This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Google's first big product launch of 2026 is reportedly just a few weeks away, and as much as I typically love Pixel phones (especially a-branded mid-rangers), I don't think it's humanly possible to be less excited about a new mobile device than I currently am about the 10a.
Am I overreacting at the latest rumors painting the "new" Pixel 10a a virtually identical picture to last year's Pixel 9a (both figuratively and literally speaking)? Could Big G have some last-minute surprise up its sleeve that will change everything, blow everyone's minds, and earn the search giant this year's trophy for the best budget 5G phone in (parts of) the world? Let's try to stay as objective as possible and answer those questions together.
Refinement and repetition are two very different things
Look, I've covered more than enough product announcements (and pre-launch rumors) in my time here at PhoneArena to know that you sometimes need to look below the surface and beyond the obvious to find a new handset's upgrades over its forerunners.
Unfortunately, that seems to be more and more necessary in recent years, but while this careful analysis frequently brings up subtle improvements that make a world of difference in real-life use, there are cases when you just have to accept no such upgrades (big or small) exist.
Hey, look, it's the Pixel 9a. Wait, no, that's actually the upcoming Pixel 10a.
That appears to be the Pixel 10a's case, and if you think I'm exaggerating, check out this spec sheet:
6.3-inch P-OLED screen with 2424 x 1080 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate technology;
Google Tensor G4 processor;
8GB RAM;
128 and 256GB storage variants;
48 + 13MP dual rear-facing camera system;
13MP front-facing camera;
5,100mAh battery;
IP68 water and dust resistance;
Obsidian, Berry, Fog, and Lavender color options.
Does all that sound extremely familiar to anyone else? Believe it or not, it's exactly what the Pixel 9a offers, with the not-very-notable exception of the color palette, where the Porcelain, Iris, and Peony hues will apparently be replaced with Berry, Fog, and Lavender flavors on the 10a.
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Is that worth an entirely new phone with a new name and (presumably) a new marketing budget? Obviously not, as Google could have simply expanded the Pixel 9a's colorways this year, permanently reduce its price, and here's a wacky idea, either delay the Pixel 10a until 2027 or skip directly to a Pixel 11a with a meaningful set of upgrades next year.
Instead of swimming against the rehashing current (which is something the company has done a few times in the past), Google seems intent on forcing us to use a magnifying glass on a derivative and almost pointless Pixel 10a this year to find any microscopic changes that could explain its existence.
Are you excited about the Pixel 10a?
Weirdly enough, I am
33.33%
Not really
0%
Absolutely not
66.67%
And while I often find myself willing to excuse a whole lot of compromises in the name of industry-leading software support and top-notch camera performance, reusing last year's Tensor G4 chipset would make this "new" phone simply indefensible.
Where could the saving grace come from?
As a long-time Google fan, I can't help but hope for a miracle here, which... will reportedly not come in the pricing department. Contrary to a relatively promising rumor from just last week, it appears that the Pixel 10a will retain its predecessor's recommended prices in 128 and 256GB storage configurations in Europe, which almost certainly means the same is likely to happen in the US.
Now how could one possibly justify spending $500 on a carbon copy (inside and out) of a device that costs $400 more often than not stateside? Just because Google will obviously discontinue the Pixel 9a as soon as its repetitive sequel is unveiled, that doesn't mean retailers won't keep the "old" phone around at $400 (or maybe even less) for months to come.
THIS is the Pixel 9a, and it's actually not a bad phone... for $400. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
And that's before you consider the Pixel 10a's 2026 competition, which will include, for instance, a vastly superior $700 OnePlus 15R (that I expect to drop to $600 in the near future), a Galaxy S25 FE you can currently get for as little as $450 with a much more premium design, and hopefully, a Motorola Edge (2026) with a lot of the same characteristics as the international Edge 70 Fusion.
In short, the bang-for-buck doesn't sound all that great (and I'm not sure it would have been a lot better at $450 either), so unless a lot of the recently leaked Pixel 10a information proves inaccurate (which is clearly unlikely), this phone seems doomed right off the bat.
And yes, I realize that Google could still work its software magic and perhaps upgrade the handset's imaging sensors without bumping up their megapixel counts, but that feels insufficient to make up for the rest of this... snoozefest.
On top of everything else, the Pixel 10a is expected to see daylight a little earlier in the year compared to the 9a... while still looking likely to keep its early adopters waiting for more than two weeks for their pre-orders to be delivered. Hey Google, this is literally the same phone as the 9a, and that can be shipped overnight in the US, so why in the world aren't you at least trying to earn some customer goodwill with an unusually early and fast release?
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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