Pixel 10a: 3 things I’ve learned

The Pixel 10a goes on sale tomorrow and, although I’m not quite ready to bring you a full review, I’ve learned a few key things about Google’s new mid-range phone so far.

Before even getting the phone in my hands, I knew that it was going to be extremely similar to the Pixel 9a. This is arguably Google’s most iterative update to a Pixel phone ever.

Still, there’s a market out there for anyone with an older A-series, or perhaps someone who is looking for their first Pixel (even though I’d probably steer them in the direction of the 9a).

I like the design changes

Though the changes are mostly subtle and hard to find, there’s an array of design elements on the Pixel 10a that make it interesting.

The most obvious, of course, is the new set of colourways. Google is one of the boldest phone makers for fresh splashes of colour, never simply repeating the same hues year after year – aside from Obsidian and Porcelain.

In fact, Porcelain is gone from the Pixel 10a range and the all-new options are Lavender, Berry and Fog. I’ve got Fog and, as a nearly 40-year-old with a 100-year old house, it suits me well, but there’s something for everyone.

The camera bump, although small on the 9a, is now completely gone and I love it. Phones wobbling on flat surfaces is a pet peeve of mine, but that’s not an issue for the Pixel 10a. Sure, most cases stop any wobble but I like to use phones ‘naked’ if possible, and sitting it completely flat feels really refreshing.

A less obvious upgrade is Gorilla Glass 7i, which protects the screen. It’s a big jump from the Gorilla Glass 3 in its predecessor and should prove more durable long-term. Luckily, I haven’t dropped my 10a yet, but when I inevitably do, I won’t wince quite so much.

Battery life is surprising

I wasn’t expecting this at all, but battery life on the Pixel 10a is impressive. This is curious because it has the exact same 5100mAh battery as before, as well as the same Tensor G4 processor.

However, in the PCMark for Android app we use for our battery test, the Pixel 10a returned a score of 20 hours and 24 minutes. That’s hugely up from the 14 hours and 11 minutes of its predecessor.

Of course, that phone was tested on Android 15, but that’s not going to make a difference here.

Real-world usage also supports the impressive benchmark result, with the Pixel 10a proving to be a real workhorse. With the screen set to full brightness and streaming a YouTube video for an hour, I only saw it drop around 5% in battery life.

For many users, this will be a two- or even three-day phone.

Faster charging is welcome

It’s another subtle change, but Google has improved the charging speeds on the Pixel 10a – both wired and wireless.

The latter has jumped from 7.5- to 10W, which is a reasonable 33%, even though it won’t have a huge impact in day-to-day life.

Wired has gone from 23- to 30W, however, which actually means the Pixel 10a beats flagship phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 (25W).

Of course, you need a fast enough PD (power delivery) charger, but if you have one, you can get close to 30% charge from dead in 15 minutes and over 50% in 30 minutes. That could make all the difference, especially paired with its impressive battery life.

A full charge of the phone will take around an hour and a half.

Early verdict: Context is everything

As is often the problem with tech, the Pixel 10a looks like a measly upgrade compared to its predecessor. The changes aren’t nearly enough for 9a owners to upgrade and other users, Pixel or otherwise, can pick up the previous model for less money now.

Google would have potentially been better off taking the 9a off the market here, but that’s not how things work. If we ignore Pixel 9a, the 10a looks like a solid mid-range phone option in 2026.

But that’s a big, and somewhat futile, if.