The Google Pixel 10a was announced a couple of weeks ago to mild applause, given its similarities to last year’s Pixel 9a. We have been putting it to the test for the past week and will attempt to share our opinions on this Pixel 9a doppelganger in the 2026 world.
Described as a phone with brilliant photography, a durable design and helpful AI, Google has kept the Pixel 10a at the same $849 price point, and added in new features including a 2-year Satellite SOS trial – a first for the a-series phones, giving you the ability to connect with emergency services even when you’re without Wi-Fi or mobile coverage.
I have not had the pleasure of using a Pixel 9a so my thoughts on the Pixel 10a may differ from someone who has. The Pixel 10a has the same Tensor G4 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage as last year’s model, but with a slightly (and boy, do we mean slightly) more refined design featuring a new bumpless camera that sits flush with the flat profile of the phone.
The camera is the same as last year, as is the battery, but the display gets a slight upgrade with the 6.3-inch Actua Display, brighter and is now protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for improved ruggedness.
Design
The Pixel 10a is the same size as last year and the only difference to the eye is the removal of the camera bump on the rear. The camera window now sits flush with the rear of the phone. The rear is still matte, and the sides have a metal frame with a satin finish.
I prefer the camera window sitting flush with the rear of the phone, helping to protect it a bit more from scratches. This difference is incredibly minor though, but that shouldn’t mean a thing – there is nothing that says that phone designs need to be significantly different from one year to the next (afterall, Apple has been doing this forever).
The design of the rest of the phone is very Pixelly with the metallic sides and slightly curved edges.
The Pixel 10a is available in two new colours: Lavender and Berry, alongside the usual Black and White (Called Fog this year) colour choices – and, of course, there are cases to match.
Hardware and performance
By itself, the hardware is 2024, unfortunately. The chipset Google has included in the Pixel 10a is the same as that we saw in the Pixel 9 in 2024, which is incredibly disappointing. This is the first time they have not included the same chipset as that from their flagships the year before. According to the Pixel 10a product manager, Google aimed for the $849 price point and to get there, they needed to make a few tough decisions. This way, there was no guessing, no running out of the newer G5 chipset, just a price they knew they could hit with that chipset.
Do I think it made a difference? Not that I could tell. The phone still did everything I wanted it to, and comfortably. I just wonder whether it will be fully future-proof with the older chipset inside. Time will tell.
The other question this choice raises is whether the Pixel 9a, which is effectively the same phone with the same camera, chipset, RAM, etc., will receive the same update support. Ie. Will its support now extend another year?
Now, Google has done some great things with the software on this phone, considering the chipset is so old. At no time did I notice any slowdowns or stuttering of the operating system. It was as buttery-smooth as ever, though not as quick as the flagships.
Display
The Pixel 10a features a 6.3-inch Actua display (1080 x 2424 pOLED) with a variable refresh rate from 60-120Hz. It is capable of up to 3000 nits (peak brightness), an improvement over last year’s 2700 nits and bringing it in line with the Pixel 10 flagship line’s peak brightness.
The Actua display offers great colours and deep blacks and looks really good, as you would expect of an OLED display in 2026.
The difference between this phone and the flagship Pixel 10 is the size of the bezels, with the flagship’s bezels much smaller. We see that with many mid-range devices, larger bezels are obviously cheaper. Now they are not massive so you really don’t notice it that much until you put it side-by-side to a premium smartphone.
Underneath the display is once again an optical fingerprint sensor, which is slower than the flagship series phones but still accurate and consistent. Google has included a decent face unlock feature that can be used as an additional security measure to unlock your apps via biometric authentication.
Camera
Last year’s camera was a mid-tier camera system, and it’s the same again this year, which is once again disappointing. I mean, the Pixel 10a still takes some great shots, but it’s 12 months on, camera hardware has improved, so why not include at least a small bump in the camera quality?
That said, they spent months re-engineering the rear camera to make the island flat, but couldn’t spend some of that time adding a telephoto camera? Which would you rather? A flat surface or a triple rear camera with a telephoto lens and a small 1 or 2mm camera bump?
The rear camera system is a dual-camera setup with a 48MP main sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide sensor with a 120° field of view. The selfie camera is a 13MP sensor embedded in the display.
Google may have only included a dual camera system but as you can see below the results are still incredibly impressive:
The night images are especially good, and that is where so many more affordable phones struggle. Most phones can take decent daytime images, but the real test is in low light, and the Pixel 10a passes with flying colours here.
Battery and charging
The Pixel 10a houses a 5100 mAh battery that is capable of fast charging – up to 50% in around 30 minutes (30W wired charging), if you use the 45W USB-C PPS charger (sold separately by Google) or higher. It isn’t earth-shattering speed, but it should get you enough, and quickly, to get you through the rest of the day.
The new Pixel does support Qi wireless charging but not Qi2, so you will only be able to achieve a maximum charging rate of 10W and you won’t get the magnets that are included in the Qi2 protocol.
Software
The Pixel 10a comes with Android 16 on board with seven years of OS updates and monthly Security Maintenance Releases (SMR) and Pixel Drops included.
The Pixel experience is, as usual, very stock in terms of look and feel. A few Pixel-exclusive apps are installed, such as Pixel Recorder and Pixel Studio.
The new Material Expressive 3 is present, just as it was on last year’s Pixel 10 flagship devices. Google really does a great job of making their operating system fluid, stylish, and looking great – no one else comes close.
Unlike other manufacturers, there is also no bloatware added – just all the usual Google apps, which most other manufacturers include anyway. We shouldn’t have to mention that, but with many other phones including junk apps such as Facebook, LinkedIn and random games, it’s refreshing that Google has not — and likely never will — go down that path.
A couple of additions this year are new AI features within the camera app, Camera Coach and Auto Best Take. For more information on these and the new Satellite SMS features, check out Dan’s Pixel 10a software deep dive coming in the next few days.
Everyday Use
I don’t normally add this section in here, but I thought it was important because we can get stuck in the weeds of how similar the Pixel 10a is to last year’s Pixel 9a, but in the end, does that really matter? Google is discontinuing the Pixel 9a, so soon you will only be able to buy the Pixel 10a. Yes, it is incrementally better, but still the same price.
So, everyday use is still a dream with the best voice assistant on the market — Google Assistant Voice. If you haven’t used this, you must give it a try. It not only listens to your voice but also listens for context and adjusts the text based on what the AI thinks you are trying to say in that context. Then you can also give it commands such as “send” or “change XYZ to ZYX,” and much more to make the voice-to-text experience better than ever before. I do wonder why no other manufacturer has introduced something like this, as it is the best thing about the Pixel devices for me, someone who spends the vast majority of his day on the road.
The operating system is so smooth that you will notice the difference within five minutes of using a Pixel device compared to a non-Pixel device — and that includes all brands of phones and operating systems. That buttery smoothness is unmatched.
All apps will open smoothly and quickly, all apps will operate as they should and best of all, you get a decent camera. Sure, the hardware is the same as last year, but we are nearing the peak of smartphone photography, so any changes would be incremental at best. I would have liked a better camera, but in everyday use it just isn’t required. The Pixel 10a takes great images — Google has always focused their camera efforts on computational photography and it shows in the a-series devices, including this one.
If you buy the Pixel 10a, you will have a device that you will love in everyday use. It will do what you want it to and do it well, without intruding into your life.
Final thoughts
While a lot of the review was a tad critical, it was meant to be more critical of Google and not the phone. It is still a great phone, just the very smallest increment better than the Pixel 9a, which is a bit disappointing. While it was a tad disappointing that Google didn’t upgrade anything beyond a small display upgrade, the phone is still great. It still has the best Android software experience, a great design and a camera that outshines its price point.
The quality of the photos the Pixel 10a took was exceptional, showing that even basic hardware can still produce good shots when the software is exceptional. For an everyday phone, in the mid-range, it is still extremely difficult to go past the Pixel “a” series, this year the Pixel 10a. The price is still excellent (which is why the phone is basically the same as last year), and it’s still attractive at $849.
The Google Pixel 10a is available now for $849 in Lavender, Berry, Fog and Black from all your usual phone retailers.
Scott is our resident open technology expert. If you can mod it, or want to use it your way, Scott has probably done it. From Laptops to phones, headphones and game consoles, he’s played with it and wants to see the next generation.
