The Google Pixel 10 could have the iPhone 17 beat even before Apple’s phone arrives – here’s how

The Pixel 10 speculations are spreading quickly as the next Google product presentation, scheduled for August 20, approaches. One that has attracted my attention is the possibility of a telephoto camera on the basic next-generation Pixel.

I prefer using Pro iPhones or Pixel phones over its ordinary stablemates, which do not have optical zoom cameras, because I am a huge fan of telephoto cameras. Although I’ve written a lot about the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is my “daily driver,” owning a phone like this comes with a price tag and frequently features that I don’t find as appealing as those of their regular brothers. For instance, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is slightly too large for comfortable one-handed operation.

Although I’m definitely in the minority, I prefer telephoto cameras to ultra-wide ones, which means that many conventional premium phones don’t always appeal to me. The Samsung Galaxy S25 (and its predecessors) are an exception, primarily because of their three rear cameras.

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However, I’m intrigued by the concept of a typical Pixel phone with three rear cameras, one of which is probably a telephoto camera.

I am aware that the Google Pixel 9 Pro is a phone that is the same size as the Pixel 9 but features a telephoto camera, however it costs a lot more than the regular phone. Therefore, if Google can add a telephoto camera to the Pixel 10 while maintaining its pricing at $799, £799, or AU$1,349, we may have a high-end, entry-level Android phone that can more effectively compete with the Galaxy S25.

I’d probably be quick to suggest a Pixel 10 with a telephoto camera because I like Google’s Pixel Launcher version of Android better than Samsung’s One UI, the smart capabilities built into the Pixel phones, and Google’s image processing.

Acing Apple

The wider picture, though, is that if the telephoto camera rumor turns out to be true, Apple will be the only one of the three major phone companies (at least in the so-called West) to offer a regular premium phone without a telephoto camera.

According to all current rumors, the iPhone 17 will continue to use the twin rear-camera configuration found in its predecessors.

I’ve written about cellphones long enough to know that some people will always purchase the basic iPhone models, but for those who aren’t sure, Apple lagging behind Google might cause some individuals to emerge from Cupertino’s gated garden.

Consequently, it is possible that Apple may redesign the iPhone 18 in 2026 and eventually include three rear cameras. That’s a bit of wild guesswork, of course, and Apple has always gone at its own speed.

However, I believe that things are beginning to change because Samsung’s Galaxy AI is not lagging behind and Google’s Pixel phones are integrating AI very well. This is a way to get people to switch to Android, especially since Apple Intelligence didn’t start off well last year and may feel lagging behind the AI capabilities of competitors’ Android phones.

More photography capabilities for the regular Pixel phones are nice, even if this doesn’t happen. All too frequently, I feel like they offer a lot but are overshadowed by their Pro stablemates. Make sure to come back with TechHiveX next week to discover out exactly what Google has planned for its next-generation Pixels.