Technologies

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10: How Each Flagship Phone Stacks Up

Apple and Google’s base flagship handsets each pack a lot of value for $799, with both phones getting noticeable improvements over prior models.

Apple’s iPhone 17 and Google’s Pixel 10 have a lot in common this year. Both phones may look very similar to prior iPhone and Pixel phones, but it’s on the inside, there are new features that can make both phones feel quite new.

For the $829 iPhone 17, Apple’s bumped up the base storage to 256GB, brought a 120Hz ProMotion display to the base iPhone for the first time and threw in the new Center Stage front-facing camera that lets you take horizontal and vertical photos without rotating the phone. You can also get a 512GB model for $1,029.

Meanwhile, Google’s $799 Pixel 10 marks the first time the company is putting a third telephoto lens into the base model to improve zoom photos, support magnetic Qi2 wireless charging accessories, and a slew of new AI features that take advantage of Google Gemini. The Pixel 10 still starts with 128GB of storage, with a 256GB model costing $899. There is no 512GB edition of the Pixel 10, which is instead offered on the Pro models.

If you have a strong preference for either Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android, you might already have a lean toward one of these phones. However, if you aren’t particularly loyal to one operating system over the other, there’s a lot to consider when deciding between each phone. Let’s go over some of the big highlights between the iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10, and you can use them to compare which one is best for you.

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Display

Both the iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10 have 6.3-inch OLED displays that support a variable120Hz refresh rate for smoother animations as well as the option for an always-on display for glanceable information. Both phones also have a similar resolution, with the iPhone 17 having a slightly higher 2,622×1,206-pixel resolution against the 2,424×1,080p resolution on the Pixel 10. Both will make videos, websites and photos look great, although you might need to take a visit to the settings menu to make sure that the higher refresh rate is turned on.

Both phones also support face identification inside the display. Apple’s iPhone 17 continues to use a Dynamic Island notch for its Face ID technology, while the Google Pixel 10 uses its front-facing camera and AI processing for its own Face Unlock feature. Both Google and Apple’s Face ID are secure enough to work for mobile payments. The Pixel 10 also has an under-display fingerprint sensor if you would prefer to use that for unlocking your phone.

Cameras

The iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10 each have noticeable changes to their camera systems, providing a lot of opportunities for taking detailed photos.

Apple’s 48-megapixel wide camera is now accompanied by a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, and its system claims to be capable of taking photos at a 2x «optical zoom quality» by using image sensor cropping despite not having an actual telephoto camera. While the ultrawide camera received quite a bump from the iPhone 16’s 12-megapixel camera, the 18-megapixel Center Stage camera on the front is a full revamp for how the iPhone takes selfies. This camera’s new square sensor lets you take vertical and horizontal selfie photos without rotating your phone and can be set to dynamically resize to get an entire group into a photo.

Google instead put a bigger focus on improving zoom photos by adding a 10.8-megapixel telephoto lens to its rear camera system, with a 5x optical zoom. This puts the Pixel 10 in close competition with the Samsung Galaxy S25, the latter also has a telephoto camera. That telephoto lens pairs up with a 48-megapixel wide camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide, both of which are similar to what Google included on the $499 Pixel 9A.

Special features

Apple’s iPhone 17 and Google’s Pixel 10 both have in-house processors, which help each company provide a deep level of feature integration on both the hardware and software side for their phones. This includes long software update periods, such as Google’s seven-year commitment of Android updates for Pixel phones. Apple’s never published timelines for its software support for the iPhone, but this year’s iOS 26 runs on 2019’s iPhone 11.

Apple’s iPhone 17 beefs up its charging speed, now including 40-watt wired charging alongside 25-watt Qi2 wireless charging. The Pixel 10 is similarly speedy, with a 29-watt wired speed and 15-watt Qi2 wireless speeds. The Pixel 10’s support for magnetic accessories, dubbed PixelSnap by Google, allows the phone to work with all of the MagSafe accessories that have arrived to the market over the past five years.

On the artificial intelligence side, it does still feel like early days for Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 17 does support writing tools, Visual Intelligence for scanning screenshots and some generative features like Genmoji. Google’s Pixel 10, however, has Magic Cue, which can provide suggestions of information based on what’s available in Google services like Gmail, Google Messages and Google Keep. Google’s Gemini assistant also supports more natural communication when asking it to search for information or give commands, whereas Apple is still working on an AI-enhanced edition of Siri that was first promised last year.

In the US, both the iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10 use eSIM instead of a physical SIM. While Apple has been eSIM-only for its US phones since the iPhone 14, going exclusively eSIM for the US is new for the Pixel 10 line. However, both iOS 26 and Android 16 now support transferring an eSIM between an iPhone and Android without necessarily having to involve your wireless carrier. Hopefully, this smooths over the process of moving from one phone to the other, but it’s worth pointing out since eSIM is still a newer technology for setting up your phone service.

For more comparisons between Apple’s iPhone 17 and Google’s Pixel 10, check out the specs chart below.

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10

	Apple iPhone 17	Google Pixel 10
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,424×1,080 pixels; 60 to 120 Hz variable refresh rate
Pixel density	460ppi	422 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in	6 x 2.8 x 0.3 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm	152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	177 g (6.24 oz)	204 g (7.2 oz)
Mobile software	iOS 26	Android 16
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 13-megapixel (ultrawide), 10.8-megapixel (5x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	10.5-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A19	Google Tensor G5
RAM + storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery	Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed)	4,970 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Gorilla Glass 2 Victus cover glass; 3,000 nits peak brightness; Satellite SOS; Dual-eSIM; Wi-Fi 6E; NFC; Bluetooth 6; 30W fast charging (wall charger not included); Qi2 15W wireless charging; support for PixelSnap magnetic accessories; Google VPN; Super Res Zoom up to 20x; Camera Coach; Add Me; Macro mode; Face Unblur; Auto Best Take; IP68 rating for dust and water resistance; 7 years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates; Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 polished back with satin finish aluminum frame
US price starts at	$829 (256GB), $1,029 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Jan. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s not too tough, but 8-Across stumped me, so I had to pass on that and fill in the Down answers to solve it. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Abruptly stop texting
Answer: GHOST

6A clue: Shaving kit item
Answer: RAZOR

7A clue: 2024 film role for which Mikey Madison won Best Actress
Answer: ANORA

8A clue: The ancient Chinese used compressed blocks of tea leaves as this
Answer: MONEY

9A clue: Shape of a round chart
Answer: PIE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Dad’s dad, informally
Answer: GRAMP

2D clue: Capital of Vietnam
Answer: HANOI

3D clue: ___ layer, part of Earth’s atmosphere
Answer: OZONE

4D clue: How you might wake up after sleeping funny
Answer: SORE

5D clue: Cafeteria food carrier
Answer: TRAY

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Technologies

Google Could Revive Last Year’s Bright Pink Color for the Pixel 10a

Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a is expected to launch in February with some new colors, including one popular ask.

The Google Pixel 9a is one of Google’s most affordable Pixel phones, and it includes one of the most frequently requested colors — bright pink. With the Google Pixel 10a rumored to launch in February, we’re already getting a hint at the colors the new model will come in.

According to Roland Quandt, a regular mobile leaker on Bluesky, the Google Pixel is expected to be offered in obsidian (black), berry (pink), fog (light gray), and lavender colors. However, it’s the berry hue that is intriguing customers.

A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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«I always love to see phones come in vibrant colors, and it’s especially welcome in more budget-friendly options,» said Abrar Al-Heeti, senior technology reporter at CNET. «Yes, we tend to slap a case on our phones anyway, but just knowing your phone touts a bold color can make it feel like more of a statement piece, rather than a bland piece of tech.»

Pink is one of the most requested color options for the Pixel phones. CNET sister site Mashable loved the color when it debuted on the Pixel 9. Phone rivals like Apple and Samsung are usually expected to offer a pink color option in their flagship and midrange phone lineups, so it’s not surprising to see the berry color on the Pixel 10a.

«I’ll say that Google loves having Pixel phones in pink,» said Patrick Holland, CNET managing editor. «The Pixel 9 and 9a come in peony (a bright, bold pink) and the 9 Pro in rose quartz (a more muted pink). The Pixel 10 series lacks any pinkish hues.»

Quandt also says that the Pixel 10a will have 128GB and 256GB storage models, and will launch in mid-February. That’s earlier than expected compared with the Pixel 9a, which was revealed in mid-March 2025 for a launch on April 10. In terms of specifications, we expect the Pixel 10a to be a modest upgrade compared with previous generations. According to leaks, the Pixel 10 is unlikely to feature a newer Tensor G5 chip, and it’s likely to retain the same overall design as the Pixel 9a.

One leaker, Mystic Leaks on Telegram, expressed disappointment and revealed additional specs, including the absence of a telephoto lens, UFS 3.1 storage, a Tensor G4 chip, a 2,000-nit display and no Magic Cue, which is Google’s AI feature for the Pixel 10.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 14, #948

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 14 #948.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The blue category, not the purple one today, expects you to find hidden words in four of the words given in the grid. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: That’s not going anywhere.

Green group hint: End user or customer.

Blue group hint: Ask a meteorologist.

Purple group hint: Not noisy.