The Phone Shelf

Pixel 10a: Google's cheapest Pixel after the price rise

Pixel 10a on paper: 6.3-inch 120 Hz screen, 5,100 mAh, Tensor G4 and updates to about March 2033. Launched at $499, now $599. Compared with the Galaxy A57 and A37.

Edited by Yuriy Andreyev

Published October 15, 2026

Close-up of the back of a pink Google Pixel 9a and its camera bar
Pictured: Pixel 9a, the previous a-series model. No free photo of the Pixel 10a exists yet. Photo: Maksdroider, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) (license)

The Pixel 10a still promises updates for longer than the Samsung phones it competes with, through about March 2033, and it keeps a physical SIM slot that the US Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 don't have. It is no longer the bargain it launched as: at $599 it now costs about the same as Samsung's Galaxy A57 5G, and it runs Google's Tensor G4, two generations behind the Pixel 11's chip.

We haven't held a Pixel 10a; this page compares Google's published specifications and update policy with the phones it now competes with.

Price: launched at $499, now $599

Google announced the Pixel 10a on February 18, 2026, and put it on sale on March 5 at $499 for 128GB. Around October 2, 2026, Google raised the price without an announcement, as Droid Life reported. On October 15, 2026, the Google Store listed the 128GB model at $599 and the 256GB model at $699.

That change moved the 10a out of the price bracket where it used to be an easy pick. It is the reason it dropped off our midrange shortlist, and one of several increases we cover in why phones cost more in 2026.

How it differs from the Pixel 10

The clearest comparison is the Pixel 10, which Google still sells at $799 for 128GB.

  • Chip and memory: Tensor G4 with 8GB of RAM, against Tensor G5 with 12GB.
  • Battery: 5,100 mAh typical against 4,970 mAh. Google claims "30+ hours" of battery life for the 10a and "24+ hours" for the Pixel 10, and up to 120 and 100 hours with Extreme Battery Saver.
  • Cameras: both have a 48MP wide and a 13MP ultrawide. Only the Pixel 10 adds a 10.8MP telephoto at 5x.
  • Screen: both are 6.3 inches with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Google lists the 10a's panel as pOLED and the Pixel 10's as OLED.
  • Weight: 183 g against 204 g.
  • SIM: the 10a takes one nano-SIM plus an eSIM. The US Pixel 10 is eSIM only.
  • Updates: about March 2033 for the 10a, about August 2032 for the Pixel 10.

So the cheaper phone gives up the telephoto, some RAM and a newer chip, and gets a larger battery, a lighter body, a SIM tray and about seven more months of support.

Screen and battery on paper

The 10a has a 6.3-inch pOLED screen that Google rates at 60 to 120 Hz. Samsung's A57 and A37 both have larger 6.7-inch AMOLED screens at 120 Hz. We don't judge brightness or color from a spec sheet.

The battery is 5,100 mAh typical, against 5,000 mAh for both Samsung phones. Google's "30+ hours" is its own estimate under its own conditions; capacity and claims from different makers aren't measured the same way, so treat them as a rough guide.

Google doesn't state a maximum wired wattage. It says the 10a reaches up to 50% in about 30 minutes with a 45W or faster USB-C PPS charger, and it supports Qi wireless charging without a stated wattage. Samsung lists 45W wired charging for both the A57 and A37.

Cameras by specification

The 10a has two rear cameras: a 48MP wide and a 13MP ultrawide. The Galaxy A57 5G has a 50MP main, a 12MP ultra wide and a 5MP macro. The A37 has a 50MP main, an 8MP ultra wide and a 5MP macro. None of the three has a telephoto.

A list of sensors and resolutions tells you what the hardware is, not how the photos turn out. We leave photo quality out.

Updates: seven years, to about March 2033

Google promises seven years of Android, security and Pixel Drop updates for the 10a, counted from when it first went on sale on the US Google Store. That was March 2026, so support runs to about March 2033. Google gives no exact end date. The phone launched with Android 16. The policy is on Google's Pixel update page.

Samsung promises up to six generations of Android upgrades and up to six years of security updates for both the A57 and A37, and its US spec pages give March 2032 as the end. Bought in October 2026, the 10a gives you about six and a half years of support; the two Samsung phones about five and a half. That year is the 10a's clearest advantage.

Carriers and eSIM

Google's US store sells the 10a unlocked and in Google Fi, Verizon and AT&T versions, and Verizon lists it on its own site. We couldn't check T-Mobile's site directly. Google says the unlocked model works with any major carrier, and that is the basis for counting T-Mobile.

The Galaxy A57 5G is a different story. AT&T and T-Mobile list it, but we found no Verizon listing, and Samsung.com sells it only unlocked. If you are on Verizon, read our guide to whether an unlocked phone works on Verizon before you buy one. The A37 is sold by all three carriers.

The 10a's single nano-SIM plus eSIM means you can keep using a physical SIM card. That matters if your carrier or prepaid brand doesn't activate eSIMs, and it is something the US Pixel 11 and Pixel 10 don't offer.

How it compares

SpecPixel 10aGalaxy A57 5GGalaxy A37 5GPixel 10
Launch price$499$549.99$449.99$799
Released in USMarch 2026April 2026April 2026August 2025
Screen6.3-inch pOLED 120 Hz6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ 120 Hz6.7-inch Super AMOLED 120 Hz6.3-inch OLED 120 Hz
ChipGoogle Tensor G4Exynos 1680Exynos 1480Google Tensor G5
RAM8 GB8 GB6 GB12 GB
Storage128 / 256 GB128 / 256 GB128 / 256 GB128 / 256 GB
Battery5,100 mAh5,000 mAh5,000 mAh4,970 mAh
Wired charging—45 W45 W—
Rear cameras48MP wide, 13MP ultrawide50MP main, 12MP ultra wide, 5MP macro50MP main, 8MP ultra wide, 5MP macro48MP wide, 13MP ultrawide, 10.8MP 5x telephoto
Weight183 g179 g196 g204 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68IP68IP68
Updates promised7 years of OS and security updates6 years of OS and security updates6 years of OS and security updates7 years of OS and security updates
US carriers (maker and carrier listings)AT&T, Verizon, T-MobileAT&T, T-Mobile; Verizon: not confirmedAT&T, Verizon, T-MobileAT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
  • Galaxy A57 5G: launched at $549.99 in April 2026, $599.99 list on October 15, 2026. A bigger 6.7-inch screen, an Exynos 1680 with 8GB of RAM, 45W charging and 179 g. Updates to March 2032, and no confirmed Verizon support.
  • Galaxy A37 5G: launched at $449.99 in April 2026, $489.99 list now. It works on all three carriers and costs less, but has 6GB of RAM in the 128GB model and updates to March 2032.
  • Pixel 10: $799. The telephoto, more RAM and the Tensor G5, with eSIM only and support to about August 2032.

If the telephoto matters more to you than the price, the Pixel 11 at $899 has the same camera layout as the Pixel 10 and support to about August 2033; our Pixel 11 overview covers it. For most people choosing between the 10a and the A57 at the same price, the 10a's extra year of updates and its carrier coverage are what separate them.

Sources

More phones

All phones