Google Pixel 10 - An iPhone User’s Perspective!

Hey friends, hope you're well. Google's just released the Pixel 10 and as an iPhone user, I'm actually really looking forward to using this phone and Android OS for the week because the Pixel 9 last year was the first ever Pixel I've used and I fell in love with this phone and its software. And now, at first glance, the Pixel 10 looks like a rebadged Pixel 9.

But don't judge a book by its cover because it's actually a proper upgrade. The base Pixel 10 gets a new triple camera setup, a brighter display, a new Tensor G5 chip, upgraded charging tech, and possibly the best AI software on a phone. So, starting today, I'll replace my iPhone 16 Pro for the week, see what's new with Android 16 and the Tensor G5 chip, and run side-by-side tests

with the Pixel 9, and then I'll share an honest review from the perspective of an iPhone user.

So, first day unboxing it. The new Frost color here is quite nice in person. It's this silvery blue combination that feels understated but pretty elevated. I've also got the matching Pixel case here. This year, the Pixel 10 cases come with something called Pixel Snap, Google's very

here. This year, the Pixel 10 cases come with something called Pixel Snap, Google's very own version of Apple's MagSafe. You can see the magnetic ring within the case. Apparently, this

is compatible with all Apple MagSafe chargers. So, I'm keen to test that out later in this video. So,

turning it on, there is immediately a system update required before I can port over my iPhone, just like the Pixel 9 last year. It took over half an hour just to install this 576MB system update. But when it was up and running, I was able to copy most of my apps, accounts, and even iPhone

update. But when it was up and running, I was able to copy most of my apps, accounts, and even iPhone settings right over to the Pixel in the guided setup. So, it's been a few hours since I unboxed this phone, and everything is finally ported over to the Pixel 10. So, let's fast forward a week,

and I'm really excited to share my honest thoughts and experience with the new Pixel 10.

So, on the first day, I went outside to test the new triple cameras. It was a beautiful day, and I was planning to compare both the Pixel 9 and 10 to the iPhone 16. But that idea went out the window when I noticed something strange. Because the first few photos and videos I took on the Pixel 10 seem to look consistently worse than the Pixel 9. I was like, "What is going on here?"

Surely it's because the default camera settings are different or there's accidental color filters applied. But I checked over and over to make sure the camera settings, white balance, and tones were

applied. But I checked over and over to make sure the camera settings, white balance, and tones were the same. But then I exported the photos and took a closer look on a color-calibrated ProXDR

the same. But then I exported the photos and took a closer look on a color-calibrated ProXDR display. And that's when it kind of dawned on me. Google's probably downgraded the Pixel 10 sensor

display. And that's when it kind of dawned on me. Google's probably downgraded the Pixel 10 sensor likely to make space for the telephoto lens. Take a look at the unedited comparison photo yourself and let me know what you think. So, this first snap looks similar enough. Pixel 10 on the left, Pixel 9 on the right. But hang on, let's zoom in 700% and take a look at the GTI badge on this car.

You can barely make it out on the Pixel 10. And there is an incredible amount of noise on the Pixel 10 photo where the Pixel 9 is a relatively clean photo in comparison. The next photo is shot on 2x zoom and you can really see the sharper and nicer color rendering on the Pixel 9. The Pixel

10 has a hue bias towards warmer reddish yellow tones and the Pixel 9 leans towards a green tint.

Same situation in this shot. I personally prefer the Pixel 9 shot. The colors are more lifelike.

The shadows and tones are richer and it's overall sharper. You might not be able to tell through a YouTube video until we pixel peep again. Take a look at just how much sharper the tower railing is on the Pixel 9. And the difference in how sharp the sensors are is really obvious in this photo.

If we take a look at the fence in this ultrawide shot at 700% zoom, the fence has completely lost its detail in the Pixel 10, whereas you can see the diamond pattern of the fencing on the Pixel 9.

So, what the heck is going on here? The Pixel 9 has a 72 mm main camera sensor, while the Pixel 10 has a 30.7 mm sensor, less than half the size. It's actually the very same sensor found in the Pixel 9a here, which is Google's budget phone. The ultrawide camera has also gone

down from 48 MP to 13 MP with a narrower aperture and field of view. So, as you saw in the photos, it's impacted the sharpness and tone of the photos because the sensor size directly affects light capture. A bigger sensor, the more light, the cleaner and sharper the image. To be fair,

light capture. A bigger sensor, the more light, the cleaner and sharper the image. To be fair, the drop in quality isn't super obvious unless you zoom in like we just did. So, for the average user posting on socials, it's probably not a real issue, especially with Pixel's strong

computational photography and postprocessing. And also shooting in RAW mode on the Pixel 10 improves picture quality, especially when applying an edit or preset to stylize the photo. But in

exchange for the smaller sensors, we do get a new telephoto camera that was previously reserved only for the Pixel Pro, and it's actually really good. You can now get up really close to subjects with 5x optical zoom and compared to the Pixel 9's 2x optical zoom. And with video, the additional zoom is really helpful getting way closer to the planes here with great detail. So, if you

appreciate getting in close to subjects, like at a concert, you'll love the new telephoto lens. But

what do you guys think about the trade-off? Would you prefer a larger sensor in the main cameras, or do you prefer the new telephoto camera? So on the second day, I moved on to testing the new Tensor G5 chip's performance and was really hoping it wouldn't also disappoint. It's a significant update this year because it's the first Google design chip using a 3 nanometer node. So I was

planning to run a couple of benchmarks, then realized this pre-launch device is blocked by Google from installing benchmark apps. So I'm not going to get the chance to run benchmarks this week before its official launch. But I thought I'd get creative and test real life performance differences between the Pixel 9 and the 10 rather than just read out specs and numbers. So,

my experience is that the Pixel 10's Tensor G5 handled all tasks really well throughout the week. Gaming was great and smooth. Using apps like Lightroom is seamless, but where the performance

week. Gaming was great and smooth. Using apps like Lightroom is seamless, but where the performance increase is really noticeable is using AI features that are processed locally on device and not in the cloud. So, let's take a side-by-side look. Let's try the magic eraser function here on both

the cloud. So, let's take a side-by-side look. Let's try the magic eraser function here on both phones at the same time. The Pixel 10 is almost always faster in detecting objects and removing these objects than the Pixel 9 by at least a few seconds. And I found it even more noticeable when I compared the now playing feature. The Pixel 10 identified the song in the background way faster

than the Pixel 9, sometimes by even a minute. So, in real world use, you'll see snappier performance when using intensive features like the AI stuff, but day-to-day activities like uh texting, manual navigation, there's no noticeable difference between the Pixel 9 and 10. From day three onwards, I started getting used to the updated Android 16 OS to the point I

and 10. From day three onwards, I started getting used to the updated Android 16 OS to the point I was beginning to prefer it again over Apple's new iOS 26. The software UI is clean, it's bloat free, and it's super customizable right out of the box. I'm able to make this phone feel uniquely mine.

Whereas iPhone's iOS is more controlled and more restricted unless you jailbreak the phone, but that voids the warranty. Plus, Google continues to introduce genuinely useful software features, while Apple seems to be struggling with Apple intelligence. For example, Magic Q is one of the new AI features I found properly useful. It contextually brings up relevant information. So,

if your friend is asking uh when the event is on tonight, Magic Q automatically pulls that information so you can copy and paste it in without manually checking or let's say you're calling an airline, then this new call assist box will house all the flight information here if you had one booked. So, you don't need to fumble around looking for those details while on the

call. And the updated user interface on Android 16 is also just really refreshing. System icons and

call. And the updated user interface on Android 16 is also just really refreshing. System icons and typography are updated to look fresher and bolder. Brightness and volume sliders are now chunkier, so they're more thumb friendly, and animations feel delightfully alive. Gestures like swiping away

notifications cause surrounding items to spring around. And there are even small and thoughtful quality of life features I found over the week. Like if you receive multiple notifications in a short amount of time, the notification noise and visibility are reduced so you're not overwhelmed.

And the ST software has always been Pixel's secret source. It just continued to surprise me through the week. Like there's even the new camera coach feature and that's a really nice to have feature.

the week. Like there's even the new camera coach feature and that's a really nice to have feature.

toggle it on and it analyzes the scene to provide real-time shooting feedback like suggesting lighting changes and optimal angles. Your mileage will vary based on how comfortable you are with mobile photography. But I can see this being really useful to my parents, for example. If you're still here with me, you're actually part of the only 25% who will still be

for example. If you're still here with me, you're actually part of the only 25% who will still be watching at this point. So, if you're enjoying this video, I'd be really grateful if you give this video a like so others can find this review and drop the comment pixels so I know you've made it this far. I appreciate the support. Now, when it comes to its design, we know the Pixel 10 has

more changes inside than outside. It's still got those flat edges, the rounded corners, and a large pill-shaped camera bump. Interesting that the iPhone 17 is rumored to be using this pillshaped design cue. Over the week using it, it feels really solid in hand in the case with the usual

design cue. Over the week using it, it feels really solid in hand in the case with the usual Victus 2 glass and IP68 dust and water resistance. The dimensions are identical to the Pixel 9, but the 6.3 in display has had a slight bump up in peak brightness up to 3,000 nits from 2,700 nits.

I didn't see any noticeable difference dayto-day, but when I'm using the phone under the sun, that's where you'll find a practical difference with the screen being more sort of easily viewable under the sun. The display is one of the best for its price, though. It's pixel dense at 422

pixels per inch. It's silky smooth at 120 Hz and is really bright. Scrolling Instagram reels and watching movies look great on this phone. The Pixel 10 Pro here though, this gets a slightly better display with higher pixel density. It has a slightly higher peak brightness and the full one

to 120 Hz variable refresh rate. But honestly, I've been surprised at just how good the base Pixel 10 is throughout this entire week. And the other practical design change is the inclusion of magnetic G2 wireless charging, which Google calls Pixel Snap, the built-in magnets in the phone, and

not just in the case itself. They both now snap onto compatible chargers, even including Apple's MagSafe chargers. And so, if you already have a compatible G2 charger or any other compatible G2

MagSafe chargers. And so, if you already have a compatible G2 charger or any other compatible G2 accessory, this is a great addition. I think it just adds a great quality of life improvement and change. I can now start to slap this onto any of the magnetic G2 chargers around the house.

change. I can now start to slap this onto any of the magnetic G2 chargers around the house.

And speaking of charging and battery life, it is definitely slightly improved from the Pixel 9.

Nothing major, but Google claims 30 hours of use on a single charge, but I got more like 15 to 16 hours of use with mixed usage patterns every day for the week. I think the 15 hours of battery life checks out considering that the Pixel 10 has an 8% larger battery up to 4,970 milliamps. So,

combined with the more efficient Tensor G5 chip, and it s less battery over the day. On my iPhone 16 Pro though, which has a 3,582 millia battery, I get 14 hours of continuous mixed usage with similar patterns. So, the base Pixel 10 saw more mileage over the week on a single charge. So far,

similar patterns. So, the base Pixel 10 saw more mileage over the week on a single charge. So far,

my week with the Pixel 10 has been great, but where does the Pixel 10 fall short, aside from the obvious camera issues? Well, for starters, I've got the 128 GB variant here. And not only is it tiny in terms of storage, but it is also using the outdated UFS 3.1, which stands for universal

flash storage. The 256 GB variant or larger on the Pixel 10 uses UFS 4.0, which means faster readrs

flash storage. The 256 GB variant or larger on the Pixel 10 uses UFS 4.0, which means faster readrs and more power efficiency. So, heavier tasks like installing games or transferring large RAW photos feels much more snappier and smoother. So, I'd highly recommend if you're considering the Pixel

10 that you stick to the larger storage sizes to get UFS 4.0. It also would have been great to see Pixel 10s get silicon carbon batteries, which pack way more battery juice in the same size battery. Phones like the Oppo Fine X8 Pro, the OnePlus 13, and Honor Magic 7 Pro have all

size battery. Phones like the Oppo Fine X8 Pro, the OnePlus 13, and Honor Magic 7 Pro have all begun to use silicon carbon batteries. And so we're starting to see multi-day battery use, like proper multi-day battery use. But there's an argument that those batteries lose more battery

capacity per year. Then there is the elephant in the room, the significantly impacted ultra wide and main cameras with half the sensor size. It's a proper downgrade, you can see, unfortunately.

But the downgrades might make more sense when you consider that the telephoto camera used to be the main differentiator between the base and the pro pixels. So after spending a week with the Google Pixel 10 replacing my iPhone, the thing I loved most about it was unsurprisingly the software.

It's better than ever and it's jam-packed with useful features and customization options that I just don't see on my iPhone. But honestly, with the Pixel 10's drop in photo quality, I'd find myself reaching for the iPhone more often. Now, especially since I rely on my phone heavily for photos and videos, and I know many of you do, too. That said, the base Pixel 9 was and

still is an incredible phone that I'd absolutely recommend uh now that you can find it at a great price secondhand around $400 to $500. But, it is worth keeping an eye on the iPhone 17. It

looks like Apple's about to shake up the whole iPhone lineup this year. I've planned a pretty comprehensive iPhone 17 review where I'll be traveling with it on launch week and taking it around the world. So, you'll definitely want to be subscribed to be the first to see that video