Exclusive: Here Are The Camera Specs For The Google Pixel 10 Series

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

As we slowly approach the launch of the Pixel 10 series, we’re seeing more and more details about the phones leak. One rumor we’ve seen surface recently is that the base Pixel 10 will receive a dedicated telephoto camera, bringing it in line with the Pro models. However, no other details have been provided about the camera setup.

Now, thanks to a source inside Google, Android Authority has viewed documents revealing the big camera hardware changes coming to the Pixel 10 series.

Bringing telephoto to the non-Pro Pixels

Ever since the Pixel 6, Google has followed the same general strategy for cameras: the base models have wide and ultrawide lenses, while the Pro model (or models) gain an additional telephoto camera.

The Pixel 10 finally does away with this, adding a telephoto lens to the base model too. However, that comes at a cost: the whole camera setup is a step below the Pro series. In some ways, the rest of the cameras are closer to the Pixel 9a than any other Pixel 10 device. The primary sensor has been replaced by a Samsung GN8, a considerably smaller model than the previously used GNV. Similarly, the ultrawide lens has been downgraded to a Sony IMX712 from the previous IMX858. Both of these sensors have previously appeared in the Pixel 9a.

While there is a lot to a device’s camera quality, a smaller sensor size generally means worse performance, particularly in low-light conditions. Fancier algorithms and AI models can help, but ultimately, you can’t beat physics.

The Pixel 10 has a new, if somewhat downgraded, camera setup, while the Pixel 10 Pro remains unchanged from last year’s Pixel 9 Pro.

The new telephoto camera is the 11MP Samsung 3J1, which was used for the same role in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The selfie camera, meanwhile, stays unchanged from last year.

While the Pixel 10 will see an almost completely revamped camera system, the same can’t be said about the Pro series. The hardware here is completely unchanged. Hopefully, the new, fully custom image signal processor in the Tensor G5, as well as new algorithms, will help to get even more out of that setup.

The last entry in the series is the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which only sees a minor swap from the primary Sony IMX787 (used in the Pixel 8a) to the Samsung GN8 (used in the Pixel 9a).

Google is playing a dangerous game

Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority

Last year, we saw the first signs of Google purposefully differentiating the base Pixel models from its Pro equivalents, and the Pixel 10 series is another sign that it wants to go in that direction. In terms of cameras, the Pixel 10 is basically just a Pixel 9a with an extra telephoto lens.

The decision to downgrade some sensors is probably to compensate for the price increase from adding an extra camera and perhaps to accommodate for the space taken up by the new lens. However, better long-range capabilities might not be worth the primary and ultrawide trade-off for everyone.

If Google keeps the same $799 price as last year, the Pixel 10 might be hard to recommend over the Pixel 9a, especially for those desiring a good basic camera. While the telephoto lens is a nice addition, the downgrades might just be too high of a price to pay. We won’t have long to wait to find out, the Google Pixel 10 series will be released later this year.