I tried Google’s budget phone upgrade – save yourself £190 & buy near-identical model with SAME features

IF you thought smartphones were getting samey then look no further than Google’s Pixel budget A series.

I’ve reviewed them all and each one is fantastic, great value for money, even the new Google Pixel 10a.

But the jump from last year’s 9a to this year’s 10a is really quite small.

Like literally, a big tech deja-vu.

There are some upgrades but you’ll be hard pressed to spot them.

Nevertheless, I’ve tested the Google Pixel 10a for the past week.

It’s a lovely little handset, but you can save a whole load of cash by going for the 9a instead and getting the same quality for less.

Google Pixel 10a: Look and feel

The Pixel 10a is practically identical in looks to its predecessor.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, the Google Pixels are among my favourite smartphone designs around (although you will need a case because the material is super slippery on my sofa and other soft surfaces).

The 10a has rounded-corners made from aluminium with a premium-looking matte finish.

On the back it has reinforced plastic which doesn’t feel cheap despite being inferior to any metal-based materials.

There is one subtle change in design and that’s to the camera bump.

It was already heavily reduced on the 9a but now it’s completely smoothed down on the 10a.

The display is also the same as before with a 6.3-inch OLED screen, except it’s slightly brighter, making it easier to see what’s being shown in direct sunlight.

Google has upgraded the glass to the tougher Gorilla Glass 7i too.

The only other noteworthy design change is to the choice of colours.

This year you can choose between:

• Lavender
• Berry
• Fog
• Obsidian

In terms of feel in your hand it sits comfortably – Google has lightened the load by 3g compared to the Pixel 9a (so it’s now 183g) and it’s ever so slightly thinner too.

Google Pixel 10a: Performance and features

The performance tells a very similar story to above – but there are actually some new features to play around with, many that have been reserved for the more expensive Pro models up until now.

Photography lovers can now use the handy Camera Coach tool for tips on taking the best snaps.

And there’s Auto Best Take that scans a burst of group photos to pick the best smiles for each person.

Google has improved the video stabilisation as well so your filming will look far less shaky after shooting.

Elsewhere, the Pixel 10a is the first of Google’s budget series to gain Satellite SOS, so you can connect to emergency services via satellite if you’re ever without signal or Wi-Fi.

The modem has been updated as well, so you should get slightly better 5G.

It comes with Android 16 out of the box and Google’s promise of seven years of updates, so you get lasting value if you keep the handset physically in good condition.

Google Pixel 10a: Camera

Google Pixels are among my favourite cameras on smartphones.

They’re easy to use and take stunning snaps – and it’s really no different for the 10a.

But the lenses are exactly the same as the 9a’s, so that’s a 48-megapixel wide main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 13-megapixel selfie camera.

The only thing that has changed is the AI features available, which I mentioned above.

Shots I took are bursting with colour, richness and detail.

Google Pixel 10a: Battery

So the battery does have some welcome upgrades.

It measures in at the same on paper – 5,100mAh – but technical efficiencies mean it should last you a bit longer than the 9a.

Mine managed to last beyond a day with a good six hours of screen use doing things like messaging friends, sending emails, browsing the web and listening to music.

The Pixel 10a also supports faster charging than the 9a now, at up to 45W when wired meaning you can go from zero to 50 per cent in about half an hour.

Wireless charging is improved but still quite slow at 10W, taking a good three hours.

Google Pixel 10a: Pricing

The Pixel 10a starts at £499 which is a reasonable price for such a decent phone.

Except, you can still get hold of the Pixel 9a from some places at a cut price – with much of the same greatness onboard the 10a.

For example, GiffGaff is selling the Pixel 9a for £299 with a minimum of £10 spent on a rolling monthly contract (so you could cancel it after one month) – this would be a huge saving of £190 compared to buying the 10a.

It’s worth pointing out that Google is throwing in some little freebie sweeteners when you buy the 10a, such as free YouTube Premium for three months.

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.

Always do your own research before making any purchase.