Google’s annual Made By Google event took place on August 20th. Instead of a typical keynote speech, the whole event was presented like a late night TV special, with special appearances from Jimmy Fallon, Lando Norris, Steph Curry and the Jonas Brothers. However the true stars were the new Pixel 10 and AI that powers it.
Meet The New Pixel 10 Series
The Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, and the foldable 10 Pro Fold run on the new Tensor G5 chip, built for efficiency and Gemini AI integration. Everything except the Pro XL supports wireless charging up to 15W, while Pro XL can go up to charging speeds of 25W. The Pixel 10 comes with a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera. Other features include:
- Camera Coach whispers real-time tips in the viewfinder.
- Auto Best Take merges shots into a single perfect frame.
- Magic Cue surfaces context-sensitive actions, like boarding passes mid-call.
- Gemini Live overlays the world with object highlights and adapts its tone based on your mood.
The Folding Phone That Does More
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold arrives with a IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. That’s a huge improvement from the IPX8 rating the Pixel 9 Pro Fold got and it’s better than the IP48 rating for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7. The hinge is gearless, the internal display is larger, and the design feels less like an experiment, more like a mainstay.
Beyond Phones: Watch and Buds Get Smarter
The Pixel Watch 4 is curvier, brighter, and better at surviving a day’s use, now layered with Gemini-powered coaching for fitness and sleep. Google even made it more repairable, a small but consumer-friendly shift.
On the audio side, the Pixel Buds 2a packs active noise cancellation, replaceable batteries. It also has AI-driven translation that makes multilingual conversations feel less like a chore. Meanwhile, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 adds adaptive audio, gesture controls, and a new Moonstone finish.
Android 16 Joins the Party
Every Pixel 10 ships with Android 16 out of the box. The update leans on Material 3 Expressive design, streamlined notifications, and stronger security layers. The real pitch? Android as a tighter companion to Google’s AI ambitions, not just an operating system.
The Rollout Plan
- Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, Pixel Watch 4, Pixel Buds 2a: Pre-orders began August 20, with retail availability on August 28.
- Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Launches October 9.
- Prices stay steady: $799 for the base Pixel 10, up to $1,799 for the foldable.
AI at the Center of Everything
Strip away the demos, and a theme emerges. Google doesn’t care about dazzling hardware fireworks. It wants to prove that AI is the new competitive edge. Pixel isn’t here to blow minds with form. It’s here to blend into your life so seamlessly that you forget it’s there.
That raises the harder question. Can a brand with just over 1% global market share turn intelligence into influence? Rivals like Apple and Samsung still command the spotlight. Google, meanwhile, is playing the long game, betting that the quiet power of AI will eventually win hearts where raw specs no longer can.
The Pixel 10 family isn’t chasing headlines, it’s chasing harmony. Every update says the same thing: the best tech doesn’t scream for your attention. It whispers, anticipates, and disappears into the background. The gamble is whether that whisper is loud enough to change the market.
