You'll also find Pixel-exclusive tips to help you get the most out of your new phone, along with some accessory and case recommendations for added protection. For more, read our other guides, including the Best Pixel Phone Settings to Change, Best Pixel 10 Cases, Best Pixel 9 Cases, Best Samsung Phones, and Best Android Phones.
Updated March 2026: We've added the Google Pixel 10a and a few new Pixel software features.
Google’s Pixel 10a (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is all the phone most people need. The latest handset remains the best smartphone for the money, even if Google didn't change much from the Pixel 9a. The 6.3-inch display is brighter, not to mention sharp, colorful, and smooth with its 120-Hz screen refresh rate. Google also got rid of the plastic ring around the camera module, so now the back is flatter than ever, a true boon for anyone who hates camera bumps.
Once again, Google's Tensor G4 chipset powers it all, the same as in 2024's flagship Pixel 9 series and Pixel 9a. Performance is pretty much identical—smooth and fast, whether gaming or multitasking. (That also means you should totally consider the Pixel 9a if you can find it on sale.) There's only 8 gigabytes of RAM, so it won't get all the smart software features as on the flagship Pixel devices. But the important ones are here, notably the new feature that lets you send files and photos to iPhone owners using Google's Quick Share to AirDrop.
The camera hardware is the same. A 48-megapixel is joined by a 13-MP ultrawide and a 13-MP selfie camera, and they're all reliable. However, the selfie camera is decently sharper on the Pixel 10 because it has autofocus, and the new 5X optical camera means zoomed-in photos will look much better. However, like most Pixel phones, you can feel safe knowing most of the pictures you snap with the Pixel 10a will look great.
The 5,100-mAh cell comfortably lasts a full day, but heavy users may still need to tote a power bank to top up in the evenings. There's faster Qi wireless charging in this model, but it's the only Pixel in the lineup without Qi2 Pixelsnap magnets. An IP68 water-resistance rating rounds things out, not to mention secure face unlock in addition to fingerprint unlock, giving you two biometric authentication methods to unlock your phone and quickly access sensitive apps.
The Pixel 10a also gets 7 years of software support—the longest you'll find on an Android phone under $500. It's one of the best smartphone bargains around.
Display: 6.3 inch, 60 to 120 Hz, OLED, 3,000 nits peak brightness
Processor and RAM: Tensor G4 with 8 GB RAM
Cameras: 48-MP main camera, 13-MP ultrawide, 13-MP selfie camera
Updates (from date of manufacture): 7 years
Extras: Qi wireless charging, IP68, fingerprint and secure face unlock, NFC, VPN, Wi-Fi 6E
Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks
The Pixel 9 was in an awkward spot, missing a few too many flagship features, but not differentiating much from the cheaper Pixel 9a. The Pixel 10 changes that, introducing a 5X optical zoom camera and the Qi2 magnetic wireless charging system. This is the Pixel for anyone who wants to enjoy a few special features but doesn't want to spend $999 on the Pixel 10 Pro.
It's the same screen size as the Pixel 10a and matches the 3,000 nits of peak brightness—brighter than the Pixel 9a—so it will be easier to read the display in broad daylight. The top speaker is louder than its predecessor; when I compared the Pixel 10 to the Pixel 9a at the same volume, it was noticeably louder, with richer sound quality, too. A bigger upgrade over the Pixel 10a is the Tensor G5 chipset, which offers a hefty bump in performance and efficiency. You'll be able to play more demanding games on this phone at higher fidelity. However, since the Pixel 10 still lacks the vapor chamber cooling system of the Pro models, it gets warm fairly quickly.
One tidbit to note: the 128-GB model supports the older UFS 3.1 storage technology, whereas the 256-GB model has UFS 4. The latter enables faster app load times, quicker file saves, better gaming performance, and even better battery life. Most people may not notice a difference, but it may be worth springing for the higher-storage tier to maximize performance.
The Pixel 10's battery runtime is a full day with average use (I was able to eke out more than 5 hours of screen-on time), but much depends on what you're doing; if you're playing Wuthering Waves for more than an hour, that'll sap juice fast. That's why the Qi2 charging system is so great. You can easily slap a magnetic battery pack to the back of the phone, and it'll wirelessly charge it—faster and more efficiently than traditional Qi chargers. Just make sure the power bank is Qi2.
Unlike the Pixel 10a, the Pixel 10 has a triple-camera system. The main camera and ultrawide are actually similar to those phones, but Google says it uses a better image processing pipeline that should deliver slightly nicer results. In my tests, the photos from those two cameras were sharper with less noise compared to the Pixel 9a, but it wasn't a big difference. The larger impact is in zoom capabilities. The 5X camera lets you capture scenes further away, making the phone more versatile. You can even get some decent results at 10x zoom. Don't forget the selfie camera, which is better on the Pixel 10, too. It has autofocus, which goes a long way in making sure your selfie is sharp. The Pixel 10a selfies can look soft (a little fuzzy), especially at night.
The Pixel 10 has several new smart software features, and only some may make their way to older devices. There's Camera Coach, which will help you take better photos; Magic Cue, which will surface relevant information from your personal data in the Messages and Phone apps when you need it; and real-time voice translations for phone calls that can also mimic what you sound like. (I've listed the new features further down below.)
The big downside? The US models of the Pixel 10 are eSIM only, so you can no longer use a physical SIM card. There are security benefits to this change, but it is frustrating, especially since US carriers don't make switching eSIMs easy.
Barring that, the Pixel 10 is the way to go if you can spend a little more. To me, the convenience of Qi2 and the 5X zoom camera are worth the price bump, but you'll also enjoy better performance, a brighter screen, louder speakers, and sharper selfies. It helps that it's often on sale for $599.
Display: 6.3 inch, 60 to 120 Hz, OLED, 3,000 nits peak brightness
Processor and RAM: Tensor G5 with 12 GB RAM
Storage: 128 (UFS 3.1) or 256 GB (UFS 4)
Cameras: 48-MP wide, 13-MP ultrawide, 10.8-MP 5X telephoto, 10.5-MP selfie camera
Updates (from date of manufacture): 7 years
Extras: Pixelsnap Qi2 wireless charging, IP68, fingerprint and secure face unlock, NFC, VPN, Wi-Fi 6E
Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks (eSIM only in the US)
If you want the best that Google offers, then go for the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has a few minor differences that put it a step ahead of the Pixel 10 Pro, but these devices are largely the same and have a few hardware and software improvements over the Pixel 10.
The OLED displays can ratchet the refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz, which means they're more efficient and can conserve battery life. There's more RAM here (16 GB), so you can expect better performance, especially if you're juggling multiple tasks. Couple that with the vapor chamber cooling system, and these phones will be able to play more demanding games for a longer period without too many stutters, and they won't run as warm, either. I maxed out the graphics on Wuthering Waves, one of the most demanding Android games right now, and had a solid experience, though it still doesn't run as smoothly as on a Samsung Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16.
Like the Pixel 10, the 256-GB model adopts the UFS 4 standard, but the higher storage tiers use a newer zoned UFS 4 technology. It reportedly drives even faster app launches and should feel more responsive, though the improvements may be so marginal that you might not notice. Zoned UFS purportedly delivers better long-term performance of the flash storage system, which is good news if you plan on keeping your phone for a long time.
The cameras are a step up from the Pixel 10, even if they have a similar triple-camera system. All the sensors across the board are different; specifically, they're larger. Larger sensors can capture more data, and the end result is a brighter, sharper image. That rings true in my testing. The telephoto camera is the same as the Pixel 9 Pro, but Google says it has enhanced the lenses for better clarity, and there's improved image stabilization.
The Pixel 10 Pro models are the only ones to support Google's new Pro Res Zoom feature. From 6X to 30X, it'll utilize Super Res Zoom, the older technology that captures multiple frames and merges them for sharper digital zoomed photos. Pro Res Zoom kicks in from 30X until 100X, and it adds generative AI into the mix. The AI will add what it thinks should be in the image to fill in some of the gaps, and regardless of how you feel about that, the result is spectacular and shockingly sharp.
Another exclusive camera feature is Video Boost, which sends your video clips to the cloud for processing, improving colors, noise, stabilization, and brightness. It can now upscale footage to 8K. The Pixel 10 Pro models capture better video quality than the Pixel 10, but Video Boost gives it an even greater edge. The only problem is that you have to wait for the Video Boost files to process, which can sometimes take a day. (You still have access to the original file.) I'd like to see Google further improve native video capture so that you don't need to send clips to the cloud.
The speakers on the phones are louder than before, but the Pixel 10 Pro XL has a new top and bottom speaker, meaning its audio quality is louder and richer, with more bass. The XL is also the only Pixel with Qi2 25W support, meaning it can charge wirelessly up to 25 watts instead of 15 watts, provided you use a Qi2 25W wireless charger. Speaking of, it has the fastest wired charging speeds, supporting 39 watts (as opposed to 29W on the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro). Battery runtime averages a full day for me, though the Pixel 10 Pro XL had the longest stretch on a single charge, hitting up to 7 hours of screen-on time.
The best of Google is the Pixel 10 Pro XL, but if you prefer a smaller phone and don't care for the faster charging speeds or the slightly louder speaker, the Pixel 10 Pro will satisfy. You'll save some cash, too.
Display: 6.3 inches, 1 to 120 Hz LTPO, OLED, up to 3,300 nits peak brightness
6.8 inches, 1 to 120 Hz LTPO, OLED, up to 3,300 nits peak brightness
Processor and RAM: Tensor G5 with 16 GB RAM
Storage: 128 (UFS 3.1), 256 (UFS 4), 512 GB (Zoned UFS 4), and 1 TB (Zoned UFS 4)
