We rarely find two phones that are alike. The newly launched Google Pixel 10a is more or less the same phone as its predecessor, the Pixel 9a.
This is causing trouble for those looking for an affordable Pixel this year. Should you go for the newer model, or should you just save some money and get last year’s model. And what are some of these small differences that set the two apart? Well, let’s find out.
Table of Contents:
- design
- Display
- battery life
- charge
- speaker test
- Display
- camera
- decision
For starters, you can compare the entire specifications or continue with our editor’s assessment directly in the following text.
size comparison
Google
pixel 10a
153.9 x 73.0 x 9.0 mm
(6.06 x 2.87 x 0.35 inches)
Google
pixel 9a
154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm
(6.09 x 2.89 x 0.35 inches)
Both are almost identical in pixel dimensions. The new Pixel 10a is slightly narrower and shorter due to the reduction in thickness of the aluminum frame. This results in a slight reduction in the thickness of the bezels around the display, but you’ll be hard-pressed to notice the difference.
The new Pixel 10a is also a little thicker. By doing so, Google has removed the small camera bump present on the Pixel 9a, resulting in a completely flush back panel for what it deserves.
Both the phones weigh almost the same and there is no real difference in hand feel.
Aesthetically too, there isn’t much difference between the two, and if it weren’t for the updated colors it would be difficult to tell them apart from a distance.
display comparison
Google
pixel 10a
P-OLED
120 hz
1080×2424
pixel
422
PPI
2169
NIT
Google
pixel 9a
P-OLED
120 hz
1080×2424
pixel
422
PPI
1930
NIT
Both phones have similar display hardware. Google claims that the Pixel 10a display can get 200-300 nits brighter, and this was also seen during our testing. However, the difference at those values is relatively small and difficult to discern.
One significant upgrade on the Pixel 10a is the switch from the Gorilla Glass 3 used on the 9a to the much newer and stronger Corning Gorilla Glass 7i on both the front and back. This will make the glass more durable against drops and scratches.
battery life
The Pixel 10a and Pixel 9a use the exact same battery, which is a 5100mAh Li-ion unit. On paper, the Pixel 10a should deliver similar battery life to its predecessor, but thanks to a new modem and some potential improvements to the software, it actually delivered much better results. It’s possible that the Pixel 9a has improved since our last test, due to the software updates it received over the past year, but we couldn’t test it again for this comparison, so we’re using the numbers we got when we initially reviewed it.
charging speed
pixel 10a
5100 mAh
15 min
28%
30 minute
55%
full
90 minutes
pixel 9a
5100 mAh
15 min
25%
30 minute
47%
full
101 minutes
The Pixel 10a supports up to 30W fast wired and up to 10W wireless charging, up from 23W and 7.5W on the Pixel 9a.
In our testing, the Pixel 10a showed only a modest improvement in charging speeds at any point, in the range of 4-5%. Thus, it remains a slow charging phone compared to most other Android phones available in the market today, but objectively, the new model Is A little fast.
speaker test
Both the Pixel 10a and Pixel 9a have a set of stereo speakers. Both phones have different tuning, the new Pixel 10a sounds more balanced, with better bass response, but the 9a sounds a little clearer and louder in comparison. While this may be subjective, the Pixel 10a feels better overall in a direct comparison.
Display
Google
pixel 10a
4nm
128gb 8gb ram
base configuration
Google
pixel 9a
4nm
128gb 8gb ram
base configuration
The Pixel 10a runs on the same Tensor G4 chipset as the 2025 Pixel 9a, which itself inherits the chip from the 2024 Pixel 9 lineup. Considering the fact that the performance of this chip was not thrilling even in 2024, it seems especially weak in 2026. There are plenty of cheaper phones now that can come close to these phones in terms of performance, and this one really isn’t even close. If Google had at least opted to include Tensor G5 in 10a, our conversation might have been different.
It has to be said that none of these phones are slow or unusable by any means, but knowing that you can get a lot better while spending less doesn’t help them. At least in the case of the 9A, there’s justification for it being a year older, and it’s entirely common for A-series Pixels to get a chip from last year’s more expensive model. However, 10a has no such excuse for holding back, and the lack of any major performance improvements remains its biggest crime.
benchmark performance
Google
pixel 10a
AnTuTu 10
1,269,880
geekbench 6
4,545
3d mark wild life
2,683
Google
pixel 9a
AnTuTu 10
1,254,417
geekbench 6
4,527
3d mark wild life
2,630
As you can imagine, both Pixel phones are practically identical in terms of their performance. Any differences seen here are more likely a result of variations running between tests run recently on 10A and on 9A last year, and software version differences, than any actual change in performance. You’re actually getting the same basic performance for the second time in a row, and it wasn’t thrilling at first.
camera comparison
Continuing the list of commonalities is the camera hardware. Both phones have the exact same set of 48MP main, 13MP ultra-wide and 13MP front cameras, the difference lies mainly in the software. The Pixel 10a has a few extra features, including Camera Coach, Auto Best Take, and the ability to save images in the Display P3 color space, but none of these make a meaningful difference.
image quality
Thanks to shared hardware, camera comparisons are straightforward. Both phones are, once again, functionally identical.
Starting with the main camera, both deliver respectable results, with both having the same familiar pixel look. Color and white balance are generally accurate, there’s a fair amount of detail, and dynamic range is good. Images look best on phone screens, as you get to benefit from the Ultra HDR feature of their screens.
Main camera: Pixel 10a • Pixel 9a
The 2x mode also produces good results most of the time on both phones, and both occasionally fall short of white balance.
Main camera 2x digital zoom: Pixel 10a • Pixel 9a
Finally, the ultra-wide camera delivers useful results on both phones, albeit weak.
Ultra-wide camera: Pixel 10a • Pixel 9a
decision
Trying to choose between the Google Pixel 10a and Pixel 9a feels like splitting hairs most of the time. There are some advantages to the new phone in the form of better battery life, a slightly brighter display, slightly better sounding speakers, slightly faster charging and stronger display glass, but these often don’t matter much in everyday use. The downside of being largely the same phone is that the Pixel 10a also inherits the 9a’s flaws in the form of bloated bezels, slow charging and a performance that’s now completely outclassed by the newer and cheaper competition.
Still, we are not talking about other phones today. In a strict comparison between the two, the Pixel 10a is objectively better, but it also costs $100 more. Eventually, that price gap will go away and so will the Pixel 9a, making the choice a lot easier. But if you have to choose today, the cheaper Pixel 9a comes out as a more sensible option.
- toughened display glass
- better battery life
- slightly faster charging
- better sounding speakers
- slightly brighter display
- An extra year of software updates
Get the Google Pixel 10a for:
| 128gb 8gb ram | $449.00 |
€480.90 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | ₹ 46,998 |
$549.00 |
| Show all prices | ||
- Most of the same phone as the 10 but $100 cheaper
Get the Google Pixel 9a for:
| 128gb 8gb ram | $280.79 |
€358.99 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | ₹ 40,995 |
$391.42 |
| Show all prices | ||