I’m all for budget phones, but the two most important releases of the year have somewhat soured my excitement. Nevertheless, an iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a face-off is necessary to decisively crown the best cheap phone on the market.
Part of the reason this year’s models don’t excite me is the lack of hardware upgrades. In my Pixel 10a review, I noted how Google’s decision to recycle the Tensor G4 puts the phone at a disadvantage — while in my iPhone 17e review, I lament the fact that it's still stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate.
