Pixel 10a has no camera protrusion, which is great

For years now, smartphone manufacturers have been increasing the size of their devices’ camera protrusions in an effort to improve their cameras. Even if such a design improves camera performance, it can sometimes introduce usability issues. With the Pixel 10a, Google has taken a new approach by completely removing the camera protrusion and creating a flat phone that sits entirely on a surface.

It’s a welcome change in a world of big camera bumps, but Google hasn’t made any other major design changes to its latest budget smartphones. The Pixel 9a looked pretty much the same, just with a much smaller camera protrusion.

I have a plain old black unit, but Google offers phones in Lavender (a mix of bright blue and purple), Berry (coral), and Fog (a gray-green tone).

The screen size is the same as last year’s device at 6.3 inches, but the display is brighter at 3,000 nits. Google uses the Actua series screens it used on other Pixel 10 series devices to make them easier to use in bright light. The display can support a 120Hz refresh rate, but the unit ships set to 60Hz and must be changed manually through the phone’s settings.

In terms of build and specs, the Pixel 10a is almost identical to the Pixel 10, but there are some differences. For example, the Pixel 10 has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back. The cheaper 10a has a plastic back and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection on the front. The budget device also has a larger battery at 5,100 mAh compared to the base Pixel 10’s 4,970 mAh. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has a 5,200mAh battery.

There are only minor differences between the Pixel 9a, Pixel 10a, and Pixel 10, and most of them have to do with performance and computing power. The obvious hardware difference is that the budget series phones use a Google Tensor G4 CPU compared to the Pixel 10’s Tensor G5. Pixel 10 series phones charge at 30W via USB-C, up from the Pixel 9a’s 23W charging capacity. Wireless charging is supported at 7.5W on Pixel 9a, 10W on Pixel 10a, and 15W (magnetic) on Pixel 10.

The increased battery capacity and new charging capacity come in handy as the battery easily lasts all day, including regular app usage, hours of video watching, and light gaming. Additionally, the brighter display provides a better all-round experience with your device, even under different lighting conditions. Admittedly, the 10a’s bezels are thicker than the more expensive models, but for everyday use there isn’t much of a difference. After all, you can get the device for much less than the flagship model.

The Pixel 10a uses the Tensor G4 chip, which was also used in the Pixel 9a. That means you won’t see any performance improvements this year, but you might notice it if you switch around a lot of apps. The combination of this chip and 8GB RAM prevents the Pixel 10a from running the latest Gemini Nano model. This means fewer on-device AI features than the Pixel 10a series.

The list of features not available on Pixel 10a includes Notification Summary, Pixel Screenshot app, Magi Cue (which provides suggestions across apps like Gmail, Messages, Maps, etc.), Call Notes, and on-device call translation.

The phone has the same 48-megapixel main camera and 13-megapixel wide-angle camera as last year’s device. The main camera works well in most situations, even in low light. However, because ultrawide sensors are older and smaller, they tend to lose some detail. Additionally, there is no autofocus.

Pixel 10a has a Camera Coach AI feature that can guide you as you photograph objects. This feature guides you in framing your shot so that objects fit properly within your photo. There’s also an automatic best take feature that combines photos to create the best take from multiple shots, which is useful if you’re taking photos in a group. The phone also supports up to 8x super-resolution zoom, but the processing and quality aren’t as good as the Pixel 10, which offers up to 100x zoom with this feature.

Notably, some AI features could come to the Pixel 10a via Pixel Drop, as Google often allows AI features to work even on older models.

Google provides seven years of software updates on this device. This is important to get operating system updates as well as feature removals and security updates. This isn’t exclusive to the Pixel 10a, but the phone has a quick share feature that works with AirDrop. This means you can easily transfer photos to your MacBook with just a few taps, just like we did in this article. Previously, you had to connect your Pixel 10a to your MacBook using a USB-C cable.

At $499, the Pixel 10a has excellent battery life, a bright display, and fast charging. At this price, this phone has a light and flat design and is great value for money. However, if you’re using last year’s Pixel 9a, there’s no reason to change. What’s more, the $499 Nothing 4a Pro offers stiff competition to Google’s lower-end devices with better specs, including a larger, brighter screen, a better Qualcomm processor, a dedicated telephoto lens, and 50W fast charging.