During the early smartphone days, mainstream brands typically put out a single flagship model per year. We’d get one main variant of the latest iPhone, Galaxy, or Google Nexus, and those seeking cheaper options would opt for previous or second-hand models sold through third parties. Over the years, however, phonemakers began launching multiple tiers of premium handsets, with the iPhone 11 famously kickstarting Apple’s Pro phone journey that separated features into standard and premium tiers.
Releasing various devices that take customers’ budgets and needs into account isn’t a bad thing. But the sharp divide between regular and Pro lines leaves users opting for the less-expensive models with outdated technology. Telephoto cameras, high-refresh screens, and top-of-the-line chips are all reserved for pro phones, while standard models costing $799 and up seemingly exist only to push people to the higher tiers.
Apple’s Pro privilege
Ever since the iPhone 11 series, Apple has been demonstrably segregating its regular and Pro models. You get different chassis materials, colorways, exterior designs, cameras, displays, and more. Remember the iPhone 11? It still featured a plain old LCD white the iPhone 11 Pro boasted Apple’s crisp OLED tech.
Apple embraced this strategy in the years that followed, reserving new and enticing additions for the Pro phones, while the regular models played catch-up. The iPhone 14 Pro got the Dynamic Island before the iPhone 15. The 15 Pro exclusively introduced the Action button and Apple Intelligence support before it landed on the iPhone 16. And the non-Pro models are still waiting for the telephoto camera introduced with the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro’s ProMotion display.
Today, buying a regular iPhone feels like paying for last year’s tech. In fact, it may be wiser to buy a discounted, previous-gen Pro model to get Pixel-standard perks such as an always-on display, 120Hz variable refresh rate, 5X optical zoom, and faster USB-C transfer speeds.
The Pixel 10 Pro no longer gatekeeps features such as a telephoto camera.
Pixel perfect
While Google’s smartphone strategy has largely mimicked Apple’s, the newest Pixels have taken a different approach. The Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro both feature a triple rear camera setup with 5X telephoto lenses and nearly identical designs. Google isn’t forcing users to upgrade by limiting features anymore.
Of course, there are plenty of differences between the two phones. Where both phones have a high-resolution main camera (50MP vs 48MP), the Pixel 10 Pro sports 48MP ultrawide and telephoto cameras, and the Pixel 10 has a 13MP ultrawide and 10.8MP telephoto lens. That’s actually a downgrade in quality for the standard Pixel (last year’s Pixel 9 had a 48MP ultrawide camera), but a sacrifice most users will likely be happy to make.
With the iPhone 16 and Pixel 10 sharing similar wide and ultra-wide lens resolutions, many customers will naturally wonder why Google can offer a telephoto camera in its non-pro flagship. While the iPhone 17 is rumored to boost the ultra-wide camera’s resolution from 12MP to 24MP, I’m willing to bet most customers would prefer the Pixel’s telephoto lens over a slightly sharper ultra-wide one. And, given Google’s heavy reliance on software and AI, it’ll be hard to tell the difference between the two cameras.
The Google Pixel 10 looks just like the Pixel 10 Pro.
Compared to the Pro model, the Pixel 10 also misses out on other less-essential perks, such as a temperature sensor, Wi-Fi 7, increased RAM (16GB vs 12GB), higher resolution, faster Qi2 charging, and so on. Arguably, they’re all fair compromises that most users would happily sacrifice for more Pro-level features. And many users won’t even know what they’re missing—they’ll just know what they’re getting.
And they’re getting a lot. Pixel 10 users will get the same G5 chip (albeit with lower memory), Pixelsnap (Google’s version of MagSafe), USB-C 3.2, Bluetooth 6, fast charging rates, biometric authentication, main camera features, water resistance, 120Hz refresh rate (although the minimum rate differs), and more. Unless you’re a high-end photographer or a power user who needs a ton of internal storage, you’ll be plenty happy with the non-Pro model.
A new trendsetter?
Apple has long been the main influential force in the smartphone industry. While it doesn’t always invent things first, it pretty much always popularizes whatever iPhone decisions it makes. Google now appears to be challenging Apple with a new strategy.
Apple probably isn’t at risk of losing many users to Pixel phones, but Google’s moves could be a sign that the tides are turning. Next month, Apple will try to convince its fanbase that a telephoto camera is still a Pro-only feature while the iPhone 17 Air is worth giving up a dual camera for an ultra-thin design. And in the face of the Pixel 10, which will likely cost $100 less the the Air, some people might start wondering why, especially when you consider that Samsung’s equally thin Galaxy S25 Edge manages to squeeze in a second rear camera.
Apple is selling a mindset, while Google is offering an actual set of features. People who don’t want to spend over $1,000 on an iPhone are still waiting for features such as ProMotion displays and a telephoto camera, and if they take a look at the Pixel 10, they’re going to start wondering why.
Author: Mahmoud Itani, Contributor, Macworld
For a decade, Mahmoud has rigorously evaluated Apple hardware and software. His current technological arsenal features an iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, MacBook Air M2, iPad Air M1, AirPods Pro 2, AirTag, Apple TV 4K 3, and HomePod Mini stereo pair. Outside of work, you’ll likely find him jogging at a park, swimming in open water, brainstorming at a coffeehouse, composing poetry on a rooftop, or merely lost in nature.