NEWS – Google launched the Pixel 10a today, and if you were hoping for a full redesign of the A-series, this isn’t it. The $499 starting price hasn’t moved. Most of the spec sheet reads like a copy-paste from the 9a. What Google did change sits in two spots that actually matter when you’re living with this phone day to day.
Price: $499
Where to Buy: Google Store
Pre-orders are live now through the Google Store, AT&T, Verizon, Boost Mobile, and other major carriers, with the phone hitting shelves on March 5. Four colors this time: Obsidian, Berry, Fog, and Lavender. Here’s what’s actually worth knowing.
1. It starts at $499, same as last year
Google kept the pricing locked at $499 for 128GB and $599 for 256GB. In a year where everything from streaming subscriptions to phone plans keeps creeping up, holding the line feels like a smart move. You can pre-order through the Google Store, AT&T, Verizon, Boost Mobile, and other major carriers right now.
The Google Store is also listing trade-in pricing that drops the entry point to as low as $284, a savings of up to $215 with a typical trade-in applied instantly. There’s also a 36-month financing option at $7.89 per month if you’d rather spread it out. For a phone at this spec level, that monthly number is hard to beat. Carrier deals sweeten it further: Boost Mobile is advertising the 10a for $99.99, and Google Fi has its own promo running through April 7.
The color lineup got a refresh. Obsidian returns, but Berry, Fog, and Lavender replace last year’s Iris, Peony, and Porcelain. Lavender has a muted warmth that looks better in early hands-on photos than Google’s usual pastel efforts.
2. Charging speed got a real bump
Wired charging is the single biggest upgrade this cycle. The Pixel 10a now tops out at 30W, up from the 23W ceiling on the 9a. That’s the kind of improvement you feel on a morning when you forgot to plug in overnight and need enough juice before heading out the door. Google’s 45W USB-C charger handles the faster speed, but it’s sold separately.
Wireless charging moved up too, from 7.5W to 10W. Still not fast by flagship standards, but enough to make a bedside Qi pad feel less painfully slow overnight. One miss worth flagging: the 10a supports Qi but skips Qi2, so there’s no magnetic alignment here and no PixelSnap, which is one of the better convenience features on Google’s pricier models.
For a phone that a lot of people treat as a daily workhorse, faster wired charging was the most practical upgrade Google could’ve made. It won’t match the speeds you’ll find on phones from OnePlus or Samsung’s higher tiers, but it closes a gap that made the 9a feel a step behind.
3. The front glass got a generational upgrade
Google swapped Gorilla Glass 3 for Gorilla Glass 7i on the front panel. Corning rates the 7i as a generational leap in both scratch and drop resistance, and it brings the 10a’s display protection much closer to what you’d expect from a $900 phone. At $499, this was overdue.
If you’ve ever pulled a Pixel out of your pocket and spotted a faint scratch you couldn’t explain, this is the fix. The jump from 3 to 7i skips several generations of Corning’s lineup in a single move, which makes this one of the more aggressive durability upgrades Google has shipped on the A-series.
The back is a different story. It’s still a plastic composite with a matte satin finish that resists fingerprints well. Run your thumb across it and you’ll feel the smooth, almost powdery texture Google’s been refining over past A-series releases. Not glass, but it doesn’t feel cheap.
One design detail worth mentioning: the camera bar is now completely flat against the back. The 9a was nearly flush, but the 10a eliminates the bump entirely. Set it on a table and there’s zero wobble, which sounds minor until you’ve tried typing on a phone that rocks with every tap. At 9mm thick and 183g, it sits comfortably in one hand and slips into a pocket without the heft you’d expect from a 5,100mAh battery.
4. The Tensor G4 chip carries over
No new silicon here. The Pixel 10a runs the same Tensor G4 as the 9a, not the Tensor G5 found in the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup. Google’s full on-device AI toolkit comes along: Gemini, Gemini Live, Circle to Search, and Call Screen all work as expected. For daily tasks, the G4 still handles everything you’d throw at a $499 phone without hesitation.
Android 16 ships out of the box, and the phone carries Google’s seven-year update promise covering OS upgrades, Pixel Drops, and security patches. No AI features exclusive to the 10a have surfaced, but the existing software stack is already stronger than what most competitors at this price offer. If longevity matters to you, this update runway remains the 10a’s biggest edge over Samsung’s Galaxy A series or anything Nothing puts out.
5. Camera hardware stays the same, software doesn’t
The Google Pixel 10a keeps the 48MP main camera with OIS and the 13MP ultrawide from the 9a. Google is calling it the “best camera under $500” for the fifth generation running, and the computational photography still produces results that feel like they belong on a pricier phone. Hardware hasn’t changed, but the processing behind it hasn’t needed to.
The new stuff is all software. Camera Coach, powered by Gemini, offers real-time composition and lighting tips while you’re framing a shot. Auto Best Take captures multiple frames from a single shutter press and merges them into one where everyone’s eyes are open. Both trickled down from the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro, and Auto Best Take is a quiet win if group photos fill your camera roll.
The front camera holds at 13MP with a 96-degree field of view, and Add Me now handles larger group shots. Video caps at 4K/60 on the rear and 4K/30 up front, with Audio Magic Eraser still cleaning up background noise in clips. Nothing groundbreaking on paper, but the software additions do more for everyday shooting than a spec bump would.
6. Battery, connectivity, and a first for the A-series
The 5,100mAh battery carries over from the 9a, with Google quoting over 30 hours on a typical charge and up to 120 with Extreme Battery Saver. IP68 water and dust resistance stays standard. Reliable baseline, no surprises.
Satellite SOS is the standout addition here. It’s the first time the A-series can reach emergency services without cellular or Wi-Fi, and Google includes the service free for two years after activation. At $499, most competitors still don’t offer this.
The display now peaks at 3,000 nits, 11% brighter than the 9a. You notice it outdoors immediately, and it closes the gap between the A-series and Google’s pricier panels. Resolution holds at 2,424 by 1,080 on the same 6.3-inch 120Hz Actua screen. Bluetooth jumps from 5.3 to 6.0, though you’re still limited to sub-6GHz 5G and Wi-Fi 6E. Worth knowing if you’re comparing against the Galaxy A56 or Nothing Phone 3a, less relevant in daily use.
7. Upgrading from a 9a? You can probably wait
If you’re on a Pixel 9a, the faster charging and tougher glass are welcome but not worth another $499 when your current phone still receives every update Google ships. Neither change alone transforms how the phone feels in a way that justifies replacing hardware that’s barely a year old.
Coming from anything older, or from another brand entirely, the picture looks different. Clean software, a camera that consistently outperforms the price, Satellite SOS, and seven years of guaranteed updates add up fast. The 10a won’t turn heads on a spec sheet, but in your hand, it quietly does everything a $499 phone should do and a few things most of them can’t. If you want the Tensor G5, a telephoto lens, and Qi2 wireless charging, the Pixel 10 Pro is the step up, but it starts at $999, which is twice the price for features most people won’t miss.
The Pixel 10a is available for pre-order now at the Google Store and major US carriers, with retail availability starting March 5.
The Bottom Line
Google didn’t try to reinvent the Pixel 10a, and that’s probably the right call. The 9a was already one of the strongest phones under $500, and this year’s version patches two specific weak spots: charging that lagged behind the competition, and front glass that scratched easier than it should have at this price.
Price: $499
Where to Buy: Google Store
Toss in Satellite SOS, a brighter screen, and new camera software, and you’ve got a phone that’s quietly better in the places that affect how it actually feels to use every day. Google doesn’t need a dramatic overhaul to keep the A-series competitive. It needs exactly what the 10a delivers: small, smart fixes in the right places.
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(as of February 17, 2026 21:12 GMT -06:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
