Google’s software is what keeps me on Pixel, not its hardware

Although it’s been nearly two months since its launch event, Google’s still facing some heat in the aftermath of the Pixel 10’s arrival on store shelves. What started out as simple disappointment over the state of Tensor — following two years of what I can only describe as Tensor G5 overhype — ballooned into full-on outrage in the face of a Genshin Impact-inspired controversy that may or may not have been a controversy after all. Simply put, people are mad about what Tensor isn’t, rather than feeling satisfied with what Tensor actually is.

While I certainly see the argument surrounding Google’s overemphasis on local AI performance over all other metrics, this feels like a great example of Pixel fans — or haters, in some cases — missing the forest for the trees. Google does need to ensure that its flagship smartphones actually look, feel, and perform like their similarly-priced rivals, but to go as far as to declare the Pixel 10 dead on arrival feels like an overreaction at best. The magic of Pixel isn’t its performance, its design, and frankly, it’s not even really the cameras anymore. To me, it’s the software.

Now, when I say that, I don’t mean Google’s recent obsession with AI. While it’s undoubtedly an improvement over Assistant, Gemini is available on effectively every other smartphone, Android-powered or otherwise. Some of the more recent local AI tools launched on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 aren’t good enough to convince me that Gemini Nano is worth an entire 7GB of space either, even if Google’s gimmicks are at least more interesting on a surface level than anything from Samsung or Apple.

To me, AI sort of falls by the wayside, as it’s the underlying take on Android that keeps a Pixel in my pocket. That’s a core experience Google has really nailed since the original Pixel nearly a decade ago.

In some ways, Google’s own UI here is one of the very few that actually feels equal parts modern and unique. No other Android skin really looks identical to Pixel; Samsung, OnePlus, and various Chinese OEMs all typically pair their own respective themes with concepts often inspired by the iPhone, while brands like Motorola keep to a more traditional AOSP look. Really, I’d say Nothing is the only other company that I think strikes this balance, and that’s a pretty damning indictment of the mobile world at large.

In a post-Material 3 Expressive world, that sentiment only rings more true. Using Android 16 on a Pixel just feels fun. Maybe this is my phone nerd brain talking, but it’s genuinely enjoyable to bop around the OS thanks to Google’s use of color and animation. It’s bright and poppy, and it comes together to create something that really heightens the experience of simply using the phone on a daily basis — a rare feat in our stagnant mobile market. And again, it accomplishes all of this without really pulling much inspiration from the competition.

While Google certainly isn’t immune from taking some of the iPhone’s best ideas — I’m holding out hope every Dynamic Island-supporting app eventually updates their Android versions for Live Updates — it’s night and day compared to other brands.

It’s not just the look and feel of Google’s flavor of Android, of course. It’s easy to take a lot of the Pixel’s software for granted just because these phones pack in so many exclusive tools. I will never stop waxing poetic about my love of Now Playing, a dead-simple feature that, inexplicably, no one has bothered to copy. I have genuinely discovered new music just from having an always-active approach to Shazam in my pocket locally sourcing songs from my surroundings. Not even Apple — which owns Shazam — has built something like this into its products.

At a Glance, for as simple a concept as it is, has genuinely saved me from missing both appointments and meetings I’ve nearly forgotten about in the past. I get why some Pixel owners want to fully disable it, but it’s a crucial part of the home screen for me. The same goes for that bottom-mounted, always-available search bar. While frequent mis-taps of the Lens icon often leaves me wanting to tear my hair out, I genuinely miss the easy access to quick searches when I’m on any other smartphone. Even non-Google exclusive tools, like notification history, just work better on Pixel than on some of its rivals.

I’m not trying to come off like some kind of Google fanboy; I get just as frustrated as anyone else when I brush up against the limitations or shortcomings that Tensor still faces five generations in. I think Pixel fans have every right to be vocal when they’re disappointed over performance, especially when the value proposition that once made up Google’s best selling point is effectively gone. Battery life should be better, gaming performance should be on par with the competition, and frankly, tools like 4K60 10-bit HDR video recording should just be available by default in 2025.

But none of this is really enough to sway me away from why I’ve stuck with Pixel practically since the beginning. Google’s software experience really blows away the competition with plenty of enhancements both big and small, and unless other brands start to play catch-up, I don’t see that changing any time soon.