Google's Pixel A-series has always been about affordability, delivering the Pixel experience in a less flashy package. Last year's Pixel 9a debuted a brand new design that gave us a clue for what to expect on the Pixel 10 series, and all signs point to the Pixel 10a retaining the same look and feel.
The Pixel 9a gave us everything and more for a pleasantly agreeable $500 price tag. Google made the bold decision to ditch its iconic camera bar with the 9a, and we're positive the 10a won't change that up. Rumors point to a March release, which is exactly one year after the Pixel 9a launched, so we won't have long to find out for sure.
Google Pixel 10a: What's likely to change
According to one leak, the Google Pixel 10a will ship with a "boosted" version of the Tensor G4 chip inside the Pixel 9a. If so, that would mark the first time the company would ship a different chipset from the mainline series in a Pixel A-series phone, at least since Google started making Tensor chipsets. The mainline Pixel 10 series ships with a Tensor G5 chipset.
Up until now, Google has shipped a nearly identical Tensor processor in A-series phones, enabling excellent photography capabilities, AI processing, and years of promised software updates. However, Google has long had an issue with performance and overheating, and the Tensor G4 was the first to solve only half of that equation — the overheating issue.
A boosted Tensor G4 could mean that Google is further tweaking the Tensor G4's thermal properties, allowing the company to speed the processor up without reintroducing the old overheating problems of Pixels' past.
The Pixel 10a might be the first Tensor-based Pixel that doesn't get the same processor as the rest of the familial line.
The downside to this strategy is that the Pixel 10a wouldn't benefit from the Tensor G5 that launched inside the rest of the Pixel 10 series. While the Tensor G5 does not introduce too many major performance improvements, the new processor brings a suite of beneficial changes, including faster, more powerful CPU and TPU processing, a new ISP, and a new display processor.
This could mean that the Pixel 10a won't see display, camera, or gaming performance improvements compared to the rest of the Pixel 10 series. Of course, all of this is based on leaks and rumors, but it's worth noting the hypothetical.
The Pixel A-series is long overdue for charging improvements and an LTPO display.
Every generation, we see Google add at least one display enhancement from the mainline Pixel series to the equivalent Pixel A-series. The Pixel 8a introduced a 120Hz display for the first time in Pixel A-series history, while the Pixel 9a's display is now as bright as the ones on the rest of the Pixel 9 series. The newer Pixel 10 models tout even brighter OLED panels, so the Pixel 10a is expected to follow suit.
Speaking of battery life, the Pixel A-series is long overdue for a charging speed upgrade. Google gave the Pixel 9a a very minor charging speed bump, but the mainline Pixel 9 series charges twice as fast. The Pixel 10 and 10 Pro charge slightly faster, but the 10 Pro XL brings a noteworthy upgrade at 45W wired charging. All Pixel 10 models bump the battery specs generously over the last generation.
Despite all this, the Pixel 10 series still pales in comparison to competitors like OnePlus, which offers 80W charging with a charger included in the box. It's very much possible that the Pixel 10a may finally adopt 30W charging to keep up with the pack, but I don't foresee Google doing more than that.
We could see the return of multiple phone sizes with the Pixel 10a, something we haven't seen since the Pixel 4a days.
Lastly is the possibility that Google could finally offer multiple sizes of the Pixel 10a. The last time the company offered multiple Pixel A-series model sizes was with the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G. A rumor circled for a while that the Pixel 8a would see the return of multiple sizes, but that didn't happen.
While we're certainly not confident that Google will return to offering multiple sizes, the company has been expanding its portfolio of devices in recent years, so now would make a lot of sense for them to make a move like this.
Google Pixel 10a: What we expect to stay the same
So far, several leaks have pointed to a "safe" upgrade this time around. That means the Pixel 10a will look more or less identical to the Pixel 9a, although we expect Google to use slightly different colors for the 10a than it used for the 9a.
Likewise, the Pixel 9a ditched the camera bar to make a thicker, flatter phone with a bigger battery. As such, there's little reason to expect Google to change the battery at all on the Pixel 10a. Thankfully, though, the Pixel 9a boasts the best battery life of any Tensor-based Pixel phone to date.
On the subject of cameras, Google finally added a telephoto camera on the smaller Pixel 10, but we haven't seen anything that points to a telephoto camera being offered on a Pixel A-series device yet. If Google does make multiple sizes of the Pixel 10a, there's a possibility that we could see the addition of a telephoto camera. Otherwise, don't count on that changing.
Don't expect to see many design or camera changes next year.
We also don't foresee Google changing the $499 price, if it can avoid it. RAM and storage prices these days are higher than ever, but so long as Google planned ahead of time, we shouldn't see a significant price increase. With the rumor that the Pixel 10a will be using a Tensor G4 again, plus several design changes on the Pixel 9a that make manufacturing simpler and less expensive, the only reason we'd see a price increase is based on RAM and storage prices.
Google Pixel 10a: A focus on families
I know more than a few families who have chosen a Pixel A-series phone for their kids because of the affordable cost and long-term updates, but it looks like Google may be adding a new reason for parents to get excited about the Pixel 10a: better parental controls.
While this feature won't be Pixel 10a exclusive, there's no doubt it'll be included on the phone since it's already available now. Android 16 adds a new section to the system settings simply called "Parental controls," located under the existing Digital Wellbeing feature in the list.
This feature deeply integrates Google Family Link into the OS and adds digital ground rules, screen time limits, and content filtering for child safety. This includes blocking explicit sites, forcing Google Safe Search, and more.
Google Pixel 10a: Potential launch date
Since the Pixel 9a was announced in March 2025, we can safely expect the Pixel 10a to follow the same trend and make its debut in March 2026. We haven't seen as many leaks for the 10a as we did for previous Pixel devices, but we're still theoretically a few weeks out from an announcement and could see more leaks soon.
Until official information about the tentative launch is announced, we'll be covering every leak and rumor that gives us a clearer picture of what Google's 2026 budget release will pack.
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