Google’s largest Pixel is a weighty, two-hand hold for big-phone fans.Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianView image in fullscreenGoogle’s largest Pixel is a weighty, two-hand hold for big-phone fans.Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianReviewPixel 10 Pro XL review: Google’s superphone gets AI and magnetic upgradesTop camera, great software, solid battery life and huge screen bolstered by helpful Gemini and Qi2 supportGoogle’s Pixel superphone is back, packed with a bigger battery, faster charging, magnetic accessories and even more cutting-edge AI tools to try to usurp Apple and Samsung as the monarchs of really big phones.The Pixel 10 Pro XL is the largest slab phone Google makes and is one of the biggest available in Europe and the US. It costs £1,199 (€1,299/$1,199/A$1,999), sitting above itssmaller sibling the Pixel 10 Proand below the upcoming folding Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and competing directly with Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max andSamsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra.The 10 Pro XL is almost identical on the outside tothe 9 Pro XLit replaces in terms of dimensions but with 11g of additional weight. It is a big, heavy phone that requires two hands to use most of the time and benefits from a phone grip or handle.View image in fullscreenThe Pixel has a ring of magnets to attach any number of Qi2 or MagSafe accessories to the back including phone grips, such as the Popsocket, as well as car mounts, wallets, stands and batteries.Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianIt has a huge, bright and smooth OLED screen, which is one of the very best and excellent for watching TV and films. The back hides Qi2.2 wireless charging and magnetic accessory support, making it one of a very small number of phones that can charge at up to 25W using a new generation of wireless chargers.The 10 Pro XL has the same Google Tensor G5 chip as the rest of thePixel 10lineup andperforms just as well, feeling rapid in general use. It plays games just fine, but those wanting the best graphics and frame rates in high-end mobile games are better served by rivals with Qualcomm’s top Snapdragon chip, such as the S25 Ultra.The biggestPixelalso has the largest battery with the longest run time. The 10 Pro XL matches its predecessor, lasting about 52 hours between charges after a mix of usage across wifi and 5G. The phone should outlast even the heaviest of usage days, with most people probably needing to charge it every other day.View image in fullscreenThe phone takes less than 90 minutes to charge via cable or about two hours using a Qi2 25W wireless charger, such as theUgreen MagFlow 2-in-1(left) orBelkin UltraCharge Pro(right).Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianSpecificationsScreen:6.8in 120Hz QHD+ OLED (486ppi)Processor:Google Tensor G5RAM:16GBStorage:256, 512GB or 1TBOperating system:Android16Camera:50MP + 48MP UW + 48MP 5x tele; 42MP selfieConnectivity:5G, eSIM, wifi 7, UWB, NFC, Bluetooth 6 and GNSSWater resistance:IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes)Dimensions:162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mmWeight:232gAndroid 16 with AIView image in fullscreenMagic Cue is one of the most advanced AI features available, working silently in the background to produce helpful and timely information.Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianThe 10 Pro XL has the same Android 16 software and AI features asthe 10 Pro, making it one of the most expressive and polished experiences available. Google will provide updatesuntil 2032.The Gemini chatbot is available throughout the system, and has its own stand-alone app that can see what is on your screen or through the camera to help. But the standout new feature is Magic Cue, which runs locally in the background as a proactive little helper presenting data from your calendar, emails, chats and other Google apps on your phone when you need it. It will pop up with the location of a restaurant when a friend texts about your dinner date or shows your order emails in the phone app when you ring a recognised business. It works great in Google’s various apps, and a handful of third-party ones, but not WhatsApp or other popular messaging apps yet.The 10 Pro XL also comes with a year’s subscription forGoogle AI Pro, for access to the company’s more powerful Gemini models, and 2TB of cloud storage for photos, files and email, worth £19 a month.CameraView image in fullscreenPoint and shoot with the 10 Pro XL and you are almost guaranteed a great shot regardless of the conditionsPhotograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianThe big Pixel has thesame camera system as the 10 Pro, meaning your choice is only about phone size not camera quality. The 50-megapixel main, 48MP ultra wide and 48MP 5x telephoto cameras are some of the very best you can get. Point and shoot with the 10 Pro XL and you are almost guaranteed a great shot regardless of the conditions.It also has a handful of helpful AI tools including: thenovel Camera Coach;Add Me, which blends two photos to put the photographer into group shots; andBest Take, which has now been made automatic. It helps get group shots where everyone is looking at the camera by shooting a photo when everyone is looking once you press the shutter button or blending multiple shots where needed.Finally, it has the Pro Res Zoom feature that kicks in when you push beyond 30x magnification and uses genAI to put the detail and sharpness back into images lost to digital zoom. It isn’t always perfect and is switched off when the system detects a person, but it can have remarkable results, making blurry 100x zoom images much clearer and more usable. But it is also not a true photo at that point, as it has been interpreted and remade by AI, and is labelled as such by the camera app usingC2PA content credentials.Overall, whether you use the AI tools or not, the Pixel has one of the very best camera systems on the market.SustainabilityView image in fullscreenThe ultrasonic fingerprint scanner under the screen is super fast and accurate, making unlocking the phone a breeze.Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianThe batteryis rated to lastin excess of 1,000 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity. The phone is repairable by Google, third-party shops, or self-repair usingmanualsandparts available.The Pixel 10 Pro XL contains 29% recycled materials by weight including aluminium, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, plastic, rare-earth elements, tungsten and tin. The company breaks down thephone’s environmental impactin its report and willrecycle old devicesfor free.PriceThe Google Pixel 10 Pro XL costs from£1,199(€1,299/$1,199/A$1,999) in a choice of four colours.For comparison, thePixel 10costs from£799, thePixel 10 Profrom£999, thePixel 9acosts£399, theGalaxy S25 Ultracosts£1,249and the iPhone 17 Pro Max costs£1,199.VerdictThe Pixel 10 Pro XL is a true superphone in size, price and capability. If you like what Google’s beendoingwith 6.3insmartphonesbut want everything bigger, this is the model to get.The camera is one of the very best, the screen is great and the software, including Google’s most cutting-edge AI features, is top notch. The addition of Qi2.2 support speeds up wireless charging, but more helpfully opens up a world of magnetic accessories including grips to make the big phone easier to hold.The Pixel feels responsive but it isn’t a dramatic upgrade onlast year’s 9 Pro XL model. When it comes to raw power, particularly for games, the Pixel falls short against rivals such as the Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, which remainsthe superphone to beat.Pros:seven years of software updates, great camera with 5x and 10x optical magnification plus AI zoom, great big screen, Magic Cue and impressive local AI features, Qi2.2 wireless charging and magnetic accessory support, good battery life, great size, fast fingerprint and face recognition, 12 months of Google AI Pro included.Cons:very expensive, huge and heavy, face unlock option not as secure as Face ID, raw performance and battery life short of best-in-class, no physical Sim card slot in the US, not a massive upgrade.View image in fullscreenNote that the Pixel 10 Pro XL comes without a physical sim slot in the top of the phone in the US, relying entirely on eSims.Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianExplore more on these topicsPixelGoogleAndroidSmartphonesMobile phonesAlphabetreviewsShareReuse this content