Google has released a cheaper mid-range A-series Pixel smartphone every year since 2019’s Pixel 3a, but the new Pixel 10a is difficult to wholeheartedly recommend, even though it’s a very good phone. That’s not normally the case.

Since 2022’s Pixel 6a, the ‘A’ Pixel has come roughly six months after the flagship Pixels it shares its number with and has run the same processor as those phones. It has meant you could save hundreds and still get great Android performance, just in a less premium feeling handset.

Unfortunately, the Pixel 10a does not run the Tensor G5 found in the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro phones. Instead it sticks with the Tensor G4 that’s in the Pixel 9 series and – crucially – 2025’s Pixel 9a, too. Add to that the fact Google didn’t change the design from the 9a to the 10a, and what we are left with is a new phone that is hard to recommend.

That’s because with practically the same design and specs, the Pixel 9a on sale (as it usually is) is a more sensible purchase than the new 10a at £499.

The only upgrades the Pixel 10a gets is Gorilla Glass 7i (from Gorilla Glass 3), 3,000 nits peak screen brightness (from 2,700), 30W wired charging (from 27W), 10W wireless charging (from 7,5W) and Bluetooth 6 (from 5.3).

The Tensor G4 processor, 8GB RAM 128GB base storage, dual 48MP and 13MP cameras, 6.3-inch screen size – all the same as last year. Even the new colours are practically the same, only slightly different shades.

I’ve been using the Pixel 10a for a couple of weeks to see how it fares. It’s true that it is an excellent phone – after all, I named the Pixel 9a as my favourite phone of 2025. And it’s also true that sometimes phone reviewers like me can’t see that a new device is great simply because we’ve used the previous year’s. Hardly anyone these days buys a phone every year, so I appreciate the Pixel 10a is going to be much better than your affordable phone was when you got it four years ago.

But in this case, if you are looking to spend less than £500 on an Android phone that will last you the next four years, I can’t recommend the Pixel 10a over the Pixel 9a. At the time of writing, the 9a is available for £399, and I’ve seen it before for £349. That makes the £499 Pixel 10a bad value.

None of this is to say the Pixel 10a is a bad phone, far from it. In fact, it is an excellent phone. I’ve been testing the Fog colour version, which is white with the tiniest hint of green and have been enjoying its relatively light (183g) and compact size compared to the Pixel 10 XL or most other giant phones on the market.

Most impressive is the fact that this is the first phone in years to have a completely flush back glass, including the cameras. No camera bump! The Pixel 9a had a tiny lip to protect them, now they are recessed in the glass. It’s great.

The cameras are also great. The 48MP main sensor paired with Google’s high contrast photo processing means this is a top point-and-shoot camera, with results often better than on phones twice the price. I preferred most of the images I took with the £499 Pixel 10 compared with the £879 Samsung Galaxy S26 I am also testing at the moment.

You can click these links to view some of my Pixel 10a photo samples in full resolution.

Photos have good, sharp focus and colour, though you only get an ultra-wide for back up, with no telephoto lens here. Zoom is OK up to 2x or so, but even with Google’s software smarts, I wouldn’t want to rely on zoom beyond that.

Much of what makes this phone great to use is the software. Google’s version of Android 16 is fast and well designed, with good levels of colour customisation. If anything, I prefer the A-series Pixels because they don’t shove as much AI and Google Gemini nonsense in your face. That’s partly because they are less powerful than the pricier Pixels so don’t have all the features. So, if you want the guaranteed seven years of software updates that Pixels offer and aren’t fussed about AI, the Pixel 10a could be the way to go.

If only the Pixel 9a didn’t still exist. If you’re reading this in March 2026, it should be easy to find a 9a from a UK retailer for under £400. You’ll get software updates until 2032 and basically the same experience as the pricier 10a.

If you’re reading this later in 2026, the Pixel 10a could well be on sale, in which case go for it. It’s just odd that Google chose not to upgrade its best value Pixel with the latest processor, automatically hobbling it at launch when its own older product is right there for a cheaper price.