Google Pixel 10a vs. Pixel 9a: Not as clear-cut as we imagined it to be

It feels like Google couldn't wait to get its new Pixel 10a smartphone in the market, launching a little less than a year since the Pixel 9a did in 2025. The result is an underwhelming release in comparison with the 9a and it really does feel like a stop-gap model for what could be a bigger overhaul in the future. Thankfully, Google has maintained one aspect of the A series that made it so popular to begin with and that's the pricing.

The Google Pixel 10a starts at $499 and you can pre-order it now, with open sale starting from March 5. If you're a Pixel 9a user, you probably already know that you can skip this generation. But if you are on the fence deciding between the Pixel 10a vs. Pixel 9a, you've come to the right place. Let's compare the specs and features of both and see which makes a better buy.

Google Pixel 10a vs. Pixel 9a: Design and display

The Google Pixel 10a adopts the same design as the Pixel 9a, which already got a massive design overhaul in 2025. I personally think it's the right move, as I love the minimalist look of the 9a. The 10a does come in new shades like Berry and Fog, along with Lavender and Obsidian. There's IP68 dust and water protection as well.

The Pixel 10a has similar dimensions as the 9a. The weight has gone down a bit to 183 grams and it now measures 9mm in thickness. Unfortunately, the 10a does not support Pixelsnap tech. The latter was introduced with the Pixel 10 series, which enabled magnetic attachment of accessories like stands and wireless chargers.

Google has given the A series incremental upgrades to the display, and that trend continues with the 10a. The only real upgrades here are the higher brightness which is now up to 3,000 nits and Gorilla Glass 7i for shatter protection. The 9a is still using the very old Gorilla Glass 3 so it's nice to finally get a sturdier screen.

The back panel of the Pixel 9a is plastic, which is what contributes to the low weight. The Pixel 9a comes in some cool colors like Obsidian, Porcelain, Iris, and Peony. If you hate rear camera bumps, you'll love the almost-flat back of the Pixel 9a. There's an IP68 rating for dust and waterproofing, and we absolutely love the matte finish of the frame, which doesn't pick up any fingerprints.

The Google Pixel 9a actually matches the Pixel 9's screen for size, brightness, refresh rate, and resolution. This is quite impressive for a now almost-$400 phone. You'll also find the brightness level to be much higher than most other phones in this segment. While the display is good for general viewing, PWM-sensitive folks will not like this one bit.

Google Pixel 10a vs. Pixel 9a: Hardware and specs

For the first time, Google's Pixel A series will not use the same processor as the current-gen number series phones. The Pixel 10a uses the same Tensor G4 SoC as the Pixel 9a, rather than using the G5 chip. As some consolation though, the 10a does support some AI features that are exclusive to the Pixel 10 series (with the G5 chip) like Auto Best Take and Camera Coach. Having said that, there are a couple of newer features like Magic Cue and Pixel Screenshots which are not supported on the 10a.

Even with the astronomical prices of RAM these days, we appreciate Google keeping the price of the Pixel 10a the same as the 9a. You can get the 10a at nearly half off if you pre-order and have a eligible device to trade in. Even without this incentive though, the 10a starts at $499 for 128GB of storage and $599 for 256GB.

One neat addition (and a first fot the A series) is support for satellite SOS. This allows you to connect to emergency services even if you're out of network area and Wi-Fi isn't available.

Battery life was one of the Pixel 9a's strongest points, and we're happy to see the same capacity in the 10a. A slightly larger size would have been appreciated but despite that, Google is boasting of increased battery life in the 10a like 30+ hours or up to 120 hours with Battery Saver.

The Google Pixel 10a also gets a much-needed bump in charging speeds, both for wired and wireless. Compared to the Pixel 9a, the 10a can now do 30W wired charging and 10W wireless charging. Sadly, the phone doesn't support the Qi2 standard even if you use a case. It's a real shame as Google could have included compatibility via a case the way Samsung did with the Galaxy S25 series.

Google added a third telephoto camera to the standard Pixel 10, a feature previously reserved only for the Pro models. While the Pixel 10a does not get a third telephoto camera, it's not impossible to find one in this segment; just look at the CMF Phone 2 Pro. The cameras on the Pixel 9a were good, but a higher-resolution ultrawide would be nice to have.

The Pixel 10a has the exact same sensors as the Pixel 9a but with a few new AI features from the Pixel 10 series.

The Pixel 9a now retails for $399 and $499 for the two storage tiers. Performance is more than adequate for the price, and it actually matches the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro in many benchmark scores.

The 5,100mAh battery is one of the largest batteries we've seen on a Pixel, and this results in amazing battery life with over a day of runtime even with heavy use. Charging speed is much slower, though, at just 23W with Google's 45W adapter. There is wireless charging too, but the speed is just 7.5W.

The Pixel 9a has a 48MP main and a 13MP ultrawide on the back, and a 13MP module in the front. It can shoot 4K videos with the front and rear cameras, and even though it doesn'tt have a macro camera, it supports features like Macro Focus to help it get sharp close-up shots.

Google Pixel 10a vs. Pixel 9a: Software

The Google Pixel 10a ships with Android 16 and gets the seven-year OS upgrade commitment, just like the 9a. It also features many of the AI capabilities as the Pixel 10 series which is nice considering it doesn't have the latest Tensor chip.

The Pixel 9a shipped with Android 15, but it has received the Android 16 update and will continue to receive day-one OS upgrades with the rest of the Pixel family for the next six years. It has all the beloved features we've come to know and love, like Add Me, Astrophotography, and Macro Focus. Due to the lower RAM, though, you get Gemini Nano instead of the full-blown version, and this limits access to features like Pixel Screenshots and Call Notes.

Google Pixel 10a vs. Pixel 9a: Which one should you buy?

The Google Pixel 10a is the latest best cheap phone you can buy today and if you don't own the Pixel 9a yet, I'd suggest pick up the 10a. It might not be a massive upgrade but even little things like the faster charging, sturdier and brighter screen, and support for exclusive Pixel 10 AI features are all worth the $499 price tag.

Google is still officially selling the Pixel 9a at the same launch price so it does not make sense to buy this right now, at full price. When the price does eventually crash though in the next few months, the 9a will certianly be even better value. In fact, you can find the 9a at around $400 on Amazon from some sellers.