The Phone Shelf

Pixel 10a vs Galaxy A57: two $600 midrange phones

Both now cost about $600 after price increases. We compare update years, screen size, charging, cameras and Verizon support on paper.

Edited by Yuriy Andreyev

Published October 15, 2026

Back of a navy Samsung Galaxy A57 5G held in a hand in a store, showing its triple camera
Photo: 茅野ふたば, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) (license)

Get the Pixel 10a if you plan to keep your phone for a long time or you're on Verizon. Google promises 7 years of updates, through about March 2033, while Samsung promises 6 years for the Galaxy A57, and Google sells a Verizon version of the Pixel. Get the Galaxy A57 if you want the bigger screen (6.7 inches vs 6.3) and a stated 45W wired charging rate.

Both phones got more expensive this year. On October 15, 2026, the Pixel 10a is $599 on Google's store and the Galaxy A57 5G is $599.99 on Samsung's. Both start with 128 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM, both have a 120 Hz OLED screen and an IP68 rating, and both take a physical SIM card as well as eSIM. The chips are Google's Tensor G4 and Samsung's Exynos 1680, and we don't rank processor speed from spec sheets.

We haven't held either phone. Everything here comes from Google's and Samsung's published specs, store pages and update policies, which are listed at the end.

Spec by spec

SpecPixel 10aGalaxy A57 5G
Launch price$499$549.99
Released in USMarch 2026April 2026
Screen6.3-inch pOLED 120 Hz6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ 120 Hz
ChipGoogle Tensor G4Exynos 1680
RAM8 GB8 GB
Storage128 / 256 GB128 / 256 GB
Battery5,100 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired charging—45 W
Rear cameras48MP wide, 13MP ultrawide50MP main, 12MP ultra wide, 5MP macro
Weight183 g179 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68
Updates promised7 years of OS and security updates6 years of OS and security updates
US carriers (maker and carrier listings)AT&T, Verizon, T-MobileAT&T, T-Mobile; Verizon: not confirmed

The table shows launch prices. Both makers have raised them since.

Price: both went up after launch

Google launched the Pixel 10a at $499 in March 2026. In early October 2026 it raised the price to $599 without announcing it, and the 256 GB model is now $699.

Samsung launched the Galaxy A57 5G at $549.99 in April 2026 and has since raised the regular US price. On October 15, 2026, samsung.com lists the 128 GB model at $599.99 and the 256 GB model at $679.99.

At $599, the Pixel 10a no longer fits our budget picks. If you'd like to spend less than either of these phones costs now, start there.

Updates: one extra year on the Pixel

Google promises 7 years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates for the Pixel 10a, counted from its March 2026 US launch. That runs through about March 2033. Google doesn't publish an exact end date. The 10a launched with Android 16.

Samsung promises up to six generations of Android and One UI upgrades and up to six years of security updates for the Galaxy A57. Its US spec page puts the end of security updates in March 2032, a year before the Pixel's. Samsung words the starting point two ways: its newsroom counts from the first global launch, while the US product page counts from the "date of global manufacture." The spec page's end date is the firmest figure available.

If you keep phones until they stop getting updates, that's a full extra year on the Pixel. Our guide on how long phones get updates puts every brand's policy side by side.

Screen and size: the A57 is bigger but not heavier

The Galaxy A57 has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ screen, and the Pixel 10a has a 6.3-inch pOLED. Both refresh at up to 120 Hz. Despite the bigger screen, Samsung lists the A57 at 179 g, a little under the Pixel's 183 g.

If you watch a lot of video or like larger text, the A57's screen is the main reason to choose it. If you'd rather have a phone that's easier to reach across with one thumb, the 10a's smaller screen fits that better.

Battery and charging: similar capacity, different details

Google lists the Pixel 10a at 5,100 mAh and Samsung lists the Galaxy A57 at 5,000 mAh, both typical values. That's close enough that capacity shouldn't decide it, and we don't rank battery life from capacity alone. Google rates the 10a for 30+ hours of battery life, or up to 120 hours with Extreme Battery Saver turned on.

Samsung rates the A57 for 45W wired charging. Google doesn't give a maximum wattage for the Pixel 10a. It says the phone reaches up to 50% in about 30 minutes with a 45W or stronger USB-C PPS charger. Google also lists Qi wireless charging for the 10a, without a wattage.

Cameras: no zoom lens on either

The Pixel 10a has two rear cameras: a 48MP wide and a 13MP ultrawide. The Galaxy A57 has three: a 50MP main, a 12MP ultra wide and a 5MP macro for close-ups. Neither has a telephoto lens.

The A57's extra camera is the macro, not a zoom, so both phones zoom by cropping the main camera's image. A spec sheet can't tell you which takes the better photo, and we haven't taken pictures with either phone.

Carriers: Verizon is the open question for the A57

Google sells the Pixel 10a unlocked and in Verizon, AT&T and Google Fi versions, and Verizon lists it on its own site. Google also says the unlocked model works with any major US carrier.

When the A57 launched in April 2026, Samsung sold it only unlocked, through samsung.com and its Samsung Experience Stores, and samsung.com still offers only the unlocked version. AT&T sells it, and T-Mobile store pages list it. We couldn't find a Verizon listing for the A57 as of October 15, 2026. That doesn't mean an unlocked A57 can't run on Verizon, but check before you buy. Our guide to whether an unlocked phone will work on Verizon shows how to check.

Who should buy which

  • Pixel 10a: you keep phones for many years, you're on Verizon, or you prefer a 6.3-inch phone.
  • Galaxy A57 5G: you want the 6.7-inch screen, 45W wired charging or a macro camera, and you're on AT&T or T-Mobile.
  • Neither: the price rises took both phones up a tier. If that's more than you planned to spend, our budget picks above are the place to start.

For more on the Pixel by itself, see our Pixel 10a overview.

How we compared

We compared the specifications, prices and update policies that Google and Samsung publish, as checked on October 15, 2026. We didn't use either phone. The sources for every figure are listed below.

Sources

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