Pixel 10 battery draining fast due to weak 4G and 5G signal, new report reveals

Battery life has long been a sore spot for Google’s Pixel lineup, and it looks like the problem continues with the latest Pixel 10 series. But there might finally be an explanation. According to new testing by Android Authority, weak cellular connectivity could be the key culprit behind inconsistent and often disappointing endurance on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

While the Pixel 10 lineup generally performs well on Wi-Fi, in-depth power consumption tests reveal a sharp spike in power draw when the phone switches to cellular data, especially in areas with poor 4G or 5G signal strength. The publication compared the Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, running identical tests on both Wi-Fi and mobile networks.

The results show that while all three phones behave similarly when idle or performing light tasks, Google’s latest flagship drains noticeably more power on mobile data. In fact, the Pixels averaged over 2.5W of power draw compared to just over 2W on the Galaxy S25 Ultra during 4G-intensive tests like video streaming and downloading files.

That’s a major efficiency gap, and it’s worse when you’re in a low-signal area. The report notes that poor reception (-104dBm signal strength, in this case) forces the Pixel’s modem to pump more power into maintaining the connection, which in turn eats through the battery faster.

Modem inefficiencies and Google’s ongoing battery struggles

Interestingly, both the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro XL use the Samsung Exynos 5400 modem, paired with Tensor G4 and G5 chips, respectively. That makes the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s higher and more variable power consumption all the more puzzling. Android Authority suggests it could be due to software power management or changes in the low-level components Google introduced with the G5.

The publication also observed particularly bad battery drain during data-heavy use cases, such as YouTube streaming or video calls, tasks that max out available bandwidth and cause the modem to work overtime.

This adds to the many battery issues that some Pixel users have been experiencing lately. As previously reported, some users believe the 80% charge limit feature may actually worsen battery performance over time rather than preserving it. Others have expressed concerns that Google’s battery tuning hasn’t significantly improved since the Pixel 6, which was once found to have “the worst battery quality of all Google phones.“

It’s not new, but it’s still not fixed

Battery drain linked to poor network conditions isn’t a new story for Pixel owners. Similar reports date back to the Pixel 6 era, and the fact that it’s still affecting the Pixel 10 corroborates concerns that Google hasn’t fully optimized its modem or power-management software for years.

If you’re noticing unusually fast battery drain, the advice isn’t great but it’s practical: avoid heavy streaming or video calls when you’re on the go, especially in areas with poor connectivity. Preloading content over Wi-Fi before leaving home might save you some battery anxiety until Google pushes a fix, if they ever do.

For now, the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s uneven performance on cellular connections remains a frustrating reminder that Google still hasn’t completely solved the battery-life puzzle.

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