This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Google has been killing it in the past couple of years when it comes to Pixel A-series devices. I still believe that the Pixel 9a is one of the best affordable phones you can get in 2025, but the Pixel 10 series is coming, and along with it, I can feel a change in the air.
Usually, I'm a huge advocate for bargain phones, as paying north of $1000 for a premium device often brings diminishing returns.
The processor might be a bit faster, the screen a tad brighter, and the camera system oftentimes better, but at the end of the day, the $1000 phone does largely the same things a $499 one would.
In the case of the Pixel 10a, however, things are shaping out differently. And in my honest opinion, you'll be better off paying a little more and getting the regular Pixel 10 than waiting for the Pixel 10a. Here are the reasons.
You'll get the Pixel 10 sooner
The Pixel 10 is almost here | Image by OnLeaks
This one's obvious. Let's not underestimate the desire to get a new phone fast when you really need to upgrade.
The Pixel 10 series is coming toward the end of August, while the Pixel 10a is expected to be unveiled in March-April next year.
That's seven more months of waiting for Google's tick-tock cycle to produce another A-series device.
A lot can happen in seven months, and if you don't mind waiting, there's another angle to it. Why not wait out just a couple of months instead of seven and get the Pixel 10 on a deal?
Deals will start to pop up after the initial hype of the Pixel 10 series launch starts to die off. And it will still be much sooner than April 2026.
But that's not the main reason why you shouldn't wait for the Pixel 10a.
No new silicon in the Pixel 10a
The old Tensor G4 will be the beating heart of the Pixel 10a | Image by Google
According to the latest leaks, Google plans to keep the Tensor G4 on the Pixel 10a. This one may have significant implications for several reasons.
First, the Tensor G5 is expected to bring some big changes due to Google switching the manufacturing from Samsung's factories to TSMC.
TSMC's 4 nanometer process last year is already better compared to Samsung's 4 nanometer (in nerdy things such as density, quality of the silicon, yield). The Tensor G4 is built on the same Samsung 4nm node, while the Tensor G5 will be manufactured using TSMC's 3nm process which is expected to be even better.
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The Pixel 10 will feature a new Tensor G5 chipset manufactured by TSMC | Image by Google
This will make the gap even bigger – the Tensor G5 will offer better yield and more quality chips, and if all this sounds too complicated for you, the takeaway is that Google will be able to extract even more performance from the Tensor G5 due to the better quality of the silicon.
But it's not just about performance. The Tensor G5 will have a different architecture and core layout. The G5 will use one X4 core like last generation, five A725 cores, and two A520 cores.
A725 is claimed to be designed from the ground up for the 3nm process node, claiming to gain 35% performance per watt over the A720. This will allow for better multi-core performance and much better efficiency.
Pixel phones have been struggling with battery life ever since Google moved to its own silicon, and we might finally get a better battery life on the Pixel 10 to rival other flagships. This won't be the case for the Pixel 10a, which will use the older Tensor G4 chipset.
The Pixel 10 is getting a dedicated telephoto camera
For the first time in Pixel history we expect a triple camera system on the regular Pixel 10 | Image by PhoneArena
This is another big change. Given how the Pixel 8a cannibalized the regular Pixel 8 and the Pixel 9a offered a similar camera system to the vanilla Pixel 9 (with a better ultrawide), Google has to do something to segregate these two series.
The latest rumors suggest that the Pixel 10 will get a dedicated telephoto camera using the Samsung 3J1 sensor. It's an 11MP 1/1.31" inch sensor, and if it sounds familiar, that's because Google uses it under the selfie camera of the Pixel 9 series.
Only two camera on the Pixel 10a, most likely | Image by PhoneArena
Given all the cost-cutting Google is supposedly doing on the Pixel 10a, I don’t expect the model to feature the same triple camera setup as the Pixel 10.
Getting a triple-camera system on the Pixel 10 versus the dual on the Pixel 10a will give you more flexibility, and let's again mention the Tensor G5, as there's another tiny silicon part that will boost the camera performance.
The Tensor G5 chip, powering the Pixel 10, will feature a fully custom-designed Image Signal Processor (ISP), a significant change from previous Tensor chips which relied on modified Samsung ISPs. This will enhance camera performance and image processing capabilities even further.
MagSafe-like Pixelsnap wireless charging is coming to the Pixel 10
You might not need MagSafe cases for your Pixel 10 | Image by Mous
As much as I want to see a huge bump in charging speeds on the Pixel 10, this might not happen. We're getting around 30W of wired charging support on the regular model, but the important news is that we're allegedly getting a MagSafe-like magnetic wireless charging and Qi2 support.
This will open the door for a wide variety of accessories and also boost wireless charging speeds.
The Pixel 10a, on the other hand, will most likely mirror the charging situation of its predecessor, the Pixel 9a, if Google wants to stick to the $499 price tag. This would mean sticking to the slow 7.5W wireless charging and potentially no MagSafe-like magnetic magic on the back.
I know that this is in the realm of heavy rumors at this point, but apparently Google is preparing for some serious cost cutting for the Pixel 10a, and the aforementioned Tensor G4 is a part of that strategy.
I can't see Google going lavish with the charging of the Pixel 10a in this case.
The price of the Pixel 10 might be justified this time around
Flagship phones are getting expensive but the Pixel 10 might be worth it | Image by Pixabay
Usually, when I see a $799 flagship phone (which is kind of the norm for regular base models nowadays), I try to look for corners that have been cut or alternatives at a lower price point.
In the case of the Google Pixel 10 versus the Pixel 10a, the $300 difference might be justified for the first time in quite a while.
You're getting a new chipset that will not only bring performance but also has the potential to cure the battery woes of the Pixel flagships. And in a world where other manufacturers take out cameras (looking at you, iPhone 16e) or try to offer super-thin phones that no one asked for, Google is adding a telephoto to its base Pixel model.
The Pixel 10 is shaping up to be a good package, and for the first time, I can recommend going for it instead of swirling down the affordable route. But what do you think about it?
Google Pixel 10 or Google Pixel 10a?
I prefer the regular Pixel 10
74.07%
I don't know yet...
11.11%
I'd rather get the Pixel 10a
3.7%
Other (leave a comment)
11.11%
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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