensor chip in Pixel smartphones and this year’s Tensor G5 kit is said to be about 35 per cent faster.

It certainly operates smoothly and without any hiccups in my testing – but this chip isn’t as powerful as the Snapdragon chip found in most other top end smartphones around.

The handset runs on Android 16, the latest version of the operating system and it’s my absolute favourite around – which should be a given seeing as Google owns Android.

A lot of the features are centred on AI once again and most are photography based, which I’ll go into later.

But there are some other tools such as Voice Translate, which translates calls in real-time and sounds like each speaker’s own voice.

Having tried it with my partner in French, it was somewhat eerie to hear.

And it’s all done on device, so no sensitive call conversations are sent off to the cloud.

Google is also among the best for offering quick and fast Android upgrades for years to come, with a commitment to seven operating system versions and seven years of security upgrades.

Who offers free updates longest?

The longer you receive updates, the longer you can safely continue using your smartphone – with the latest features thrown in too for free.

Samsung
Samsung offers at least seven generations of OS updates and seven years of security updates on most of its smartphones, even its latest cheaper FE model.

OnePlus
At the launch of the OnePlus 13, OnePlus committed to at least four years of Android updates and five years of security updates.

Xiaomi
Xiaomi offers four years off Android updates and five years security updates.

Google
For the Pixel 10 series, Google said that devices would receive at least seven years of support.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Battery

You can easily get a good day’s worth of use out of the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL with a good mix of browsing, messaging and Netflix as I tend to test it on.

But it’s not the best battery around – I got more out of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

There is fast charging though, that’ll get you from zero to full in about an hour and a half with a compatible plug charger.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Camera

The camera on the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is where things get really juicy.

You have a treasure trove of powerful lenses paired up with AI power to enhance everything.

There’s a 50-megapixel main camera, 48-megapixel ultrawide and 48-megapixel 5x telephoto, as well as a 42-megapixel selfie snapper.

The photos I get on a Pixel are always super impressive with incredible detail and popping with vibrant colour.

It exudes beauty inside and out, and makes taking stunning photos effortless

This year’s shocker is the Pro Res Zoom which can get extremely detailed shots from a remarkable distance, seeing things my naked eye cannot.

It can go up to an eye-watering 100x.

Anything above 30x onward uses an AI model on the phone to recreate bits lost from digital zoom, so it does raise questions about how real the results are.

Whatever way you look at it, the images are highly convincing, as you’ll see from the snaps I took from the same position below with no zoom, a 10x zoom, a 50x zoom and a 100x zoom.

One thing to note: when using the zoom faces are automatically blurred.

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Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Price

One bit of good news about the price is it hasn’t increased from last year’s models.

So the Pixel 10 Pro XL starts at £1,199.

If that’s a bit steep for you, you might want to consider the Pixel 10 Pro instead which has much of the same in a smaller physical form from £999 instead.

There’s also a freebie worth £190 included with all the Pro models.

You get access to Gemini Pro for a whole year, which is Google’s more powerful and fast AI system, capable of extra skills such as Veo 3 Fast for text-to-video generation.

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.

Always do your own research before making any purchase.

Aug. 20 (UPI) — At its product event on Wednesday, Google announced new hardware, which includes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, as well as the Pixel Watch 4 and the Pixel Buds 2a.

There are hardware improvements along with lots of new AI-powered software features.

The Pixel 10 series isn’t much different from the Pixel 9 series, sharing nearly the same design but in new colors.

But one big hardware change will shake up the smartphone accessory ecosystem: Qi2 wireless charging support. This isn’t like Samsung’s Qi2-Ready devices. Google’s new phones have magnets embedded in the back, just like iPhones, allowing new Qi2 accessories that can be shared with Apple’s MagSafe ecosystem. The Pixel 10 Pro XL supports the new Qi2 25-watt standard, allowing it to recharge even quicker.

The Pixel 10 series incorporates new AI and camera features. The base model Pixel 10 starts at $799. A more powerful Pixel 10 Pro starts at $999, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL with a larger screen and 256GB of base storage starts at $1,199. Google is also releasing an updated version of its folding phone, Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which starts at $1,799.

All Pixel 10 models have the new Tensor G5 chipset, which Google says is on average 34 percent faster than its predecessor. The imaging signal processor has been upgraded for improved image and video quality, and Tensor G5 runs the latest Gemini Nano model, powering more than 20 on-device generative artificial intelligence experiences.

Soniya Jobanputra, director of product management at Google, told Wired that the Pixel 10 series is about giving you back time by “taking the mundane and boring out of your life.”

One interesting new addition to the Pixel Camera app is the Camera Coach. It’ll ask you to scan the scene you want to shoot. It’ll then ask you what you want in the photo while offering different example shots based on the subject matter. If you tap the “Get Inspired” option, it’ll offer AI-generated example photos based on the scan.

The phones are the first to launch with Android’s new Material 3 Expressive design language, which offers more fluid, springy animations, smoother interactions, and emphasized typography.

The new Pixel Watch 4 is the first smartwatch with integrated, standards-based satellite communications. Powered by Skylo’s commercial Non-Terrestrial Network and Qualcomm Technologies’ new Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Wearable Platforms, the Pixel Watch 4 offers standalone emergency messaging — without a phone or cellular plan.

The watch also claims longer battery life and better sleep tracking, issues in earlier models. It starts at $349.

“This launch isn’t just a new feature — it redefines what’s possible with satellite connectivity in everyday devices, including the one that’s in your pocket or on your wrist,” said Parthsarathi Trivedi, CEO and co-founder of Skylo Technologies, in a statement. “By embedding Skylo’s service into phones and wearables, we’re making coverage accessible to people in the moments that matter most.”

Pixel Buds 2a claim to have Clear Calling, which blocks background noise so wind, external chatter or other distractions won’t interrupt conversations. It also has a tracking app to find them when they’re lost. They retail for $229.

Apple is expected to announce new iPhone models in September. Samsung just had an event in July. The next launch will be at Samsung Unpacked in January 2026, which will launch the Galaxy S26.

SAMSUNG’s latest release is the thinnest smartphone on the market.

If you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge now, you’ll get a free pair of Galaxy Buds3 Pro, worth £219, included with your purchase.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, £52 per month on Sky Mobile

For anyone shopping around for a new handset, deals like this are a fantastic way to get more for your money.  

Sky Mobile is well-known for offering affordable deals, often sweetened by boosted data plans at no extra cost.

The standout pre-order deal here is the 10GB data plan, which is boosted to 40GB for just £12 per month.

There’s nothing to pay upfront either, and with the free Buds3 Pro thrown in, this deal delivers on all fronts.

If storage is important to you, Sky Mobile is also offering a double storage deal on the Galaxy S25 Edge.  

You can get 512GB worth of storage for the price of the 256GB model, just £40 a month, saving you a tidy £4.

This double storage offer ends on May 29th, so act quickly to enjoy more space for less.  

The Galaxy S25 Edge itself is a standout device in the S25 series, offering a thinner, lighter design compared to the other models.  

While I haven’t tested it myself, our Assistant Tech and Science Editor, Jamie Harris, has had a first-hand look at the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

He praised the handset for being “lighter than any iPhone 16 model around.”

There are trade-offs to achieve that smaller frame, though.

The Samsung Edge is so much lighter because it comes with a noticeably smaller battery compared to the rest of the S25 lineup.

It sports a 3,900mAh battery, compared to 4,000mAh on the Galaxy S25, but that still gets you around 24 hours of video playback with moderate use.

But for shoppers looking for one of the latest Android models without the bulk and weight of modern handsets, the Edge strikes the right balance.  

The deal is only available for purchases made between May 13th 2025, and May 29th, with the headphones dispatched with your device.  

We regularly round up the top data plans from all major providers, so check out our best SIM-only deals page for more savings.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, £52 per month on Sky Mobile