Google Pixel 10a
New budget king
The Google Pixel 10a comes in as a minor upgrade over the 9a with a brighter display, faster charging, and slightly lighter design. With the Pixel 9a already being a standout budget phone, the Pixel 10a polishes off some rough edges but not nearly enough.
Pros
- Gets seven generations of OS and security updates
- Brighter display with improved shatter protection
- Same pricing as the 9a
- Faster wired and wireless charging
- Lighter than the 9a
- Very good value at $499
Cons
- Incremental upgrade over 9a
- No Pixelsnap support
- Older Tensor G4 chip used instead of G5
Google Pixel 9a
Hard to beat
The Pixel 9a is still a terrific phone under $500 even almost a year after launching. The fantastic battery life, sleek design, excellent AI features, and seven years of OS upgrades makes this the most value for money Pixel we've had in years.
Pros
- Fantastic battery life
- Bright, vivid 6.3-inch display
- Barely a step back in Tensor G4 performance from 9, 9 Pro
- Most of the Gemini AI tricks you love
- Seven years of updates
- Macro Focus photos are great
Cons
- Don't expect much on-device AI
- Small step down in low-light photography
- Slow charging
