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Phone Arena
3 days ago
- Phone Arena
Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Another battle unfolds
The Google Pixel 10 series is right around the corner, and there are a slew of interesting updates in store for us. The second iteration of the new Pixel Pro XL model is particularly interesting, and given the price tag, it begs an interesting question. Should you go down the foldable route and get the Pixel 10 Pro Fold or stick to the conventional form factor and opt for the top model in the lineup, the Pixel 10 Pro XL? In this preliminary comparison we'll try to answer this exact question. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs Google Pixel 10 Pro XL expected differences: *rumored Table of Contents: Design Display Performance Camera Battery Specs Summary There are no huge changes to the design when it comes to both the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the Pixel 10 Pro XL. These devices follow the path charted by their respective predecessors. That being said, they are conceptually different from one another – one has two displays and folds in half, while the other employs a more conventional candy bar design. The result is two phones that differ in size and weight. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is lighter, although not by much, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is thicker folded and also narrower. The camera bump is also different between the two, the 10 Pro Fold uses the same square-ish camera housing as its predecessor, while the 10 Pro XL model opts for the evolved camera bar – a long horizontal camera bump. *rumored In terms of building materials and colors, we don't expect major differences between the two. Granted, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold can't use tempered glass over its main folding screen, but other than that, we expect the same glass-aluminum sandwich from both devices. An interesting upgrade is the alleged IP68 water and dust protection on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold . This will help with durability for sure and bring those two phones close together when it comes to protection from the elements. *rumored The colors will most likely be identical on these two, but we're hearing different names for the hues (as you can see in the table above). There might be nuances and shades but the more plausible scenario is that Google will use the same color scheme. Display Differences 2 versus 1 Another big difference, inherited from the design of these two, lies in the display department. Unsurprisingly, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold comes with two screens, one big 8-inch flexible OLED that folds in half, and another 6.3-inch cover screen on the outside. The Pixel 10 Pro XL, on the other hand, relies on just one panel, a 6.8-inch OLED. Along with the size (and count) difference, there's a potential difference in peak brightness. This difference is inherited from the previous generation - the Pro Fold model is rated at 2700 nits peak, while the Pro XL can go up to 3200 nits, according to the latest information. *rumored In terms of resolution, pixel density and display refresh rate, things look bound to remain unchanged. Both phones will most likely feature a 120 Hz refresh rate (across all displays when it comes to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold ). This means that the Pixel 10 Pro XL still has an advantage with its 1344 x 2992 pixels resolution, resulting in around ~486 PPI, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold PPI figures are ~373 PPI for the main screen and ~422 PPI for the cover screen. But then again, it has two displays. There's a big change when it comes to hardware this year. Google has decided to swap the manufacturing of the Tensor chip from Samsung foundries to TSMC. This might not sound like a big deal, but there are inherited advantages resulting from this has better yield and better quality of the silicon compared to Samsung, and industry experts expect a decent boost in both performance and efficiency on the Tensor G5. The architecture and core layout are also different, potentially alleviating the not impressive battery life on some Pixel devices of late. The good news is that both the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the Pixel 10 Pro XL will get the new silicon being part of the same series. In terms of RAM, both phones are expected to get 16GB of LPDDR5, but there's a difference in onboard storage. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has a 1TB option, which might be godsent for some, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold caps at 512GB. No microSD card slot on eighter of those two. Fitting a powerful camera system on a foldable is proving to be a difficult task, at least for Google. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to carry over more or less the same camera system from its predecessor with one 50 MP main camera, a 10.5 MP ultrawide, and a 10.8 MP telephoto. The huge camera bump on the Pro XL (jokingly called "the shelf") allows for much more wiggle room when it comes to camera hardware. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is expected to have three big sensors on its back: a 50MP main one, a 48 MP ultrawide, and another 48 MP sensor under the periscope telephoto camera. *rumored Google has always been at the forefront of image processing (ever since the first Pixels), and it's too early to sign off on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold , even though it appears to have inferior camera hardware. We will include comparison samples once we lay our hands on the new Pixels. There are no surprises when it comes to the battery and charging situation. According to the latest information, both phones will inherit the battery capacities of their predecessors, meaning the Pixel 10 Pro XL will still have an advantage of about 400 mAh. Another potential advantage for the Pixel 10 Pro XL is the lack of a second screen. Powering just one 6.8-inch panel could prove to be beneficial for longevity, but that depends on many variables and specific use cases. The same goes for the charging – the Pixel 10 Pro XL might offer faster wired and wireless charging, reaping the benefits of being a conventional non-folding phone. We have to test both of these to give you a detailed breakdown, so stay tuned for that. *rumored specs At the end of the day, it boils down to whether you want a foldable or a conventional phone. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is an evolution of the foldable idea and will take things a notch further, bringing some upgrades, but fundamentally it's still a foldable. This brings the ability to have a tablet-like device on demand but also requires some sacrifices. The Pixel 10 Pro XL, on the other hand, is a conventional candy bar phone, and this comes with certain advantages. It has a bigger battery and a better camera system and is also expected to be cheaper than the Pro Fold, even though there are talks about a potential price hike for the Pixel 10 Pro XL. We will update this comparison with benchmarks and samples once we get the new Pixel device in our lab, so stay tuned!
GSM Arena
15-06-2025
- GSM Arena
Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9
With the Google Pixel 9a having launched a few months ago and the Google Pixel 9 hitting shelves nearly a year back, a common dilemma arises—should you opt for the newer mid-range model or stick with last year's flagship? It's a valid question, especially given their similar pricing and shared DNA. In Europe, the Pixel 9 costs about €100 more than the 9a, while in the US, the gap widens to $150. On paper, the two phones have a lot in common—identical displays, matching chipsets, and comparable camera setups. But look a little closer, and a few key differences emerge. For some, they may not be dealbreakers. For others, however, the added features of the Pixel 9 could justify the extra cost. So let's take a closer look. Table of Contents: Design Display Battery Life Charging Speaker Test Performance Cameras Verdict For starters, you can compare the complete spec sheets or directly continue with our editor's assessment in the following text. Size comparison Google Pixel 9a Google Pixel 9 Despite the two Pixels sharing the same screen diagonal, the 9a has noticeably bigger dimensions, but lower weight. There are several reasons for that. Firstly, the Pixel 9 is more compact as it has thinner bezels around the screen. The 9a has absurdly thick bezels, even for a budget phone in 2025. That makes the 9a taller and wider. It's also slightly thicker, which might be due to the larger battery. As for the weight difference, we attribute that to the choice of materials. The Pixel 9 features Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back held by an aluminum frame, while the 9a's build features an unnamed Gorilla Glass sheet on the front and a plastic back, which is lighter. All in all, the Pixel 9 is the better choice given the slimmer bezels, the nicer build materials and the more compact dimensions. Display comparison Google Pixel 9a Google Pixel 9 On paper, the two devices should have the exact same displays with the same performance. Both are 6.3-inch OLEDs with the same advertised maximum brightness. However, according to our tests, the Pixel 9a has slightly lower maximum brightness (around 1,900 nits) than the Pixel 9 (a little over 2,200 nits). Both phones reach levels of max brightness rarely seen in the industry, but the difference between the two could be seen as a hint that the phones use different panels. Other than that, there's no feature disparity between the two - both phones support the same basic HDR10+ video standard and up to 120Hz refresh rate. Battery life The two handsets share the same chipset and the same display, but the Pixel 9a has the advantage of a larger 5,100 mAh battery, as opposed to the 4,700 mAh-powered vanilla Pixel 9. However, it looks like the larger battery does not translate into real battery life benefits. The Pixel 9 scores marginally better on almost all tests, pushing the Active Use Score slightly higher than the 9a's. We can only guess what the reason might be and as we note in our Pixel 9a review, it may very well be a more power hungry display panel. Charging speed Google Pixel 9a 5100 mAh Google Pixel 9 4700 mAh In theory, the Pixel 9 should only be slightly faster to charge than the Pixel 9a, given the small difference in the charging rate - 23W vs. 27W in favor of the regular 9. However, that did not turn out entirely true in our real-life testing. The Pixel 9 indeed charged just slightly faster in the first 15 to 30 minutes of the charging cycle, but it completed a full charge in 85 minutes, while the Pixel 9a took 101 minutes. Notably, the Pixel 9 features faster wireless charging too - 15W (with Pixel stand, otherwise 12W) instead of the 9a's 7.5W charging power. Speaker test Regarding speakers, we can easily say that the Pixel 9a is the clear winner here. Sure, the Pixel 9 speakers are louder, but the 9a's tuning is much nicer. The bass is more prominent, the tracks don't sound tinny like the Pixel 9, and the overall sound is much warmer and fuller. Performance Both handsets rely on the same in-house Google Tensor G4 SoC that debuted with the Pixel 9 series last year. Even though the 9a is more affordable, it still rocks the same "flagship" chipset. Google Pixel 9a Google Pixel 9 Memory configurations are similar, but not identical. Both handsets offer only 128GB or 256GB storage, but the vanilla Pixel 9 gives you 12GB RAM, while the 9a settles for 8GB. Benchmark performance Google Pixel 9a Google Pixel 9 As expected, there's no difference in performance. The small differences you see in the benchmark results are well within the statistical error. Camera comparison The camera hardware is perhaps the main difference between the two handsets. The more affordable Pixel 9a settles for a smaller 48MP main sensor and a 13MP ultrawide camera, while the standard Pixel 9 boasts a physically much larger 50MP main sensor and a larger 48MP ultrawide unit too. The selfie hardware is also different. The 9a gets a 13MP shooter, while the Pixel 9 offers a 10.5MP camera, which has the same sensor size as the 13MP selfie on the 9a. Image quality At first glance, the two ultrawide cameras capture near-identical photos, but if you look closely enough, you will notice that the 48MP ultrawide unit on the Pixel 9 renders close objects much sharper. That's due to the autofocus capability. Objects in the distance are rendered similarly, though. Pixel 9a: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 0.6x • 1x • 2x Pixel 9: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 0.6x • 1x • 2x Once again, the Pixel 9's main camera offers more pleasant rendering with slightly punchier colors and a tad sharper objects. You can spot a bigger difference in the 2x zoom mode, where the bigger sensor shows a clear advantage. The gap widens as the light drops. The Pixel 9's ultrawide and main cameras produce cleaner and sharper images with wider dynamic range. The differences for most will likely be negligible, but it's worth noting. Pixel 9a: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 0.6x • 1x • 2x Pixel 9: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 0.6x • 1x • 2x We found no meaningful difference between the selfie cameras. Both are excellent. Selfies: Pixel 9a • Pixel 9 Video quality Below we have a few frame grabs from the videos taken by the two phones at each focal length, so it's easier to compare to one another. The daylight videos from the two Pixels seem almost identical. The Pixel 9's main camera video is just ever so slightly sharper and more detailed. The difference is negligible, though. Pixel 9a 4K screengrabs: 0.6x • 1x • 0.6x • 1x Pixel 9 4K screengrabs: 0.6x • 1x • 0.6x • 1x The nighttime videos from the Pixel 9 are sharper, somewhat cleaner and considerably brighter. Verdict Naturally, the Pixel 9 is on top in most aspects. It offers a nicer camera experience, a brighter display, a more premium design, and marginally better battery life and charging. Perhaps the price difference will make sense for most people, especially customers in Europe, where the gap is only €100. Conversely, if you don't mind the thick bezels, the Pixel 9a delivers mostly the same user experience. The display is still one of the brightest in town, performance is on par, and the camera hardware isn't that far behind. The stereo speakers are even better on the 9a. So, if you consider yourself a casual everyday user, then save a few bucks and go for the Pixel 9a. The lower price. The better speakers. The identical user experience. The faster charging speed and better battery life. The slightly brighter display. The better camera performance at night and the added versatility of AF on the ultrawide.
Fast Company
02-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
I tried doing everything with AI on a Pixel 9a, but it didn't go as planned
Going into my time reviewing the Google Pixel 9a, I had this grand idea to transform myself into 'AI Man.' Google has made a big to-do about how it's reimagining Android with AI at the core, and the $500 Pixel 9a is now the cheapest entry point into Google's Gemini AI ecosystem. In the past I've found all those AI features easy to ignore, but this time I was going to dedicate myself to making the most of them. It didn't really work out as planned. While Gemini is a better assistant than it used to be on Pixel phones, it can also be a big a waste of time. And for all Google's talk of reinventing all of Android around AI, some of the best Pixel AI features require a more expensive phone then the 9a. Gemini's promise and pitfalls I'll give Google credit for this much: Gemini on the Pixel 9a is no longer a trainwreck. When Google started shipping Gemini as the default voice assistant on the Pixel 9 series, it was worse than the old Google Assistant at common tasks like creating to-do list items, checking local store hours, and getting directions. Google has patched in a lot of that missing functionality over the past nine months. In some ways, Gemini even more useful now. I can ask for directions with a specific stop along the way, for instance, or have a back-and-forth to manage the items on my Google Keep grocery list. Being able to converse with Gemini about widely understood topics can be helpful as well, and unlike with Assistant, there's a chat history you can look through for future reference. Still, leaning on Gemini for anything important feels like a crapshoot. While on vacation in Florida, for instance, I asked Gemini to look up the time for my flight home. It first informed me that I had two flights scheduled (I only had one), and when I asked to put the correct flight info on my calendar, Gemini added a completely invented flight to New York instead. (I live in Cincinnati.) Gemini also failed to account for traffic when I asked what time to leave for the airport, even though Google Maps provides this info on its own. And because Gemini can't search through secondary calendars —like the one my wife and I use to coordinate pretty much everything—it's been largely worthless for looking important dates. Gemini Live, the conversational voice mode you can use it without touching the screen, had some issues as well. I tried using it to research a story on satellite messaging, only to later discover in my own research that Gemini got a half-dozen facts wrong. Later I asked Gemini to act like a stenographer, transcribing some thoughts of mine for this story, but it kept interrupting and failed to capture large chunks of what I said. Even Gemini Live's ballyhooed Camera Mode feels a bit like a parlor trick—albeit an impressive one. While pointing your camera at the real world, Gemini can identify and answer questions about what it sees. It recognized a mango tree on the aforementioned Florida trip, for instance, and told me that none of the fruit looked ripe enough to eat. But when I asked why my aloe plant at home looked red and droopy, the insight was no different than if I'd just asked the same question in a Google search. (Too much water, or maybe not enough, Gemini said.) Camera Mode's ability to understand your surroundings may ultimately be a better fit for smart glasses that can easily ingest more information. Keep in mind that none of these features are Pixel-exclusive. Gemini is also the default assistant on Samsung's latest flagships, and it's a free download on iOS. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9a doesn't support some of the exclusive features Google does offer, like transcript summaries in the Recorder app, phone call summarization, and an app for organizing your screenshots. Oddly enough, the Pixel AI feature I used the most is one that predates the ChatGPT era: When you get a call from an unknown number, tapping 'Call Screen' asks the caller to explain who they are, and then shows you a transcript of their response. It's an immensely satisfying way to deal with spammers and telemarketers, most of whom just hang up. For Gemini to really make a difference on phones, it will need to interact with more apps and services, handle data from Google's own services more reliably, and be better at not making stuff up. I don't feel like the Pixel 9a is much closer to doing those things than previous Pixels, it just has a few more AI tricks bolted on. Still a fine phone Odd as it may seem to relegate the actual phone features to an afterthought, that pretty much reflects how I feel about the Pixel 9a. For $500, it's a pretty good phone that I've been using in place of my usual flagships—an iPhone 16 Pro Max and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5—largely without complaint. Yes, there are trade-offs. The camera array is less sophisticated, which mostly became an issue when I really wanted to zoom in on something. Battery life, while better than the Pixel 9, doesn't match Google's and Apple's 'Pro' level phones and led to some charging anxiety on long days. The bezels around the display are thicker. The edges are aluminum and not stainless steel, and the rear panel is plastic instead of glass. The front glass, meanwhile, is less resistant to drop damage. Still, I never felt like the Pixel 9a was hindering me from doing what I needed to do, which was to see how Google's AI-first vision for Android has manifested over the past year. And the verdict, so far, is that it mostly hasn't.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Google's Surprising Update—Make Your Pixel More Like iPhone
Pixel is suddenly more like iPhone Google is narrowing the security and privacy gap between Android and iPhone, with Pixel the unbeatable front-runner when it comes those new features. Now users are reporting the best update yet — it's a single click but it completely changes your phone. We're talking Android 16's game-changing Advanced Data Protection, which locks down Android in an iPhone-like manner preventing any apps being installed from outside Play Store, still Android's biggest security and privacy vulnerability. This wasn't expected in beta, and so will surprise users seeing this new setting now. The new mode also stops users connecting to dangerous networks, enforces safe browsing and enables the new scam and fraud defenses that Google is rolling out. Per Android Authority, Google is now 'letting Android 16 testers try Advanced Protection mode for maximum phone security,' helping users who enable the new setting 'secure your phone from outside threats, even yourself, in one click.' Google says this new mode provides its 'strongest protections against targeted attacks,' advising that it's for 'users who need heightened security.' But in my view it's much more widely applicable and adds sensible precautions for everyday users, especially those with less expertise who would welcome the reassurance. In short, it turns a Pixel and eventually other Androids into something more akin to an iPhone. New security mode is now available. Android is also moving ahead of iPhone with it's new Intrusion Detection feature, which in an 'industry-first,' Google says, 'securely backs up device logs in a privacy-preserving and tamper-resistant way, accessible only to the user. These logs enable a forensic analysis if a device compromise is ever suspected.' You cannot tweak Google's new security mode, it's either on or off. It's disabled by default, but I'd recommend you enable it when it's available to you. Either in beta now or in the stable Android 16 release which is expected from next month. As Android Authority says, 'it's like a security blanket that aims to make sure your device is safe from known threats, like no sideloading, USB data access, and more.' Google says there will be more to come: 'We are committed to continuously expanding the security and privacy capabilities within Advanced Protection, so users can benefit from the best of Android's powerful security features.' That includes an API enabling third-party apps to shore up their own security when this is enabled.
GSM Arena
29-05-2025
- Business
- GSM Arena
Google Pixel 10 series will keep this important connectivity feature despite modem swap Comments
CAD renders for the Google Pixel 10 show a third camera, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL also with three
