At a look
Skilled’s Score
Execs
- Attractive design and show
- Excellent digital camera expertise
- Sensible Android 16 software program with lengthy assist
- Stable battery life
- The perfect wi-fi charging on Android
Cons
- Huge and hulking
- 100x zoom is disappointing
- Much more costly
Our Verdict
Put merely, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is the most effective all-round telephone you should purchase proper now. It’s massive and costly, however delivers on nearly all of Google’s claims, making it simple to advocate. This can be a telephone with none main weaknesses.
Worth When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing Right now
Worth When Reviewed
From $1,199
Finest Costs Right now: Google Pixel 10 Professional XL
Google’s smartphones have hit double figures, and the corporate means enterprise.
On paper, the Pixel 10 collection is its most achieved technology but, fusing ultra-premium {hardware} with the software program polish no different model can match.
Except you desire a foldable, the Pixel 10 Professional XL sits on the prime of that lineup. Google has been cautious with its {hardware} upgrades this time round, specializing in boosting the battery and charging expertise.
However the firm has come out swinging on the software program aspect, with a number of new and doubtlessly game-changing options. And, after every week spent utilizing it as my principal telephone, I’m able to declare it the most effective smartphone of 2025 thus far.
Right here’s every little thing that makes it so good, plus the handful of issues that I want Google had executed in a different way.
Design & Construct
- Signature Pixel design language
- Sturdy glass and aluminium construct
- IP68 water and mud resistance
Gone are the times when Pixel house owners needed to put up with a cheap-looking telephone. The Pixel 10 Professional XL is a murals, combining basic design language with a standout digital camera module.
The latter continues to divide opinion, however I’m a fan. The pill-shaped design is immediately recognisable and particular person, with out trying obnoxious or dominating the again of the system. And in the event you apply one in all Google’s official circumstances, you may eradicate the results of the digital camera bump.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
I’d advocate most individuals apply a case for grip – the ten Professional XL feels slippery within the arms in any other case. Nevertheless, I recognise that it’s simple to say that once I’m testing the moderately boring Obsidian mannequin, which is basically a darkish gray.
The telephone can also be accessible in Moonstone (mild gray), Jade (mild inexperienced) and Porcelain (off-white). For those who go for one of many latter two, you won’t need to cowl it up. A matt coating on the again of the system avoids seen fingerprint smudges except mild is shining straight on it.
The Pixel 10 Professional XL is a murals, combining basic design language with a standout digital camera module
If grip is a bit missing when going case-free, sturdiness actually isn’t. The glass on each the back and front of the telephone is Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is particularly designed to guard towards falls onto exhausting surfaces.
I inadvertently examined this once I dropped the ten Professional XL face down onto a picket ground from about 1m excessive. I picked it up fearing the worst, however the telephone was completely unscathed. That’s spectacular.
One other key sturdiness metric is the IP68 ranking, which confirms that the system is proof against submersion in as much as 1.5m of contemporary water for as much as half-hour and is protected towards all mud particles. It’s nothing new for flagship gadgets, however nonetheless necessary to say.
The reflective aluminium body feels simply as sturdy. That’s the place you’ll discover the clicky energy and quantity controls, plus a USB-C port and audio system on the backside. The SIM tray has moved to the highest of the telephone, however I doubt anybody will care.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Nevertheless, there’s little doubt that the selection of those premium supplies contributes to its general weight. At 232g, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is considerably heavier than the 221g Pixel 9 Professional XL, and one of many heaviest non-folding telephones which you can purchase.
Alongside dimensions of 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm (equivalent to the 9 Professional XL), ensure you’re pleased with an enormous, cumbersome system earlier than buying. I’ve fairly giant arms and may make use of the sizeable pockets on most males’s trousers and shorts, so it’s not an enormous subject for me.
Display & Audio system
- 6.8-inch, 120Hz OLED show
- Even higher peak brightness
- Punchy stereo audio system
Google hasn’t made any important adjustments to the show on the Pixel 10 Professional XL, however it didn’t have to. Final yr’s 9 Professional XL already had one of many best screens on any smartphone, and the identical might be mentioned for its successor.
The one improve is in its brightness, which now peaks at a powerful 3300 nits. A extra related determine is the one I recorded at 100% – 948 nits – which makes for wonderful out of doors visibility, even in direct daylight.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Elsewhere, it’s the identical 6.8-inch OLED panel, which appears to be like gorgeous in just about any state of affairs. The wealthy, vibrant colors and deep blacks we’ve come to affiliate with OLEDs are very a lot obvious right here, making the ten Professional XL superb for scrolling social media or watching movies.
The show can also be LTPO, that means it will possibly robotically modify between 1- and 120Hz refresh charges, relying on what you’re doing. This ensures you get the slick, responsive advantages of 120Hz with out the detrimental influence on battery life.
The FHD+ (1344 x 2992) decision is nothing particular, however element and readability are each wonderful. It won’t be the very best show on any telephone – that award in all probability goes to the Galaxy S25 Extremely – however the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s display excels in all of the areas that matter.
As traditional, you’ll discover a fingerprint sensor inside the show. That is an ultrasonic scanner, which is taken into account superior to the optical model discovered on most telephones, and it reveals. Regardless of solely enrolling one fingerprint briefly throughout setup (a easy course of), it was impressively quick and dependable.
The Pixel 10 Professional XL’s display excels in all of the areas that matter
Nevertheless, I nonetheless favor the 3D face unlock in most conditions. It’s much more seamless and safe sufficient for use for authenticating funds and logging into apps.
Elsewhere, the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s speaker high quality is nicely above common. Like most flagships, it has a stereo setup, however utilises two grilles on the backside of the system, plus the earpiece. The result’s an impressively full-bodied sound that delivers wealthy vocals and detailed soundscapes, even when the bass is a bit sub-par. Readability can also be robust, till you push the amount up near most, the place some distortion is audible.
As traditional, join a speaker or headphones in the event you’re critical about high-quality audio, however the built-in audio system on the Pixel 10 Professional XL are a strong various for informal use.
Specs & Efficiency
- Google Tensor G5 chipset
- 16GB RAM on all fashions
- Storage now begins at 256GB
All 4 of the Pixel 10 telephones have been geared up with Google’s new Tensor G5 chipset. It’s a extra important improve from the Tensor G4 than the title suggests, with Google shifting manufacturing from Samsung to TSMC and upgrading to a 3nm course of.
However does it yield a significant efficiency enhance on the Pixel 10 Professional XL? Completely not. I’ve used the Pixel 9 Professional XL for round 5 months in complete, and I can’t spot a distinction between the 2.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Nevertheless, that’s not a criticism of the brand new telephone. Efficiency was already so robust that these minor beneficial properties had been all the time unlikely to have a significant influence. The Pixel 10 Professional XL is a powerhouse of a telephone, dealing with the complexities of heavy utilization days with out breaking a sweat.
I’m speaking internet shopping (with a whole lot of open tabs – oops), WhatsApp messages, Gmail, YouTube movies and numerous pictures, together with shortly switching between them. Except for a number of hesitations, which I believe had been software program bugs moderately than efficiency limitations, the Pixel 10 Professional XL was a stellar performer.
Gameplay was clean and responsive, with no noticeable dropped frames
As you may anticipate, this extends to cell gaming. I examined the telephone on a number of the Play Retailer’s most demanding video games, together with Name of Responsibility: Cellular, Genshin Affect and Actual Racing 3. Gameplay was clean and responsive, with no noticeable dropped frames. And whereas the again of the telephone turned heat to the contact after a couple of minutes, it didn’t negatively influence my expertise in any approach.
With regards to storage, Google has ditched the most affordable 128GB mannequin. This is sensible in 2025, though it does give the Pixel 10 Professional XL the next beginning worth than its predecessor. You may select between 256GB, 512GB and 1TB, however ensure you get sufficient, as there’s no assist for expandable storage.
Disappointingly, a twin bodily SIM slot can also be lacking, although the rise of eSIM makes this much less of a problem.
Google Pixel 10 Professional XL benchmarks
The Pixel 10 Professional XL has wonderful efficiency, however you wouldn’t essentially understand it from the benchmark scores under, which present it nicely behind Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered telephones by way of CPU energy.
Cameras
- 50Mp principal, 48Mp telephoto, 48Mp ultrawide, 42Mp selfie
- An identical digital camera {hardware} to Pixel 9 Professional XL
- New Digicam Coach and Tremendous Res Zoom options
On the face of it, the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s cameras are unchanged from its predecessor.
The {hardware} is the very same, with a 50Mp principal lens supported by a 48Mp 5x telephoto and 48Mp ultrawide on the again. On the entrance, a 42Mp selfie digital camera additionally stays.
Nevertheless, Google has been working exhausting on the software program aspect, introducing a number of new options that make the Pixel 10 Professional XL digital camera expertise really feel contemporary and new.
However let’s begin with what Pixel telephones are recognized for: nice point-and-shoot pictures. In my view, the primary rear lens is unmatched in terms of constantly high-quality photographs.
Irrespective of the state of affairs, I can whip the telephone out of my pocket, shortly launch the digital camera and snap away, protected within the information that I’ll get a great outcome 9 instances out of 10.
In good lighting situations, photographs are punchy, vibrant and brimming with element. Dynamic vary is superb, and it handles shadows and sophisticated exposures very nicely. Colors are typically a bit extra saturated than in actual life, however which means modifying in publish is never obligatory.
In contrast to most telephones, the ten Professional XL is equally spectacular in low-light situations. ‘Evening Sight’ works wonders
In contrast to most telephones, the ten Professional XL is equally spectacular in low-light situations. ‘Evening Sight’ works wonders, rising the publicity time in change for a sensible brightness enchancment and restricted noise. With out including exterior lenses, I don’t suppose smartphone evening modes get any higher than this.
AI-powered group photograph options stay, with ‘Add Me’ permitting the photographer to be added to the picture and ‘Finest Take’ guaranteeing that everybody appears to be like their greatest if you take a burst of photographs. The latter may now be automated, however simply as with the High choose characteristic in Google Images, it received’t all the time select the most effective one.
Plenty of my testing of the ten Professional XL got here at a music competition, the place the 48Mp periscope telephoto lens got here into its personal. The 5x optical zoom was superb for capturing artists in full move on stage with none noticeable drop-off in high quality.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Something as much as round 10x appears to be like fairly good, however high quality shortly declines when you transcend that. At something above 30x, Google’s new ‘Professional Res Zoom’ kicks in, utilizing generative AI to spice up the standard of the in any other case blurry pictures.
In concept, anyway. In my testing, it usually labored nicely on landscapes and structure, albeit with some artificial-looking components. However pictures of individuals had been a complete catastrophe, with unrealistic faces that hardly resembled a human being. I’d extremely advocate sticking with good old style digital zoom, at the very least for now.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The ten Professional XL additionally utilises the telephoto lens for portrait pictures, one other key energy of Pixel telephones. On the pattern photographs I captured, pores and skin tones are impressively correct and the separation between topic and background may be very practical.
When taking a portrait photograph, I enlisted the assistance of ‘Digicam Coach’, one other new Pixel 10 characteristic. It makes use of AI (after all) to analyse the body and recommend methods during which you can enhance the ultimate picture. It takes a number of seconds (I wouldn’t advocate attempting it on a busy tube platform), however the finish outcome was a real enchancment. I’m impressed.
One other key energy of the Pixel 10 Professional XL digital camera expertise is the 48Mp ultrawide, which ensures which you can get a wider, 123-degree area of view with out a noticeable drop-off in high quality. Color accuracy, dynamic vary and publicity all stay robust, with solely a slight variation in sharpness across the edges of the picture.
Indubitably, the ten Professional XL’s 42Mp selfie digital camera is my favorite on any telephone. Its very good selfies or groupfies (as they’re supposedly recognized – ‘groupies’ understandably not being an possibility), providing class-leading element, pores and skin tone accuracy and vibrancy. It’s a pleasure to make use of.
Sadly, the Pixel 10’s new ‘Assist me edit’ characteristic isn’t accessible within the UK on the time of writing, so I haven’t been in a position to take a look at it. In concept, it ought to make AI modifying a lot simpler, permitting you to only ask utilizing pure language, moderately than discover and apply the instruments your self.
I wouldn’t usually discuss a lot about smartphone video high quality, however attending a music competition gave me loads of alternatives to try it out. The Pixel 10 Professional XL can seize 4K at 60fps, however the default 1080p at 30fps is simply high quality for most individuals.
Usually, footage from the telephone is crisp and detailed, with OIS (optical picture stabilisation) on the primary and telephoto lenses guaranteeing footage stays comparatively regular.
Indubitably, the ten Professional XL’s 42Mp selfie digital camera is my favorite on any telephone
However ‘Evening Sight video’ (nonetheless a Professional unique) is what actually impressed me. It allows low-light video that’s pretty much as good as something you’ll get on an Android telephone, avoiding the widespread publicity and noise pitfalls. Simply be affected person, although, because it requires an web connection and some hours to totally course of.
Sadly, the microphone high quality isn’t fairly as much as scratch, that means the influence of booming vocals and throbbing bass is considerably misplaced. That is an space during which I’d actually prefer to see Google enhance.
Nevertheless, in terms of pure picture and video high quality, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is correct up there with the perfect. Except you’re a pictures fanatic who enjoys manually tweaking numerous settings, you’ll be greater than glad with the general digital camera expertise.
Battery Life & Charging
- 5200mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 25W Qi2 wi-fi charging
That is the place the largest {hardware} upgrades might be discovered on the Pixel 10 Professional XL.
Let’s begin with the battery itself, which has elevated from 5060mAh to 5200mAh. It’s a modest enhance, however it ensures the ten Professional XL has the largest battery of any Pixel telephone thus far.
The outcome? Stable, reliable battery life that may nearly all the time get you thru a full day with cost to spare.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
For a extra excessive instance, a single cost on the ten Professional XL needed to final me over a day and a half at a music competition. My transportable energy financial institution gave up after only a few minutes, so I went from Friday night to Sunday afternoon with 90% battery and a short top-up at a charging level.
By Sunday morning, some intense power-saving was required to make sure it didn’t run out of cost, as I wanted it to indicate my prepare ticket. However this was after many hours of excessive brightness, cell knowledge and GPS use in a busy atmosphere. Offered you’ve an honest energy financial institution, the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s battery life is undoubtedly festival-proof
After I acquired house, the wired charging was a pleasing shock. Google has lastly boosted speeds to 45W, though that requires the separate buy of a suitable charger.
Google is the primary main Android telephone maker to construct MagSafe-style magnets into the again of its telephones
Utilizing one I already had at house, my evaluate pattern went from 0-19% in quarter-hour and 38% by the half-hour mark. A full cost took an hour and 47 minutes, however you may undoubtedly do it quicker than that.
That’s earlier than we even get to the largest upgrades: Qi2 wi-fi charging. Google is the primary main Android telephone maker to construct MagSafe-style magnets into the again of its telephones, enabling quicker (now 25W) and safer wi-fi charging.
A variety of ‘Pixelsnap’ equipment are already accessible, with heaps extra more likely to pop up within the coming months and years. Sadly, I haven’t been in a position to take a look at these and actually put the Qi2 via its paces, however it has nice potential.
Software program & Apps
- Android 16 out of the field
- Consists of Materials 3 Expressive design
- Seven years of updates
Alongside the opposite Pixel 10 telephones, the ten Professional XL is likely one of the first handsets to run Android 16’s new ‘Materials 3 Expressive’ software program.
Google has pitched this as an enormous design overhaul to the acquainted Android expertise, one thing I used to be sceptical about. Nevertheless, in terms of the apps and instruments I take advantage of frequently, it seems that little or no has modified.
The brand new Fast Settings panel appears to be like cleaner than earlier than, whereas the colour-coded organisation in the primary Settings app is less complicated to navigate. It’s just about enterprise as traditional elsewhere, though I’d argue that’s a great factor.
Magic Cue is my favorite AI addition on the Pixel 10, and it has the potential to be a real game-changer
The Pixel tackle Android has all the time been one in all my favourites, with an intuitive UI, loads of customisation choices and restricted bloatware. Nevertheless, the listing of additional pre-installed apps has grown this yr, with the likes of NotebookLM and Pixel Journal. I haven’t used the latter to get any of its AI insights, and I actually don’t need to.
Magic Cue is my favorite AI characteristic on the Pixel 10, and it has the potential to be a real game-changer. Proper now, it solely works in a handful of situations, equivalent to a Calendar immediate or reserving affirmation inside Messages or prompt pictures from Google Images.
It additionally typically takes some time to pop up, by which period you’re already sorting it out your self. However I can already see its immense potential, particularly if third-party app builders get on board. Magic Cue places AI entrance and centre within the Pixel expertise in a approach few others do.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
My greatest frustration with Pixel software program continues to be the house display, with Google nonetheless not permitting you to take away the ‘At a Look’ widget, search bar or app labels. The vary of third-party widgets can also be a lot much less engaging than these on Samsung’s One UI 7, so I hardly ever use them.
Nevertheless, software program updates are an enormous a part of the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s enchantment. Google has dedicated to a full seven years of normal characteristic and safety updates, that means the system might be protected to make use of till 2032.
Because the maker of Android, Google may also all the time roll out a brand new main model to Pixel telephones first, that means you received’t be ready months to get your arms on the brand new options. These two elements make it the most effective all-around software program expertise of any Android telephone.
Worth & Availability
The Pixel 10 Professional XL has a £100/$100 larger beginning worth than its predecessor, however that doesn’t inform the total story.
You’ll must pay at the very least £1,099/$1,099 at launch, although you’ll get 256GB of storage as a substitute of 128GB. When evaluating the 2 configurations straight, there’s been no change.
As traditional, you should purchase the ten Professional XL from all kinds of various retailers, together with Google and Amazon within the UK and Google and Amazon within the US. There’s additionally widespread community availability in each international locations.
At this worth, it’s going up towards most of the absolute best telephones you should purchase, together with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Extremely. The upcoming iPhone 17 Professional Max is probably going to supply robust competitors, too.
Must you purchase the Google Pixel 10 Professional XL?
Sure, if you need the most effective all-round telephone proper now and are prepared to pay for it. The Pixel 10 Professional XL is massive, cumbersome and costly, however in the event you can take care of all these issues, it’s the last word 2025 handset in some ways.
A surprising show and sturdy but trendy design set the tone for an ideal smartphone. The cameras on the again present the most effective point-and-shoot digital camera expertise round, with greater than a touch of AI assist. And Android 16 is extra polished than ever with its new Materials 3 Expressive design.
That’s earlier than we even get to the battery, which has spectacular longevity and fees quicker than every other Pixel. In the meantime, Qi2 has the potential to revolutionise wi-fi charging on Android telephones.
The Pixel 10 Professional XL is the entire bundle, each now and into the long run. But it surely won’t be best for you, so ensure you’re content material with its compromises.
Specs
- Android 16 with seven years of updates
- 6.8-inch FHD+ 120Hz LTPO OLED
- Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner
- Face Unlock
- Google Tensor G5 chipset
- 16GB RAM
- 256GB/512GB/1TB non-expandable storage
- 5200mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 25W Qi2 wi-fi charging
- Reverse wi-fi charging
- 50Mp f/1.7 principal digital camera
- 48Mp f/1.7 ultrawide digital camera
- 48Mp f/2.8 5x telephoto digital camera
- 42Mp f/2.2 entrance digital camera
- Twin stereo audio system
- USB-C
- 5G
- NanoSIM + eSIM
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth 6.0
- IP68
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (back and front)
- 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm
- 232g
