Google Pixel 10 allegedly with camera downgrade – but one more sensor

Google's Pixel 10 series is set to be released in the summer. Initial rumors suggest that the base model will be equipped with a telephoto camera for the first time, although this is said to be accompanied by a sensor downgrade.

Google's Pixel family has had a clear camera strategy since the Pixel 6: the basic models, such as the Pixel 9, had two rear cameras on board, while the Pro versions, such as the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, have three sensors. With the Pixel 10, the manufacturer is now apparently changing this: the Pixel 10 will have a telephoto zoom camera in addition to wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras.

Even though the manufacturer appears to be softening the boundaries between the models, there is still a separation between the basic and Pro models when it comes to the cameras, as Android Authority reports. This is because Google allegedly uses sensors with a lower resolution in the cheaper device than in the Pro variants.

Pixel 10 with camera sensors from the Pixel 9a?

According to the report, Google's upcoming Pixel 10 could have the same wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras as the Pixel 9a. On paper, these are not as good as the Pixel 9's cameras.

The Pixel 10's wide-angle camera will still have a 50-megapixel sensor, just like the Pixel 9. Instead of a Samsung GNV sensor, the GN8 model is to be used, which is also found in the 9a.

The 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera of the Pixel 10 can also be found in the 9a. The telephoto zoom camera of the base model will apparently be equipped with an 11-megapixel sensor from Samsung with the model number 3J1. This sensor also serves as the telephoto zoom in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

The resolution and size of a sensor are not the only factors that make for good photos: However, a smaller sensor tends to produce poorer results under adverse lighting conditions or in the dark than larger sensors with more megapixels.

Pixel 10: No sensor changes expected for the Pro models

While Google is apparently using a new camera system for the Pixel 10, there are no changes to the upcoming Pro models compared to the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, according to reports.

As with its predecessors, the camera system of the Pixel 10 Pro (XL) will consist of a 50-megapixel wide-angle, 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle with macro focus and a 48-megapixel camera with a 5x telephoto lens with up to 30x digital magnification.

This does not mean that the next Pixel generation will deliver the same image quality as the current models. In addition to the sensors and software, the image signal processor (ISP) also plays a decisive role. According to another report, this has been developed entirely by Google for the first time and is to be part of the Tensor G5 chip, which is to be used in all Pixel 10 models.

Incidentally, hardly any changes are to be expected in terms of design: The next Pixel generation will reportedly look exactly the same as the current generation.

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