Google unveils Pixel 10a with a few upgrades for $499
The company's latest mid-range phone sticks to a familiar formula
📱 Google just announced the new Pixel 10a
📐 It carries the same design as the Pixel 9a with a couple of improvements
⚙️ It uses the same Tensor G4 as last year, too
🔋 Battery life gets a boost to up to 30 hours of usage
🎨 The Pixel 10 comes in four colors: Lavender, Berry, Fog, and Obsidian
💰 It’s priced at $499 and launches on March 5
Google just announced the Pixel 10a, and if you think you’ve seen it before, you’re not mistaken. Not only did this mid-ranger leak a number of times ahead of today’s announcement, but it also looks identical to the Pixel 9a from last year. The only physical change is the camera bump, which is now completely flush instead of protruding a bit. It’s the Pixel 9a “2nd Gen,” if you will, with a couple of upgrades to justify its $499 price.
The phone still comes with a 6.3-inch Actua display that can crank up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness when using HDR, which is an 11% improvement over the 9a. It’s covered in slightly stronger Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which Google told me makes it the strongest Pixel A series phone yet. Google also made a big deal about the back of the phone and the flush camera bump, saying they had to completely re-engineer the phone to make it work. It’s an extremely small change you likely won’t notice, but it is rare for phones nowadays to come with flush rear cameras.
Speaking of which, those cameras remain unchanged. You still get a 48MP main camera with a 13MP ultra-wide, plus a 13MP selfie camera. Google is capitalizing on all the AI camera features like Auto Best Take and Camera Coach to distract you from the lack of upgrades, but at least they’re decent cameras to begin with. I liked shooting with them when I reviewed the Pixel 9a last year.
The specs inside the phone remain mostly unchanged, too. You get the same Tensor G4 processor as the Pixel 9a, along with 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage. The 5,100mAh battery can last longer on a charge, according to Google, with up to 30 hours of usage. It also has faster wired charging, plus 10W wireless charging. There’s no Qi2 Pixel Snap support here, however, which is a bit of a bummer.
Google also includes Satellite SOS on the Pixel 10a, a first for any Pixel A series device, allowing you to tap into satellite connectivity to relay an emergency message. The phone also works with Google’s weird AirDrop hack that lets you use Quick Share to AirDrop something to an iPhone user.
There are seven years of software updates, access to all of the Gemini AI features you’d expect (like Circle to Search, Gemini Live, live translations, and more), and two new colors to pick from: Lavender and Berry. Obsidian and Fog are also available if you want something more toned down.
The Pixel 10a costs $499 and goes on sale March 5. We’ll be working to get our hands on a 10a to deliver our full review, so stay tuned.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.