Google has recently unveiled its newest addition to the mid-range smartphone market, the Pixel 10a. While I have not yet had the opportunity to test it hands-on, it appears that the Pixel 10a will present a compelling argument for choosing the previous model, the Pixel 9a. The Pixel 9a was already a strong contender, and the upcoming release of the Pixel 10a seems poised to further enhance its reputation. Stay tuned for a detailed comparison once I have had the chance to thoroughly explore Google’s latest mid-range offering.
From the early leaks to the final spec list that’s currently sitting on my desktop, the Pixel 10a launch has been dogged by an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
Here is a phone that looks almost exactly like the Pixel 9a before it. Sure, it’s got a flatter camera module (though the Pixel 9a’s was pretty minimal), a narrower bezel, and some slightly different color options. It also has a fractionally smaller footprint, and it weighs 3g less.
But this is, to all intents and purposes, the Pixel 9a design reused. That’s fine. Smartphone makers do this all the time, and it’s unreasonable to expect millions of dollars of design R&D to be frittered away after a year.
