Pixel 10a might dodge a price hike, but that isn’t entirely good news
With the same price and possibly the same specs, Google’s budget Pixel — the Pixel 10a — may be playing it safer than ever.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The ongoing memory crisis might spare Google’s Pixel 10a after all. According to the French publication Dealabs, the company could retain Pixel 9a’s pricing for the upcoming model.
For the baseline variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the Pixel 10a could cost EUR 549, while the 256GB storage variant could cost EUR 649. These are similar to the Pixel 9a’s retail price. However, as mentioned in the report, these prices are primarily for Europe.
Why Google might hold the line on pricing this year
However, the company could follow a similar price trend in other markets, including the United States, for two possible reasons. First, the company might have secured enough DRAM units to equip the entire lineup before the industry saw a dramatic price hike, or just in time for a minor price hike.
The second, and more disappointing, reason is that the Pixel 10a is rumored to ship with nearly identical hardware to its predecessor. For instance, the upcoming A-series handset could ship with the same 6.3-inch OLED screen (120Hz refresh rate, 2700 nits peak brightness) as the Pixel 9a.
Further, the phones should share the same camera setup (48MP primary, 13MP ultrawide, 13MP selfie), a 5,100 mAh battery that supports 23W wired charging, and the same IP68 dust- and water-resistant rating. You see? The upcoming phone borrows most of its specifications from the outgoing version.
If that’s the case, shouldn’t the Pixel 10a be cheaper than the Pixel 9a right from the launch? Technically, it should, but Google might justify the price by upgrading the handset’s chip from the Tensor G4 to Tensor G5 (though industry sources remain divided on it).
The same report mentions how the Pixel 10a could be officially announced on February 18, 2026, and go on sale on March 5, 2026 (roughly two weeks after the launch). If the company does decide to stick with the old-time pricing, the Pixel 10a (128GB) could cost USD 499, while the Pixel 10a (256GB) could cost USD 599.
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