Google’s new Pixel 10 phones are here, and they boast a handful of spec upgrades over their predecessors, as well as more AI features.

The three models look very similar to last year’s Pixel 9 phones. There’s a standard Pixel 10, a higher-spec Pixel 10 Pro and a large Pixel 10 Pro XL. 

There are still some differentiators between the baseline and Pro models, but that lead is shrinking with more top-level features trickling down. All in all, they’re powerful handsets that rank among the year’s best phones.

Pixel 10 price comparison

• Pixel 10: $799. The Pixel 10 didn’t get a price increase from last year’s standard model despite getting more features.
• Pixel 10 Pro: $999. The Pixel 10 Pro also kept its predecessor’s price, though it hasn’t changed much from the Pixel 9 Pro.
• Pixel 10 Pro XL: $1,199. The top-end Pixel 10 Pro XL got a $100 price hike this year, with a handful of spec upgrades.

Both the Pixel 10 ($799) and Pixel 10 Pro ($999) retain the prices of their predecessors, keeping them in line with their equivalents from other brands, like the Samsung Galaxy S25 ($799) and Galaxy S25 Plus ($999). 

But the Pixel 10 Pro XL got slightly more expensive this year, getting a $100 price bump to $1,199 (up from the $1,099 Pixel 9 Pro XL with 128GB of storage), likely to account for the higher 256GB starting storage option. 

Pixel 10 lineups’ design and display changes, compared

• Pixel 10: Unchanged, but additional camera. The baseline model got an extra camera, widening the lens part of its camera bump, and the display is slightly brighter.
• Pixel 10 Pro: Unchanged. The smaller Pro model looks almost exactly like its predecessor, and the display is slightly brighter.
• Pixel 10 Pro XL: Unchanged. The larger Pro XL looks just like its predecessor, and the display is slightly brighter. 

The Pixel 10 lineup looks virtually the same as last year’s Pixel 9 phones, leaving most of the upgrades under the hood. 

All three phones retain the general design of last year’s phones: a metal back with a pill-shaped camera bump. The only major difference is that the glass on the Pixel 10’s camera bump is slightly wider, owing to the third, telephoto camera fit into it. All three models are ever-so-slightly heavier than their predecessors (from 6 grams on the Pixel 10 to 11 grams on the Pixel 10 Pro XL), possibly due to their nominal battery capacity increases. 

The standard Pixel 10 retains its predecessor’s 6.3-inch OLED display, though its maximum brightness has been increased to 3,000 nits (up from 2,700). Likewise, the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL inherit their 6.3-inch OLED and 6.8-inch OLED displays from their predecessors, but they also get maximum screen brightness increases to 3,300 nits (up from 3,000). 

Comparing Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL cameras

• Pixel 10: Added rear camera, for a total of three. A 48-megapixel main, 13-megapixel ultrawide and new 10.8-megapixel telephoto make up the rear cameras, plus a 10.5-megapixel selfie camera.
• Pixel 10 Pro: Same trio of rear cameras. A 50-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultrawide and 48-megapixel telephoto make up the rear cameras, plus a 42-megapixel selfie camera.
• Pixel 10 Pro XL: Same trio of rear cameras. A 50-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultrawide and 48-megapixel telephoto make up the rear cameras, plus a 42-megapixel selfie camera.

As with other brands, Google has previously differentiated its standard and Pro models by reserving an extra zoom camera for its top-end phones. That changes this year, as the standard Pixel 10 gets a telephoto lens, shrinking the feature gap between the phone tiers.

The Pixel 10 packs a 48-megapixel main camera, though its 13-megapixel ultrawide is a slight downgrade from the 50-megapixel ultrawide shooter in the Pixel 9, which means the new phone may not take as sharp of photos when set to its widest capture settings. The trade-off is the addition of a 10.8-megapixel telephoto with 5x zoom that still adds a lot of functionality, even if it may not take as high-resolution photos as the zoom cameras on its Pro siblings.

The Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL retain their predecessors’ trio of rear cameras: a 50-megapixel main, a 48-megapixel ultrawide and a 48-megapixel telephoto with 5x zoom. Ostensibly, not much has changed here, though they still take up to 8K video (better than the 4K video maximum on the Pixel 10).

The selfie cameras on all three phones are unchanged from last year, but represent a boost when going from the 10.5-megapixel front-facing camera on the Pixel 10 to the 42-megapixel selfie shooters on the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL.

All Pixel 10 model specs, compared

• Pixel 10: Better CPU, slightly bigger battery. The Pixel 10 gets the Google Tensor G5 chip, as well as a 4,970-mAh battery.
• Pixel 10 Pro: Better CPU, slightly bigger battery. The Pixel 10 Pro gets similar spec upgrades, including the Google Tensor G5 chip, as well as a 4,870-mAh battery.
• Pixel 10 Pro XL: Better CPU, slightly bigger battery. The Pixel 10 gets the Google Tensor G5 chip, as well as a 5,200-mAh battery.

This year’s Pixel 10 lineup got the usual set of incremental upgrades along with slight boosts to battery capacity, which could have an impact, however small, on increasing battery life.

Like the other models, the Pixel 10 gets the new Google Tensor G5 chip, which Google promises will perform better than its predecessor, last year’s Tensor G4. The new handset inherits the Pixel 9’s 12GB of RAM and baseline storage options of 128GB or 256GB. If you want more, you’ll have to use cloud options or pay more for a Pro or Pro XL model.

The Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL also have the Tensor G5 chip, which helps power new AI features. Similar to the base model, the Pro versions inherit the same specs as their predecessors: 16GB of RAM and the options of 128GB (Pixel 10 Pro only), 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage.

Across the board, all models got slight battery capacity increases, though curiously, the Pixel 10 Pro has the least with 4,870-mAh (up from 4,700-mAh in the Pixel 9 Pro). The next largest is the standard Pixel 10, which got an increase to 4,970-mAh (up from 4,700-mAh in the Pixel 9). The Pixel 10 Pro XL has the largest battery with a 5,200-mAh capacity (up from 5,060mAh).

The Pixel 10 Pro XL also has the edge in juicing up its battery, with a maximum 45-watt wired charging, compared to 30 watts on the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro. All three support Qi2 wireless charging.

All three Pixel 10 phones receive Android 16 out of the box. It was released in June, a month after Google I/O 2025, far earlier than when it typically comes out (usually alongside that year’s Pixel phones). They also get a slew of new AI features like Magic Cue, which scrapes data from Gmail, Google Messages, Google Calendar and other information sources to surface timely details and events.  

Sharing a YouTube Premium or YouTube Music family plan with people who don’t live at your address could soon cost you the perks you’re used to. Several users have reported receiving warnings that their accounts will be paused within 15 days if they don’t comply with YouTube’s rules on family plans.

The policy isn’t new. YouTube required family plan members to share the same household in 2023 but it looks like enforcement is stepping up. If you lose Premium, you can still stream videos and listen to music with ads but you’ll have to deal with ads and fewer features, which is a big downgrade for most people.

If you’re currently splitting an account across multiple locations, now’s the time to check the fine print. YouTube is making it clear: Premium is for households only and ignoring that rule could mean losing the ad-free experience entirely.

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A YouTube spokesperson told CNET, «Our family plan policy hasn’t changed and we are continuously enforcing it. You can learn more about the YouTube family plan here.»

On its support page, YouTube says that an account manager can add up to five family members in a household to their Premium membership. But, the post says, «Family members sharing a YouTube family plan must live in the same household as the family manager.» Groups can only be changed once every 12 months.

YouTube has been testing a two-household plan that would offer a discount for those who want to share, but that plan is not yet available in the US.

YouTube offers a one-month trial for its Premium and Music accounts, which cost $23 per month.

Subscription sharing crackdowns

YouTube joins other paid services that have started to enforce policies to cut down on the sharing of premium services.

Disney Plus and Netflix were among the services that began discouraging, and then actively blocking or restricting accounts they find are sharing passwords. Max joined them this year, introducing an $8 fee for those who want to share their account with one other person.

Similarly, Amazon is ending a program that allowed for sharing of its Prime service, requiring that those who don’t live at the same residence use their own paid Prime accounts for things like getting packages shipped free. Amazon’s Prime Invitee benefit-sharing program is ending Oct. 1.

The enforcement is meant to help recover revenue that these companies say they lose when people use someone else’s premium account instead of paying for their own. 

«It’s not hard to understand why streaming services feel the need to crack down. After all, the revenue to spend on new content or an improved experience must come from somewhere,» says Carl Lepper, Senior Director of Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) Intelligence at JD Power.

«The calculation from streaming companies seems to be that limiting password sharing and account access will lead to more subscribers. You could argue the same about any sort of subscription service. It’s fairly intuitive. There’s a solid amount of evidence from media coverage that it works, at least initially,» Lepper says.

Does it work long-term? Lepper tells CNET that companies have to balance enforcing their policies without «ticking off» existing customers or denying potential customers from getting a chance to see what their service has to offer and potentially converting to their own account eventually.

Enforcement itself isn’t free, he points out. «Streamers themselves need to devote time and resources to enforcing such a policy,» Lepper says.

Amazon’s current deal on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 brings the price down to $199, a 20% discount from the usual $249. If you’ve been eyeing these earbuds for a while, this is a solid time to grab them—especially since pricing tends to fluctuate.

You can pick up your pair at Amazon for $199, a 20% price cut, which saves you $50. Just keep in mind that deals like this fluctuate, so if you’ve been eyeballing these magical earbuds for a while, now might be your last chance to grab them.

CNET’s key takeaways

• You can get these amazing earbuds for just $199 right now on Amazon.
• My teenager loves everything about them.
• The sound quality is exceptional.
• The noise cancellation can help give you some peace, even in a busy home.

My 13-year-old daughter loves her music and her privacy, and for years she has wanted a pair of AirPods. They’re not cheap, so I’ve only been getting her more budget options, like the Amazon Echo Buds, as a result. These kept seemingly disappearing though, so I finally ponied up for the AirPods Pro 2.

I picked them up during last year’s sales, and they were definitely well-received. She’s happy, she uses them every day, and she hasn’t lost them yet. They are currently $199 at Amazon, a nice $50 discount from the usual price. While that’s not the cheapest we’ve seen them, it’s still a solid price for a high-quality pair like these.

Why I didn’t wait for the AirPods Pro 3

Rumors abound that Apple will replace the Pro 2 with an updated Pro 3 version later this year. My kid wanted headphones sooner, so I got her the Pro 2s. But if you’re on the fence, here’s my perspective.

The main improvements to the Pro 3 are said to be heart-rate monitoring like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 have, as well as a new design. Other speculation points to improved sound and processing with Apple’s H3 chip, temperature sensors, built-in infrared cameras, a touchscreen on the case, live translation of languages and more. There’s no way to know what they actually will have, but I do know that they’ll be more expensive than the Pro 2 (especially at this sale price). I don’t think those new features are going to be worth the money, however.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

You might have a different take, especially if you want heart-rate monitoring on your headphones for fitness sessions or one of those rumored extras. In that case, it might be worth waiting to see what the new versions include. The AirPods Pro 3 are expected to be announced in September and on sale soon after.

Why I didn’t get the AirPods 4 instead

Why did I choose AirPods Pro 2 instead of the newer AirPods 4 with ANC? First off, as I mentioned in another article about a different pair of earbuds I bought, I think sealed, in-ear buds are better than open-design models like the AirPods 4. The seal creates another layer of noise isolation and contributes to superior sound quality, and if you want to pay attention to the world you can always engage ambient sound mode, which Apple calls transparency mode. 

Also a factor was the commentary of CNET reviewer David Carnoy, who considers the Pro 2 the best Apple noise-canceling wireless earbuds: «While we’re quite impressed with those new models — and with the AirPods 4 ANC in particular — the AirPods Pro 2 remain arguably the best Apple AirPods you can buy if you don’t mind having silicone ear tips jammed in your ears.»

My daughter uses earplugs all the time to help her sleep, so she definitely qualifies as somebody who’s comfortable stuffing things in her ears. Like her fingers, when I start using words like «sigma,» «skibidi» and «relatable» to try to relate to her.

I asked Carnoy about the Pro 2s potentially not fitting in her kid-size ears and he reassured me that the range of eartips that come with the Pro 2s «now include XS, so they should fit.» 

Do AirPods make a great gift?

It took me years to finally understand, but yes, for someone looking for wireless earbuds, AirPods — especially the Apple AirPods Pro 2 — make the perfect gift, regardless of whether you’re a teenage girl or not.