10 years of Google Pixel: The 'camera king' that hasn't mastered the game of phones

Google Pixel

When Google launched the first Pixel on October 20, 2016, it had a simple pitch: the best smartphone camera, period. And for a while, that was the truth. Computational photography turned the Pixel into the industry benchmark. Night Sight, astrophotography, portrait mode — features that were once magic on Pixel later became standard on iPhones and Samsungs.

Yet here we are, a decade later, and despite being the “camera phone” to beat, Pixel sales remain underwhelming. Globally, Pixel hovers around a low single-digit market share, mostly in the US and a few European markets. For a device that has defined how we take photos, that’s a strange paradox: critical darling, commercial lightweight.

Part of the problem has been Google’s execution. The shift to its own Tensor chips promised AI-first experiences but instead introduced issues with efficiency, thermals and performance compared to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon flagships. Pixels often run hotter, their battery life lags, and benchmarks never favour them. The result: an innovative phone that feels slightly compromised, just when it should feel cutting-edge.

Meanwhile, competition has only grown fiercer. Apple’s iPhone may have taken a while to catch up in computational photography, but its consistency and ecosystem integration remain unmatched. Samsung leans into versatility with its Galaxy Ultra zoom lenses. And then there’s Vivo—quietly building some of the best camera systems in the world, thanks to Zeiss partnerships and promising hardware. In blind camera tests today, Vivo’s flagships often edge out Pixel in detail, colour science, and low-light performance.

So, where does that leave Google after ten years of Pixel? Still influential, but not dominant. Pixels continue to set trends—the way AI is now embedded into the Pixel 10’s photography, translation, and productivity feels like a glimpse of the future. But innovation alone isn’t enough. Google needs to scale. It needs to fix Tensor’s shortcomings, smoothen its hardware execution, and—perhaps most critically—get more Pixels into more hands.

That means distribution beyond a handful of regions. It means pricing that undercuts Samsung and Apple while still feeling premium. And it means using Google’s software magic not just as a showcase, but as a reason for people to switch ecosystems. Magic Eraser and AI-powered translations are clever; a seamless, indispensable everyday experience is better.

Ten years in, the Pixel story is one of photographic brilliance without dominance. Google changed how we take photos but never cracked how to sell phones at scale. Now, with AI becoming the new battleground, Google has a shot at rewriting that story. If the Pixel was once the king of cameras, the next chapter will decide whether it can finally claim the throne, or remain a talented pretender.