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DisplayWe put the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL through our rigorous DXOMARK Camera test suite to measure its performance in photo, video, and zoom quality from an end-user perspective. This article breaks down how the device fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases and is intended to highlight the most important results of our testing with an extract of the captured data.
Overview
Key camera specifications:
- Primary: 50MP 1/1.3″ sensor, 1.2µm pixels, 25mm equivalent f/1.68-aperture lens, Octa PD, OIS
- Ultra-wide: 48MP 1/2.55″ sensor, 0.7µm pixels, 13mm equivalent f/1.7-aperture lens, Quad PD
- Tele: 48MP 1/2.55″ sensor, 0.7µm pixels, 128mm equivalent f/2.8-aperture lens, Quad PD, OIS
Pros
- Accurate and stable exposure and wide dynamic range
- Accurate white balance with generally good skin tones
- Few artifacts compared to competition
- Very good texture/noise trade-off with fine detail and nearly no noise
- Quite reliable autofocus with fast convergence
- Good detail in tele and ultra wide videos
Cons
- Target exposure on face slightly low on strong HDR scenes
- Skin tones can be slightly too red on fair models in outdoor
- Slight lack of detail in medium range zoom shots
- Flare in some outdoor scenes
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL Video boost mode delivered the best perfomance in the DXOMARK Camera video tests, earning itself a top score in our current ranking. This mode shows really impressive improvements compared to the basic video mode available on the camera. It enhances already good parts of the Pixel Video and compensate some lacks giving us an overall really good experience as a user.
Videos come with good exposure and a wide dynamic range, as well as generally nice colors and accurate white balance. Moreover, the on cloud treatement allows to correct nearly all unstabilities in terms of exposure and colors, offering very stable videos with smooth transitions between different light conditions. The main interest of this mode is the exceptionnal trade-off between noise reduction and detail retention in all conditions, especially in lowlight and night. It maintains a high level of fine details without having noise visible. Stabilization is also slightly improved compared to the normal mode.
Using the tele and the ultra wide module, video boost also allow us to have better video quality than the normal mode, giving it even better details and reducing drastically the noise visible on the videos. It still lacks of details at medium range, just before switching to its tele dedicated camera, but once it switches level of details is quite impressive.
Please note that our tests were conducted using an HDR compatible monitor. All image quality comments are based on viewing on such a monitor.
Test summary
About DXOMARK Camera tests: DXOMARK’s camera evaluations take place in laboratories and real-world situations using a wide variety of use-cases. The scores rely on objective tests for which the results are calculated directly using measurement software in our laboratory setups, and on perceptual tests where a sophisticated set of metrics allow a panel of image experts to compare aspects of image quality that require human judgment. Testing a smartphone involves a team of engineers and technicians for about a week. Photo and Video quality are scored separately and then combined into an overall score for comparison among the cameras in different devices. For more information about the DXOMARK Camera protocol, click here. More details on smartphone camera scores are available here. The following section gathers key elements of DXOMARK’s exhaustive tests and analyses. Full performance evaluations are available upon request. Please contact us on how to receive a full report.
DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate almost 3 hours of video in controlled lab environments and in natural low-light, indoor and outdoor scenes, using the camera’s default settings. The evaluation consists of visually inspecting natural videos taken in various conditions and running objective measurements on videos of charts recorded in the lab under different conditions from 0.1 to 10000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL offers an interesting Video Boost mode, allowing the user to capture a video which will be treated on the cloud and downloaded automatically, ensuring a better quality than the on-phone videos. The final video produced can be up to 8K30fps, but we performed the tests at 4K 60fps. On the photo app two options are available, (Original quality or space saver) which will allows to have reduced sized videos (1080p). The upload and treatment process can be a bit long (1-2h for a 5s video) making it not really suitable yet for social medias but it is done automatically and the final video will be synchronized on the phone Photo app once ready.
Overall it is quite a game changer in terms of quality, ensuring a really stable experience with high level of texture and very low level of noise, offering the best video quality observed for a smartphone, outperforming the iPhone 17 Pro and of course the Pixel 10 Pro XL without VB.
Exposure
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Exposure tests evaluate the brightness level of the main subject, the global contrast and the ability to render the dynamic range of the scene (ability to render visible details in both bright and dark areas). When the camera provides Video HDR format, the videos are analyzed with a visualization on an HDR reference monitor, under reference conditions specified in the metadata. Stability and temporal adaption of the exposure are also analyzed.
Pixel 10 Pro XL videos already offer a wide dynamic range and with good exposure in most conditions but the Video Boost allows an even better and stable exposure and dark recovery especially in lowlight conditions. The stability and the transitions in terms of exposure are also way smoother and natural. The only slight issue we noticed is in strong HDR conditions, the target exposure on face (especially on dark skin tones) tend to be slightly low, allowing a good recovery of the highlights in the background, but the face can be slightly too dark and hard to read.
Image-quality color analysis looks at color rendering, skin-tone rendering, white balance, color shading, stability of the white balance and its adaption when light is changing.
The Pixel 10 Pro is showing really good color rendering in most conditions. The Video Boost mode shows an improvement especially in terms of stability and adaptation. In bright and indoor conditions it offers a neutral and pleasant white balance, while in lowlight it tends to be more yellow green than orange. Color rendering is slightly different than the normal mode, with more vibrant colors and bluer skyes. We noticed in some cases that skin tones can be slightly too red in outdoor conditions on already red kind of skintones.
Sharpness & Timing
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
For video, autofocus tests concentrate on focus accuracy, focus stability and analysis of convergence regarding speed and smoothness.
In terms of autofocus, the Video boost mode does not show a lot of difference as it is quite depend of the original videos from the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
Texture tests analyze the level of details and texture of the real-life videos as well as the videos of charts recorded in the lab. Natural videos recordings are visually evaluated, with particular attention paid to the level of details in the bright and areas as well as in the dark. Objective measurements are performed of images of charts taken in various conditions from 0.1 to 10000 lux. The charts used are the DXOMARK chart (DMC) and Dead Leaves chart.
One of the main quality of the Video Boost mode is the high level of details produced, especially compared to the original video from the Pixel 10 Pro. Fine details are very well preserved in bright conditions and still natural, and in lowlight it is better than most of the competition. Some slight local loss of details can be sometimes visible on flat areas in lowlight, but the Texture noise trade off is by far the best observed on a smartphone video.
Noise tests analyze various attributes of noise such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, structure, temporal aspects on real-life video recording as well as videos of charts taken in the lab. Natural videos are visually evaluated, with particular attention paid to the noise in the dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Objective measurements are performed on the videos of charts recorded in various conditions from 0.1 to 10000 lux. The chart used is the DXOMARK visual noise chart.
With the Video boost mode, noise is nearly not visible even in challenging or lowlight videos. Luminance noise disappear nearly completely without impacting the level of details. Some slight chromatic noise can be sometimes visible in really low light conditions.
Stabilization evaluation tests the ability of the device to stabilize footage thanks to software or hardware technologies such as OIS, EIS, or any others means. The evaluation looks at residual motion, smoothness, jello artifacts and residual motion blur on walk and run use cases in various lighting conditions. The video below is an extract from one of the tested scenes.
Video stabilization does a good job already on the Pixel 10 Pro XL, and is even better with the Video Boost. During static or motion, movement is well compensated in most light conditions.
Artifacts
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Artifacts are evaluated with MTF and ringing measurements on the SFR chart in the lab as well as frame-rate measurements using the LED Universal Timer. Natural videos are visually evaluated by paying particular attention to artifacts such as aliasing, quantization, blocking, and hue shift, among others. The more severe and the more frequent the artifact, the higher the point deduction from the score. The main artifacts and corresponding point loss are listed below.
All image quality attributes are evaluated at focal lengths from approximately 12 mm to 300 mm, with particular attention paid to texture and smoothness of the zooming effect. The score is derived from a number of objective measurements in the lab and perceptual analysis of real-life video recordings.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL VB offers a even better video zoom experience, especially when using the tele and ultra-wide camera modules. It uses the very wide ultra wide field to capture crisps details without visible noise in bright conditions. However, quality drop in low light, with more intrusive noise and also when zooming to the primary camera
Tele
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
As the Video Boost mode upgrade the results from the Pixel 10 Pro cameras, texture noise trade off is quite impressive when using its dedicated tele camera (at 5x and higher). Slight lack of details can also be noticeable at medium range (less than 5x) and jump between cameras can be noticeable.