Pixel 10 Series: 4 key upgrades that could make it Google's best yet

The Google Pixel 9 series has set high expectations for the Pixel 10 lineup, expected later this year. Here’s what we hope Google delivers.

With Pixel 10 series leaks coming in fast, we've put together a clear wishlist for the upcoming devices. After using the Pixel 9 Pro XL for over six months, we've gained valuable insights into its performance, strengths, and areas where Google could make meaningful improvements. We think the Pixel 9 series, and especially the Pro models, are some of the most refined phones Google has made yet, and that certainly gives us much hope for the Pixel 10.

Google Pixel 9 Pro is one of the best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra alternatives. (Shaurya Sharma/HT Tech)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

Read moreRead less

Get the processor right

The Pixel 9 series comes with the Tensor G4 as standard, and while it is no slouch in everyday tasks and continues to be a great performer, we can’t help but notice its inferiority in performance-heavy tasks like rendering videos, exporting Lightroom edits, and more. It just takes a little longer compared to, say, the iPhone 16 or even a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered phone.

With the Pixel 10, rumours suggest that Google could be opting for a TSMC-made Tensor G5. Things are looking promising, and we hope Google delivers significantly better performance than before.

Again, while the current performance isn’t as great as, say, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Apple’s A18 Pro, it is certainly impressive in everyday tasks, and is no longer vulnerable to heating (like the Tensor G3 and prior). This gives us even more hope for a Tensor G5 made by TSMC.

More fun colours with the Pixel 10 Pro

With the Pixel 9 series, Google offered three colours for the Pixel 9 Pro and the 9 Pro XL: Hazel, Porcelain, and Obsidian. Meanwhile, the regular Pixel 9 got a fun colour in the form of Peony—a bright pink—alongside other shades.

We would love to see Google offer more exciting colour options with the Pixel 10 Pro lineup as well. Imagine a Pixel 10 Pro XL in blue or pink—these would certainly make for a more vibrant and fun lineup.

A major drawback of the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s camera experience is that you cannot use portrait mode with the 5x lens. Instead, the system only allows digital zoom up to 3x using the main sensor, which results in less detailed images and inaccurate subject cutouts.

Apple, on the other hand, allows users to take portrait shots using the 5x lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 Pro series, delivering natural background blur, better separation, and the compression effect associated with a telephoto lens.

Since the hardware is already present, Google is seemingly restricting users from accessing the 5x lens for portrait mode. We hope Google enables this feature in the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL—and perhaps even extends it to Pixel 9 users via a software update.

Faster charging, please

In the Android world, brands like OnePlus and iQOO are offering incredibly fast charging solutions, allowing users to top up their phones in no time. However, the Pixel 9 series lags behind in this aspect, taking quite a while to charge fully. We hope Google takes this feedback seriously and delivers a better, faster charging experience with the Pixel 10 series.