Google Pixel 10a review

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Introduction

The alphabet game is afoot! Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e launched side by side, putting a fresh spin on the affordable Pixel and the economy-class iPhone. Today, we will explore the new iteration of Google's A series, the Pixel 10a.

The Pixel 10a comes in fresh colors, an improved design with a newer Gorilla Glass 7i protection and a flat camera setup on the back. Though oddly, that's about it in terms of upgrades.

The Pixel 10a seems like a rereleased Pixel 9a. It packs the same 6.3-inch P-OLED screen with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, the same Google Tensor G4 chip with 8GB of RAM, and even the same 5,100mAh battery.

The cameras are identical, too. There is a 48MP primary on the back, together with a 13MP ultrawide camera. The selfie camera is another 13MP ultrawide shooter.

Okay, at least the connectivity specs have been improved - there is now support for Bluetooth 6.0, Satellite SOS, and faster wired and wireless charging. And the phone ships with the latest Android 16, naturally.

Nevertheless, the Pixel 10a still comes through as a solid phone with a higher-than-usual price tag, which might make sense to people with older Pixel models. Plus, we can immediately tell it's already better than the iPhone 17e by having a second camera and a high-refresh-rate display. But we digress.

Google Pixel 10a specs at a glance:

• Body: 153.9x73.0x9.0mm, 183g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 7i), aluminum frame, plastic back; IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.30" P-OLED, HDR, 120Hz, 2000 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak), 1080x2424px resolution, 20.2:9 aspect ratio, 422ppi.
• Chipset: Google Tensor G4 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A520); Mali-G715 MP7.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/3.1", 1.12µm.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5100mAh; 30W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min, 10W wireless, Bypass charging.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi region; BT 6.0; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Satellite SOS support.

With a device released a whole year later, we would have liked to see at least a chipset update here or a lower launch price tag, but we get none of that. So let's have a look at what the Pixel 10a has to offer beyond what the spec sheet reads

Unboxing the Pixel 10a

The new Pixel ships inside an incredibly thin paper box with a matching color to the phone (Lavender in our case). It contains the phone and a USB-C cable.

There is a SIM ejection tool inside, if it's important for you.