Pixel 10's Telephoto Lens Struggles With Pro Envy, Samsung Ultra Still Bulks Up
KEY POINTS
- •The Google Pixel 10 launched in August 2025 with a 6.3-inch OLED screen and a Tensor G5 chip powering its AI features.
- •Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra was priced near $1300 but is discounted to about $950 on Amazon, featuring a 6.9-inch screen and multiple telephoto cameras.
- •US consumers face a limited Android market due to geopolitical and capitalist reasons, missing popular Asian brands like Huawei and Xiaomi.
- •Buying a phone unlocked offers freedom, but most Americans get their devices through carrier deals often involving complex contract conditions.
In the Android arms race, Google's Pixel 10 came out in August 2025 flaunting a 6.3-inch OLED screen, Tensor G5 processor, and a novel 5x telephoto lens on a $799 phone that also supports Qi2 magnetic wireless charging. The main and ultrawide cameras took a subtle dive, so you might miss superior photo finesse unless you're pixel-picky. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra went all out with a $1,299.99 price tag cut down to $949.99 on Amazon, boasting a massive 6.9-inch screen, dual telephotos, and a fancy stylus, but still suffers from AI features that are ‘hit or miss,’ and a hand-cramp worthy bulkiness. US consumers get a trimmed choice thanks to capitalist, geo-geopolitical wizardry cutting out Huawei and Xiaomi — so buckle up for a mostly US-centric phone pantheon and carrier-tethered phone freebies. It's a tech bazaar where AI is hyped but a little shy on delivery, and where choosing a 'reasonably sized phone' is apparently open to wildly different 2025 interpretations.
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The Pixel 10's telephoto flex comes with a side of downgraded cameras, while Samsung's Ultra still feels like carrying a mini brick, and AI remains the 'eye-roll included' feature of 2025.
Google proudly adds a telephoto lens only to nerf the main cameras; Samsung packs a phone so big it's its own workout regimen.
Nothing screams 2025 like a $1,299 phone that promises futuristic AI but delivers 'sometimes, maybe' and a gym membership with every Ultra.
Source: Theverge | Published: 11/19/2025 | Author: Allison Johnson
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