The 10th generation of Google Pixel phones is set to arrive in a couple of months. However, looking at the leaks, it’s far from the revolutionary device that captures headlines. We don’t expect Google to pull off the iPhone X moment with a radical redesign and Face ID, and that’s fine. Google isn’t chasing the disruptive, all-or-nothing gamble. I’m more than okay with a measured, thoughtful evolution from the search giant’s flagship offering for 2025.
The Pixel 10 doesn’t need a major redesign
The Pixel 6 was Google’s major design revolution. Before it, Pixels often blended into the crowd with generic designs. The introduction of the bold, horizontal camera bar transformed the Pixel’s aesthetics. Over the years, Google tweaked the design, and in 2025, it’s far from outdated or falling behind competitors. In a market saturated with vertically aligned camera bumps and similar-looking slab phones, the Pixel’s visor stands out.
This design allows for better weight distribution, minimizes wobble when the phone is laid flat, and gives the search giant ample room to include the latest camera tech. Google can play it safe with the Pixel 10’s exterior. Instead of diverting massive R&D sources to a risky new design, Google can funnel those efforts into refining its core strengths.
The company doesn’t face the same pressure Apple did to revolutionize its form factor. In 2017, the iPhone’s design, with its large bezels and a home button, was becoming outdated. Apple had to deliver a major redesign to stay competitive.
Given the hardware changes, I would love to see Google swap the aluminum frame for stainless steel or titanium material. The Pixel 9 series doesn’t scream premium compared to the latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.
Android 16 is mature
Gone are the days when each new Android version brought fundamental re-imaginings of core interactions. For example, the current gesture navigation is intuitive and well-established. It’s efficient and provides a full-screen, button-free experience that was once considered transformative.
Android received a visual redesign with Android 12’s Material You. This stylistic refresh changed the look and feel of Android from its previous Material Design iterations. Google can continue to evolve its design language through refinements, much like the progression from Material Design to Material You and now towards Material Expressive.
Google is in a comfortable position. It doesn’t have an outdated software design to rectify. The foundation is robust, distinctive, and modern. This allows the company to focus on stability and polish the user experience.
The Pixel’s strength is software and AI, and not hardware flamboyance
Here is where Google differentiates itself from Chinese OEMs. The Pixel line, especially since the Tensor era (the Pixel 6 and onwards), has taken a different path. While its design is distinctive (thanks to the camera bar), it’s not flamboyant. Instead, Google’s competitive arena is what the phone can do, powered by its intelligent software and custom AI hardware.
Google has showcased some of the remarkable AI capabilities in the Pixel 9 series, and I can’t wait to see what the search giant comes up with in the 10th generation. Google’s AI tweaks aren’t only app-based. They are deeply integrated into the operating system.
Google doesn’t need to reinvent the exterior every year because the innovation happens inside. This strategy leads to a polished, reliable, and more useful device. While we don’t have any leaks on the Pixel 10’s new AI tricks, I wouldn’t be surprised if Google introduces a few neat AI add-ons during the official announcement.
Google doesn’t have a good track record with major hardware changes
As much as I like Google’s hardware offerings, the company is a software company. Google’s track record suggests that when it pushes for radical physical changes or introduces complex hardware components, the execution isn’t always flawless out of the gate.
For example, the Pixel 4 was Google’s first attempt at an innovative front-facing hardware system with Face Unlock and Motion Sense. The implementation was riddled with issues. Motion Sense was a niche feature with limited app support and inconsistent performance. As a result, the Pixel 4 wasn’t released in major regions like India. It was more of a gimmick than a game-changer, and no one was surprised when Google ditched it in the Pixel 5.
Even the radically redesigned Pixel 6 was far from perfect. The Pixel 6 series was plagued with bugs and issues, like a slow and unreliable fingerprint scanner, connectivity problems, overheating, and random restarts. Given this history, Google can’t afford another buggy launch due to a major redesign. The safe play here is the smart play.
The Pixel 10 will have major under-the-hood changes
While the Pixel 10 series won’t have the iPhone X moment, it’s far from a small upgrade. I have kept a close eye on the buzz surrounding the Pixel 10, and what excites me about its upcoming launch is the anticipated jump to the Tensor G5 chip.
Tensor G5 is set to be Google’s first 3nm chip. It’s making the leap from Samsung to TSMC for manufacturing. While the Tensor G4 isn’t a slow chip, it doesn’t wow you with raw power like Qualcomm and Apple’s latest offerings.
I expect a major performance boost, as well as better efficiency gains. Previous Tensor chips, while powerful for AI tasks, sometimes faced criticism for overheating. The Tensor G5 is expected to solve these long-standing issues with a major switch. This won’t be a number bump. It will be a foundational upgrade that Pixel fans have been waiting for.
The Pixel 10 will address a critical area in the camera department
While the Pixel’s computational photography for images is groundbreaking, its video camera performance has left many wanting more. For years, the Pixel’s video lagged in areas like dynamic range, consistent exposure, and stabilization.
However, according to a recent leak, the Pixel 10 is set to deliver gimbal-like stabilization and address this long-standing area for improvement. I don’t expect it to match a physical gimbal, but if the Pixel 10’s video performance can rival the iPhone, I would be more than happy to take it. I am a heavy Instagram user and love recording life’s moments on the go, so this potential upgrade alone makes the Pixel 10 exciting.
Comfortable in its own skin
Unlike the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9, the Pixel 10 series won’t be a minor spec bump. Google is expected to deliver major updates to the CPU and video capabilities. That, coupled with efficiency improvements and other incremental changes, should be sufficient for me to upgrade from my trusty Pixel 6. For a moment, I considered Pixel 9a. However, looking at Google’s rumored Pixel 10 series, I’m ready to wait for it.
