TL;DR The Google Pixel 10 series features upgraded storage, with faster UFS 4.0 chips in all models with 256GB of storage or more.
UFS 4.0 offers up to double the transfer speeds and is 46% more power-efficient than the UFS 3.1 used in the Pixel 9 series.
High-capacity Pixel 10 Pro models also get new Zoned UFS (ZUFS) technology, which improves long-term performance and endurance.
Google unveiled the Pixel 10 series today, and at a glance, the new phones don’t seem all that different from their predecessors. However, they each pack meaningful upgrades to their cameras, battery, charging, and performance that shouldn’t be overlooked. While the most impactful hardware upgrade is definitely the built-in Qi2 support, the Pixel 10 series also includes new storage technology that should help the phones feel fast and smooth throughout their full seven-year lifespan.
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Like the previous generation, the base Pixel 10 has up to 256GB of storage, while the Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold have up to 1TB of storage. Unlike the Pixel 9, however, the Pixel 10 series does not ship with older UFS 3.1 storage chips across the board. Google has confirmed to Android Authority that all Pixel 10 models with at least 256GB of storage have newer UFS 4.0 chips.
UFS, or Universal Flash Storage, is a modern flash storage technology widely used in mobile devices because it enables fast simultaneous reads and writes without consuming a lot of power. Compared to UFS 3.1, UFS 4.0 offers much better transfer speeds (up to 2X) while consuming less power (up to 46% less), making it a no-brainer upgrade. Storage makers like Samsung tout UFS 4.0’s ability to cut down on app and game loading times, but the benefits also extend to high-resolution video recording and memory-intensive applications.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
The Pixel 9 had UFS 3.1 storage across the board.
Given the benefits of UFS 4.0, many smartphone makers were quick to adopt it on their devices, but Google decided to hold off until the Pixel 10. The UFS 3.1 storage chips used on past Pixels were more than fast enough to handle 4K videos and day-to-day apps, so it’s not like there was a dire need for Google to upgrade to UFS 4.0. Perhaps Google was waiting for the new Zoned UFS (ZUFS) technology to become available in UFS 4.0 chips before taking the plunge.
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