4 issues that would get me to swing for a Pixel 10...

I have been utilizing iPhones as my day by day driver for years, however I am not an Apple fanboy — it simply makes probably the most sense for my state of affairs. I’ve owned a number of Android phones as nicely, and generally look over with envy at what the top-of-the-line fashions are able to lately. iPhones are fashionable for a motive, however with a assured improve viewers, Apple does not have as a lot incentive to push the boundaries as its rivals.

It is seemingly I will not purchase any new smartphone in 2025, to be trustworthy, however I believed it would be enjoyable to discover what would possibly tempt me again to Android. I might nearly actually select Google’s rumored (and actually, inevitable) Pixel 10, even when there can be some main hurdles for the cellphone to cross in my case.

1 A superior telephoto lens (with or with out going Professional)

Make my cellphone an actual DSLR different

One gripe of mine is that if you happen to purchase the entry-level model of a flagship cellphone, it is de facto that its secondary rear digicam shall be an ultra-wide, not a telephoto. I come from knowledgeable photograph background, and know that one of the crucial primary guidelines of composition is to fill the body along with your topic. That makes a telephoto nearly important in my eyes, whereas I solely use a cellphone’s ultra-wide lens after I’m capturing macro pictures or scenic vistas. In any other case, a wide-angle digicam is greater than enough.

I might adore it if I may purchase a non-pro Pixel with a telephoto lens, which could make it financially interesting. However I might check out a Pixel 10 Professional too if it had a meaningfully higher telephoto system than my iPhone 16 Pro. The Pixel 9 Pro already has the next megapixel depend, however pairing that with 10x stabilized zoom can be a game-changer. Consider zooming on the lead singer at a live performance versus simply the stage they’re on.

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2 Two- or three-day battery life

A person can dream, cannot he?

That is one everybody can get behind, I feel. Whilst you’ll sometimes hear anecdotes of individuals stretching out their runtime, the on a regular basis actuality is that with out battery-saver modes and light-weight utilization, most smartphones final a few day, if that. I at all times cost my iPhone in a single day, and generally noon as nicely if I count on to be out of the home for some time.

The rationale cellphone makers do not oblige is revenue margins. Lithium-ion batteries are costly, and a 48-hour battery life is not as interesting to customers as new cameras, a sooner processor, or a barely bigger show. However it might have a better impression on day by day life — no extra panicking since you forgot to plug in earlier than mattress, or as a result of the electrical energy went down throughout a storm. I may use a Pixel 10 for watching films on a cross-country flight with out crossing my fingers for a USB port.

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3 A flawless model of Gemini

Nonetheless ready for the AI miracle

Siri stays a mediocre voice assistant. I take advantage of it, however principally to set timers, activate the TV, or management my bed room lights. Main upgrades are within the works — but it should be some time earlier than folks begin speaking about Siri as cutting-edge once more.

Google Gemini is already superior, able to dealing with way over you see in Apple Intelligence. Like all generative AI platforms, although, it is nonetheless extra hype than actuality. It makes too many errors, so I am extra seemingly to make use of apps or search the online relating to advanced actions or questions. A bulletproof model of Gemini can be revolutionary, to the purpose that the Pixel 10 would go away the iPhone 17 within the mud. Merely with the ability to depend on Gemini for my journalistic analysis can be miraculous.

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4 Unobstructed entry to raised video games

Open up the playground

Sony

Apple and Google are each battling authorized efforts to get them to open up to third-party app stores. They declare pursuits like safety and high quality management, however the apparent, unstated motivation is cash — at present, corporations declare as a lot as 30 p.c from every transaction at their very own app shops. That interprets into billions of {dollars} in annual income.

If Android have been as versatile as Home windows, we would not solely have the ability to purchase from any retailer we select, however presumably get a greater collection of video games that reap the benefits of the Pixel 10’s expertise. As issues stand, the Google Play Retailer mannequin encourages low-quality video games with advertisements and in-app purchases, since these could be infinite sources of income.

With extra equitable income sharing, builders may be inspired to cost upfront for higher-quality titles, like the kind that dominate the charts on Steam or the PlayStation Retailer. The Pixel 10 in all probability will not be operating Cyberpunk 2077 besides through the cloud, however there is no motive we could not be taking part in Helldivers 2 or Tactical Breach Wizards.