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Android Authority
5 days ago
- Android Authority
Exclusive: Google Pixel 10's display could hurt your eyes less — but only if you go Pro
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority TL;DR The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL displays could be better for people who are sensitive to PWM dimming. Google is considering an upgrade to 480Hz dimming for the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL. The regular model, as well as the Fold, may stick to 240Hz. The displays are also planned to be brighter by about 200 nits across the board. Since the launch of the Pixel 9 series, Google has been revising its Pixel strategy. Instead of the Pro Pixels being larger, slightly better versions of the base Pixels as they had been in previous years, the Pro tier became a whole different class of phones. This year, that trend continues, with all evidence suggesting the baseline Pixel 10 will be closer to the A series Pixels than the Pro models. It appears that Google will lean into this growing divide even further with its display tech, as we've learned that the Pixel 10 is considering a display with a higher PWM frequency — but only on the Pro models. You're reading an Authority Insights story. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. DC vs PWM dimming explained Before we get to the main part of the article, a bit of background about display dimming, as it's a complex topic. There are two main ways to do it — DC (voltage) and PWM (pulse width modulation). The two approaches have fundamental differences, which I've illustrated in the diagrams below (check here to see the Matlab script that created this illustration). Kamila Wojciechowska / Android Authority DC dimming simply lowers the voltage that's connected to the display to lower its brightness. This has its advantages — it's a very simple concept, generally provides decent results on LCDs and doesn't have any 'side effects' on the human perception of displays it's used in. Unfortunately, that's where the advantages end. The circuitry for DC dimming is more complex and pretty inefficient. Another problem is that it's hard to create a circuit that will be able to provide a wide range of voltage to enable dimming the display down to very low levels. It also doesn't work super well with OLEDs; due to the complicated chemistry involved, lowering voltage not only decreases the brightness, but also affects the color response in a fairly unpredictable way. That's where PWM steps in. Instead of lowering the voltage, it leaves it at the rated value, but only turns the panel on for a selected percentage of the time. Obviously, this wouldn't work really well if, say, we turned the display on and off every half second, so it needs to happen really fast. At just a few hundred hertz (or times per second), this switching becomes nearly invisible to the human eye. Unfortunately, this comes with a caveat — some people are sensitive to this, and will get headaches from using displays that are dimmed like this, unless they are run at a very high frequency. Other than this, however, PWM dimming only has advantages — the color reproduction is impacted to a way smaller degree, it's very easy to get really dim, and it's a more efficient technology. What is changing with the Pixel 10 series? Google Pixels have utilized PWM dimming for a while, but unfortunately, Google left the PWM frequency fairly low. The Pixel 9 Pro only refreshed at around 240Hz. Following the launch of the Pixel 9a, Google was asked about the lack of updates to help fix the flicker concerns, and it hinted to Android Central that it would provide some progress with the Pixel 10. Thankfully, that appears to be coming true — but only if you're planning to shell out for the Pro or Pro XL. The new phones are expected to run at 480Hz PWM refresh rate — at least in some conditions, as they may also support 240Hz. This isn't great, but it's still an improvement, which would track with Google's recent stance on the matter. As a comparison, some phones support a whopping 4320Hz PWM, a nine-fold advantage over Google's phones. I've compiled a table comparing the Pixel 10 Pro range's potential upgrade to some of its competitors below: Phone Maximum PWM rate Pixel 9 series 240 Hz Pixel 10/10 Pro Fold 240 Hz Pixel 10 Pro/10 Pro XL 480 Hz Apple iPhone 16 series 480 Hz Samsung Galaxy S25 series 480 Hz Xiaomi 15 Ultra 1920 Hz Honor Magic 6 Pro 4320 Hz Other than that, the Pixel 10 series is only expected to enjoy minor display upgrades. The sizes and resolutions appear to be staying the same, while the declared (HDR) peak brightness should be getting bumped up around 200 nits across the board. This, however, isn't really an issue as the displays are already excellent after the Pixel 9 series massively upgraded them across the board. Phone Brightness (HDR, declared) Pixel 9 1800 nits Pixel 10 2000 nits Pixel 9 Pro | Pro XL 2050 nits Pixel 10 Pro | Pro XL 2250 nits Pixel 9 Pro Fold 1600 nits (internal) | 1800 nits (external) Pixel 10 Pro Fold 1850 nits (internal) | 2050 nits (external) While it's good to see Google finally taking steps to address such a critical issue, it's disappointing that it could lock that solution to its most expensive phones. Hopefully, this will be amended for future generations. Whatever the case, we'll know for sure when the Google Pixel 10 series finally arrives, with an official launch expected sometime in August.
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Switch 2 Resellers Drive Thriving Market in Japan Despite Crackdown
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter with reporting and analysis about the business of tech from Bloomberg's journalists around the world. Today, Mayumi Negishi reports on the backlash against scalpers who are finding ways to obtain and sell the new Switch 2 game console outside the authorized retail outlets. Help us improve Bloomberg's newsletters: Take a quick survey to share your thoughts on your signup experience and what you'd like to see in the future.
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Forbes
Google Pixel 9a Review: Built For Young Professionals
When I first started my career in tech journalism, I needed a new phone, but I was broke as heck. I simply couldn't justify spending a thousand bucks on a flagship; I needed a balance of power and price for my work. At the time, my choice, the Google Pixel 4a, delivered exactly what I was seeking: a good camera, a solid battery life and all the apps to chat with my friends. Years later, the latest Google A-series device, the Google Pixel 9a, aims to address this exact scenario I encountered. It's aimed at new professionals, only with a slew of more-powerful AI features and nice design tweaks. At $500, the new Pixel device claims to blend affordability with performance. But does it hold up to daily wear and tear? I tested the Google Pixel 9a for more than one month, taking into account its performance, battery life and more. Read on to learn more and see my verdict in my full Google Pixel 9a review. Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Display size: 6.3 inches | Display type: Super Actua, 60-120Hz variable refresh rate, 1080 x 2424 resolution | RAM: 18GB | Storage: 128GB, 256GB | Battery: Typical 5,100mAh | Camera: 48MP wide, 12MP ultrawide | Processor: Google Tensor G4 Best for: Skip if: One way to immediately distinguish a Pixel from other smartphones on the market is to flip it over: Every Pixel 9-series device, including my current carry, the Google Pixel 9 Pro, sports a sleek camera bar that's part of its signature look. You look at it, and you automatically know it's a Google device. The Pixel 9a removes the camera bar for a flush look. To be blunt, I'm a little jarred by this change. I'm so used to seeing it on the device, and to not have this signature style feels a bit off. I suspect this change is for good reason, though: I dropped my Pixel 9 Pro multiple times, and the camera bar was the first place to sport dings and dents. By removing this, it keeps the overall design sleeker and less prone to accidental damage. For young professionals who want to elongate their phone's lifespan, that's crucial. The display is a hair larger than the Pixel 9 Pro's 6.1 inches, and it's also not as pixel-dense, either; the Pixel 9a has 422.2 pixels per inch (PPI) in its display while the 9 Pro has a 495 PPI. Basically, that means there aren't as many pixels to create a superfine resolution. That shouldn't deter you, though. When I watched shows on the device, the images still looked sharp and crisp, with vivid colors to balance out scenes from Arcane and Modern Family. It doesn't get as bright as the Pixel 9 Pro and hits 2,700 nits at its highest brightness, but that's still pretty darn impressive. You'll only have issues seeing the display in sunlight if you're using dark mode. Expect an all-day battery, too: There were moments I forgot to charge it and was pleasantly surprised that it had 40% left. Technically, it's a typical 5,100mAh battery, which would put it ahead of the 9 Pro, but I found it to be on par with my Pixel 9 Pro. The Google Pixel 9a's chipset could be stronger. Yes, it's the Google Tensor G4 chip, but that processor has historically given me subpar benchmarking. Its single-core scores weren't too far off from its flagship sibling. When I ran the benchmarking, the Pixel 9a received a 1,691 single-core score and a 4,294 multicore score; the Pixel 9 Pro received scores of 1,897 and 4,300, respectively. You can game on it, and the device can run games like Genshin Impact on it, but just be mindful that you may not get as detailed graphics, and the device gets pretty darn toasty. At this price point, you have to expect some trade-offs, including the 8GB this device offers, instead of the 12GB the Google Pixel 9 and the 16GB the Google Pixel 9 Pro offer. If you're playing casual games like Candy Crush or my all-time favorite go-to mobile game, Stardew Valley, then the device runs them just fine. But it's not just about the processor. Google brings the full Gemini framework to this device, and that access feels crucial. One of my favorite things to do is ask Gemini to plan my vacations to get a sense of how quickly it can review my request and craft a response; processing times can vary. The processor does the job quickly, and I got a useful, easy-to-follow itinerary, but as I've found before, it's not without its flaws. For a Dublin tour, it tried to send me to a currently closed museum. Over the years, I've experienced plenty of moments when the AI models spewed out incorrect models, so just make sure you review your information if you're using it to plan a vacation. Personally, I find Gemini to be one of the more complete AI models available, and to have access on an entry-level device is incredible. I'm a fan, and for young professionals looking for a new device, having this access feels essential now. One of the features that always makes me switch my phones back to the original lineup is Google's camera quality. While its competition gives more saturation, low-light photography and post-process finishing, Google's lenses have usually captured more detail, which is something I love when I'm editing photos of my tabby cat to send to my parents. The Google Pixel 9a camera is pretty darn good considering its sub-$500 price tag. The 48MP Quad PD Dual Pixel lens comes with optical image stabilization, which is great for those who just want to point and snap. Tack on a 13MP ultrawide lens, and the combination is good enough for capturing most shots, especially if you're only planning on snapping photos of your cats or kids. You won't get the 48MP telephoto lens that the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Google 9 Pro XL get, but that's not the end of the world. You also miss out on the 8K recording the Pixel 9 Pro has, but it can capture 4K at 30 and 60fps. I also liked its 5x optical zoom, but, again, when you zoom in, you'll lose some of the details. You still get access to a host of important features—mainly, Google's AI photo features. Add Me, AI Magic Editor, Best Take and more are offered on this camera. When I zoomed in on shots of my cat, Toby, there was some minor pixelation. I personally don't find any major issue with this—odds are, if you're considering this device, those photos are going on your socials, not being blown up for full display in your living room. Plus, the fact that Google kept the 48MP lens is good enough for most needs. Having used a Google Pixel A-series device as my main device as I began my career in tech journalism, I had high hopes for the Pixel 9a. Those high hopes proved to be accurate. The device more than delivers for young professionals or Android users who want a powerful phone without spending four figures. While you'll see some minor trade-offs in the processor and the cameras, it's still perfectly suitable for casual users who are fully invested in the Google ecosystem. At $500 for 128GB and $600 for 256GB, it's built for those who are seeking what I wanted years ago. If you're seeking the best of the best, especially when it comes to your cameras, you should still stick with the Google Pixel 9 Pro or its larger sibling, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. But if you want a smaller device that can showcase Google Gemini tricks, and you don't care about the cameras, the Pixel 9a is a great choice. The Forbes Vetted team has published hundreds of tech and electronic guides that leverage our hands-on testing and research, including audio stories for all of your listening needs like wireless headphones, wireless earbuds, outdoor speakers and more. I tested the Google Pixel 9a for more than one month. Though I took calls and surfed the internet on the device, I also dove deeper into its features.
