The cheapest model in a flagship smartphone series often occupies an awkward position.
On one hand, it offers a more affordable route into the latest generation of handsets, while retaining a premium look and feel. Yet all too often, the compromises mean that, for most people, it’s worth stepping up to the next device to get the best phone for your money.
In 2024, that very much applied to the Pixel 9 series. The regular Pixel 9 wasn’t a bad phone by any means, but it was hard to justify when the Pixel 9 Pro existed. For just £200/$200 (or a few £/$ more per month on contract) extra, you could get a much better overall experience.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The Pixel 9 Pro was superior in a few ways, but the improved feature I really cared about was its dedicated telephoto lens. With a 5x optical zoom, it could capture shots from much further away without any decline in image quality. To say that the regular Pixel 9’s digital zoom was a pale imitation would be an understatement.
With that in mind, I’m delighted that Google has addressed this on the Pixel 10. The new 10.8Mp telephoto lens might not be quite as good as the 48Mp version on the 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL, but crucially, it maintains the 5x optical zoom.
If real-world use matches the specs, it’d mean the standard Pixel flagship has a complete camera system for the first time. The Pixel 9 could already take great photos with the main, ultrawide and selfie lenses – the addition of a telephoto is the icing on the cake.
Chris Martin / Foundry
As someone who enjoys going to concerts and festivals, the telephoto lens is a game-changer. Being over 6ft tall, I’m reluctant to go anywhere near the front for fear of blocking people’s views, but that means I regularly end up a long way from the stage.
There’s nothing wrong with the atmosphere back there, and my eyesight (with glasses) is fine, but I’m often left disappointed with the quality of photos I’m able to take. Combining the Pixel’s excellent photographic abilities (including in low light) with the hardware required to fully take advantage of them is a winning combination.
The telephoto lens is also commonly used for portrait-style photos, where it creates a more realistic background blur and depth of field effect. It’s something I’ve relied on many times when using the Pixel 9 Pro XL , especially for pet photography.
With such a significant upgrade, I was bracing myself for what would’ve been the third price increase in as many years. But there hasn’t been one. Instead, the standard Pixel 10 starts at £799/$799, the same price as its predecessor, which I’m very grateful for.
It’s particularly impressive when you consider that neither the Samsung Galaxy S25 nor the iPhone 16 , both of which also start at £799/$799, have a telephoto lens.
If the Pixel 10’s cameras perform as well as they look on paper, Google could be onto a winner with its new standard flagship. But, of course, the proof is in the pudding, so look out for our full review soon.
See more news and opinions on the Pixel 10 phones in our dedicated 2025 Google Event hub .
Author: Anyron Copeman, Mobile Editor, Tech Advisor
Anyron is Mobile Editor at Tech Advisor, where he’s been a mainstay of the editorial team since 2019. In his current role, Anyron is responsible for all smartphone, tablet and mobile network coverage on the site. A BA Journalism graduate, he has experience with a wide range of consumer tech products and services, including smartphones, tablets, foldables, wearables and more.
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