Google announced its Pixel 10a mid-range smartphone today, in four colour options.
Thanks to a series of leaks, we already had a very good idea of what to expect from the Google Pixel 10a’s design. In a nutshell, it looks a lot like the Google Pixel 9a.
And, at first glance, the new colours appear to be another design element shared with the Pixel 9a. However, when you look a little closer, you can see why three of the four warrant new names.
Just as we did for the Pixel 10 launch, here are the four Pixel 10a colours, ranked in ascending order of desirability according my own personal preference.
4. Obsidian
It would be deeply hypocritical of me to complain about modern smartphone design being boring, and then to rank the one unchanged colour in the Pixel 10a range anything higher than bottom of the pile. The familiar shade in question is Obsidian. As before, it’s just a fancy term for black. Moving along…
3. Fog
Kudos to Google for stepping outside of its Porcelain comfort zone. I’m not sure theming your obligatory off-white model around a weather type associated with dullness and misery is the smartest of PR decisions, but then this is the kind of subtle colour I’m going to have to see in person before I can make a proper judgement. Appropriately enough, my feelings on Fog are murky.
2. Lavender
If there’s such a thing as a ‘flagship colour’, then Lavender is surely it. Google has been using this one in its early teaser imagery. It’s looking much deeper and bluer than the Pixel 9a’s slightly weedy Iris option, and a little closer in tone to the Pixel 10’s Indigo shade – one of the more appealing colour options for the range.
1. Berry
TA Managing Editor Chris Martin labelled the Berry colour “a radioactive coral sort of finish” and “not my cup of tea” – two sentiments I have to agree with. However, it’s also the most vibrant and downright eye-catching colour in the Pixel 10a range, and much bolder than the weak sauce Peony Pixel 9a. It’s the colour of the exhausted aftermath of a nine-year-old’s birthday party, but at least that’s fun-adjacent.
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.