Google Pixel 10 Pro XL Review: a Size Too Big

Google’s biggest and most expensive Pixel only gets minor tweaks this year. The Pixel 10 Pro XL does a lot right, but Google leaves a few rough edges unpolished.

It seems to be a trend this year among smartphone makers to build thinner devices. Google isn’t joining in with the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Like last year, the XL model is the largest and priciest of the new Pixel generation, which also includes the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro.

On paper, the new Pixel lineup looks like a modest upgrade. With the Pixel 10, Google focuses more on smart (AI) software than on powerful hardware. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is an almost flawless product. But “almost” is a big word in the highest price segment.

More Pixel, more Pixels

The Pixel 10 Pro XL is intended for anyone who wants a big smartphone. It barely fits in your pocket, especially with a case on. The total weight is a hefty 230 g, which isn’t much more than Samsung’s S25 Ultra.

The added value of the XL versus the other Pixel 10 phones is the large 6.8-inch display. Some will love the extra screen, others will find it unwieldy. The Pixel 10 Pro XL’s screen has the highest resolution (1,344 × 2,992) and brightness (1,913 nits) in the lineup.

Both brightness and refresh rate can scale dynamically to save battery. Pixel displays have been a feast for the eyes for years, and this year is no different. The display is tuned nearly perfectly.

Not Ecological

Since this summer, every new phone carries an “eco label” in the EU. That’s mostly interesting when it deviates. Of the new Pixel phones, only the Pro achieves an A rating. The XL lands in the B category, likely because its battery life sits just below the symbolic 50-hour mark according to the label (48h 39m).

It’s striking that cheaper, China-made models achieve the highest rating, while a device costing €1,299 (incl. VAT) doesn’t make the cut. Whether that’s due to the manufacturer or the label’s criteria, we’ll leave open.

By European standards, the Pixel 10 Pro isn’t all that ecological, but you don’t need to worry about build quality. It scores an A for drop and scratch resistance, and the IP68 rating means it can stay under water for up to 30 minutes.

Cameras

The cameras have long been a calling card for Pixel phones. Personal taste always plays a role in photo assessments, but few smartphones can capture reality as crisply and lifelike as a Google Pixel. Whether it’s the most expensive models or the more affordable A series, Pixels often come out among the winners in comparison tests.

On paper, the camera trio remains identical, including the horizontal layout. The Pixel 10 Pro XL features a 50 MP main camera (f/1.7), a 48 MP ultra-wide (f/2.55), and a 48 MP telephoto camera (48 MP, 5x optical zoom). A 42 MP front camera completes the setup. The main camera is said to have improved image stabilization compared to the Pixel 9.

The cameras don’t disappoint. Whichever camera you use and whatever the shooting conditions, your photos are sharp and colors look realistic. Sunny, overcast, or dark: the Pixel 10 Pro XL handles it all. The three cameras work in harmony; feel free to switch between focal lengths. The only downside is that the ultra-wide sometimes tries to cram in too much, skewing tall buildings noticeably.

First Aid for Photography

The camera app makes it as easy as possible to elevate every shot. There are dedicated modes for long exposure and motion, alongside classics like portrait and panorama. The Pixel 10 Pro XL even gives tips via the “camera coach.” It looks at your screen and offers guidance to frame what you see as well as possible. Fun to try a few times, though it does feel a touch patronizing.

Artificial Zooming

The telephoto camera merits its own assessment, though not because the lens itself is so special. We’ve already seen phenomenal zoom cameras this year. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, OnePlus 13, and Oppo Find X8 Pro are mobile telescopes.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL fits right into that list. At 5x optical zoom, sharpness doesn’t drop a pixel. Digitally, you can zoom up to 100x. The further you zoom, the more artificial your photos look—but that’s true for any extreme close-up. Algorithms have to fill in what your eyes can no longer see.

How Google approaches this is both unique and remarkable. Behind the camera is a small AI model called Pro Res Zoom. It’s specifically trained to artificially enhance close-ups. In the Pixel 9 Pro XL, you had a similar model called Super Res Zoom. From Super to Pro: you know they mean business.

You can take “artificial” quite literally here. The model tries to predict, as truthfully as possible, what the photo should contain. The more steps you take while zooming, the more information the model has to make that prediction. You can even watch the post-processing happen live right after taking a shot. Most of the time the model is close to reality, but sometimes it guesses and you get odd results.

Tensor

Google sticks with its own Tensor processors in the Pixel 10 series: this year manufactured by TSMC. Every Pixel 10 phone has the same Tensor G5. It’s more consistent in this regard than Samsung, which switches between Qualcomm and Exynos chips depending on how the wind blows. You don’t need to go for the XL for more computing power.

Google’s chips are more than capable in daily use. You won’t catch the Pixel 10 Pro XL making mistakes. Last year’s models sometimes suffered from heat, but that issue is resolved with the new generation. Across various workloads, the Pixel 10 Pro XL and its smaller siblings score more than decently.

From the chart above, you can conclude that the Pixel 10 can’t compete with Samsung and OnePlus flagships equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite. The Geekbench 6 test makes that gap in (theoretical) compute performance clear.

Imagined GPU

Google makes an even more remarkable choice for the GPU. It again skips Qualcomm and opts for Imagine Technologies’ DXT-48-1536. This company supplied mobile GPUs to Apple until 2016, but today almost every brand chooses Qualcomm or MediaTek. The Pixel 10 marks an unexpected return to the flagship segment.

The numbers don’t back Google. The GPU performs embarrassingly poorly in benchmarks, posting scores you’d expect from a budget phone. In day-to-day use, you’ll be able to run lighter games on the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, but it’s not the best choice for 3D apps and other heavy graphics workloads.

Pixel phones have never topped benchmarks, but the gap with Qualcomm’s flagship processors widens year after year. It’s up to Google to draw conclusions from the data.

Battery

Endurance matters at least as much as raw power. The Pixel 10 Pro XL packs a 5,200 mAh battery—the largest of the three models. That easily gets you through a day; a second day is too optimistic. The estimated battery life doesn’t meet the threshold for the highest sustainability class under the European eco labels.

The Tensor processor seems to once again disadvantage the Pixel 10 Pro XL, although the large screen may also play a role. We find that flagship smartphones with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite and equally large screens perform better in tests. Even the Pixel 9a with a fourth-generation Tensor chip performs better in the endurance test. The Pixel 10 Pro XL takes a step back rather than forward in battery life.

Magnetic Charging

Google introduces a brand new charging technology in the Pixel 10 series: Pixelsnap. It is based on the Qi2 standard for wireless charging and can be considered the MagSafe alternative for Android. You can even charge a Pixel 10 with a wireless iPhone charger, which was unthinkable a year ago. A protective spacer like with the OnePlus 13 is not necessary.

The Pixel 10 devices are not speed demons when it comes to charging speed. The Pixel 10 XL is the fastest in the series with 45 W wired and 25 W wireless. The Pixel 10 and 10 Pro, due to their lower thermal capacity, have to make do with a very modest 30 W and 15 W.

For someone used to fast charging, it was especially an adjustment in the morning. We often started charging ‘too late’, leaving us with a half-filled battery to start the day. The charging times of the Pixel 10 Pro XL just fall within deliberation: after forty minutes, you’re at eighty percent. It’s not as bad as the Pixel 9a, which takes three-quarters of an hour for a half-filled battery.

Smart Software, in English

Google is not focused on benchmark titles: it mainly wants to distinguish itself with the Pixels by perfectly aligning software and hardware. It helps that Google is at the controls of the Android operating system. Following the example of Apple and iOS, although Google won’t like to hear that comparison.

The advantage is that, apart from Google applications, you get a ‘clean’ device upon installation without bloatware. You are also usually the first to receive Android updates. The Samsung Fold and Flip exceptionally launched first with Android 16. The seven years of updates are no longer so exceptional thanks to European regulations.

Android 16 looks neat and organized on the Pixel 10 Pro XL. There are few elements vying for your attention. Gemini gets a prominent place on your phone, but you can easily ignore the AI assistant if you don’t need it.

The only app we encountered difficulties with was Google Maps. The GPS didn’t always follow us well, causing navigation to be sluggish. We couldn’t find any other reports of this issue, so we likely have a rarity on our test device.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL is packed with AI features. The features work via the cloud or the locally running Gemini Nano. Unfortunately, many features are either not yet launched or yet optimized for other languages. Even if you get an AI subscription ‘for free’, this could feel like an empty box due to the limited support in your mother tongue.

Conclusion: if You Can’t be Strong, be Smart

This saying perfectly sums up the Pixel 10 Pro XL for us. Anyone looking only at the benchmarks would think Google is punching above its weight. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is a flagship that, on paper, isn’t actually a flagship.

In practice, it undoubtedly deserves that title. You can count on a seamless Android experience as intended by Google, and in terms of photography, there are few better smartphones to be found.

However, the difference with the previous generation is too limited: the Pixel 9 series will deliver nearly the same experience. If the Pixel 10 Pro XL had solved the slow charging, it would have been eligible for an ‘editor’s choice’, but now you might as well buy the previous generation at a more attractive price.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL – from 1,299 euros (incl. VAT) – seven years of security updates – ecolabel B