Switching Back from iPhone to Android: First Impressions of the Pixel 10

06 Sep, 2025

I just switched from an iPhone 16 to a Pixel 10, and the experience has been surprisingly smooth. From a hardware perspective, both phones feel remarkably similar. The build quality and materials are on par, at least at first glance.

Hardware quirks

The Pixel has a few touches I actually prefer. Apple’s philosophy often aims for simplicity—do more with less. Google, on the other hand, gives you options. You can unlock the Pixel with both face recognition and a fingerprint reader, and both feel fast and intuitive. I didn’t realize how much my muscle memory remembered the fingerprint sensor until I used it again.

The smaller camera cut-out is another nice detail. Apple’s Dynamic Island occasionally showed useful info, but it always felt oversized—taking up too much display space for what it offered. On the Pixel, the cut-out just gets out of the way.

Face recognition, though, leans more on software than hardware. It works fine so far, but I haven’t really pushed it in tricky situations. Here the fingerprint reader feels like the real fallback. The trade-off makes Google’s approach look less committed compared to Apple’s cleaner, single-path solution.

Software experience

On the software side, Android has caught up in ways I didn’t expect. The dedicated voice assistant button might be my favorite addition. It finally feels like the assistant is there at the press of a button—something Apple never quite nailed with Siri or “Apple Intelligence.”

I use ChatGPT voice mode a lot, but on iPhone it always sat behind artificial friction, almost like Apple didn’t want it competing directly with its own assistant. On Pixel, the setup feels freer and more efficient.

Search is a mixed bag. On iPhone, I used Spotlight constantly to launch apps or find App Store content. It felt natural and fast. Google search on the Pixel is just as easy to reach, but so far it doesn’t search within apps as seamlessly. Maybe I haven’t found the best workflow yet, but right now it feels like a step backward.

Camera and performance

Camera comparisons are always tricky. Apple might have the edge on pure sensor hardware, but Google closes the gap with software. From what I’ve seen, the Pixel doesn’t fall short in real-world use.

Performance is where I had more doubts. The Pixel’s custom Tensor chip is slower than both Qualcomm’s flagship chips and Apple’s CPUs. On paper, it’s a clear disadvantage. But in practice? Apps feel snappy. Google Docs, Gmail, and other Google apps run flawlessly. Even my work apps perform without issues. First impressions suggest the hardware is “good enough,” and Google’s software optimization makes up a lot of ground.

The overall take

Switching back to Android after years with iPhone feels less dramatic than I expected. The Pixel 10 matches the iPhone on hardware, offers some clever quirks, and makes smart features feel more accessible. It’s not as polished in every detail, but it holds its own.

And one last thing: living in Europe makes the “blue bubble vs. green bubble” drama irrelevant. Everyone uses WhatsApp anyway.