These New Pixel 10 Features Will Challenge The Competition

With the launch of Android 16, many expect the first smartphones to ship with the latest version of the OS will be Google’s Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro. While the focus will no doubt be placed on both the new capabilities of Android and the increased application of artificial intelligence, some huge hardware changes should not go unnoticed.

New Camera Choices In The Pixel 10

The changes focus on the camera. It’s already clear that Google is adding a telephoto lens to the Pixel 10; the Pixel 9’s wide-angle and ultrawide-angle lens will be joined by a telephoto lens. This isn’t a direct addition… the Pixel 9’s with the 50 megapixel wide and 48 megapixel ultrawide will be bumped down to a 48 megapixel wide and 13 megapixel ultrawide pairing (a pairing that matches that of the Pixel 9a). Nevertheless, the telephoto will be welcome both in use and by the marketing team.

The camera system is expected to feature gimbal-like stabilization across the entire Pixel 10 family. Using a mix of optical image stabilization, software-based electronic image stabilization, and AI algorithms, the Pixel 10 camera system should allow for sharper images thanks to the steadying influence of the hardware compensating for dynamic movement while the phone’s camera is being used.

The Pixel 10 Sets The Standard

The Pixel 10 has a critical role to play in the smartphone ecosystem. As the entry-level Pixel smartphone, it will challenge the current “flagship-killer” handsets in price and capability. With it, Google will be looking to set the standard that consumers should expect at this price point.

While the Pixel range plays a part in defining what it means to be a smartphone—be it a flagship, a foldable, or the base function of a phone—the Pixel 10 will arguably be the Pixel that can have the most significant impact on the ecosystem.

Adding a telephoto lens and image stabilisation sets another marker for the competition. Whether it is a justification for a decision already made in their design process, or a push to include these elements in the next phone, the Pixel 10 represents Google’s image of what a smartphone should be.

And that view now includes some big steps forward for the camera.

Now read the lates Pixel 10 and Android headlines in Forbes’ weekly smartphone digest…