Premium phones are still highly popular, but more people are feeling the financial pinch, causing them to explore options in the mid-tier market. Google’s A-series smartphones have long provided good value, giving users great features at a more affordable price, and although its latest offering doesn’t offer much different to its predecessor, the Google Pixel 10a is a compelling option for anyone looking for a mid-tier smartphone with plenty of bells and whistles.
Coming in both 128GB and 256GB storage capacities, and colour options of Fog, Obsidian, Berry and Lavender, the Pixel 10a largely shares the design blueprint of the Pixel 9a. It’s not a full carbon copy though, with its 6.3” OLED Actua display brighter than before, achieving 3000 nits of brightness (up from 2700 nits). This makes it easier to read in sunlight and bright environments, and if you’re someone who likes to watch videos, the screen provides a great viewing experience. If you’re a chronic doom scroller, the screen’s 60–120Hz refresh rate feels smooth.
The colours of the Pixel 10a rainbow
The Pixel 10a has a flat design that is made from 36% recycled materials, with the aluminium frame 100% recycled and the back 81% recycled. One design change is that the camera sits more flush with the back of the device, making it look sleeker and less bulky. It’s got an IP68 rating that provides good water and dust protection, although I still wouldn’t feel comfortable submerging the phone in water.
When it comes to performance, the Tensor G4 chip and 8GB RAM can handle pretty much everything you throw at it. Switching between multiple apps is snappy, and photo editing tools load without too much delay. Casual gamers will find enough grunt to get their fix, but those serious about mobile gaming won’t find the horsepower to satiate their desires.
Another upgrade over the Pixel 9a is that the Pixel 10a supports 30W fast charging and 10W wireless charging, with the former giving around 50% of juice when charging with a 45W USB-C charger for half an hour. Battery life should get you a full day of normal use, but it’ll likely need an overnight charge. Google has increased the phone’s extreme battery saver mode to 120 hours, should you be stuck without a charger for a lengthy period of time. Disappointingly, the Pixelsnap accessories are not supported by the Pixel 10a, which feels like a missed opportunity to get more Pixel owners embracing Google’s new wireless charging offering.
No more camera bump
The main attraction with Google’s smartphones is the camera system that takes excellent photos and has a bevvy of useful AI tools. The Pixel 10a has the same cameras as the Pixel 9a. On the rear we have a 48MP quad wide camera and 13MP ultrawide camera that take some truly fabulous pictures that are full of detail and a more natural colour balance.
Google’s photo editing tools are some of the best around, and features like Magic Eraser, Best Take, Add Me, and Photo Unblur are all here. But Google has thrown in a couple of its newest features in Camera Coach and Auto Best Take to add to its suite of tools at your disposal. Auto Best Take will do all the hard work of making sure everyone looks their best, while Camera Coach provides tips from Gemini to ensure you’re taking the best photos possible when it comes to lighting and composition.
Users can utilise Gemini to get the most from Google’s AI push, although the Pixel 10a doesn’t come with a free trial of Gemini Pro. You’ll still get plenty of features (whether they’re useful is up to you), like Circle to Search, Gemini Live, and Pixel Studio, but a favourite of mine – Pixel Screenshots – is not compatible with the Pixel 10a. The latest Pixel update adds some neat and long overdue features, like finally letting users send and receive images and files with Apple users via Airdrop with Quick Share, and turns Now Playing (think Shazam) into its own app.
The Google Pixel 10a takes great photos
Although it’s now standard, Google provides seven years of OS support from the date of the Pixel 10a’s release. Many other brands aren’t as generous (Samsung is but Oppo isn’t, for example), which is one advantage the Pixel 10a has over the 9a – you’ll get an extra year of OS support. And in Australia, you’ll get a two-year warranty thanks to our consumer law, which really should be a global standard.
Final Thoughts
Retailing at an RRP of $849, the Pixel 10a comes in cheaper than its competitors, the newly-announced iPhone 17e ($999) and the Samsung S25 FE ($949), so it’s well-positioned from a price standpoint. The downside is that other than some software improvements and some welcome design tweaks, Google hasn’t made any hardware upgrades from the Pixel 9a. Still, it takes great photos, and if you’re in the market for a price-friendly smartphone with plenty of features, the Pixel 10a does everything you want it to do well, making it a solid option.
Review unit supplied by the manufacturer
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