Google’s newest smartphone, the Pixel 10, introduces a significant change to its camera configuration: unlike previous base model Pixels that featured a two-camera setup, including a main (wide) and an ultra-wide camera, the Pixel 10 adds a telephoto camera, matching the triple-camera setup of the more expensive Pixel 10 Pro models.
However, as we’ve reported previously, a higher number of cameras doesn’t mean better cameras. There’s a trade-off for that extra lens. To add the telephoto camera, Google downgraded the Pixel 10’s main camera, giving it a smaller sensor than the one on the Pixel 9.
Similarly, the Pixel 10’s ultra-wide camera has a smaller sensor, a slower aperture, and lower resolution than the one found on the Pixel 9. These changes result in a pair of cameras that are notably less capable than those found on its predecessor.
Are these trade-offs worth it? The answer might be yes for casual camera users who aren’t concerned about critical image quality. More advanced photographers, however, will find more reason than ever to spend extra money on Google’s Pixel Pro models to get the improved camera performance they desire.
What do you think of these trade-offs? Check out our sample gallery and let us know in the comments.
View our Google Pixel 10 sample gallery
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Our DPREVIEW Tribute:
After nearly 25 years of operation, DPReview closed on 10 April 2023. This difficult decision was part of the annual operating plan review that parent company, Amazon, shared earlier this year.
Over the course of 25 years, DP Review built up a reputation as being one of the most informative places to go for information about that new camera or lens you’re after. DP Review began as an independent reviews site based in the UK in 1998, the brainchild of Philip and Joanna Askey, but it was eventually purchased by Amazon in 2007 and relocated over to Seattle in the USA in 2010.
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