Traveling the world to cover tech trade shows has been a highlight of my career as a technology writer. However, for nearly two decades, I've found myself lugging around a backpack that often weighs over 15 pounds. With the significant advancements in smartphone camera technology, I have been on the hunt for a phone that can effectively replace my traditional camera. Over the last two years, I've tested several of the best Android phones, striving to find the perfect blend of portability, features, and camera performance that suits my needs.
Portability is crucial for me, as I carry this phone almost everywhere I go, even if it’s not one of my primary devices. This year alone, I’ve switched my camera phone twice, but the Pixel 10 Pro has the potential to be the best choice yet. I recently used it as my sole camera at the IFA 2025 trade show, and while it boasts an exceptional camera, there's one feature that should be enabled by default to enhance usability.
Over the past two years, some of the best smartphone cameras have proven their capability to replace professional equipment for specific scenarios. Phones like the Oppo Find X8 and the Pixel 9 Pro effectively took over my camera duties for photography, which constitutes a significant portion of my work. Meanwhile, for videography, I relied on the Osmo Pocket 3, despite its inconvenience compared to the impressive video capabilities of devices like the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Although the new iPhone 17 Pro has tempted me back with its ProRes RAW video capture, the competition for my preferred work camera has become increasingly fierce. Earlier this year, I replaced the Pixel 9 Pro with the Oppo Find X8 Ultra, which features a 1-inch camera that delivers stunning bokeh and zoom performance. However, its size poses a challenge, as I prefer more compact phones, and the Find X8 Ultra is comparable in size to the Pixel 10 Pro XL or Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The Pixel 10 Pro camera is truly remarkable. It utilizes the same hardware as last year's Pixel 9 Pro, but one significant upgrade is the introduction of a 100x zoom feature. Although this may not be crucial for product photography, the enhancements across the entire zoom range are invaluable, particularly at 2x. Similar to most smartphone cameras, the Pixel 10 Pro achieves a 2x ‘optical-quality’ zoom through in-sensor cropping.
In my search for the best phone camera for work, I’ve found that 2x zoom is ideal for shooting product photos. This zoom level provides a tighter crop, resulting in a shallower depth of field that helps the product to stand out. Additionally, the Pixel 10 Pro offers an outstanding feature for work-related photography: RAW photography. While other devices like the Oppo Find X8 Ultra can also capture RAW images, Google allows users to set the camera to automatically record both RAW and JPEG formats by default, eliminating the need to switch modes.
After extensively using the Pixel 10 Pro for product photography in various lighting scenarios, I've identified a critical flaw: exposure levels. By default, the Pixel 10 Pro tends to overexpose images in low-light conditions, which can be problematic during press conferences or keynotes with challenging lighting. Although this issue isn't unique to the Pixel 10 Pro, Google has inadvertently disabled the on-screen sliders for exposure adjustment.
Initially, I thought this feature had been removed, but upon closer inspection, I discovered that it was simply turned off by default on my new Pixel 10 devices. Once I enabled it (Camera > Photo settings > (...) > Quick access controls), I found that the exposure control was the best I’ve encountered among smartphone cameras. Unlike many other devices, which require toggling through menus, the Pixel 10 Pro provides a straightforward way to adjust exposure on the fly, offering a significant advantage.
This simple approach allows me to fine-tune advanced controls such as shadows and white balance directly in the viewfinder, crucial for capturing images in diverse lighting conditions. While I understand the importance of white balance for emphasizing certain features, I often edit this post-capture. The on-screen toggle enables me to make adjustments while taking the photo, granting me greater creative freedom to produce unique and visually captivating product images.
In summary, while the Pixel 10 Pro may not have the largest camera sensor on the market, it undoubtedly offers the best all-around performance for professional smartphone photography. I am continually impressed by its capabilities.
