Google Pixel 10 Pro vs Pixel 9 Pro: Biggest expected upgrades

Tom's Guide

12 hours ago

With the August 20 Made by Google event only a few weeks away, fans of Pixel phones will soon have to ask whether the new models are worth considering. A big factor in answering that question will be how many Google Pixel 10 Pro vs. Pixel 9 pro differences there are.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro has proven to be a great phone, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL ranking as one of the best Android phones you can buy. Like its bigger brother, the Pixel 9 Pro offers a stellar AI experience, but in a compact, affordable package.
With that in mind, we're expecting the Pixel 10 Pro to deliver much of the same, with some possible improvements to AI features, performance, battery life and charging. This Google Pixel 10 Pro vs. Pixel 9 Pro comparison looks at those potential upgrades to see if enough is changing with Google's latest flagship.
Google Pixel 10 Pro (rumored)
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Starting price
$999
$999 / £999 / AU$1,699
Display size
6.3 inches
6.3 inches
Refresh rate
1 - 120Hz
1 - 120Hz
Rear cameras
50MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 5x telephoto
50MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 5x telephoto
Front camera
42MP
42MP
Chipset
Tensor G5
Tensor G4
RAM
16GB
16GB
Storage
128GB (Pro model only), 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Battery
4,870 mAh
4,700 mAh
The Pixel 9 Pro cost $999 when it arrived last year, which matched the price of the Pixel 8 Pro before it. However, with Google shrinking the screen size on its Pro model to 6.3 inches — if you wanted a bigger screen, you had to pay $1,099 for the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL — you could be excused if you thought you were getting more for less.
Now the good news: the Pixel 10 Pro price is expected to stay the same, at least according to rumors ahead of the Made by Google event taking place on August 20 where we're expecting to see Google's next flagship lineup..
But there's some bad news, too. The Pixel 10 Pro XL price is expected to start at $1,119. That's not a price hike strictly speaking, as the rumor claims Google is dropping the 128GB model of its XL phone, and starting with a 256GB version. Nevertheless, if the rumor is true, you'll be paying for to get a Pixel 10 Pro XL than you would for the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
So far, we've seen several leaked images of the Pixel 10 Pro, which gives us a reasonable idea of what the phone will look like. For the most part, it appears that Google isn't going to change the design all that much from the Pixel 9 Pro's look. That said, the edges of the Google Pixel 10 Pro could be slightly more rounded, though the phones' distinctive camera bar remains in place.
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Similarly, screen sizes are expected to be unchanged on the Pixel 10 Pro (6.3 inches) and the Pixel 10 Pro XL (6.8 inches). But there are indications that the Pixel 10 Pro models could feature 480Hz Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimming, a feature aimed at reducing eye strain and fatigue. If this rumor turns out to be accurate, then the Google Pixel 10 Pro would be easier to use for long periods of time.
The biggest noticeable change with the Pixel 10 Pro models over their Pixel 9 equivalents could be the weight of the phones, as the Google Pixel 10 series is rumored to be heavier than its predecessors. However, there's a good reason for that: Google is reportedly including Qi2.2 charging magnets with the Pixel 10 models, so you'll be able to securely attach them to wireless charging pads.
So far, the rumors point to few changes to the cameras on the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. This would mean that with both phones, you're getting the same 50MP wide-angle camera, 48MP ultrawide, and 48MP 5x telephoto lens found on the Pixel 9 Pro models. Presumably, the new phones would retain the 42MP selfie camera up front as well.
That would be good news in a sense, as the Pixel 9 Pro cameras take excellent photos — see our Pixel 9 Pro vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra camera comparison for the proof — but it wouldn't give you much incentive to upgrade from recent Pixel flagships.
That said, Google could be planning to make bigger changes to the camera performance via software updates and new AI features, something we'll likely hear more about during the Made by Google launch event.
Pixel phones aren't known for being the most powerful devices on the block, with Google-designed Tensor silicon trailing chipsets from Qualcomm and Apple in benchmark tests. Then again, Google typically puts a focus on the neural capabilities of its Tensor system-on-chip, which has helped the company win many an AI phone face-off.
However, the Tensor G5 chipset slated for the Pixel 10 series could see a bit of a performance boost. One rumor has the chip using a a 3nm process, which would be an upgrade over the 4nm Tensor G4 that results in more densely packed transistors for better performance and power efficiency. Still, not everyone thinks that will happen.
The Tensor G5 will almost certainly introduce new AI capabilities to Google's latest phones. One possibility leaking out so far is an updated assistant called Pixel Sense. Supposedly, this new assistant will be able to offer users a more personalized experience based on how they use their phone. We're also expecting the Pixel 10 Pro to launch with Android 16 and the Material 3 Expressive user interface at launch.
Other than that, we're hoping more AI-based features will be announced during the Made by Google event.
There are a lot of factors that go into how long a phone lasts, but battery size is a good indicator. On that note, we have seen rumors that Google is planning to increase the battery in the Google Pixel 10 Pro to 4,870 mAh compared to the 4,700 mAh seen in the current Google Pixel 9 Pro. The Pixel 10 Pro XL's battery is supposed to reach 5,200 mAh, up from the Pixel 9 Pro XL's 5,060 mAh power pack.
We've also heard rumors that the Extreme Battery Saver feature on the Google Pixel 10 Pro will give the phone around 100 hours of charge. In comparison, the Google Pixel 9 Pro manages around 72 hours when using the feature.
On the charging front, the Pixel 10 Pro is still expected to keep a 29W wired and 15W wireless speed while the Pixel 10 Pro XL might get a boost to 39W wired charging, as Google looks for other ways to differentiate the XL model.
There's still a lot we don't know about the Google Pixel 10 Pro ahead of Google's launch event. But at the moment, rumors indicate a modest improvement over the Pixel 9.
That might dissuade recent upgraders from jumping to this year's model, especially since Google offers seven years of software support to its flagship phones. But if you've got an older phone, the changes to the Pixel 10 over the Pixel 9 may be what finally pushes you to upgrade.
We'll know for certain once the Pixel 10 Pro becomes official on August 20.