Reviewers are noting how similar the new Pixel 10a is to the Pixel 9a, even if it does not have a camera bump spoiling the look.
That is the big change, because there is no other discernible difference between this phone and the previous-gen Pixel 9a.
Google has even kept the price nailed at $500, exactly what the Pixel 9a cost at launch, which tells you everything about how ambitious this refresh is.
Google told Gizmodo it wanted to maintain the same price point, and the cost of that decision is the Tensor G4 chip remaining the same as last year.
Storage stays at 128GB or 256GB and you still get a minimum of 8GB of RAM, so nobody is pretending this is a leap forward.
If you are a heretic who uses a phone without a case, the reduced camera bump might be enough to care. For everybody else, you will be squinting at spec sheets like it is an eye test and still struggling to spot what changed.
The Pixel 10a keeps the same 6.3-inch pOLED display as the Pixel 9a, with slightly smaller bezels and a mild brightness bump.
It hits 2,000 nits in HDR instead of the Pixel 9a’s 1,800 nits, and the glass moves to Corning Gorilla Glass 7i rather than Gorilla Glass 3.
Google is flogging the new colours, and the Berry option is the one that looks like it has a pulse.
The bigger annoyance is what it lacks, since Pixel Snap’s magnetic wireless Qi2 charging was one of the best new features on the Pixel 10 family.
The Pixel 10a gets none of that, sticking with the same 10W Qi wireless charging instead of the newer, faster Qi2 standard.
Camera hardware is identical too, which is fine because Google’s Pixel 10 allegedly went backwards with smaller sensors and worse-looking photos.
You still get a 48-megapixel wide with a 1/2-inch sensor and f/1.7 aperture, plus a 13-megapixel ultrawide with a 1/3.1-inch sensor and f/2.2.
It keeps the same 8x “Super Res” zoom and the only camera trick borrowed from the Pixel 10 is Camera Coach, which uses AI to suggest a few crops based on what you shot.
It is basically training wheels for composition, and if you have ever taken a decent photo it will feel like the phone is nagging.
Google held back the larger Gemini features, so you do not get Voice Translate or Magic Cue, and the absence of the Tensor G5 makes the phone feel behind the times.
Even so, the Pixel 10a felt snappy in use, with fast app switching and quick page loads in Chrome. Camera Coach, Auto Best Take and Add Me all ran smoothly, even if they are more party tricks than must-haves.
The Pixel 10a is up for preorder now with a launch date of 5 March, and it comes alongside new Pixel Buds 2a in matching colourways.
If you want Google’s latest hardware and Gemini extras, you will be paying up for the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, or the 10 Pro Fold.
