The Google Pixel 10a has entered the local market a few weeks ago, and we had the opportunity to test this latest affordable smartphone from Google. This device looks quite interesting because at first glance, it comes with specifications that are almost 100 percent the same as the previous generation smartphone, the Google Pixel 9a.
Specifications
Google Pixel 9a
6.3″ OLED screen, 120Hz
Active Display, HDR10+
Google Tensor G4 processor (4nm)
1 X 3.1 GHz Cortex X4 chip
3 X 2.6 GHz Cortex A720
4 X 1.95 GHz Cortex A720
Mali-G715 MP7 Graphics Chip
RAM 8 GB LPDDR5X
Internal Storage 128 GB UFS 3.1
Primary Camera 48MP f/1.7, OIS (Primary)
13MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide)
13MP f/2.2 Selfie Camera
5100 mAh battery
23W wired charging
7.5W wireless charging
SIM/Telephony 1 Nano, 1 eSIM
5G Sub 6
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof IP68
Scan System Fingerprint scanner ultrasonic
Face scan
Selling price RM 2299 (8/128GB)
SCREEN
With a 6.3″ OLED 120Hz screen, it is the same size as the one used on the Pixel 9a. Both do not support the LTPO system. The difference between the Pixel 10a and 9a screens is only present through the brightness value. In High Brightness Mode, the Pixel 10a display can be increased up to 2000 nits, and it has a maximum brightness value of 3000 nits.
The screen is of a flat type so there is no issue of content overflowing to the sides. The viewing angles are also very satisfactory with every touch detected quickly. There is HDR10 support on popular streaming applications such as Neflix, Apple TV+ and YouTube.
BIOMETRICS
The precise screen bezel is the first indicator where cost cuts are made by Google. The second less noticeable change is the use of an optical type under-screen fingerprint scanner. In fact, the difference between optical and ultrasonic is not noticeable except when the fingers are wet or dirty. In normal use, unlocking can still be done quickly with the sensor location located in an easily accessible position.
DESIGN
The Pixel 9a has a body that feels sturdy and premium in the hand just like the Pixel 9 Pro XL, iPhone 16 Pro XL and Oppo FInd X8 reviewed previously. This is the most optimal body design of the device right now. The comfortable flat sides matched with the non-glossy finish make the device not slippery and a little difficult to get dirty.
The power button and audio rocker are placed on the right side. The configuration is still the power button on the top and the audio rocker button on the bottom like the Pixel 9 Pro XL. I don't know why Google placed them upside down compared to other Android devices on the market.
Below is the USB-C charging port with an audio grille groove on the left and a SIM tray on the right. Moving up is the microphone hole. There is no 3.5mm audio jack, no infrared emitter and no audio grille on top for stereo audio that shoots to the sides.
In short, looking at the body design and all other specifications of the Google Pixel 10a device, there is no difference when compared to the Google 9a smartphone that was launched in the middle of last year. The back of this device also shows a metal design on the back and a dual-camera module design that does not have a bump.
In fact, the Google Pixel 10a is also powered by the same Google Tensor G4 processing chip as the previous generation device, and comes with the same memory and storage offerings (8GB/128GB).
SOFTWARE – The Most Original Google Android
Software is the reason why many want to use Pixel devices. Google Pixel 10a is the purest version of Android 16 without bloatware and unattractive third-party launchers.
Starting with the Pixel 9a device, Google has finally started offering the latest Android operating system on their devices right out of the box without having to wait for new software updates. Like previous Google Pixel devices, the Pixel 10a will also receive seven new operating system updates and seven years of security updates.
The software runs quite smoothly as it is matched with the Google Tensor G4 chip just like the previous Pixel 9a series. As I said before, the Pixel 10a is equipped with 8GB of RAM without virtual RAM features and just 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, also the same capacity as what is offered on the Pixel 9a.
In addition to the lightest software, it still comes with interesting features such as Pixel Studio, Screenshot, Magic Editor, Add Me, Reimagine, Gemini and Circle to Search.
A new feature introduced specifically for the Google Pixel 10a is support for the exclusive data transfer technology for Apple devices, namely AirDrop. The Google Pixel 10a is the first Google device to come with support for the data transfer technology built-in, and does not require any additional software like some other brands offer.
AirDrop support on the Pixel 10a comes through the Quick Share file sharing feature where the Pixel 10a device will scan for Apple devices around you, meaning you can quickly share files to various Apple products such as MacBooks, iPads and not limited to iPhones.
Interestingly, although the Google Pixel 10a shares similar specifications as the Pixel 9a, including the operating system used, this AirDrop function is only offered on the latest Pixel devices, but not on models that are just a year older.
BENCHMARK
The Pixel 10a uses the Google Tensor G4 chip with 8GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 128B of UFS 3.1 internal storage. Although the Tensor G4 is said to be a flagship chip, after more than a year it is more suitable to be categorized as a mid-range device. Therefore it is compatible compared to the chips below.
Samsung Galaxy A57 5G – Exynos 1680 (4nm)
Poco X8 Pro - Dimension 8500 Ultra (4nm)
Vivo V70 – Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm)
Oppo Reno15 – Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm)
Honor 400 Pro – Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL – Tensor G5 (3 nm)
AnTuTu 3D
Score Device
Google Pixel 10a 1,202,845
Samsung Galaxy A57 5G 1,373,996
Poco X8 Pro 2,086,502
Vivo V70 1,464,284
Oppo Reno15 1,412,018
Honor 400 Pro 1,861,573
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 1,214,735
Poco X7 Pro 1,590,533
Geekbench 6
Single Core Multi Core Device
Google Pixel 10a 861 4545
Samsung Galaxy A57 5G 1238 4410
Poco X8 Pro 1721 6340
Vivo V70 1361 4181
Oppo Reno15 1280 3857
Honor 400 Pro 1224 6083
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 2303 6134
3DMark Wildlife Extreme
Chip Score
Google Pixel 10a 2665
Samsung Galaxy A57 5G 1713
Poco X8 Pro 4120
Vivo X70 2093
Oppo Reno15 2082
Honor 400 Pro 4467
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 2567
Throughout this use, there is none problems for normal activities such as scrolling through social media, opening apps and running popular apps. The performance is the same as the Pixel 9a.
CAMERA
Similar to the Pixel 9a, the Google Pixel 10a device comes with the same 48MP wide-angle, 13MP ultra-wide-angle and 13MP selfie main cameras. In low and unsatisfactory lighting situations, the pictures taken still look bright, sharp and accurate color reproduction with the real situation. Locations with light sources are not broken and there is no noise problem.
In good lighting situations, the pictures taken remain stable. Objects look sharp and this can also be seen in macro mode. The definite disadvantage is that the 9a is only equipped with two cameras instead of three like the majority of modern phone devices. The 9a's zoom performance is affected with the picture quality only good up to 2X. There is indeed a Super Res feature but at the 8X setting the pictures taken start to lose sharpness and color accuracy decreases.
BATTERY
The 5100mAh battery can last all day but not 24 hours. If you unplug it from the charger at 6am, it needs to be recharged at 10pm. The battery life is comparable to the Pixel 9 Pro XL even though the screen is not of the LTPO type.
Battery recharging is also slow as it is limited to 23W. The battery recharge time from 0-100% is 95 minutes. I noticed that the 23W charging is only done until the battery reaches 50W before the power is reduced as the battery charge level increases. This is to ensure that the battery is protected from damage that is sometimes seen when fast charging is used until the battery capacity reaches 100 percent.
Like the Pixel 9a device, the Pixel 10a box offering does not offer any charging plug. You will have to buy it separately if this is your first smartphone.
AUDIO
The two stereo speakers used are satisfactory. In most situations the audio is balanced and clear but the audio from the bottom speaker is noticeably louder due to the larger grille. For the best audio experience use earphones or headphones.
COMPETITORS
Google Pixel 10a Google Pixel 9a Poco X8 Pro
6.3″ OLED,
1080 x 2424
120Hz, HDR10+ 6.3″ OLED,
1080 x 2424
120Hz, HDR10+ 6.59″ AMOLED
1268 x 2756 pixels,
120Hz, Dolby Vision
Google Tensor G4 (4nm)
1 X 3.1 GHz Cortex X4
3 X 2.6 GHz Cortex A720
4 X 1.95 GHz Cortex A720 Google Tensor G4 (4nm)
1 X 3.1 GHz Cortex X4
3 X 2.6 GHz Cortex A720
4 X 1.95 GHz Cortex A720 Dimensity 8500 Ultra (4nm)
1 x 3.4 GHz Cortex-A725
3 x 3.2 GHz Cortex-A725
4 x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A725
Mali-G715 MC7 Mali-G715 MC7 Mali-G720 MC8
8GB LPDDR5X 8GB LPDDR5X 8/12 GB LPDDR5X
128 GB UFS 3.1 128 GB UFS 3.1 256/512 GB UFS 4.1
Primary Camera
48MP f/1.7, OIS (Wide Angle)
13MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide) Primary Camera
48MP f/1.7, OIS (Wide Angle)
13MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide) Primary Camera
50MP f/1.5, OIS (Wide Angle)
8MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
Front Camera
13-MP f/2.2 Front Camera
13-MP f/2.2 Front Camera
20MP f/2.0
IP68 IP68 IP69K
No audio jack No audio jack No audio jack
Audio Stereo Audio Stereo Audio Stereo
5100 mAh
Wired 23W
Wireless 7.5W 5100 mAh
Wired 23W
Wireless 7.5W 6500 mAh
Wired 100W
Android 16
Updates
7+7 years Android 16
Updates
7+7 years HyperOS 3, Android 16
Updates
5+6 years
RM 2299 (8/128GB) RM 2699 (8/128GB) RM 1499 (8/256GB)
RM 1699 (8/512GB)
RM 1899 (12/512GB)
IN THE BOX
Here's what comes in the box with the Google Pixel 10a.
1x Google Pixel 10a
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM pin.
Closing
If you've reached the end of this review, you'll realize that this review is very similar to the previous Google Pixel 9a review. This is because this Google Pixel 10a review is a slightly modified Pixel 9a review.
In short, the Google Pixel 10a is the Google Pixel 9a that comes with an update to a brighter screen display, and the latest Android operating system that can technically already be shown on the Pixel 9a device.
The Google Pixel 10a price tag is also a few hundred Ringgit cheaper than the Pixel 9a at a price tag of RM2299, so if you want a vanilla Android smartphone with not so many frills, this might be a good option, or you can also find the Pixel 9a from the second-hand market on Facebook Marketplace or Carousell.
Pros:
The premium compact design is very comfortable in the hand.
Purest Android software.
Pixel's class-leading camera capabilities.
7+7 years of software support.
IP68 water and dust resistance.
Good battery life.
Built-in AirDrop support.
Cons:
The Pixel 10a is just the Pixel 9a with a new screen and battery.
The price doesn't match the performance.
