I used the Pixel 10a, and it’s better than the Pixel 10 in 4 ways

The list of major Google Pixel 10a upgrades is short, and the list of minor ones isn’t much longer. Without the best parts of the mainline Pixel 10 series, like the Tensor G5 chipset or built-in Qi2 magnets, the budget Pixel 10a was easy to write off. However, as one of the few 2026 smartphone releases that didn’t come with a price hike, the Pixel 10a’s $500 price alone is enough to keep it relevant.

I used the Pixel 10a for weeks, and there’s still a case for buying it over the base-model Pixel 10 — even if you ignore the cost disparity completely. Google’s latest budget Android phone isn’t flashy or particularly exciting, but that’s exactly what makes it great.

The Google Pixel 10a is a practical phone with real-world advantages that have nothing to do with benchmark results or flagship features. If I were in the market for a new Pixel, I might just pick the Pixel 10a instead of the Pixel 10 for these four reasons.

Flagship phones all typically follow the same blueprint — they’re built with glass on the front and back, an aluminum frame, and a large camera bump. There are some exceptions, like Motorola devices with vegan leather on the back. We’ve come to associate glass backs with premium phones and plastic backs with cheap ones as a result of this trend. However, a smartphone with a glass rear casing can feel cheap, and a device with a plastic back can feel well-built. The Pixel 10a’s plastic back isn’t a drawback; it’s one of the phone’s best features.

I’ve long appreciated the in-hand feel of the plastic rear casings on A-series Pixel phones. The matte finish of the Pixel 10a is silky smooth and beats the glossy glass finish of the regular Pixel 10. Believe it or not, the matte plastic case on the Pixel 10a more closely resembles the Pixel 10 Pro or Pixel 10 Pro XL than the base Pixel 10. This makes Google’s budget phone feel more premium than its price would suggest.

While some might prefer the Pixel 10’s grippy feel, I’ll take the matte-plastic Pixel 10a in a heartbeat. It’s also one less thing to worry about cracking. I tend to scratch and crack the backs of phones, not the fronts, and it makes me question whether glass is really the best rear case material.

That’s all without mentioning the Pixel 10a’s headline feature — the completely flat back. Unlike the rest of the Pixel 10 series, the Pixel 10a does not have an oval-shaped camera bump. Instead, the Pixel 10a’s camera cover is actually ever-so-slightly recessed beneath the plastic back. If you run your fingers along the rear of the Pixel 10a, you’ll feel a tiny dip at the oval-shaped glass camera cover. This means the device’s advertised 9mm thickness really is accurate, which is appreciated at a time when some phones are double their advertised thickness when you account for the camera bump.

For example, the Pixel 10 is 8.6mm thick, but that figure jumps to roughly 12mm at its thickest point due to the camera oval protruding from the back of the device. The Pixel 10a is thinner than the Pixel 10 at its thickest point, and the flat back makes a difference in daily use. It slides in and out of pockets smoothly, rests on flat surfaces without rocking, and doesn’t collect dust and debris like a modern camera bump.

Is the flat, plastic back enough to make you choose the Pixel 10a over the Pixel 10? It just might be, especially if you prefer to use your phone without a case.

There’s another benefit of the plastic back: a lighter construction. The Pixel 10a weighs 183 grams, down from the Pixel 9a’s 186 grams. The bigger difference is between the Pixel 10a and the base Pixel 10. The latter is 21 grams heavier, weighing in at 204 grams total. Trust me, you feel the weight difference in your hand when using the two phones. They both have the same 6.3-inch screen, but only the Pixel 10a manages to stay under the 200-gram threshold.

The Google Pixel 10a is on the thicker side for its size class, but it makes up for that with a completely flat back and a more manageable weight. The mainline Pixel 10, by comparison, is still thicker when including the camera bump and is much heavier. To its credit, I like the regular Pixel 10’s inclusion of Pixelsnap magnets and a telephoto camera. I’m just not sure those perks justify the added weight and large camera bump, so the lighter form factor is another tick in favor of the Pixel 10a.

The Google Pixel 10a features a 5,100mAh battery, which firmly solidifies its position as a practical, no-nonsense Android phone. It has the features and characteristics real people care about, like a flush rear case and long battery life. The base Google Pixel 10 comes with a 4,970mAh battery, which admittedly leaves only a 130mAh difference in battery capacity between the two models. However, it’s important to remember that the Pixel 10a’s lower peak brightness rating and lesser Tensor G4 processor could lead to lower power consumption and better efficiency, widening the gap.

Additionally, the Pixel 10a offers faster charging speeds this year, up to 30W over a cable. This matches the Pixel 10’s peak 30W wired charging speeds, and our testing found that both phones take about 84 minutes to fully charge from 0% to 100%. Notably, the Pixel 10a charges wirelessly at 10W instead of 15W. To me, the larger capacity and longer battery life are more impactful specs, though.

I’ve gotten upwards of six hours of screen-on time from just half of a Pixel 10a charge cycle on my best day, which is nothing short of incredible.

I’ll do anything to avoid the forced eSIM transition, including buying a Pixel 10a instead of a Pixel 10. In the United States, only the Pixel 10a and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold offer physical SIM card trays. The flagship Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL are all eSIM-only in my country. My reasons for preferring physical SIM cards are simple — they’re reliable, easy to swap between phones, and don’t rely on unnecessary carrier servers or activation processes. Unfortunately, if you buy the US model of the Pixel 10, that choice is out of your hands.

The Google Pixel 10a’s support of both a physical SIM tray and eSIM is the sweet spot. I can keep my primary SIM as a physical card that is easily swappable between devices, while still having an eSIM available for international travel. The physical SIM card tray will probably die eventually, but you can hold onto it as long as possible by choosing the Pixel 10a over the Pixel 10.

If you consider some of these Pixel 10a advantages to be a stretch, that’s understandable. However, it’s worth noting that the Pixel 10a is $300 cheaper than the base Pixel 10. The fact that Google’s budget phone objectively beats its base-model flagship in any area is outstanding.

Yes, there are value and price considerations that make the Pixel 10a undeniably attractive, but there are at least four ways the Pixel 10a is better than the Pixel 10 on merit alone.