Google's newest Pixel 10 smartphone (right) gained a dedicated telephoto camera module, similar to Google's Pixel Pro models. Image: Google When Google announced its new Pixel 10 smartphone with a new telephoto camera, giving it a triple-camera array similar to the Pixel 10 Pro, it positioned it as an upgrade over the dual-camera systems of its predecessors.
However, as we reported at launch, Google made some cost compromises to squeeze that third camera into the phone: the main and ultrawide cameras were downgraded compared to previous Pixel models.
In a world where new phones generally arrive with better cameras than their predecessors, this raises a key question for owners of models like the Pixel 7, 8 or 9: is upgrading to the Pixel 10 for its telephoto camera worth the compromise?
To find out, we conducted side-by-side photo comparisons of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 across various lighting conditions.
Pixel camera hardware
Comparing the camera specs of the last four Pixel models reveals a significant shift by Google with the Pixel 10. Moving left to right in the table below, we've marked any camera modules that notably improved upon earlier generations in green. Camera models downgraded relative to previous generations are marked in red.
Editor's note: To make comparisons more straightforward, all focal lengths in this article are listed as full-frame equivalents.
Pixel 7
Pixel 8
Pixel 9
Pixel 10
Main (wide) camera
Lens*
24mm F1. 85
25mm F1. 68
24mm F1. 68
24mm F1. 7
Sensor
50MP
Type 1/1. 31
(72mm
48MP
Type 1/2
(31mm
Ultrawide camera
Lens*
16mm F2. 2
11mm F2. 2
12mm F1. 7
13mm F2. 2
Sensor
12MP
Type 1/2. 9
(19mm
48MP
Type 1/2. 55
(24mm
13MP
Type 1/3. 1
(16. 1mm
Telephoto camera
Lens*
N/A
110mm F3. 1
Sensor
10. 8MP
Type 1/3. 2 (15. 5mm
*Full-frame equivalent focal lengths
Main camera: The Pixel 7, 8 and 9 used a Type 1/1. 31 (72mmw-light conditions that even advanced image processing can't overcome.
Ultrawide camera: The Pixel 10's ultrawide camera is also smaller than its recent predecessors, and 30% smaller than the ultrawide sensor in the Pixel 9. It's also a 13MP sensor, similar to the Pixel 7 and 8's 12MP sensor, but falls behind the Pixel 9's 48MP Quad Bayer sensor that facilitates additional computational processing to improve image quality.
Telephoto camera: The Pixel 10 is the only model in this group with a dedicated 5x telephoto camera module. But don't get confused; it's not the same telephoto camera module found on the Pixel Pro models, which use a larger sensor.
However, it's worth noting that modern smartphones are based on computational photography: a larger sensor (if it's combined with a bright lens) should yield better results, but a smaller sensor might be able to keep up if newer algorithms can combine more images. All things being equal, a larger sensor should be better, but since the computational component of smartphone cameras is somewhat opaque, all things may not be equal. So, we'll need to look at photographic tests to see how the cameras compare.
Photographic tests
We took matched photos using the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 across a variety of lighting conditions to find out how the Pixel 10's new triple-camera array stacks up to its predecessor's dual-camera configuration. A sample gallery with all of these side-by-side photos, and more, is included at the end of the article.
Daylight: main camera
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In bright light, the main cameras on both phones deliver broadly similar results, at least when viewed on a small screen. At 100% view, however, it's clear the Pixel 9 retains more detail than the Pixel 10. Whether that's a function of the smaller sensor, the lens, or a combination of the two is hard to tell, though in some photos the Pixel 10's lens exhibited slightly more chromatic aberration than the Pixel 9.
Winner: Pixel 9
A close-up view from the main cameras on the Pixel 9 (left) and Pixel 10 (right). The Pixel 9 manages to capture more detail.
Click to view the full-sized images: Pixel 9, Pixel 10
Daylight: ultrawide camera
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The difference between the ultrawide cameras is more dramatic. Even in bright sunlight, the Pixel 9's ultrawide camera is sharper and retains noticeably more detail than the Pixel 10. The differences can become even more apparent when you get close to the corners.
Winner: Pixel 9
A close-up view from the ultrawide cameras on the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right). The Pixel 9 retains noticeably more detail even in bright sunlight.
Click to view the full-sized images: Pixel 9, Pixel 10
Daylight: telephoto camera
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Things get interesting when we look at the Pixel 10's headline feature: the new 5x telephoto camera module, a feature absent on the Pixel 9. Instead, the Pixel 9 simulates a 5x camera using a crop of the main camera's sensor. Google markets this as "optical quality zoom," but take that claim with a serious grain of salt.
(Note that while Google describes both models' telephoto settings as "5x," the 110mm equivalent camera on the Pixel 10 is actually 4. 6x longer than the main camera, which explains the wider field of view in the comparison shots below. )
A close-up view from the 5x "zoom" on the Pixel 9 (left) and the 5x telephoto camera on the Pixel 10 (right). Look closely at the text on the signs, and you can see that AI upscaling techniques used on the Pixel 9's 5x mode don't quite live up to Google's claims of "optical quality" zoom.
Click to view the full-sized images: Pixel 9, Pixel 10
As we've explained previously, cropping is not "optical quality zoom," and while the linked article is about iPhones, Google employs the same basic approach, using AI and computational techniques to maintain image resolution.
A look at the close-up images above quickly reveals the limits of this approach, particularly on the text of the signs in the window. In the Pixel 9 image, much of the text morphs into quasi-hieroglyphics. In contrast, the Pixel 10's dedicated 5x telephoto camera retains perfectly legible text. You'll see similar effects on other subjects, but it's particularly noticeable whenever there's text in a scene.
Winner: Pixel 10
High dynamic range
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Both models handle HDR (high dynamic range) scenes well, allowing photos to appear more realistic when viewed on HDR displays, such as those found on smartphones. The Pixel 9 retains a bit more detail, but the most noticeable difference is in the processing, where the Pixel 10 tends to lift shadows a bit more aggressively.
On a smartphone screen, HDR images from both models look good. Note that the versions you see here have been flattened to fit an SDR display, so while they do look a little different, it's not the best way to compare photos intended to be viewed using an HDR screen. To really see this difference, you'll need to download the original, full-sized images to a device with an HDR display to compare them.
Winner: Pixel 9 (by a hair)
HDR images from the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right) differ in processing, with photos from the Pixel 10 generally having a flatter, more HDR "look" to them.
Click to view the full-sized images: Pixel 9, Pixel 10
Night Sight: main camera
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Google's Night Sight feature is designed to help smartphone photographers get better results in low light. The Pixel 9's sensor, which has more than twice as much surface area as the Pixel 10's, can make a big difference, and Night Sight photos from the Pixel 9 consistently outperform those from the Pixel 10.
The photo I chose to illustrate this point pushes both cameras to their limits. Upon closer inspection, both images look like watercolor paintings, but the Pixel 9 exhibits less noise and retains more information in the shadows rather than crushing them to black, and the Pixel 10 essentially obliterates all but the most prominent stars. Both cameras can deliver better Night Sight photos in less challenging situations, but the relative performance remains the same.
Winner: Pixel 9
A close-up of Night Sight photos from the main cameras on the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right). Neither camera exhibits stellar results in this challenging scene, but the Pixel 9 exhibits less noise and holds onto information in the shadows rather than crushing them to black.
Click to view the full-sized images: Pixel 9, Pixel 10
Night sight: ultrawide camera
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Night Sight, using the ultrawide cameras with their much smaller sensors, pushes the limits of computational photography even further. The Pixel 10 is particularly challenged because it has a smaller sensor and a slower aperture, giving it about 40% of the light-gathering ability of its predecessor. That difference is clearly visible in Night Sight photos, with the Pixel 9 easily outperforming the Pixel 10 in almost all scenarios.
Note that the Pixel 7 and 8 ultrawide sensors are closer in size to the Pixel 10 (though still about 20% larger), so the difference in performance won't be quite as dramatic.
Winner: Pixel 9
A crop of Night Sight photos from the ultrawide cameras on the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right). Both cameras struggle here, but the Pixel 9's 50% larger, Quad Bayer sensor handily outperforms the Pixel 10.
Click to view the full-sized images: Pixel 9, Pixel 10
Low light portrait
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People photos and portraits represent one of the most common uses for any smartphone camera. We love to take photos of each other, and it frequently happens indoors and in low light.
The Pixel 9's larger sensor wins out here, producing more natural, less pixelated-looking textures and skin. Whether that's important depends on how you plan to use the pictures. If you're sharing photos with people who will primarily look at them on smartphones, it might not. If you want to make a print, it will.
Winner: Pixel 9
A close-up of a low-light photo taken in portrait mode on the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right). The Pixel 9's larger sensor allows it to retain more natural-looking details.
Click to view the full-sized images: Pixel 9, Pixel 10
Conclusion
While the Pixel 9 came out on top in all but one of the head-to-head comparisons, the choice between the newest Pixel and its recent predecessors is nuanced, and the best option depends on your priorities.
The Pixel 10's dedicated telephoto lens makes the camera more versatile for social media use, and could be a key factor for anyone who uses the telephoto feature a lot, handily outperforming the virtual 5x camera on earlier models. If flexibility outweighs absolute image quality, it could be a good option.
But physics matters, and you're more concerned about absolute image quality, the larger sensors and faster ultrawide lens on the Pixel 9 give it a clear edge. The Pixel 7 and 8 retain that advantage on the main camera, but the difference in ultrawide modules is less pronounced.
What's clear is that Google made a strategic decision to further differentiate the base model Pixel from the Pixel Pro models. Rather than giving Pixel owners the same cameras as the Pixel Pro, but fewer of them, it's setting up the Pixel Pro as the go-to choice for serious photographers while giving Pixel owners a more versatile solution, but at some cost to image quality.
Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. . dpreview.com
2025-10-29 21:40
