Google is readying its next set of hardware announcements, and has already confirmed that the Pixel 10 series is launching this month. We even know what one of the phones looks like, thanks to the official image up above.
But beyond the few tidbits Google has shared officially, there’s an awful lot more we think we know about the Pixel 10 line thanks to leaks, from which phones are arriving — likely the 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, and 10 Pro Fold — to camera changes, US prices, and maybe even some long overdue Qi2 support.
Let’s start with some stone-cold facts. We know that the Pixel 10 line will be announced at a Made by Google event in New York on August 20th, where the company will show off “the latest on our Pixel phones, watches, buds, and more.”
We also know that one of the phones in the lineup will look like the image above, including that blue-gray finish. Color aside, that phone looks almost identical to the Pixel 9 Pro, right down to the flash and temperature sensor inside the camera bar, confirming that Google isn’t changing its design language.
That’s all Google has said for certain, but here’s everything else we’re expecting to see at the launch next month.
Triple cameras all around
The biggest surprise this year appears to be a move to upgrade the base Pixel 10 to a triple rear camera, including a telephoto lens for the first time, bringing it in line with the three Pro models.
But before you get too excited, know that there are some downsides. To offset the added cost — and perhaps to give you a reason to consider the upgrade to the Pro — Google will reportedly downgrade the Pixel 10’s other cameras.
Android Authority reports that Google is using smaller sensors for the Pixel 10’s main camera and ultrawide than the Pixel 9 had, meaning the cameras will capture less light. In fact, it will apparently use the same sensors it did on the Pixel 9A. That means that unless Google has made improvements elsewhere, the Pixel 10’s main and ultrawide cameras will be worse than on the 9, but offset by the addition of the telephoto lens. At least the selfie camera should remain unchanged.
It also means the triple cameras on the 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL — which will apparently be unchanged from the 9 Pro models — could be superior to the 10 across the board. The 10 Pro Fold camera will be comparable to the 10’s, using the same sensors for its main and telephoto shooters, and similarly specced ones for the selfie and ultrawide. That represents a very slight upgrade to the main camera in the Fold, but the base 10 is the only model getting a real camera overhaul.
Google may also be making unexpected decisions about the phones’ colors, going by allegedly official renders leaked by Android Headlines.
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On the base Pixel 10 that means brighter colors than ever (and confirmation of that triple camera). The site reports that the phone will come in “Obsidian,” Google’s standard black finish, along with a vibrant blue called “Indigo,” a paler shade called “Frost,” and an almost fluorescent green dubbed “Limoncello.”
By contrast, the Pro models look muted. The 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL come in the same “Obsidian” black, plus the returning “Porcelain” white, a soft green called “Jade,” and a gray-blue called “Moonstone.” You might recognize that shade from Google’s official image up at the top.
Stranger are the colors for the 10 Pro Fold. Android Headlines reports that it only comes in two variants, but unlike last year those aren’t black and white. Instead, the Fold will apparently only be available in “Moonstone” and “Jade,” making it the rare phone to not launch in black at all.
For more confirmation of those colors, another leaked image from the Play Store shows the full Pixel 10 lineup with the three Pro models all in “Moonstone” and the regular 10 in “Indigo.” Leaker Evan Blass has also shared multiple images of all the phones in two separate collections of leaked images on X.
In July, the Wireless Power Consortium announced Qi2 25W, a faster version of the magnetic wireless charging standard, and promised support from “major Android smartphones.” We think that means the Pixel 10 line.
Google hasn’t supported Qi2 on its previous Pixels, but there are good reasons to think that might be about to change.
The first is that Android Authority reported in June that Google is preparing an ecosystem of magnetic Qi2 accessories under the “Pixelsnap” brand, including two chargers and a stand. This has been followed by later leaks of a Pixelsnap case from Android Headlines, and a recent image of a magnetic charging puck shared by Blass.
That latter leak is arguably the most important. While it had previously been thought that Google might follow Samsung in certifying its phones Qi2 Ready, meaning they would support Qi2 charging but not contain the magnets, this image shows a charger attaching magnetically to the phone itself, which implies full Qi2 support, magnets and all.
For more evidence of that, we have the size of the new handsets. Android Headlines claims to have the official dimensions and weights of all four phones, and each is heavier than the previous generation, and all but the XL are thicker, too.
This could just be because the phones will have bigger batteries, which several reports have suggested. But Google could also be making space for the magnets required to enable Qi2 support.
Boring, I know — every phone, every year, has a chipset upgrade. But we are expecting more from Google this time around.
Android Authority has repeatedly reported that for the new Tensor G5 chip Google is moving manufacturing from Samsung to TSMC, using the same 3nm N3E process Apple uses for the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chip. Together with some tweaks to the core layout, that’s expected to produce a significant boost in processing power, closing the gap between Pixels and the competition.
Android Authority reports that Google is developing several new AI imaging features, though some may be for next year’s Pixel 11. “Speak-to-Tweak” should be a voice-based photo editing tool, while “Sketch-to-Image” will be the Pixel version of a feature already seen on Samsung phones.
The same site has separately reported that the Pixel 10 will have a new virtual assistant called “Pixel Sense,” once rumored to be called “Pixie.” Pixel Sense will use information from other Google apps to complete tasks across your phone, make predictive suggestions to help you before you ask, and better learn your tastes from all that data. Impressively, that will all be processed on-device.
It sounds like a more powerful version of the multimodal actions Google added to Gemini in January, but going by the name it will remain a Pixel exclusive.
These AI features should arrive alongside Android updates we’ve known about since Google I/O, like the big Material 3 Expressive redesign and a desktop mode based on Samsung’s DeX.
If you’re worried that it sounds like Google hasn’t made many outright hardware upgrades this year, you may be reassured by news that they’re probably not changing their prices either. A leak from Android Headlines includes the alleged US pricing for all four phones, and it’s almost identical to last year’s.
Per rumors, the Pixel 10 will start at $799 for 128GB of storage, or $899 for 256GB. The 10 Pro starts at $999 for 128GB, rising all the way up to $1,449 for a 1TB option.
The two larger phones could be the only models with price changes. The 10 Pro XL may see a price bump from $1,099 to $1,199, but that’s only because Google has scrapped the phone’s 128GB option, starting at 256GB instead — and matching the 9 Pro XL’s pricing at that and higher storage tiers.
Meanwhile, the 10 Pro Fold may stick with a $1,799 starting price for 256GB of storage, but the leak suggests Google is adding a new 1TB option at $2,149.
Update, August 1st: Added leaks of a magnetic charging puck and US prices.
