Google unveils Pixel 10 series with improved Tensor G5 chip and a boatload of AI

Google has shifted its product timeline in 2025. Android 16 dropped in May, an earlier release aimed at better lining up with smartphone launches. Google’s annual hardware refresh is also happening a bit ahead of the traditional October window. The company has unveiled its thoroughly leaked 2025 Pixel phones and watches, and you can preorder most of them today.

The new Pixel 10 phones don’t look much different from last year, but there’s an assortment of notable internal changes, and you might not like all of them. They have a new, more powerful Tensor chip (good), a lot more AI features (debatable), and no SIM card slot (bad). But at least the new Pixel Watch 4 won’t become e-waste if you break it.

Same on the outside, new on the inside

If you liked Google’s big Pixel redesign last year, there’s good news: Nothing has changed in 2025. The Pixel 10 series looks the same, right down to the almost identical physical dimensions. Aside from the new colors, the only substantial design change is the larger camera window on the Pixel 10 to accommodate the addition of a third sensor.

You won’t find a titanium frame or ceramic coatings present in Samsung and Apple lineups. The Pixel 10 phones have a 100 percent recycled aluminum frame, featuring a matte finish on the Pixel 10 and glossy finishes on the Pro phones. All models have Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panels on the front and back, and they’re IP68 rated for water- and dust-resistance.

The design remains consistent across all three flat phones. The base model and 10 Pro have 6.3-inch OLED screens, but the Pro gets a higher-resolution LTPO panel, which supports lower refresh rates to save power. The 10 Pro XL is LTPO, too, but jumps to 6.8 inches. These phones will be among the first Android phones with full support for the Qi 2 wireless charging standard, which is branded as “Pixelsnap” for the Pixel 10. They’ll work with Qi 2 magnetic accessories, as well as Google’s Pixelsnap chargers. They can charge the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro at 15W, but only the 10 Pro XL supports 25W.

You may notice some minor changes to the bottom edge of the phones, which now feature large grilles for the speaker and microphone—and no SIM card slot. Is it on the side? The top? Nope and nope. There is no physical SIM slot on Google’s new phones in the US, adopting the eSIM-only approach Apple “pioneered” on the iPhone 14. It has become standard practice that as soon as Apple removes something from its phones, like the headphone jack or the top bit of screen, everyone else will follow suit in a year or two.

Google has refused to offer a clear rationale for this change, saying only that the new SIM-less design is its “cleanest yet.” So RIP to the physical SIM card. While eSIM can be convenient in some cases, it’s not as reliable as moving a physical piece of plastic between phones and may force you to interact with your carrier’s support agents more often. Google has a SIM transfer tool built into Android these days, so most of those headaches are over.

The Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL all have the pronounced camera bar running the full width of the back, giving the phones perfect stability when placed on a table. The base model Pixel 9 had the same wide and ultrawide sensors as the Pro phones, but the Pixel 10 steps down to a lesser 48 MP primary and 13 MP ultrawide. You get the new 10.8 MP 5x telephoto this year. However, that won’t be as capable as the 48 MP telephoto camera on the Pro phones.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold also keeps the same design as last year’s phone, featuring an offset camera bump. However, when you drill down, you’ll find a few hardware changes. Google says the hinge has been redesigned to be “gearless,” allowing for the display to get a bit closer to that edge. The result is a small 0.1-inch boost in external display size (6.4 inches). The inner screen is still 8 inches, making it the largest screen on a foldable. Google also claims the hinge is more durable and notes this is the first foldable with IP68 water and dust resistance.

Strangely, this phone still has a physical SIM card slot, even in the US. It has moved from the bottom to the top edge, which Google says helped to optimize the internal components. As a result, the third-gen Google foldable will see a significant battery life boost to 5,000 mAh versus 4,650 mAh in the 9 Pro Fold.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold gets a camera array most similar to the base model Pixel 10, with a 48 MP primary, a 10.5 MP ultrawide, and a 10.8 MP 5x telephoto. The camera sensors are also relegated to an off-center block in the corner of the back panel, so you lose the tabletop stability from the flat models.

A Tensor from TSMC

Google released its first custom Arm chip in the Pixel 6 and has made iterative improvements in each subsequent generation. The Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10 line is the biggest upgrade yet, according to Google. As rumored, this chip is manufactured by TSMC instead of Samsung, using the latest 3 nm process node. It’s an 8-core chip with support for UFS 4 storage and LPDDR5x memory. Google has shied away from detailing the specific CPU cores. All we know right now is that there are eight cores, one of which is a “prime” core, five are mid-level, and two are efficiency cores. Similarly, the GPU performance is unclear. This is one place that Google’s Tensor chips have noticeably trailed the competition, and the company only says its internal testing shows games running “very well” on the Tensor G5.

Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10 will reportedly deliver a 34 percent boost in CPU performance, which is significant. However, even giving Google the benefit of the doubt, a 34 percent improvement would still leave the Tensor G5 trailing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite in raw speed. Google is much more interested in the new TPU, which is 60 percent faster for AI workloads than last year’s. Tensor will also power new AI-enhanced image processing, which means some photos straight out of the camera will have C2PA labeling indicating they are AI-edited. That’s an interesting change that will require hands-on testing to understand the implications.

The more powerful TPU runs the largest version of Gemini Nano yet, clocking in at 4 billion parameters. This model, designed in partnership with the team at DeepMind, is twice as efficient and 2.6 times faster than Gemini Nano models running on the Tensor G4. The context window (a measure of how much data you can put into the model) now sits at 32,000 tokens, almost three times more than last year.

Every new smartphone is loaded with AI features these days, but they can often feel cobbled together. Google is laser-focused on using the Tensor chip for on-device AI experiences, which it says number more than 20 on the Pixel 10 series. For instance, the new Magic Cue feature will surface contextual information in phone calls and messages when you need it, and the Journal is a place where you can use AI to explore your thoughts and personal notes. Tensor G5 also enables real-time Voice Translation on calls, which transforms the speaker’s own voice instead of inserting a robot voice. All these features run entirely on the phone without sending any data to the cloud.

Finally, a repairable Pixel Watch

Since Google finally released its own in-house smartwatch, there has been one glaring issue: zero repairability. The Pixel Watch line has been comfortable enough to wear all day and night, but that just makes it easier to damage. So much as a scratch, and you’re out of luck, with no parts or service available.

Google says the fourth-generation watch addresses this shortcoming. The Pixel Watch 4 comes in the same 41 mm and 45 mm sizes as last year’s watch, but the design has been tweaked to make it repairable at last. The company says the watch’s internals are laid out in a way that makes it easier to disassemble, and there’s a new charging system that won’t interfere with repairs. However, that means another new watch charging standard, Google’s third in four generations.

The new charger is a small dock that attaches to the side, holding the watch up so it’s visible on your desk. It can show upcoming alarms, battery percentage, or the time (duh, it’s a watch). It’s about 25 percent faster to charge compared to last year’s model, too. The smaller watch has a 325 mAh battery, and the larger one is 455 mAh. In both cases, these are marginally larger than the Pixel Watch 3. Google says the 41 mm will run 30 hours on a charge, and the 45 mm manages 40 hours.

The OLED panel under the glass now conforms to the Pixel Watch 4’s curvy aesthetic. Rather than being a flat panel under curved glass, the OLED now follows the domed shape. Google says the “Actua 360” display features 3,000 nits of brightness, a 50 percent improvement over last year’s wearable. The bezel around the screen is also 16 percent slimmer than last year. It runs a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, which is apparently 25 percent faster and uses half the power of the Gen 1 chip used in the Watch 3.

Naturally, Google has also integrated Gemini into its new watch. It has “raise-to-talk” functionality, so you can just lift your wrist to begin talking to the AI (if you want that). The Pixel Watch 4 also boasts an improved speaker and haptics, which come into play when interacting with Gemini.

Pricing and availability

If you have a Pixel 9, there isn’t much reason to run out and buy a Pixel 10. That said, you can preorder Google’s new flat phones today. Pricing remains the same as last year, starting at $799 for the Pixel 10. The Pixel 10 Pro keeps the same size, adding a better camera setup and screen for $999. The largest Pixel 10 Pro XL retails for $1,199. The phones will ship on August 28.

If foldables are more your speed, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold won’t arrive until October 9, but it won’t see a price hike, either. The $1,799 price tag is still quite steep, even if Samsung’s new foldable is $200 more.

The Pixel Watch 4 is also available for preorder today, with availability on August 28 as well. The 41 mm will stay at $349, and the 45 mm is $399. If you want the LTE versions, you’ll add $100 to those prices.