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When Google launched the Pixel 10a, people immediately started drawing parallels with the Pixel 9a. Many of the same specifications are still here including the processor, camera sensors, and the overall design. On the face of it, this seems less like a Pixel 10a, and more like a Pixel 9.5a — it’s very, very similar. But the thing is, I can’t fault Google for doing this.

The Pixel 9a is a delightful little phone. If you’re going to copy/paste a phone into a new edition, the 9a is a solid starting point. The Pixel 10a is in the same situation as any other smartphone in the market — it’s not an upgrade for people who own the last generation. Rather, it’s an upgrade for people who have older hardware and are eyeing the latest and greatest.

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

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There are three hardware choices that Google made with this new generation of phone. Google reintroduced the SIM tray (a feature which was not included in most of its flagship lineup last fall). This is not a terrible decision, but I think it’s among the more questionable choices. The fact is, at least on postpaid accounts, eSIMs have come a long way. I haven’t used a physical SIM since the Pixel 10 came out, and I have switched phones multiple dozens of times. As far as I am aware, 90% of the issues eSIMs started with have been resolved, at least in the United States.

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Google also flattened out the camera bump on the back of the phone. No longer does the camera glass protrude from the back of the phone. The Pixel 9a wasn’t bad in that respect, 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 in the back of the Pixel 10a. This is extremely disappointing, to be frank. Google could have led the charge toward our magnetic charging future, but it blinked.

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As for the rest of the hardware, Google made few changes. Compared to the Google Pixel 9a (the device Google released at this time last year) you’re getting 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 it still has a considerably-large bezel around its edges, now has the ability to ramp up to 3,000 nits of brightness. Beyond that, and aside for the changes already outlined, the Pixel 10a and the Pixel 9a use the same hardware. This is more of a refinement rather than a wholly new product.

One other new addition to the phone is also one I couldn’t test, and hopefully you’ll never need to test it either — satellite connectivity. This is the same tech that Google brought to the Pixel 10 series last fall. Basically, if you’re in a bind in a place with no connectivity, you can point your phone at a satellite and send your information to emergency responders so they can come to help. Hopefully you’ll never need to, but it’s there for the first time on a Pixel a-series phone.

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Pixel software is traditionally pretty great. The Pixel 10a gets a few needed upgrades like Camera Coach (included with the main Pixel 10 series).

When Google launched Quick Share compatibility with AirDrop last year, the Pixel 9a was left out of the conversation. That’s here on this phone now. I still find the process to be a bit cumbersome, which is to be expected since Apple seemingly didn’t contribute to this process at all, but the fact that it works is quite nice.

Gemini Live is still a favorite of mine. Popping in earbuds and walking the show floor at MWC, I was able to do a bit of research between interviews using Gemini Live. I still don’t trust any AI to generate anything close to work product, but getting a summary of MWC announcements from a vendor — or anything else that catches my eye — can be quite handy. One more than one occasion, it piqued my interest over a new product before I engaged with the vendor itself. In other cases I got a heads up that their announcements were nowhere near my wheelhouse. Either way, that information is valuable.

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The Pixel 10a runs on the same Tensor G4 as the Pixel 9a, so performance is similar in both respects. I typically play “Call of Duty: Mobile” to test performance, and that game runs fine. Multitasking is great. Switching between apps is smooth and everyday performance is as expected.

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

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As for the cameras, I was pleasantly surprised by them. “Surprised” may not be the right word — I tested the cameras a year ago (as shown in our Google Pixel 9a Review) and found they performed very well. But in a phone at this price, the cameras perform quite well.

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  Naturally, good light yields good photos. In lower light environments, like inside or outside at night, you also get very good results.

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At night in particular it is very good. There’s very little pixelation in the dark areas, and for the most part details are sharp and clear. I ran into a few duds while testing the camera at night, but the vast majority were very good. 

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Motion capture is also solid. The one area that could use some improvement is in macro shooting. I got something of a mixed bag with macro shots — both good an bad.

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Overall, this phone has very good optics as did its predecessor. You won’t have any imaging problems with this capable little shooter.

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The Pixel 10a keeps the same price as the previous generation: $499, though multiple carriers are selling the phone with various deals. Google is promising $215 off if you trade in a Pixel 8a — almost as if they’re suggesting that there’s no reason to trade in a Pixel 9a since it’s so extremely similar to this new device. 

As I said before, when I reviewed the Pixel 9a, I very much enjoyed it, and this phone is largely the same in every respect. This phone is not for you if you already own a 9a. If your phone is older, then yes, this is a very capable upgrade. It’s also at a very accessible price point for all the features it offers.

I would have liked to see a couple of more upgrades — Pixelsnap (present in the rest of the Pixel 10 family) would have been ideal, but as for the rest of the phone, Google is nailing it. I suspect external factors are involved in keeping the “upgrades” to a minimum while keeping the same price. But I hope this is not a sign of Google resting on its laurels. This phone is great, but there is some 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.