Google Pixel 10 series

TomCool

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TL;DR
  • Early Pixel 10 Pro Fold users are unanimously deciding to stick with the phone instead of sending it back as Google’s 15-day return deadline approaches.
  • Buyers report being very happy with the phone’s new design, battery life, and multitasking capabilities.
  • Some users have expressed mild disappointment over the camera setup, but the overall sentiment is pretty positive.



The Pixel 10 Pro Fold went on sale a couple of weeks ago, and early adopters are now facing the big question: keep it or return it? A Reddit thread asking this exact question has filled up with responses in the last few days, and the verdict seems nearly unanimous. Most users are holding on to Google’s latest foldable flagship despite some of its flaws.

For many, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is their very first foldable phone, and it’s changing the way they use their devices.

“It’s my first foldable. Upgraded from Pixel 9 Pro XL, and I honestly love it. It’s changed the way I multitask, and I find myself not pulling out my tablet at all anymore. I think the camera is good enough for me, crease doesn’t bother me, and overall it’s a good phone. I realize it’s not for everyone, but I love it,” one user shared.
Another echoed that sentiment, saying the foldable form factor has been a game-changer:

“Always had slab phones, went from P9PXL to the P10PF, and honestly don’t think I would go back to a slab unless QC issues make it difficult to keep a foldable. I love the foldable form factor, and it has really changed the way I interact with my phone and different apps, from social media to productivity to browsing. I have an iPad Pro that I don’t need to grab as much either.”

Battery life and practicality were also standout features for users.

“It’s my first foldable and I absolutely love it. Currently rocking it with Google’s PixelSnap case, a magnetic phone grip stand, and using a keyboard with a touchpad for extra productivity. Battery life has been great coming from the Pixel 8 — in the time I’ve owned it (launch day), I’ve only needed to boost the charge twice, and that was after heavy use like wireless Android Auto and Wi-Fi tethering for over an hour plus six hours of screen-on time,” another happy owner reported.

Google introduced several meaningful upgrades with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, including a sturdier hinge, IP68 water resistance (a first for foldables), magnetic charging, and more. Judging by the feedback, these improvements seem to be resonating strongly with users, even with those who were skeptical after using previous foldable Pixels.

“I’m gonna keep this one. I actually returned the 9 Pro Fold ‘cause I had the OG Fold and I was mad about it not being the passport ratio. I rocked the 9 Pro and missed the foldy phone, so I did the 10. Hinge and front screen alone are making me keep it. IP68 is just icing on the cake,” one user wrote.
Others also praised the durability and design of the phone.

“Keeping it. It feels much sturdier in folding/unfolding than my P9PF ever did. Weight doesn’t bother me.”
“Keeping it. It’s a lovely phone. I’m over the weight now. I ran the battery down to 0% today for the first time, and it lasted forever. I love the inner screen, more than the Fold 7, although I don’t know why as the crease is worse. PixelSnap is great as a long-term iPhone user.”

Still, not every aspect of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is perfect. At $1,799, the device has pretty mediocre cameras, and some users expressed mild disappointment about the setup. That said, people seem willing to overlook photography weaknesses for the flexibility and usability of the foldable design.
“Honestly, the cameras didn’t even factor into my decision. I don’t take that many photos these days,” one commenter admitted.

“I switched from an iPhone to this foldable, and it was a bit scary. I’m keeping it because it has made my life so much easier when traveling for work — the ability to ditch carrying two phones and also split between a personal and a work profile is a game-changer, unlike Apple. Camera has some drawbacks, it’s not my favorite, but nothing is perfect. The crease doesn’t bother me — it’s a foldable phone, so a crease will never not be there,” added another.

While some users remain skeptical and some still prefer Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, it seems the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has struck a chord. Between the refined design, impressive battery life, and thoughtful usability upgrades, the phone might just be the first Google foldable that people truly want to keep.

I'm so loving it. Enjoying the useful dual screen,
Split screen watching live 4D while Whatsapp, watching Netflix, YouTube on bigger screen now.
Hardware feels premium. More tricks to learn and taking advantage of the pixel stuff .
https://www.makeuseof.com/quality-of-life-pixel-features/
 

limmk

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I'm so loving it. Enjoying the useful dual screen,
Split screen watching live 4D while Whatsapp, watching Netflix, YouTube on bigger screen now.
Hardware feels premium. More tricks to learn and taking advantage of the pixel stuff .
https://www.makeuseof.com/quality-of-life-pixel-features/
Haha nice! sounds like you really making full use of it sia. dual screen life shiok right? and the Pixel features definitely add to the experience
 

limmk

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After testing out popular Android emulators on the Pixel 10 Pro XL and last year’s Pixel 9 Pro XL, I came away disappointed. Performance is notably worse on the new model, making some games far less enjoyable and others outright impossible to play. The Tensor G5 processor’s switch to an Imagination Technologies DXT-48-1536 graphics unit seems like a real step backward.

Trying to emulate classic consoles — especially the 3D ones — is always a difficult ask, but what about games built specifically for Android? Well, I tested those too, and once again, the results are a mixed bag for Google’s latest flagship.

Google Pixel 10 Gaming


For this round, I used the same two phones and ran through a few of the most popular Android titles from recent years. Call of Duty: Mobile’s Battle Royale mode supports high frame rates (up to 120fps, depending on the phone) on Medium graphics, so I loaded that up with antialiasing enabled to stress the GPU. Next, I ran Asphalt Legends for a more consistent playthrough. Neither phone supports the game’s 120fps mode, so I maxed out the graphics to see how they’d handle it.

Genshin Impact remains as popular as ever, so I booted it up to see how both phones would perform at maximum settings with the 60fps cap. A point of interest: the Pixel 9 runs Genshin via the Vulkan API, while the Pixel 10 uses OpenGL, so the comparison isn’t quite one-to-one.
You can check out some gameplay clips with performance overlays in the video above, but let’s dive into the results in more detail.

Pixel 10 Pro XL gameplay performance results​

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL Gaming Test FPS light


Looking at the performance overview, it’s clearly a mixed bag, with neither phone managing to lock the maximum frame rate in any of these titles. Google’s newest flagship pulls ahead in Genshin Impact but performs worse in Asphalt Legends, particularly in the lowest 5% of frames. Meanwhile, COD Mobile shows the two handsets are virtually neck and neck. In any case, the newer Pixel 10 Pro XL isn’t an outright winner, though it delivers acceptable enough performance to keep these games playable even with the settings cranked up.

We see more meaningful discrepancies in the deeper data. In Asphalt Legends, for example, the Pixel 10 Pro XL never quite reaches 60fps, while the 9 Pro XL occasionally does, which is reflected in its higher average frame rate.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL Asphalt Legends
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Asphalt Legends


Interestingly, the Pixel 10 Pro XL exhibits significantly more “jank”—frames that take longer than 100ms to render, causing noticeable microstutter. This happens most often when loading and starting races, though it drops slightly fewer frames than last year’s model during gameplay.

The Pixel 10 provides fair performance, but it's far from an upgrade over last year.

At the higher frame rates of COD Mobile’s Battle Royale mode, the Pixel 10 Pro XL struggles more with consistency. Although the average and worst-case frame rates are similar between the two phones, we again see more jank on the new model. I counted 288 frames over 100ms on the 10 Pro XL and none on the 9 Pro XL, resulting in a smoother experience on the older device.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL COD Mobile BR
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL COD Mobile BR


If there’s one drawback for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, it runs slightly hotter at the end of this 13-minute test. However, neither phone appears to throttle performance during that time.

Finally, Genshin Impact showcases a notable performance win for the Pixel 10 Pro XL, possibly due to its use of a different graphics API. While it can’t sustain a locked 60fps, it hovers comfortably above 50 most of the time, providing a smoother experience than the 9 Pro XL, which averages closer to 40fps. However, we observed a one-off period of significant jank on the 10 XL around the one-minute mark, while the 9 XL delivered 28 frames exceeding 100ms.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL Genshin Impact
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Genshin Impact


The Pixel 9 Pro XL doesn’t appear to be working especially hard here — its temperature is far lower than the 10 XL’s — and we occasionally see spikes above 40fps. It’s unclear why its frame rate remains so low. I retested several times and saw the same result each run, suggesting either a deliberate software optimization for battery life or a bug in the Android 16 build I’m running.
 
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limmk

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Performance isn’t the only issue​

Pixel 10 Alien Isolation Play Store


While the Pixel 10’s Tensor G5 ensures all these games run acceptably if not brilliantly, the results aren’t great considering the phone sometimes takes a step back from last year’s model. However, there are other, more glaring problems when it comes to Android gaming.

Power is a big one. According to Android’s system-level battery data, the Pixel 10 Pro XL draws considerably more power to achieve its performance edge in Genshin Impact — an unsustainable 7.2W average during gameplay that will drain the battery quickly. Equally concerning, it consumes more power in Asphalt Legends while delivering worse performance. Periods with spikes reaching as high as 17W are absolutely unacceptable.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL Gaming Test Power light


Power consumption is closer in COD Mobile, where the Pixel 9 Pro XL is marginally hungrier than the 10 Pro XL, but the difference isn’t significant compared to the other tests.

Another major issue is game compatibility. Some titles simply aren’t supported on PowerVR GPUs. The superb Alien Isolation, for instance, is available on older Pixel models going back several years, but I can’t install it on my Pixel 10. Although Genshin Impact still runs, as we’ve seen, the popular title has dropped support for PowerVR GPUs, like the one found in the Pixel 10 series, which may lead to stability issues or graphical glitches in parts of the game I haven’t tested. There are undoubidly many other examples.

Power consumption, glitches, and unsupported titles make the Pixel 10 a hard sell for gamers.

Speaking of glitches, if you watch the Pixel 10 Pro XL performance video of COD Mobile with anti-aliasing enabled, you’ll notice countless artifacts affecting foliage and vehicles. These disappear when AA is disabled, but it’s exactly the sort of issue that crops up on platforms with limited driver support.

Pixel 10 COD AA glitch


Many have speculated that these problems may stem, at least in part, from the phone shipping with an older PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU driver (v24.3). Imagination Technologies released an updated driver (v25.1) in August, adding Android 16 compatibility, Vulkan 1.4 support, and more. However, Google hasn’t rolled it out to the Pixel 10 series yet— and driver updates are historically slow.

I asked about plans for the Pixel 10 driver releases and received the following response from a Google spokesperson.

We are continuing to improve driver quality in our monthly and quarterly system updates. For example, the most recent September and October patch releases included driver improvements: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/379076388?hl=en. In future releases we are planning further GPU driver updates.

It’s good to hear Google is planning improvements, but the statement is vague and offers no concrete timeline or assurance of significant performance gains. The most recent updates appear to include only minor bug fixes rather than the long-awaited driver overhaul. We’ll have to wait and see if things improve — but optimism is hard to come by.

While Google’s latest flagship offers passable performance for popular Android titles, serious mobile gamers should hold off before jumping on the Pixel 10 series. If you can’t wait, last year’s Pixel 9 lineup might actually offer better performance, especially for emulators, and almost certainly at a lower price.
 
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Loser

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https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-notification-delay-3610210/

It's almost 2026, and Pixels still don't seem to deliver notifications on time​

Pixel 10 users are the latest to report notification delays — a long-standing issue on Google's phones.
Android bots standing over a Pixel phone with various notifications


TL;DR
  • Pixel users are still reporting problems with delayed notifications, with the Pixel 10 series being the latest to face the issue.
  • Users on Reddit say their Pixels are struggling with severely delayed Google Home and other alerts.
  • Delayed notifications has been a long-standing problem on Pixel phones. Seemingly, the only way to really fix it involves disabling a feature called Doze.
 
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