The Pixel 11 has recently been released, so it is time to get a Pixel 10 while it is still on the market. The discount is significant. I’ve been using a Pixel 8 for the past 2 years and I needed a backup device so I went for it. I then installed GrapheneOS on the Pixel 10 and installed all apps I have on my Pixel 8 as well. What I didn’t do so far: Move all my data and configure all the apps. This is a lot of work, so the question is if I save myself the extra work for now or go for it? I decided that the answer depends on what kind of benefits I would get from the change.
Basically, two things could make me switch rather sooner than later:
- A faster phone for my most power hungry apps, i.e. the browser and Osmand (Open Street Map for Android).
- A significantly better rear camera.
In terms of CPU power, I have read that the speed increase should be around 30%. So I did a direct comparison of scrolling/zooming/unzooming actions in Osmand, with the GrapheneOS hardened memory allocator disabled. The result: I can’t see a difference between the two devices. So the 30% speed increase reported doesn’t go there. Also, scrolling through the typical web pages I use on my mobile device is already fast and smooth on the Pixel 8, so no need to switch to the Pixel 10 either.
So what about the camera system? I had a quick look, and the Pixel 10 has an additional 5x telephoto lens on the rear side and auto-focus for the front lens. OK, this is definitely tempting but is it enough? Hm, maybe enough for switching as a mid-term goal.
And then, many other things have improved as well: The chip structure went from 4 to 3 nm, so the Pixel 10’s battery might last a bit longer. 8 GB vs. 12 GB of RAM is also a nice add-on. I don’t care much about GPU and AI hardware, so I’ll pass on a comparison. And last, but not least, the modem chip might support more frequency bands and more band combinations, which definitely helps while roaming.
So yes, switching is definitely a near- to mid-term goal 🙂