Google Pixel phones need power and parity to fix a confusing product strategy in 2026
Shift the strategy
· TechRadarOpinion By Jamie Richards published 24 December 2025
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At the end of 2025, Google occupies a unique position in the smartphone industry – while Apple and Samsung duke it out over who can cram the fastest silicon or very best cameras into their latest flagship handsets, Google focuses on the user experience, meaningful upgrades, and versatility.
More than anything else, the Google Pixel 10 is the software lover’s flagship phone. The tech giant’s latest flagship phone lineup comprises one standard model, the Pixel 10, a more powerful Pixel 10 Pro and enlarged Pixel 10 Pro XL, and foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
All four phones run a lightweight, near-stock version of Android that comes with a heaped helping of AI features. Google Pixel phones use Google Tensor chipsets, which aren’t as powerful as Apple’s A-series mobile chipsets or the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets found in Galaxy phones, so Google really leans on its software experience to give its phones value.
For the most part, this has paid off pretty well. The Google Pixel 10 is our current pick for the best Android phone for everybody, meaning its user experience is friendly and useful to new and expert users alike.
And on the high-end of the lineup, our four-and-a-half star Google Pixel 10 Pro XL review praises the phone’s software and AI experience as unintrusive and powerful, true to the nature of the Pixel lineup.
But that software experience isn’t quite the same on the standard Google Pixel 10 – indeed, there are a handful of cool and interesting features that only the Pro models get (as our Google Pixel 10 review highlights), which I’ve always found to be an odd choice for a flagship lineup that leans so heavily on software.
Specifically, the Google Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold get new call screening and call log features that can check for spammers and take notes while you’re on the phone.
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