Blog
Google Pixel 10 arrives August 20 — here’s the 7 biggest rumored upgrades
We’re just two weeks out from the next Made by Google event, where we’re expecting to hear about all the newest Google devices — including the Google Pixel 10. Judging from the rumors, this could be a very big year for Google’s phones, with the entry-level model offering even more upgrades and improvements than ever before.
In fact, from the sounds of things, the Pixel 10 may just be a Pixel 10 Pro in everything but name. After all, one of the most prominent rumors is that we’ll finally see a telephoto lens on the cheapest model. But that’s just one rumored upgrade out of many, and there are plenty more out there.
Here are the 7 biggest upgrades rumored to be coming to Pixel 10.
Telephoto lens
The entry level Pixel has always stuck with the dual-camera lens approach — offering a main and ultrawide lens with no sign of a zoomable shooter. That could be about to change, with a lot of rumors leaning on the fact the Pixel 10 will get this formerly Pro-exclusive feature at long last.
Leaks suggest that the new lens could come at the expense of other lenses. The ultrawide has apparently dropped from 48MP to 12MP, while the main lens gets a less significant drop from 50MP to 48MP. Presumably to help offset the cost of adding the 11MP telephoto lens, and its 5x optical zoom capabilities.
Thankfully resolution isn’t everything, especially with AI, so we shouldn’t experience any major drops in image quality as a result.
Pixelsnap magnetic charging
One of the things I’ve often complained about is the fact Android phone makers have been very slow to adopt Qi2 wireless charging. So fa,r only HMD has actually released a phone with the full magnetic charging system built into the phone — with a couple of others offering stripped down versions.
According to some rumors, Google may finally bring that feature to a mainstream flagship. Not only have leaked renders shown the Pixel 10 using a magnetic charger, without any kind of external case, the phones are supposedly heavier than their Pixel 9 counterparts.
Leaks also suggest that this will be called “Pixelsnap,” and that Google will be releasing a range of compatible accessories to go with it. There’s no word on how fast the wireless charging will be, but if it is based on Qi2 then we should see a minimum of 15W speeds — provided you use the right charger.
3nm Tensor G5
This is one the longest standing Pixel 10 rumors we’ve heard, because it could mark a turning point for the Tensor chipset family. According to rumors this will be the first chip that didn’t start life as one of Samsung’s Exynos chips — instead being designed from scratch by Google.
Oh, and word is that the chip will be manufactured with TSMC’s 3nm process, which is the same one used to make the likes of the Apple A18 Pro and the Snapdragon 8 Elite. A process that has proven to have a positive impact on performance power and energy usage.
Starting from scratch means Google has more control over what the chips can do. Combined with the fact it also develops Android and the Pixel series, it could mean better optimization between all areas of the Pixel 10 — potentially leading to better performance and lower power consumption in the process.
Speak to Tweak AI
If you’ve found Google’s AI editing tools a little difficult to use in the past, then “Speak to Tweak” might be the thing you’re looking for. Details about this feature aren’t widely known, other than the fact it will be an AI editing tool.
Judging from the name it’s going to be a system that lets you tell your phone what edits you want to make — rather than interacting with the screen. If that works as well as other AI features, and is able to understand what you need, then this could make the process of editing an absolute breeze.
A bigger battery
Battery life on Pixels has come a long way over the last couple of years, and here’s hoping that the same is true for the Pixel 10. Thankfully, rumors are claiming that we’ll see a bigger battery on the phone, which is definitely a good start towards boosting that battery life even further.
Rumor has it that the phone will come with a 4,970 mAh battery. Not only is that larger than you’d find in phones like the Galaxy S25 (4,000 mAh), it’s also a healthy boost from the 4,700 mAh battery we saw in the Pixel 9.
While there’s no telling how much better the battery life will be just yet, it bodes well for a feature that Google has long struggled to get right.
Gimbal-like video stabilization
Nobody likes a shaky video, no matter how many Hollywood movies seem to believe otherwise. If you’re an avid videographer then you’ll be happy to hear that the Pixel 10 could come with significant improvements to its video stabilization system.
In fact, the initial rumor compared the new system to a DJI Osmo Mobile 6 — which is easily one of the best smartphone gimbals we’ve used this year.
Details aren’t clear, so we don’t know if this will be a physical revamp of the hardware or some kind of software improvement. It could even be both, and I can’t imagine AI won’t play a role in smoothing out the footage if that’s the case.
No price hike
While not necessarily a hardware upgrade, we have heard some Pixel 10 price leaks in the run up to launch — and it’s good news. According to the leak the Pixel 10 is going to start at $799 for a model with 128GB of storage. That’s the same as the Pixel 9, and will reportedly come with 6 months of Google’s AI Pro plan.
The Pixel 10 Pro will reportedly start at the same $999 price tag as last year, with 128GB of storage. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold will also apparently stick to $1,799 for a 256GB storage variant.
Sadly the Pixel 10 Pro XL will cost an extra $100 ($1,199) due to the fact Google has dropped the 128GB model in favor of starting at 256GB. These 3 phones are expected to come with a year of Google AI Pro
