Google opened a new chapter in the Pixel phone story – the first models with TSMC-made chipsets are up for pre-order. Three of the new models will start shipping next week, the foldable won’t be out until early October. The prices are the same as last year, which is great – even better, Amazon throws in gift cards with pre-orders.
The Google Pixel 10 is the first vanilla model to have a telephoto lens. However, it loses the large 1/1.31” sensor in the main and the high-resolution ultra-wide of the Pixel 9. The new model comes with a $100 Amazon Gift Card. You may be tempted to get the old one, but we’d hold off a week or two – the Pixel 9 is back at MSRP. It should go back to its discounted price after the 10 launches.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro gets a bigger $200 Gift Card. This leaves only $100 between the 10 and 10 Pro, once the gift cards are calculated into the price. The Pro model does have the large 1/1.31” main sensor and the high-resolution ultra-wide (48MP vs. 13MP), plus a superior telephoto – both have 5x zoom, but this one can go further with its 48MP sensor (vs. 10.5MP).
The Pro model also gets a superior LTPO OLED display with a higher resolution (1280p+ vs. 1080p+). The chipset is the same for both, Tensor G5, but the Pro has more RAM (16GB vs. 12GB). The battery is essentially the same (4,870mAh vs. 4,970mAh) with 30W wired charging – and new this generation is the 15W magnetic Qi 2 charging and support for Pixelsnap accessories.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL also gets a $200 gift card and is essentially an upsized version of the 10 Pro. It has a 6.8” LTPO display (1344p+) and a 5,200mAh battery with faster 45W wired and 25W Qi2 charging. Note that this year there is no 128GB option – the cheapest Pro XL is now the 256GB model.
Again, the Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL are on pre-order now and will start shipping next week (nominally, on August 28, but the first units may arrive early).
Samsung’s flagship series has been around for a while now and they have competitive prices. The Galaxy S25 is smaller than the Pixel 10 with its 6.2” LTPO display and it’s cheaper too. It has the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip – we haven’t seen the Tensor G5 in action (not properly, anyway), but the Elite is sure to outperform it. The 10MP 3x telephoto camera loses out to the 48MP 5x camera of the Pixel 10 Pro, but it should be closer to the 10.5MP 5x camera of the vanilla Pixel.
As for battery endurance, the 4,000mAh cell inside the S25 puts it at a disadvantage, but Google’s Tensor has yet to prove it’s capable of running efficiently. Oh, and if you want magnetic charging and accessories, you will need the right case – that’s not built into the phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is around the same price as the Pixel 10 Pro XL – though the $200 gift card tips the scales in favor of the Google phone. Which of the two has better cameras? That is the topic of a future shootout.
If you’re concerned more with weight rather than height and width, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is 163g, a whopping 41g lighter than even the “small” Pixel 10. This is despite offering a large 6.7” 1440p+ LTPO display (vs. 6.3” 1080p+). On the downside, the 3,900mAh battery is 1,070mAh smaller than the Pixel 10 battery. Also, there’s no dedicated telephoto lens – for zooming in, you get what you get from the 200MP main.
Google also unveiled its next generation foldable, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. It’s the first foldable in the US with an IP68 rating, offering better dust resistance compared to the IP48 competition. However, as noted above, this one won’t ship until October 9, so maybe it’s too early to pre-order.
If you need a horizontal foldable now, there’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. It’s cheaper than the Pixel and significantly thinner and lighter – 8.9mm/4.2mm and 215g, compared to 10.8mm/5.2mm and 258g for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. You can even compare it to the Pixel 10 Pro XL – it’s 8.5mm thick and weighs 232g. The battery capacity remains a weak point and is only 4,400mAh, compared to 5,015mAh for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Google also unveiled a new smartwatch this week, the Google Pixel Watch 4. It promises improved battery life and health tracking compared to its predecessor. And, impressively, it is the first smartwatch with Satellite SOS capabilities – you have to get the LTE model, though, which is $100. Still, you can’t put a price on peace of mind and this might replace a dedicated satellite messaging device.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch8 can’t call for help over satellite, but it is significantly thinner – 8.6mm vs. 12.3mm. The squircle design may not be to everyone’s taste, though. Note that the vanilla Watch8 comes with a free Galaxy SmartTag 2, which can be used to track your luggage.
Alternatively, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic. This one has a unique hardware control, the rotating bezel, but the screen inside is on the small side – 1.34” for the 46mm model.
Another new accessory from this week is the Google Pixel Buds 2a. Like the Watch 4 and Pixel Fold, these will only be available from early October. They have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and spatial audio support, but no wireless charging.
If you’re going into the Samsung ecosystem instead of Google’s, you should consider the Galaxy Buds3 and Buds3 Pro instead.
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