I Replaced My Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra With The Pixel 10 Pro Xl For A Week - And Can't Go Back

Google Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The latest Pixel flagships are priced nan aforesaid arsenic past year, but get meaningful upgrades crossed nan board.
• The Pro XL model, pinch its guidelines retention of 256GB and faster wired and wireless charging, is nan champion Pixel telephone correct now.
• You'll conscionable person to settee for nan aforesaid creation and camera hardware arsenic past year.

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It's difficult to judge that we're officially astatine twelvemonth 10 for nan Google Pixel, but moreover conscionable a look backmost astatine nan past 3 generations of nan hunt giant's telephone lineup paints a clear image of its maturity and wherever things are headed.

Case successful point, nan Pixel 10 Pro series, consisting of nan Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, is, astatine first glance, a safe upgrade. Their designs look astir identical to past year's models, you'll struggle to spot nan differences successful specs betwixt nan 10th and 9th generations, and they're priced squarely successful nan period of modern flagships.

Also: I compared nan Pixel 10 Pro to each older Google flagship exemplary - nan biggest upgrades

But they besides person a software suite that genuinely advances nan measurement we interact pinch our smartphones -- aliases astatine least, that was my takeaway aft utilizing nan phones for nan past week. With nan Pixel 10 bid (standard exemplary included), I've ne'er been much convinced that AI connected phones is present to stay. It doesn't person to beryllium forced, intrusive, aliases excessive; it conscionable has to beryllium intelligent capable to cognize its place.

Before I dive into each nan AI madness, there's a captious taxable that deserves conscionable arsenic overmuch attention: eSIM. It's nan first hurdle each caller Pixel 10 proprietor (in nan US) will brushwood -- whether they're switching from an older Pixel aliases jumping vessel from an iPhone -- and thankfully, it's 1 Google has made amazingly painless.

To comparison nan setup processes, I ported my beingness SIM from T-Mobile onto nan Pixel 10 Pro XL and my secondary eSIM from Mint Mobile onto nan Pixel 10 Pro. Both methods took little than 5 minutes and were only a fewer QR codification scans distant from moving cellular connections. 

Also: Google made a bold move pinch nan Pixel 10, moreover if it's not evident yet. Here's why

I'd ne'er had a much burdenless relationship astatine my section bearer shop, but thing did drawback maine disconnected guard. At 1 point, nan T-Mobile subordinate congratulated maine connected switching to a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. That's not a typo. With nan Pixel 10 Pro series, nan year-over-year quality successful hardware creation is astatine an all-time low, and I don't blasted Google for that -- aliases nan subordinate for mixing up nan models.

The Pixel 10 Pro successful Moonstone (left) and Pixel 10 Pro XL successful Jade (right). 

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

The contoured edges still shake hands your fingers pinch a lukewarm embrace, nan polished aluminum framework exudes premium, and nan camera barroom perpetually reminds you really earnestly Google takes its mobile optics.

Allow maine to pursuit my geekery pinch 1 of nan fewer downsides of this year's Pixel design: nan weight. At 232 grams, nan Pixel 10 Pro XL is 1 of nan heaviest phones connected nan market, beating my erstwhile regular driver, nan Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (218 grams), and iPhone 16 Pro Max (227 grams). The telephone isn't needfully apical aliases bottom-heavy, either, meaning you'll consciousness nan slow build-up of wrist strain nary matter really you clasp nan instrumentality up.

 Also: Google Pixel 10 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: I tested some Androids, and it's beautiful darn close

Google tells maine location are respective reasons why its phones measurement much this year, which I tin only motion successful support to. First, nan Pixel 10 Pro bid features upgraded apical and bottommost speakers, producing a alteration successful loudness that I noticed almost instantly erstwhile playing my accustomed look videos by J. Kenji López-Alt successful nan kitchen. 

The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL besides person larger 4,870 and 5,200mAh batteries, respectively, up from past year's 4,700 and 5,070mAh capacities. Throughout nan weekend, I was ending my days pinch astir 35% of artillery remaining connected nan XL model, a insignificant but still appreciated betterment complete its predecessor. The faster 45W wired charging, exclusive to nan XL, was different invited touch.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Perhaps nan biggest caller feature, and nan 1 that whitethorn beryllium astir effective successful convincing iPhone users to move over, is Pixelsnap, a strategy of in-body magnets that tin propulsion successful wireless powerfulness astatine nan Qi2 standard. Think MagSafe for Android. This enables nan phones to threat onto nan thousands of magnet-based accessories connected nan market, from tripod stands to wallet cases to charging docks.

Also: The champion Google Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro cases of 2025

Google has afloat embraced nan exertion by offering a slew of surface savers that look erstwhile you're charging its Pixel 10 phones. These see a full-scale upwind display, a Google Photos slideshow, smart location controls, and a clock. As personification who often sets their telephone connected a wireless charging guidelines bedside and astatine nan agency desk, nan ambient characteristic is easy to appreciate.

Joseph Maldonado/ZDNET

The action to proc nan surface saver erstwhile nan Pixel 10 Pro is charging or charging and group upright is simply a bully touch. You tin besides restrict nan characteristic to erstwhile nan instrumentality is successful wireless charging only, arsenic it would different look pinch moreover a wired connection.

However, nan surface savers aren't perfect. For one, nan upwind panel, particularly erstwhile I saw it demoed connected nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold astatine nan Made by Google event, tin look excessively conspicuous and show an excessive magnitude of accusation for what will apt beryllium thing I look astatine each half an hour. And while nan timepiece surface saver tin besides show nan temperature, it doesn't show incoming notifications, making it consciousness much for illustration a downgraded always-on display.

Also: I'm a longtime iPhone user, but Google conscionable sold maine connected nan Pixel 10 pinch these features

One of nan looming questions going into my Pixel 10 Pro testing was really important an upgrade nan caller Tensor G5 chipset brings. Since Google took nan matter of processing powerfulness and silicon into its ain hands, nan marque has ever played 2nd fiddle to Qualcomm's Snapdragon models. Based connected benchmarks, that still holds true, pinch nan Tensor G5 performing worse than nan Snapdragon 8 Elite recovered connected competing flagship phones.

Magic Cue people sifts done your various Google services to find applicable accusation and context.

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

But from a much applicable outlook, I've recovered nan Tensor G5 still tin capable to run nether aggravated workloads, from editing HDR, 60fps videos to gaming to moving Android Auto navigation while connected a call. The in-house processor, which features a modified architecture that dynamically shifts betwixt afloat and sub models, is genuinely realized successful nan various caller AI features connected nan Pixel 10 Pro series.

I'm talking faster compute times crossed Pixel Screenshots, Recorder transcriptions and translations, and different autochthonal AI tasks that would typically return seconds longer. That saved clip adds up, folks.

Also: 7 AI features I'd for illustration to spot nan iPhone 17 clasp from Google, OpenAI, and others

A standout AI characteristic for maine is Magic Cue, which, erstwhile it useful astir often, sifts done your Gmail, Calendar, and different Google services to populate applicable accusation and discourse erstwhile and wherever it makes sense. I precocious booked nan incorrect return formation for a activity trip, and during my telephone pinch United, Magic Cue displayed my formation and relationship accusation connected nan telephone app screen, reducing nan clash of maine parsing done my Gmail and nan various confirmation messages that typically travel pinch booking flights.

It's this seamless, intuitive integration of AI that keeps catching maine disconnected defender - successful nan champion way. That carries done to nan cameras, a acquainted assembly of 50MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, and 48MP telephoto sensors. The astir notable alteration pinch nan Pixel 10 Pro camera is nan Tensor G5 chip's enhanced image awesome processing (ISP) and nan slew of AI tricks that it handles.

Camera Coach guides your shot, from nan framing to nan camera mode, to seizure subjects effectively.

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

I took hundreds of photos complete nan past week pinch nan Pixel 10 Pro XL, 9 Pro XL, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, and I recovered nan erstwhile to present nan perfect operation of colors, shadows, and highlights. The improved image stabilization connected nan main lens besides helps sphere item pinch fast-moving subjects and low-lit photography.

Also: Pixel conscionable zoomed up of iPhone successful nan camera photography race

Where nan Pixel 10 Pro camera genuinely shines this twelvemonth is successful far-distance capturing, acknowledgment to a caller Pro Res Zoom that uses generative AI to correct sound and distortion. It's a touchy subject, I know, but nan output, moreover astatine 100X zoom, is what customers who favour idealism complete realism and convenience complete labour person been waiting for. The quality betwixt nan Pixel Pro Res Zoom and Samsung's Space Zoom leans heavy successful Google's favor.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The AI-enhanced zoom connected nan Pixel 10 Pro bid isn't flawless -- astatine times, it overcorrects and makes group look for illustration sci-fi characters. But erstwhile it works, which is astatine a 95% occurrence complaint for me, it's genuinely impressive.

Camera Coach is nan different large caller AI characteristic wrong nan camera app, and I recovered nan on-screen instructions easy to follow, clear to understand, and elastic capable to seizure various shots of nan aforesaid subject. Where it falls short is successful capturing moving objects for illustration impatient children aliases speeding vehicles, arsenic going done nan tips and tricks requires clip and changeless focus. So agelong arsenic you're leaving nan camera app pinch 1 adjuvant takeaway each clip you usage nan feature, I'd see that a triumph for Google.

ZDNET's buying advice

There's still plentifulness to unpack pinch nan Pixel 10 Pro series, but my first week pinch nan devices has shown maine what surviving pinch AI superphones feels like. For longtime Pixel users eyeing an upgrade, some models are a no-brainer -- showcasing Google's champion hardware to day and an Android 16 acquisition that feels tastefully familiar, delightfully playful, and genuinely useful.

The Pixel 10 Pro is nan measurement to spell for users who for illustration a much ergonomic and comfortable mobile experience. If mobile intermezo and accelerated charging are precocious connected your privilege list, see nan Pixel 10 Pro XL. The larger exemplary costs $100 much than past year, but it besides starts pinch 256GB of retention (versus 128GB), truthful nan $1,199 whitethorn beryllium easier to justify.

As always, see nan various trade-in offers and promotions from your carriers and big-box retailers. There's a bully chance you'll people a mates of 100 dollars disconnected pinch minimum effort.