The Pixel 10 series is launching this month, but you don’t have to wait until 20 August to get a good look at the new phones.
There have been so many leaks on all aspects of the four upcoming handsets that even Google is showing off the design of the Pixel 10 Pro XL on its official store. And leaked renders reveal exactly what the Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro Fold look like, too.
Android Authority
In short, very little has changed. The regular Pixel 10 is almost certainly getting a new telephoto lens, and there are several new colours, but that’s about it.
With that in mind, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Pixel 10 series will be a minor update. But if the extensive rumours are to be believed, you’d be very wrong. Here are six expected Pixel 10 upgrades that aren’t immediately obvious.
Tensor G5
This is one upgrade we can be almost certain about. For the fifth year in a row, it looks like Google will be launching a new chipset alongside its flagship phones, so we can expect all Pixel 10 phones to be equipped with the Tensor G5.
Rumours suggest that Google could ditch Samsung in favour of TSMC, while also moving from a 4nm to a 3nm process. This could yield a big step forward for both performance and power efficiency, while its new GPU could enable premium gaming features such as ray tracing.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Tensor G5 may still be a small step down from Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X Elite 2, but as far as upgrades go, it shouldn’t be underestimated.
Bigger batteries
As you can see from our Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL reviews, battery life wasn’t a highlight of the previous generation. So, the rumoured increase in capacities could be very significant.
The latest rumours suggest the 10 Pro will go from 4700mAh to 4870mAh, while the 10 Pro XL may increase from 5060mAh to 5200mAh. However, the big upgrade focuses on the 10 Pro Fold, which is slated to jump from 4650mAh to 5015mAh.
Luke Baker
The one question mark is over the regular Pixel 10. Will it join the Pro in increasing from 4700mAh?
And, more importantly, will the combination of higher capacities and a more efficient chipset lead to a noticeable real-world battery life improvement? That remains to be seen.
Even faster charging
The combination of mediocre battery life and slow charging can easily put people off buying a Pixel, so it’s good to see that charging speeds are also likely to improve.
Currently, leaks suggest the Pixel 10 Pro XL will increase from 37W to 39W, a small but potentially significant improvement. And, while the regular Pixel 10 is set to stay at 29W, it’d be a surprise not to see the 10 Pro and 10 Pro Fold get upgraded.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Built-in Qi2 support
Rumours suggest Google could add Qi2 support to its Pixel phones for the first time. And unlike the OnePlus 13, this wouldn’t require a case, with the magnets being built directly into the device.
In a leaked image, it looks almost identical to MagSafe on the iPhone, with Google expected to launch a range of accessories under the ‘Pixelsnap’ branding. It could even become compatible with third-party MagSafe accessories which have previously been exclusive to the iPhone.
Evan Blass
It’s unclear at this stage if Qi2 will be added to all four Pixel phones. But if it gets added in any capacity, Google would become only the second Android phone maker (after HMD’s Skyline) to add inbuilt support to a handset.
Android 16’s big redesign, finally
Android 16 is already available for Pixel 9 phones, so the Pixel 10 series is pretty much guaranteed to run it out of the box, likely with seven years of updates once again.
However, it’s currently missing Google’s big ‘Material 3 Expressive’ design, which introduces some of the biggest visual changes we’ve seen in years. While not confirmed, the Pixel 10 launch would be the perfect time to debut it, making it an upgrade in its own right.
Of course, other Android phones would get it over time, but it could remain an exclusive for a while.
Even better AI
Google’s implementation of artificial intelligence is already among the best on any smartphone, introducing several genuinely useful features.
That’s set to improve on the Pixel 10 series, with the Tensor G5 chip supposedly capable of even more complex tasks. In particular, load times and accuracy could both be significantly improved, with more tasks being completed on-device rather than relying on the cloud.
Brand-new AI features are also likely, though the details are unknown at this stage. It’d be a surprise if Google didn’t have something interesting to lead with, as was the case for ‘Best Take’ on the Pixel 8 series and ‘Add Me’ on last year’s Pixel 9 phones.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
As you can see, while the Pixel 10 series might look like more of the same, Google is gearing up to include some significant upgrades under the surface. The company might also surprise us with new features that haven’t been rumoured, so stay tuned to Tech Advisor to hear all about them from 20 August.
