Finally! Pixel 10 has MagSafe charging and useful AI features

Google has announced the Pixel 10 family of phones, consisting of the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. While looking like an update of 2024’s devices, the devil is in the detail as Google makes meaningful changes to take these phones forward.

Starting at the top, the phones sit in the same positions as last year, but the Pixel 10 now has a telephoto camera. That takes it up a notch over the Pixel 9 – which only had a dual camera – but these sensors and lenses aren’t the same as the Pixel 10 Pro. While taking a step down in resolution, the addition of the telephoto makes the Pixel 10 stand out from the Pixel 9a and the Pixel 10a expected in Spring 2026.

Pixel 10 Pro XL is world’s first Qi 2 25W device

In July, the Wireless Power Consortium announced Qi 2 25W, or Qi 2.2 as it’s called by some. This enhancement over Qi 2 brings support for 25W charging speeds over the 15W previously offered by the magnetic wireless charging standard. Only the Pixel 10 Pro XL offers Qi 2 25W, while the rest of the range supports regular 15W Qi 2.

Android has been slow to support this type of wireless charging, after Apple introduced MagSafe in 2020 on the iPhone 12. Only the HMD Skyline has offered it, despite a number of devices (like the OnePlus 13) offering it via a case. While Google is offering a Pixelsnap Charger, we wait to see what third-party accessories will be offered to take advantage of the new support.

Same design, but tweaked hardware

While the Pixel 10 phones look the same as the Pixel 9 – save for a few colour differences – there are tweaks across the board. The Tensor G5 powers things with a meaningful boost in performance (on paper at least, I still have to test it), while there’s support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

The displays are largely the same – and the same size as last year – but with a slight bump in brightness. I already highly rate the Pixel display for the brightness offered when using Ultra HDR in photos. It’s one of my favourite features and one of the things that keeps me hooked on Pixel, as the photos just look better.

But it’s the bump in battery life that’s going to make the biggest difference to people. The biggest downside of the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the battery life and the move to a 5,200mAh battery should help to correct that.

One minor thing that will affect readers in the US: the Pixel 10 will join Apple in dropping support for physical SIM cards, offering eSIM only. The rest of the world will continue to have support for nano SIM alongside eSIM.

Google flexes more Pixel AI – and this might make a difference

Google has been pouring AI into its phones for many years, first through Google Assistant, but latterly through Gemini. But while Gemini is set for enhancements like a new audio model so it can respond according to how you sound when you ask a question, but there are new features too.

The one that’s got me excited is Magic Cue: I’ve talked about things like Magic Editor before and for a long time that’s been my favourite feature. But Magic Cue sets itself up to be really useful – and exactly the sort of thing missing from the AI features offered on all phones.

Magic Cue will aim to give you proactive suggestions in the context of what you’re doing, using the rainbow colours that Google has started adding to its AI elements to attract attention to them. The examples that Google gives is that if you’re calling an airline, it will find the flight details for you; if someone asks for your Airbnb address, Google will fish them out. It’s the sort of thing I expected AI to be doing from the start, rather than focusing on translation and rewriting, which is so often the case.

Google is also introducing something called Pixel Journal, which is designed to record your thoughts, give you AI prompts and track progress towards achieving your goals. I need to fully explore the new feature but it sounds a bit like Essential Space on Nothing Phone.

Pixel 10 Pro Fold gets protected

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold adds IP68 protection to its credentials, which is quite the feat, considering that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 only offers IP48, meaning that Google is offering better protection against dust ingress.

There’s a new hinge that claims to be twice as durable, while the display is now rated for 10+ years of folding.

There’s a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, while Qi 2 is also in place and the promise of over 30 hours of life from the 5,015mAh battery.

Pixel 10 pricing and availability

The Pixel 10 family stick to the same pricing as the Pixel 9 models in the UK, but the 128GB model of the Pixel 10 Pro XL has been dropped, so the 256GB model is the starting point.

Here’s where the prices start:

• Pixel 10 – £799
• Pixel 10 Pro – £999
• Pixel 10 Pro XL – £1,199
• Pixel 10 Pro Fold – £1,749

The regular Pixel devices are available for pre-order immediately, on shelves on 28 August, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a little delayed, coming on 9 October.

The new phones launch alongside the Pixel Watch 4 powered by all-new hardware with a new, brighter, display, longer battery life and more power, as well as Pixel Buds 2a, which offer active noise cancellation on Buds A-series for the first time with a design very close to the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

The Pixel Watch will cost from £349, while the new Buds will cost £129.