A year later, I think the Pixel 10 Pro gets too much hate

It's been nearly 12 months since the Google Pixel 10 series arrived, and everyone is now looking ahead to what's next. Google has confirmed the Pixel 11 series launch for August 12th at 6:00 PM ET in New York.

Plenty of leaks have already given us a good idea of the upgrades the Pixel 11 series will bring. But before we get swept up in what's next, it's worth looking back.

I've been using the Pixel 10 Pro as my primary Android phone for roughly the past year, and I think the issues surrounding it are slightly exaggerated across the internet.

Sure, it may not be the single best Android smartphone out there, but it certainly holds up on its own.

Google's in a tough spot with its upcoming flagship

The Pixel 10 Pro's biggest criticisms don't match my experience

After a year with the phone, I think many complaints are real but overstated

I've used more than 20 Android smartphones since the start of last year. I've tried new foldables with virtually creaseless displays, as well as phones with built-in 10x zoom lenses.

But as I wrote towards the end of 2025, despite using all these other flagship Android phones, the one I kept returning to was the Pixel 10 Pro, and that still holds true halfway through 2026.

There's just something about the overall Pixel experience that keeps pulling me back, and the Pixel 10 Pro only amplified that. And that's exactly why I think a lot of the hate the Google Pixel 10 Pro gets is overblown.

The Pixel's flaws are real. I just don't think they're as bad as the internet makes them out to be.

Google Pixel phones get called out left, right, and center for two main issues: overheating and poor cellular reception. But having used pretty much every other major Android flagship alongside the Pixel 10 Pro, I can vouch that both problems feel more inflated than they actually are.

It's not only the Pixel 10 Pro that heats up in my pocket. Plenty of other phones I've used run just as hot, if not hotter.

It's also worth noting that I haven't run into much overheating on the Pixel 10 Pro compared to previous Pixel phones I've owned. Certainly not to the point where the phone became difficult or uncomfortable to use.

Sure, factors like running wireless Android Auto in the hot, humid conditions of the subcontinent warm it up a bit, but that's true of every Android phone I've used.

And when it comes to cellular reception, even though Google didn't upgrade the modem on the Pixel 10 Pro, I feel this one is slightly overblown, too.

Reception on my Pixel 10 Pro has been perfectly fine, roughly on par with the other Android phones I've used this year.

And the problems I faced with the Pixel 9 Pro — call drops and slow internet speeds — have vanished since I switched to the Pixel 10 Pro.

Google still has plenty to improve upon for the Pixel 11 series. We can absolutely argue that the battery capacities, charging speeds, and gaming performance on Pixel phones need work.

But I feel Pixel phones get unfairly bashed for issues that, while real, aren't as big as the internet makes them out to be.

The Pixel software keeps pulling me back

No other Android phone has matched the overall Pixel experience for me

Software is ultimately what makes or breaks an Android phone, and no matter the stance on Pixel phones, it's hard to look past the fact that the most enjoyable software experience I've had on any Android skin has been on the Pixel 10 Pro.

A lot of users argue that the Pixel 10 Pro's software feels "slow" compared to other Android skins, but I haven't felt that way once across all my months with it. If anything, I'd argue the software is in a good place right now.

It's great to see that you get software updates on day one. The Pixel 10 series still remains the only 2025 flagship smartphone to run on Android 17, which brought my favorite multitasking feature, App Bubbles.

It's also one of the few phones that will support Gemini Intelligence later this year. All of that exclusivity, in my opinion, makes up for some of the shortcomings people often associate with the Pixel 10 series.

Still, it's hard to disagree that Google needs to sort out the issues that often pop up with its monthly updates. That's something the company desperately needs to work on, because it pulls attention away from everything the Pixel does so well.

Now I'm excited for what's next

The Pixel 11 could be the phone I've been waiting for

Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police

All said and done, I've enjoyed my time with the Pixel 10 Pro over the past year. And that's exactly why I'm excited about the upcoming Pixel 11 series.

The Pixel 11 lineup feels like Google is finally maturing into a proper Android flagship maker.

There are rumored upgrades across the board that make me hopeful, including the new Tensor G6 built on TSMC's 2nm process, which should further improve both performance and efficiency while hopefully putting the overheating issues behind us.

Google is also expected to switch to a MediaTek modem. While modem issues haven't really affected me, enough people have reported them over the years that Google's rumored move should finally put that discussion to bed.

However, Google still has a few big issues to sort out. More than anything else, it needs to reassure users that its monthly software updates won't break their phones.

If Google can deliver only on this promise while keeping everything I've already enjoyed about the Pixel experience, I think the Pixel 11 series could be its strongest lineup yet.

SoC
: Google Tensor G5

RAM
: 16GB

Storage
: 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB with Zoned UFS / 1 TB with Zoned UFS

Battery
: 4870mAh

Operating System
: Android 16

Google finally built magnets into a Pixel. The Pixel 10 Pro supports Qi2 wireless charging at 15W and snaps onto Pixelsnap or MagSafe accessories with reliable alignment. It's a minor spec on paper that's held up well in daily use, on what feels like Google's most finished phone yet.