Pixel 10 screen brightness will be Google’s highest yet
Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google’s preparing some screen upgrades for the Pixel 10 family, including a more eye-friendly PWM mode.
- In addition to that, we’re also expecting brighter panels for the Pixel 10 line’s displays.
- All Pixel 10 phones should be at least 200 nits brighter than their Pixel 9 equivalents.
If we’re to believe the rumors, Google’s less than two months away from announcing its Pixel 10 smartphone lineup. We’ve already pieced together a ton of details about what to expect from the new hardware, and even at this relatively late stage, our picture of the series continues to come into focus. Today we’re sharing our most recent exclusive insight into Pixel 10 hardware, as we detail Google’s plans for the screens on these phones, and how some will use high-speed backlight modulation to help reduce eye strain. But that’s just one component of Google’s display upgrades coming to the Pixel 10.
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In addition to faster PWM support, we’ve also learned that all Pixel 10 models across the lineup should feature brighter screens compared to Pixel 9 devices.
While the high-speed backlight is only coming to the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL, all Pixel 10 phones, including the base model and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, are set to ship with screens rated at least 200 nits brighter than last generation. That’s important, because Google’s increasingly prioritizing its Pro model Pixels when it comes to screen tech — for instance, we’re not expecting the base Pixel 10 to support adaptive refresh rate (ARR).
For the numbers we’re comparing here, we’re looking at Google’s reported figures for HDR peak brightness. The company explains that’s measured “at 100% on-pixel ratio.” Here are those numbers for the Pixel 9 series, and what we’re expecting for Pixel 10 devices:
| Phone | Brightness (HDR, declared) |
|---|---|
|
Pixel 9 |
1800 nits |
|
Pixel 10 |
2000 nits |
|
Pixel 9 Pro | Pro XL |
2050 nits |
|
Pixel 10 Pro | Pro XL |
2250 nits |
|
Pixel 9 Pro Fold |
1600 nits (internal) | 1800 nits (external) |
|
Pixel 10 Pro Fold |
1850 nits (internal) | 2050 nits (external) |
For all of our standard form-factor phones, we should see that same 200 nits bump to max brightness. And while that’s probably not going to be a humongous change perceptually, hopefully that extra ~10% will help push the phones over the edge to comfortable readability in even exceptionally bright environments.
We said “at least” 200 nits before, because if you’ll notice, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is set to receive a slightly higher bump to its maximum screen output, with both inner and outer screens pumping out an extra 250 nits of brightness. And while those numbers still trail behind what we get from the non-folding models, at least we’re getting to a point where even the Pro Fold’s interior screen will be brighter than last year’s Pixel 9.
