Google Pixel 10 Review: The Cheapest Phone With a Real 5x Telephoto
By Alex Turner • 3 October 2026 • 9 min read
The Verdict
The most complete camera system at this price, an excellent battery, and an update commitment that outlasts most people’s ownership. It is held back by a weak ultrawide, real weight, and a chip that loses on raw performance. Buy it for the cameras and the longevity, not for speed.
Google put the telephoto in the cheap one
The most significant thing about the Pixel 10 is a decision, not a feature. For years, a proper telephoto was how manufacturers separated their standard phone from their Pro. Google broke that. The standard Pixel 10 has a 10.8MP periscope with 5x optical zoom — and at £799, nothing else at the price offers optical reach like it.
That matters because zoom is the one camera capability you cannot fake convincingly. Software can do a lot for low light and dynamic range. It cannot invent detail that never reached the sensor.
Cameras
The three-camera setup is the most complete at this price. The 48MP main is the workhorse and behaves like a Pixel main camera has for years — reliable, slightly contrasty, excellent in poor light. The 13MP ultrawide is the weakest of the three and noticeably softer at the edges.
The 5x telephoto is the reason to buy this phone. Its f/3.1 aperture means it wants light, and indoors at 5x you will see it fall back on processing. But outdoors it produces shots that simply are not available on an iPhone 17 at the same price.
Performance and the Tensor question
Tensor G5 is where expectations need managing. In raw benchmark terms it does not match the A19 or the Exynos 2600, and if you play demanding games at high settings you will find the gap. Tensor was never built to win benchmarks — it is built around Google’s on-device AI, and that is where the Pixel earns its keep. Gemini Nano runs locally, so the features that depend on it work with no connection and nothing leaving the device.
Whether that trade is worth it depends entirely on whether you use those features. If you do, no other phone does this as well. If you don’t, you are paying for silicon that loses on raw speed.
Battery
4,970mAh is the largest battery here and the Pixel 10 is the most dependable of the three for a long day. The cost is weight: at 204g it is noticeably the heaviest, 37g more than the Galaxy S26. Charging at 30W is mid-table. Qi2 magnetic wireless is a real convenience upgrade, and it means the large accessory ecosystem built for MagSafe now works properly on a Pixel.
PROS
- Genuine 5x optical telephoto at this price
- Largest battery of the current flagships
- Seven years of OS updates
- Gemini Nano runs on-device
- Qi2 magnetic wireless charging
CONS
- Tensor G5 loses on raw performance
- Heaviest of the three at 204g
- Ultrawide is the weak link
- 128GB base storage with no card slot
Detailed Specifications
| Display | 6.3in OLED, 1080 x 2424, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Brightness | 2,000 nits high brightness, 3,000 nits peak |
| Processor | Google Tensor G5 (3nm) |
| Memory | 12GB RAM |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB (non-expandable) |
| Cameras | Rear: 48MP f/1.7 (OIS) + 10.8MP f/3.1 5x telephoto + 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide | Front: 10.5MP f/2.2 |
| Battery | 4,970mAh, 30W wired, 15W Qi2 wireless |
| Operating System | Android 16, 7 years of OS updates |
| Dimensions | 152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm, 204g |
| Durability | Gorilla Glass Victus 2, aluminium frame, IP68 |
| Price (RRP) | £799 (128GB), £899 (256GB) |
RRP shown is the manufacturer’s UK recommended price and was correct at the time of writing. Retail prices change frequently — always check the live price before buying. We may earn a commission from links on this page. We have not independently tested this device; any measured figures are attributed to the publication that recorded them.