Google Pixel 10a review: is it more than just a different name?

Google Pixel 10a review

Google's hardware division is making great strides. The Pixel devices keep getting better and better, and of course what is the very best thing about the devices: the Pixel software. At least that is the case if you ask any Pixel enthusiast about the biggest pluses. The camera is also always praised and you get the latest updates instantly. However, the competition is not sitting still and as with any device: the competition is cutthroat. A few weeks ago, Google came out with the Pixel 10a, as the successor to the Pixel 9a. We have now put that smartphone through its paces at length.

Over the past few years, several Pixel devices have been released. But did you know that Google only officially carries the Pixel line in the Netherlands since the Pixel 7 series? Before that, you could only get a Pixel device through detours or grey imports. In those four years, there has been some innovation, but looking at the specifications of the Pixel 10a, this looks more like a 'Pixel 9b', as the differences are minor. But what exactly is different?

Difference between Pixel 10a vs Pixel 9a

The differences between the Pixel 9a and Pixel 10a can actually be counted on one hand. The Pixel 10a is slightly more compact and weighs three grams less. There is support for SOS satellite communication, Bluetooth 6.0 and faster charging. Also, the screen can be slightly brighter and charging is slightly faster. On the outside, the camera module has been slightly modified, but otherwise there is little difference. Whether that matters, we'll tell you in the Pixel 10a review.

Unboxing

Google delivers the Pixel 10a in a rectangular package, with a cardboard sleeve that bears the colour of the smartphone. With the Google Pixel 10a, you have a choice of colours. The colours to choose from are Lavender (purple), Berry (aka Berry, red-pink), Mist (mint green) and Obsidian (black). Our test specimen came in the purple colour. The smartphone comes with a USB-C cable, some limited paperwork and a SIM needle. While some devices still come with a screen protector or case, with Google you have to do without these things.

Design and interface

In terms of design, there are few changes from the 10a's predecessor, the Pixel 9a. However, the dimensions are slightly different and the device is slightly shrunk, slightly lighter and the camera module is now flat instead of slightly protruding. This means the device is really flat on the table. We mentioned it earlier, you have quite a bit of choice in fun colours, which means colour lovers will be fine with the Pixel 10a.

Google's smartphone features a 6.3-inch pOLED display that delivers a resolution of 2424 x 1080 pixels. This with a refresh rate of 60-120Hz. The screen is fine to read on sunny days and even in dark environments, the brightness can be low enough to make it pleasantly readable. Of course, you can work with light and dark themes. But what we really can't ignore are the thick screen bezels. Surely that's out of date. To the eye, that could have been quite a bit less.

The Google Pixel 10a looks well finished and is comfortable to hold. Especially if, as in my case with the Pixel 10 Pro XL, you have been used to a larger device in the past, a smaller device is secretly nice.

Interface

Personally, we think the Pixel series devices always come out strong with the software. This is no different with this Google Pixel 10a. While in some areas the a models don't get all the premium features of the high-end models, it is broadly similar. The interface looks very sleek and modern thanks to the presence of Material 3 Expressive. The in-screen fingerprint scanner also suffices, although it is a bit slower than from the more expensive models. However, this is not a drawback. By default, you control the smartphone via swipes across the screen (gestures), but if you don't like this, you can also use buttons.

Communication and multimedia

Making calls is no problem at all with the Google Pixel 10a. The smartphone offers space for eSIM and one physical SIM card: the nano-SIM. As you might expect, calling and texting are done via Google's own apps. Call quality is more than fine, and we have nothing to comment on here. Internet browsing is also fine. In terms of connectivity, the Pixel 10a offers support for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, location tracking via GPS and, of course, the 5G network, among others.

Multimedia

The image quality of the Google Pixel 10a is more than adequate. For music, the smartphone is equipped with stereo speakers. The sound quality of the device is very good for a mid-range device. The tuning between treble and bass is good, even at maximum volume.

Camera

The Google Pixel's cameras are praised. Still, with the Google Pixel 10a, you have to make do with somewhat fewer add-ons than with other devices in the Pixel line. Among other things, this already means the lack of a telephoto lens. There are two lenses on the Pixel 10a: a 48-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens. It is a pity that the wide-angle lens does not have autofocus. Anyone can get by with the Pixel's camera app, as it works as you would expect. You can view the photos taken in the Google Photos app.

But how is the photo quality? We tested the Pixel 10a's camera extensively under different conditions. We can say that the Pixel's main camera manages to take fine pictures with natural, true-to-life colours. Not only does the camera show its good side during the day, it also does so in the dark hours. We can't quite say the same for the wide-angle lens. In the dark, we regularly see blur, miss details and there is quite a bit of noise. During the day, the quality is better. Google also promises 8x zoom in optical quality. In practice, this is disappointing. Especially since it uses a lot of AI to give a clear image, but the images are still often out of focus. In the dark, this becomes a barely usable photo.

We took the photo below with the Pixel 10a. If you're curious what other photos we took with the smartphone, check out the many photos in the digital photo album.

Compared to other Pixel

We compared the main camera of the Pixel 10a with that of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, the folding phone in the Pixel series (see the Pixel 10 Pro Fold review). This phone also has a 48-megapixel main camera, but is quite a bit above the 10a in terms of price. Looking at the different situations, the camera quality matches well. In this, the 10a shows that no major concessions have been made with the main camera. It is a pity that this does apply to the other lenses.

Video camera

With the Pixel 10a, you can also shoot your movies just fine. You can film in 4K or in Full-HD resolution at up to 60fps. The picture quality is good, with the same being true for the sound. We wouldn't zoom in; a lot of quality is lost in the process. You can watch a video we shot with the Pixel 10a below.

Performance and battery life

Google has put the same processor in the Pixel 10a as in last year's 9 series, and in the Pixel 9a. Remarkable, as we rarely see this from manufacturers. Usually, a new chipset is always chosen. The Pixel 10a's Tensor G4 performs the tasks just fine, without the device getting excessively hot, or crashing. In that respect, the Pixel does not disappoint. You have a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage when you buy. This is not expandable. The working memory comes out at 8GB.

Battery

The 5,100mAh battery capacity has remained the same as its predecessor. Endurance is fine. Filling a day won't be a problem anytime soon. With light use, two days will also be manageable. We note with the device and screen-on-time between 4 and 5 hours.

Update policy

Google applies the same update policy for the a-models as for the expensive devices. As a result, you get seven years of Android updates as well as security updates. Neat!

Review

The Google Pixel 10a has proven itself to be a solid, fine device in recent weeks. The device doesn't have any major shortcomings. The camera performs fine, you get long updates and the device fits comfortably in the hand. It's nice that the back is refined in design, but the front screen bezels have been skipped, but this is purely something for the eye.

Despite having few differences from the Pixel 9a, that doesn't make the 10a a bad device. Still, it is notable that with a tenner, or few tens, you can also get the Pixel 10. That one is positioned a segment higher and does have the new Tensor G5 chipset, has more RAM and a telephoto lens, though the battery is a bit smaller. The bottom line is that the Pixel 10a is now overpriced. If the Pixel 10a drops further in price, and the price difference with the Pixel 10 is greater, then we can't help but say that the Pixel 10a definitely comes highly recommended. Though even now, the device can be more interesting with different subscriptions.

You can buy the Pixel 10a at Coolblue, Belsimpel, Bol.com, Mobiel and the providers Ben, Hollandsnieuwe and Simyo.