When it comes to smartphones, Google’s Pixel devices are some of the best, but what if you’re only considering a Pixel and you want to know what the best Google Pixel smartphones are? Well, we’ve got you covered with a list of Pixel phones that fit that category and are worthy of the label. That being said, there’s no one “ best Pixel phone ” for everybody. What might be the best Pixel phone for me might not be the best Pixel phone for you. And that’s because you might value different things in your phone than I value in mine.
Not worry, though, this is all part of the wonderful nature of Android, because there are several choices and you can choose which one suits you best. Regardless, we’re still going to rate these and list off the best models for different things. If you’re looking for the best Pixel for battery life, for example, or just the best one in general.
- Best Google Pixel smartphone
- Best Foldable Google Pixel Smartphone
- Best Big Google Pixel Smartphone
- Best Small Flagship Google Pixel Smartphone
- Best Budget Google Pixel Smartphone
Best Google Pixel smartphone
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is hands down the best Pixel smartphone you can currently buy. It’s got the best features, and it’s the best compromise between price and function. Making it a well-rounded option for those who want the best and are willing to pay a little more for it.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is the best overall Pixel phone for your money right now for more than a few reasons. For one, it starts at $999, and that’s going to be a little cheaper than the Pixel 10 Pro XL model. It might come with a slightly smaller display, but that’s actually a positive. The smaller screen makes it more pocket-friendly. Phones are already big enough these days, and at 6.3 inches, the Pixel 10 Pro is not small. However, it is smaller than 6.8 inches, so you won’t end up with as big of a bulge in your jean pockets. Plus, the smaller size makes it easier to fit in those tiny pockets on your gym shorts. It’s just an all-around better option.
The Pixel 10 Pro also has an amazing camera, and it has the vapor chamber for better cooling of the device under heavy-load tasks. Paired with the new Tensor G5 chipset, the Pixel 10 Pro is well-equipped to handle all the Gemini-powered features. It should also do games decently, too, but keep in mind that this isn’t a gaming phone and performance does lag behind other flagships, unfortunately. And, our favorite thing about it is that it supports Qi2 wireless charging. That means you don’t need a case to use the magnetic charging accessories. Finally! It has an incredibly bright display as well.
Pros
- Qi2 is here! No case required
- One of the better designed smartphones on the market
- Incredibly bright display
Cons
- Battery life is just average
- Portrait Mode is still behind the competition
- Benchmarks and raw performance lag behind
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro is quite literally one of the most stylish phones on the market currently. Part of this is due to the gorgeous Moonstone colorway, but also that matte finish and the overall design with the rounded corners and pill-shaped camera bump that stretches across nearly the entire width of the phone. This is a much better-looking camera bump than what most phones are using, and we’d venture to say better than any camera bump from any other device, honestly. Not to mention, the fact that it’s so wide instead of being shoved into the corner means the phone doesn’t wobble if you press on the opposite corner when you have this phone sitting with the display facing up.
Aesthetics aside, the Pixel 10 Pro is a masterful device when it comes to AI features and (most) camera functions. It takes really good quality photos, even if the Portrait Mode photos lag a little behind other high-end flagships. And as for AI, all the Gemini integration makes for some very slick features. Like taking a picture of your ingredients and getting a recipe with what to make. Or snapping a photo of something you can’t identify and having Gemini feed you back the answer. Then following it up by asking if you’d like to see more relevant content about it. These are all things the Pixel 10 Pro can do and it becomes quite handy to have on a day-to-day basis.
The display being so bright also makes it so that you can see the phone in almost any situation. Even out in the direct sunlight, it shouldn’t be an issue. And it’s all thanks to the 3,300 nits peak brightness. Battery life is good, just not as good as some other phones from different brands. However, it should easily last you a day. You also get 7 years of software updates. That means you’ll be able to buy the Pixel 10 Pro and you should get the update for Android 23 several years down the road.
Display: 6.3″ QHD+ 120Hz LTPO
Brightness: 3,300 nits peak
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Processor: Google Tensor G5
RAM and Storage: 16GB RAM, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
Cameras: 50MP primary, 48MP 5x telephoto, 48MP ultrawide
Battery: 4,870mAh
Charging: 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging (Google’s official ratings)
Colors: Moonstone, Jade, Porcelain, Obsidian
Android Version: Android 16
Software Support: 7 years of updates (through August 2032)
AI Software: Google Gemini, Circle to Search
Camera Score: 163 via DXOMark (Ranked 5th Globally) (Score is based on the Pixel 10 Pro XL, but it has the exact same cameras as the Pixel 10 Pro)
Camera Features: Pro Res Zoom up to 100x, Camera Coach, 8K video recording, Pro Controls, Face Unblur, Night Sight, Add Me, Auto Best Take
Battery Life Score: 19 hours and 46 minutes (ranked 41st among phones Android Headlines has reviewed)
Charging Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes to 100%.
Best Foldable Google Pixel Smartphone
If you’re looking for a Pixel foldable, then the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is probably the device you should be looking at. It’ll have all the good parts of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold that improved upon the first model, plus the further refinements that Google added after learning more about this device category following last year’s launch.
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the best Pixel foldable for a couple of reasons. The differences between the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold are somewhat minimal. However, Google has made improvements and when the older model might still be the same price depending on the retailer, you might as well go for the newer model. Even if the updates aren’t making a massive difference.
So, at the end of the day, the best Foldable in the Pixel genre is the latest iteration. The Pixel 10 Pro officially launches on October 9.
Pros
- Good cameras, not the best on a foldable however
- Bright, readable displays
- AI features are top-notch
- Great build quality
- First foldable with IP68 rating
- Good battery life for a foldable
Cons
- Heavier and thicker than the competition
- Still Expensive
- No major camera upgrades
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold makes some incremental improvements over last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, while also upgrading some of the hardware for an even better user experience. One such upgrade is the Google Tensor G5 chip inside the phone. This promises to deliver improved performance over last year’s chip, while also improving the performance of Gemini and other AI features specifically. The Tensor G5 is also more efficient, so you end up getting more performance power out of the device, while the chip is using less power to run its tasks. Ultimately, that should translate to better battery life compared to the older model. Speaking of the battery, the battery on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is larger compared to last year, so that will help with battery life as well.
The phone also comes with noticeably brighter displays, and with so much screen real estate to work with, you certainly want the screens to be as bright as they can be. This will allow you to see things better in direct sunlight and in brighter rooms, helping you cut down on glare. The cameras are unchanged but they produce a pretty decent image, and those images will benefit from Google’s latest AI-powered image-editing features. So, overall a really good phone if the foldable space.
Display: 6.4-inch Actua Display (cover display), 8-inch Super Actua Flex Display (inner display)
Brightness: Up to 2800 nits (HDR) and up to 3000 nits (peak brightness) for the cover display/Up to 1800 nits (HDR) and 3000 nits (peak brightness) for the inner display
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass
Processor: Google Tensor G5
RAM and Storage: 16GB RAM, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage
Cameras: 48 MP Quad PD wide, 10.5 MP Dual PD ultrawide, 10.8 MP Dual PD telephoto
Battery: 5015mAh
Charging: 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging
Colors: Moonstone, Jade
Android Version: Android 16
Software Support: 7 years of software updates (through October 2032)
AI Software: Google Gemini, Circle to Search
Camera Score: The camera score hasn’t been published yet
Camera Features: Pro controls, Super Res Zoom up to 20x, Add Me, Night Sight, Face Unblur, Top Shot, 4K video recording, Video Boost
Battery Life Score: Battery Life score not yet available, as the Android Headlines review is still in progress
Charging Time: Charging time not yet available, as the Android Headlines review is still in progress
Best Big Google Pixel Smartphone
This should be pretty obvious, as it’s going to be the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL . It has all the trappings of the Pixel 10 Pro, which we feel is the best Pixel smartphone out there, and it adds the luxury of a bigger display, if that’s what you’re looking for. While it’s nice to have a smaller phone for smaller pockets, it’s really nice to have a bigger phone for viewing content. Which is why you want to go with the Pixel 10 Pro XL if you like having a larger display for videos, games, browsing, and more.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is the best overall Pixel phone for people who want that larger display. At 6.8 inches, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is plenty big for anything you do on your smartphone. Whether that’s browsing the web, replying to texts, taking photos, or watching videos on YouTube. Or all of the above. The bigger screen here is large enough to improve your entertainment while also not having to squint to read stuff.
In addition, it gets extremely bright and that makes it easy to see in pretty much any lighting scenario. If you use your phone outside a lot, then this is a big deal. While it is a bit spendy with a starting price of $1,199.99, it has the largest display, the best cameras, and a decent battery. There’s not a lot you can’t love with this phone.
Pros
- Bright and Brilliant display
- Excellent use of AI to improve the user experience
- Good battery life, still room for improvement
- Tensor G5 is far more efficient than I was expecting
- Starts at 256GB of storage FINALLY
Cons
- Technically a price increase this year
- No SIM card slot in the US
Basically everything that’s awesome about the Pixel 10 Pro, is the same stuff that’s awesome about the Pixel 10 Pro XL. The main differences here are the display size. The larger display is going to be what some people are looking for and prefer. It also comes with the same great camera system. Another upside to this device is the larger battery. It has a higher capacity than the Pixel 10 Pro model and if you value a phone that lasts just that little bit longer, then you’ll love this device. Not to mention, it also supports a faster charging rate. Wired charging is up to 45W, and wireless charging is up to 25W. This is a big boost over the 30W and 15W you’ll see on the Pixel 10 Pro. Because faster charging means less time you need to spend waiting for your phone to finish powering up.
Like the Pixel 10 Pro, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is also one of the most stylish smartphones on the market. It comes in the same colors, too. So you get options for that stunning Moonstone color, as well as the intriguing new Jade option. This is an all-around excellent phone for Pixel fans or first-time Pixel buyers who want the best cameras and the biggest screen.
Display: 6.8″ QHD+ 120Hz LTPO
Brightness: 3,300 nits peak
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Processor: Google Tensor G5
RAM and Storage: 16GB RAM, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
Cameras: 50MP primary, 48MP 5x telephoto, 48MP ultrawide
Battery: 5,200mAh
Charging: 45W wired charging and 25W wireless charging (Google’s official ratings)
Colors: Moonstone, Jade, Porcelain, Obsidian
Android Version: Android 16
Software Support: 7 years of updates (through August 2032)
AI Software: Google Gemini, Circle to Search
Camera Score: 163 via DXOMark (5th in global rankings)
Camera Features: Pro Res Zoom up to 100x, Camera Coach, 8K video recording, Pro Controls, Face Unblur, Night Sight, Add Me, Auto Best Take
Battery Life Score: 23 hours and 43 minutes (ranked 10th among phones Android Headlines has reviewed)
Charging Time: 1 hour and 19 minutes to 100%.
Best Small Flagship Google Pixel Smartphone
If you’re looking for the best small flagship Pixel phone, then this is without a doubt the Google Pixel 10. Google’s latest offering comes with a whole lot of bang for your buck. It has a few camera updates and an improvement to the battery, while also retaining a more affordable price point for those looking at flagship devices.
Google’s Pixel 10 is the best small flagship phone out there for Pixel fans. Although, this is generally true every year when a new Pixel phone comes out. The combination of the lower price with most of the features from the Pro model (minus some camera features), makes it a hard device to pass up. Because ultimately, it’s still going to take some pretty good photos that most people won’t be complaining about.
The smaller size also makes for an extremely pocketable device that won’t feel bulky in your pants pockets, running shorts, or any other pocket you decide to stuff it into. Not to mention, the new Indigo and Frost colors are pretty striking.
Pros
- Bright and Brilliant display
- Excellent use of AI to improve the user experience
- Good battery life, still room for improvement
- Tensor G5 is far more efficient than I was expecting
- Starts at 256GB of storage FINALLY
Cons
- Technically a price increase this year
- No SIM card slot in the US
The Pixel 10 has a lot going for it this year. Not only did Google improve the camera hardware, but it added new features as well. It also has some of the best battery life of any Pixel, although charging speeds can be a little slow compared to the others. Still, it’ll last you a while so you shouldn’t have to charge it as often. And, it should be fast enough for most people.
What we really love about the Pixel 10 and what we think you’ll love too, is the overall improvement to user experience while retaining a price tag of $799. It’s hard to beat the Pixel 10 as the best flagship phone in a small formfactor. It’s pocketable, powerful, and just a generally smooth device to use when it comes to the user experience and the user interface. Naturally, this is helped by Google’s promise of 7 years of software updates. This means you’ll have a phone that has the most up-to-date version of Android all the way until 2032. While lots of people still upgrade every year or every other year, this is often because the phone end up with out of date software. With the Pixel 10, you won’t have to worry about that for a while.
It also now comes with the telephoto lens so you can take even more amazing photos. And you can’t forget the Pixel Snap functionality that allows you to use MagSafe-compatible accessories for charging. This is probably one of the best additions because it adds a huge quality-of-life improvement. In other words, it’s extremely convenient.
Display: 6.3″ FHD+ 120Hz LTPO
Brightness: 3,000 nits peak
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Processor: Google Tensor G5
RAM and Storage: 12GB RAM, 128GB, or 256GB storage
Cameras: 48MP primary, 10.8MP 5x telephoto, 13MP ultrawide
Battery: 4,970mAh
Charging: 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging (Google’s official ratings)
Colors: Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, Obsidian
Android Version: Android 16
Software Support: 7 years of updates (through August 2032)
AI Software: Google Gemini, Circle to Search
Camera Score: No DXOMark camera score currently
Camera Features: Super Res Zoom up to 20x, Camera Coach, 4K video recording, Face Unblur, Night Sight, Add Me, Auto Best Take
Battery Life Score: 19 hours and 47 minutes (ranked 39th among phones Android Headlines has reviewed)
Charging Time: About 1 hour and 15 minutes to 100%.
Best Budget Google Pixel Smartphone
In the budget category, Google’s Pixel 9a takes the cake here, and rightfully so, as it’s the best option with the lowest price. At a retail price of $499, you get a whole lot of value out of a phone that is hundreds less than Google’s top-tier options.
Google’s Pixel 9a is what we called the “budget beast” thanks to its lower price point, all without giving up too much when it comes to meaningful and powerful features with decent performance for Google’s Pixel lineup. While it won’t be taking the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the cleaners on the performance front, for the average user who just wants a well-rounded phone that works well, and won’t break the bank, you can’t go wrong with the Google Pixel 9a. It looks great, works great, and has a reasonable price tag. What’s not to love?
Pros
- Good camera performance, still a step down from the rest of the Pixel 9 series
- Impressive battery life
- The flat back is amazing
- Loads of color options
- The best haptics in its class
Cons
- Super slow charging
- Gets a tad warm, particularly on mobile data
- Huge bezels, even for a sub-$500 phone
It also has pretty impressive battery life, and for the average user, this is a win. Charging is regrettably slower than we’d like. However, that’s a minor issue when your battery life is as good as it is here. It’ll get you through the day, and then you can just charge your phone overnight. We also really love the flat back of this device and all of its neat color options compared to previous A series Pixels. All of that said, what really makes this special is the combination of all these nice features and traits for a phone that comes in at under $500. That’s incredible. So, if $500 is your maximum budget, then this is the phone you should get.
Display: 6.3″ FHD+ 60Hz-120Hz P-OLED
Brightness: 2,700 nits peak
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Processor: Google Tensor G4
RAM and Storage: 8GB RAM, 128GB, or 256GB storage
Cameras: 48 MP Quad PD Dual Pixel, 13 MP ultrawide
Battery: 5,100mAh
Charging: 23W wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging
Colors: Iris, Peony, Obsidian, Porcelain
Android Version: Android 16
Software Support: 7 years of updates (through April 2032)
AI Software: Google Gemini, Circle to Search
Camera Score: 128 via DXOMark (33rd in global rankings)
Camera Features: Super Res Zoom up to 8x, Add Me, Night Sight, Astrophotography, Face Unblur, 4K video recording
Battery Life Score: 21 hours and 23 minutes (ranked 29th among phones Android Headlines has reviewed)
Charging Time: 1 hour and 32 minutes to 100%.
