The hunt for the perfect smartphone camera never truly ends. Every year brings new contenders, each promising to capture life’s moments better than the last. This week, Google threw its hat back into the ring with the new Pixel 10 Pro XL. The early verdicts are in, and good news for shutterbugs: this phone is a serious contender for top honors. Testing by DXOMARK has confirmed its place among the best, standing shoulder to shoulder with other leading devices in the market. While not taking the absolute top spot, its performance is impressive.
It’s interesting how Google achieved this. The Pixel 10 Pro XL actually uses the same camera hardware as its older sibling, the Pixel 9 Pro XL. What makes the difference? The brain behind the operation: the new Tensor G5 chipset. This powerful chip significantly boosts camera and photo performance in several key areas. The results speak for themselves, earning the phone a strong spot in DXOMARK’s current rankings. You can check out the full detailed report for yourself. DXOMARK camera test
Snapping Great Stills
When it comes to regular photos, the Pixel 10 Pro XL truly shines. Pictures show good exposure and a wide range of light and dark details. Colors generally look nice, and white balance is spot on. The phone also handles image flaws very well. You might only notice a little ghosting or a faint halo effect sometimes. It finds a great balance between smoothing out noise and keeping details sharp. However, it can’t quite match the absolute best phones in this specific area.
The phone’s special 5x telephoto zoom lens captures high levels of detail when used at its natural zoom length. But if you try to use shorter telephoto zoom settings, you’ll see less detail and texture. On the flip side, the ultra-wide camera performs wonderfully. It takes very detailed pictures with a broad view of the scene.
Top-Tier Video Capture
If you shoot a lot of video, the Pixel 10 Pro XL will make you happy. It’s truly among the best for video. You get a very wide dynamic range and pleasing colors. When it comes to managing white balance and exposure, it even beats some top rivals, like the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max. Video details look very good, and noise levels stay low when filming in bright daylight. However, the balance between texture and noise isn’t quite as strong when the light fades. Video stabilization works quite well, though you might notice some slight camera jiggle when you’re walking and recording.
AI Photography Perks
Google hasn’t forgotten its AI roots. The Pixel 10 Pro XL includes Google’s cloud-based Video Boost, which delivers truly excellent video quality. Then there’s Pro Res Zoom, a clever feature that uses generative AI to make images better at telephoto zoom factors between 30x and 100x. Just note, this feature won’t kick in if it sees a face in the shot. This prevents any strange or unnatural distortions to people’s faces.
Other smart camera tools powered by AI are also present. The Camera Coach helps guide you on framing and using camera modes based on what’s in the scene. You also get smart tools for removing objects from photos and making group shots look their best. This proven quality, now confirmed by DXOMARK, solidifies the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s position. It truly stands out as a top-tier option for anyone serious about their phone photography.