Google first announced the Pixel 10 series of devices exactly a week ago, and they become officially available on shelves today, minus the Fold. Between then and now, the internet search giant gave us the opportunity to get an early look at the devices, with the Pro model landing in my hands.
And one of the first things I’d noticed with the Google Pixel 10 Pro is its weight. It’s a pretty dense device, which is a tad ironic when it’s named after one of millions of light-emitting dots on a screen. This may have to do with the 4,780 mAh battery, but there are lighter phones with bigger batteries out there.
Before we dive any deeper though, let’s start with the colour of this particular unit. Google calls this colour Jade, but the Lemongrass name for the base Pixel 10 may be a better fit. Or maybe I’m just too used to dark coloured jade used in Chinese jewelry. That being said, it gets accented quite well by the camera island and the very reflective sides, which look like something between brass and gold. The same colour applies to the Google logo too, I should mention.
The size of it – in its 6.3-inch form factor – feels just about perfect. Adding to that are the flat glass panels in front and at the back, with the curved being just strictly on the metallic sides, and it feels great in hand. But because of its heft, plus the slippery sides and back, there’s a real anxiety about possibly dropping the Google Pixel 10 Pro. Oddly enough, being able to rest the massive camera bump against my index finger while swiping ended up being pretty reassuring, as much as a placebo as it is.
On the subject of camera bump, there’s an underappreciated bright side to it being as massive as it is. Because it is evenly spread, it doesn’t wobble when you place it on a table. Which is surprisingly refreshing, as many phones that endeavour to restrict the bump to a corner end up being wobbling when you put it down. And that can be pretty annoying at times.
Something that can get a bit annoying at times, and requires getting used to, is the button placement. The Google Pixel 10 Pro – and the rest of its siblings – have the power button over the volume rocker. Not an immediate issue, but it may hit you when you’re listening to a podcast video, and end up turning off the screen instead of adjusting the volume.
Considering it’s a flagship device, it will be very unlikely for you to get a scrolling experience that anything but smooth. Not much to say on software that’s especially groundbreaking. Sure, Material 3 Expressive is very, well, expressive with its transition animations, but I suspect the novelty of it will fade in the matter of days. On the flip side, I can imagine missing the very animated UI once you’ve gotten used to it and then moving away. Of particular note is the Pixel Weather app and its very animated rain background.
Perhaps deserving of mention are the Pixel-exclusive bits, like being able to access AI Mode for Search directly from the Google app widget. There’s naturally also the Magic Cue, but that would take a more in-depth review to evaluate. Then there’s the not so exclusive stuff like generating media using Veo 3.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is available starting today, and you have 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options. These are priced at RM4,999, RM5,499, RM6,099 and RM7,299 respectively.
Photography by Adrian Low, Sam Wei Han
