How Google’s new Pixel 10 compares to the last-gen Pixel 9

Google on Wednesday introduced its new Pixel 10 lineup during an event in New York – complete with a very strange keynote. In case you missed it, there are a lot of similarities across the latest Pixel models — and some key additions — including the MagSafe-style Pixelsnap, Google’s new Tensor G5 chip, and a proactive AI feature known as Magic Cue.

While Google’s Pro models come loaded with the most advanced tech, the base Pixel 10 looks like the sleeper hit. Starting at $799, it’s the most affordable of the bunch, and for the first time, it adds a telephoto lens to the standard Pixel. For anyone weighing an upgrade, the real question is how the base Pixel 10 stacks up against last year’s Pixel 9.

On the surface, they look similar and even share some of the same specs. Dig deeper, though, and you’ll find some bigger differences worth talking about. Let’s break down what’s changed, and what matters most.

Perhaps the most notable difference between the Pixel 10 and its predecessor is the addition of Pixelsnap. The built-in magnets provide a seamless, convenient way to securely attach third-party and Google-made Qi2 accessories like wallets, stands, and portable battery packs to the Pixel 10. You’ll no longer have to clamp your phone in a car mount or precisely place it on a wireless charging pad. The ring of magnets provides a perfect alignment every time, eliminating the frustration of waking up to a dead phone because it was slightly misaligned.

It’s the kind of upgrade that gradually rewires your habits, making the Pixel 10 feel more integrated into your daily routine than any of its predecessors. It’s nice being able to attach and detach your favorite accessories in seconds.

One of the biggest downsides of last year’s Pixel 9 is the lack of a telephoto camera. Without one, you don’t get the reach or portrait framing a telephoto camera provides. However, for the first time, Google’s Pixel 10 gets a dedicated telephoto lens, giving you crisper, more usable photos of distant subjects, whether you’re snapping a skyline or taking graduation portraits. That’s a big deal if you’ve ever tried to take a photo with digital zoom, which often results in mushy details.

But there is a trade-off. The Pixel 10’s main and ultrawide cameras are actually a bit smaller than what you’d find in the Pixel 9. The Pixel 10 uses a 48-megapixel wide camera and 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, while the 9 has a 50-megapixel wide camera and 48-megapixel ultrawide camera. That said, Google’s new Tensor G5 chip promises to produce higher quality images and videos, so the 10 may keep up with the 9 just fine. We’ll have to test how the cameras compare in the real world before giving our final verdict.