Leaked renders show Pixel 10 keeping Pixel 9’s design language, and that’s a good thing

The first renders of the upcoming Pixel 10 have surfaced, courtesy of Android Headlines, and they paint a picture of a design that closely mirrors the current-gen Pixel 9 series. While we’re likely still five or six months out from an official unveiling, these CAD-based renders offer a glimpse into Google’s hardware direction for Pixel 10, and I think this is 100% the right move.

For the past few Pixel generations, Google has adopted an iterative approach, refining its designs year after year. From the Pixel 6’s bold camera bar to the Pixel 8’s polished finish, each iteration has been built upon the previous one. The Pixel 9 marked a bit more of a significant shift with its flatter sides and redesigned camera bump, and it appears Google is comfortable maintaining this aesthetic.

The Pixel 10 renders reveal a device with flat sides and a raised camera bar, echoing the Pixel 9’s design language. Notably, there are no additional buttons and the overall design appears largely unchanged; which is understandable given the positive reception of the Pixel 9’s hardware.

One subtle but significant alteration is the relocation of the SIM slot. It has been moved from the bottom of the device to the top, potentially freeing up space for an additional speaker cutout. This adjustment, while minor, could contribute to an enhanced audio experience.

In terms of dimensions, the Pixel 10 is expected to be slightly thicker than its predecessor, measuring 152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm compared to the Pixel 9’s 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm. The camera bump adds an additional 3.4mm, bringing the total thickness to 12mm. However, the minimal change in dimensions could potentially allow for case compatibility between generations, a feature already seen with the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro.

The Pixel 10 Pro shares the same dimensions as the Pixel 10, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL measures 162.7 x 76.6 x 8.5mm, slightly shorter than the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Given the negligible changes in dimensions, it’s reasonable to assume that screen sizes will remain consistent with the Pixel 9 series. Similarly, battery sizes are unlikely to see significant changes, either.

Why this is the right move for Google

While the last few versions of the Pixel phone lineup have definitely been iterative, this could be the least different we’ve seen year-to-year ever. Sure, the slight changes each time around are nice, but there’s a big internal change happening this year that Google really needs to stick the landing on: the SoC.

Tensor 5 is set to be fabricated by TSMC this time around, and it will mark an even more customized SoC for Google than the previous 4 generations fabricated by Samsung. While there’s great potential for better performance, better battery life (the Pixel 9 is pretty amazing on that front already), and better on-device AI, there’s also great potential for issues to creep up, too.

The Pixel 9 series is generally beloved for the design, and with some substantial changes under the hood set for Pixel in 2025, I think it’s a brilliant move for Google to keep things calm on the exterior this time around. It may not be as flashy or exciting, but for the 10th year of Pixel, I think this is the right decision.

These are just renders, so none of this is certain. But if Google chooses to keep this design language, focuses on really delivering next-gen performance, and leverages all they’ve learned from chassis design on the Pixel 9 series to simply perfect things for the Pixel 10, I think we could have a recipe for the best Pixel phones from Google yet.