DT Next Tech | The ‘smarter’ phone, the Google Pixel 10 keeps its date

CHENNAI: We’ve been talking about this for a while now. About how hardware upgrades in smartphones are no longer the significant jumps that we used to witness. About how smartphones could ultimately just become AI screens or devices where Artificial Intelligence drives the user experience. The all-new Google Pixel 10, part of the trio of flagships (that also include the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL) underlines this trend and demonstrates the power of AI.

It’s the Pixel 10 that has our attention among the Pixel 10 trio. It shares the same chipset with its pricier siblings and it also features a significant camera upgrade over last year’s entry-level Pixel 9. In terms of design, it’s not a huge departure from its predecessor but comes in a whole bunch of standout colours including a cool shade of Indigo Blue. It’s crafted with a spacecraft-grade aluminium frame with a premium satin finish and comes with the reassurance of an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. We also dig the camera bar design that includes a new addition.

The triple-rear cam on the Pixel 10 is a big upgrade over previous entry-level Pixel smartphones. Aside from a 48MP primary lens and a 13MP ultra-wide lens, the Pixel 10 also features a telephoto cam with up to 5x of optical zoom. There’s also a 10.5MP selfie shooter in the mix. Zoom photography is a great add-on to the Pixel 10, you can go up to 20x with Google’s Super-Res zoom. There’s also a significant improvement in lowlight photography, adding to the Pixel 10’s camera credentials.

We’ve been fans of the Pixel’s OLED displays with deeper blacks. This one is no exception. You get a 6.3-inch (1080 x 2424 pixels / 422 PPI) display that hits a peak brightness of 3000 nits, an improvement over its predecessor. It’s backed by a more robust 4970 mAh battery under the hood.

The big talking point of the Google Pixel 10 line-up is the all-new Google Tensor G5 chip that adds extra wings to this device. It also drives a heap of AI features that are a clear indication that Google Pixel is pulling ahead of the competition in this zone. From Circle to Search to Call Assist to Pixel Screenshots with AI Insights and a whole bag of AI-powered camera tricks, the Pixel 10 is packed with smarts. Add seven years of OS updates, and you have a compelling proposition that has added spark to the sub Rs 80K premium smartphone segment in India.

(Rs 79,999 onwards)