Google Pixel 10a review: Deja-Vu on a budget

When Google introduced the Pixel 10a, people immediately started drawing similarities to the Pixel 9a. Many of the same specifications are still here including the processor, camera sensors, and overall design. On the face of it, this looks a little like the Pixel 10a, and a lot like the Pixel 9.5a — very, very similar. But the thing is, I can’t blame Google for doing this.

The Pixel 9a is a fun little phone. If you’re going to copy/paste a phone to the new edition, the 9a is a solid start. The Pixel 10a is in the same position as any other smartphone on the market – it’s not an upgrade for people who own the last generation. Rather, it’s an upgrade for people with older hardware and looking for the latest and greatest.

Still, some might argue that you can pick up the Pixel 9a and get much of the same experience, while saving a little money. That’s a fair point, but there are a few reasons why the Pixel 10a might be the right choice. I’ve been using the Pixel 10a (supplied by Google for this review) for about a week, and these are my thoughts.

There are three hardware choices that Google has made with this new generation of phones. Google also introduced a SIM tray (a feature that wasn’t included in most of its devices last fall). This is not a bad decision, but I think it is among the questionable ones. The truth is that, at least for prepaid accounts, eSIMs have come a long way. I haven’t used a portable SIM since the Pixel 10 came out, and I’ve switched phones many times. As far as I know, 90% of the problems that eSIMs started with have been solved, at least in the United States.

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Google also softened the camera bump on the back of the phone. The camera glass no longer protrudes from the back of the phone. The Pixel 9a wasn’t bad for that, but it was definitely noticeable, so I’m 100% on board with this change.

Unfortunately, Google didn’t take the opportunity to include Pixelsnap magnets on the back of the Pixel 10a. This is very disappointing, to be frank. Google could have led our charge to our magnetic future, but it blinked.

As with all hardware, Google is making a few changes. Compared to the Google Pixel 9a (the device Google released around this time last year) you get the same processor, the same memory, and the same size battery — though now with 30W charging.

The main difference is in the display, which, while still having a very large bezel around its edges, now has a brightness of up to 3,000 nits. Other than that, and aside from the changes already revealed, the Pixel 10a and Pixel 9a use the same hardware. This is more of a refinement than a completely new product.

Another new addition to the phone I also couldn’t test, and I hope you never need to test it – satellite communication. This is the same technology that Google brought to the Pixel 10 series last fall. Basically, if you’re in an area without connectivity, you can point your phone at a satellite and send your information to emergency responders to come and help. Hopefully you’ll never need it, but it’s there for the first time on a Pixel a-series phone.

Pixel software is traditionally good. The Pixel 10a gets a few much needed upgrades like the Camera trainer (included with the main Pixel 10 series).

When Google introduced Quick Share and AirDrop collaboration last year, the Pixel 9a was left out of the conversation. Here we are on this phone now. I still find the process difficult, which is to be expected since Apple doesn’t seem to be involved in the process at all, but the fact that it works is pretty cool.

Gemini Live is still my favorite. With earbuds in and walking through the MWC show, I was able to do a little research between talks using Gemini Live. I still don’t trust any AI to produce anything close to a working product, but getting a summary of MWC announcements from a vendor – or anything else that catches my eye – would be very helpful. More than once, it piqued my interest in a new product before I interacted with the seller himself. In some cases I’ve been famous that their announcements were nowhere near my wheelhouse. Either way, that information is important.

The Pixel 10a runs on the same Tensor G4 as the Pixel 9a, so performance is the same in both respects. I usually play “Call of Duty: Mobile” to test the performance, and that game runs fine. Multitasking is good. Switching between apps is easy and works every day as expected.

As for battery life, this is a solid day and a half for the phone. If I don’t plug in at the end of the night, I’ll need to get it charging during the next day. I don’t consider myself a heavy user, at least not tasks that will quickly drain the battery like shooting 4K video, but I’m also a very connected person, so I’m always on my phone a lot.

As for the cameras, I’m not too surprised. “Surprised” might not be the right word — I tested the cameras last year (as shown in our Google Pixel 9a review) and found them to work very well. But for a phone at this price, the cameras do quite well.

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Naturally, good lighting produces good pictures. In low light environments, such as indoors or outdoors at night, you get the best results.

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At night it is especially beautiful. There is very little pixelation in dark areas, and most of the details are sharp and clear. I encountered a few duds while testing the camera at night, but most were pretty good.

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Motion capture is also solid. One area that could use some improvement is in the main shooting. I found something of a mixed bag of big shots – both good and bad.

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Overall, this phone has excellent optics just like its predecessor. You’ll have no problems taking pictures with this handy little shooter.

The Pixel 10a keeps the same price as the previous generation: $499, although many carriers are selling the phone with various deals. Google is offering a $215 discount if you trade in the Pixel 8a – almost as if they’re suggesting there’s no reason to trade in the Pixel 9a since it’s so similar to the new device.

As I said before, when I reviewed the Pixel 9a, I really enjoyed it, and this phone is very much the same in every way. This phone is not for you if you already own a 9a. If your phone is old, yes, this is a very capable upgrade. It is also at a very affordable price point for all the features it offers.

I’d like to see a few more improvements – Pixelsnap (present on the entire Pixel 10 family) would have been nice, but on the other side of the phone, Google nails it. I suspect external factors are involved in keeping the “improvement” small while maintaining the same value. But I hope this isn’t a sign that Google is resting on its laurels. This phone is good, but there is room for improvement. That being said, if you have an older device and need to upgrade, this is a very capable phone that will serve you for a long time.