Google has launched the Pixel 10a as its annual mid-range contender for the crown of the best phone under $500 — a title that’s becoming harder to earn every year. As always, Google’s A series phone has a very straightforward pitch: bring flagship Pixel intelligence and camera prowess to a price point that doesn’t feel flagship at all. But in 2026, when rivals are pushing bigger batteries, faster charging, and more ambitious camera hardware at similar prices, can Google’s A series still dominate by sticking to a tried and tested winning formula? Or does it risk falling behind? I went hands-on with the device at Google’s office in Taipei, Taiwan, to get an early sense of how this year’s mid-range Pixel stacks up.
Google Pixel 10a: Hot or not? 18 votes Hot 44 % Not 56 %
What’s new in the Pixel 10a?
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
That’s a very good question, and the answer is simple: not a lot. The Pixel 10a builds on the solid foundation laid down by the Pixel 9a, which, by the way, was an excellent $499 phone. Think of the 10a as a refined version of the 9a, so much so that when put together side-by-side, it’s extremely hard to tell the difference between the two phones.
The 10a even shares the same Tensor G4 processor as the Pixel 9a, marking the first time Google has not given a Pixel A series phone the same processor as its flagship counterparts. Unfortunate, for sure, but it’s not difficult to see why Google may have had to make this call (more on that later).
That said, the Pixel 10a brings a number of subtle, under-the-hood changes that are worth noting if you’re considering buying the phone.
A brighter display and tougher build
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
The Pixel 10a sticks with a 6.3-inch Actua pOLED panel with a 60-120Hz refresh rate, but Google says it’s now up to 11% brighter than the Pixel 9a, hitting up to 3,000 nits peak brightness. In my brief time with the device under Taipei’s bright sun streaming in from a large window where I got to see the Pixel 10a for the first time, the bump in brightness was noticeable, not dramatically so, but just a touch.
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