I replaced my $1,000 Pixel 10 Pro with the $500 Pixel 10a — and I might not go back

Since its release last August, the Pixel 10 Pro has been my go-to Android phone. I love its cameras, software, AI features — you name it. If I’m not reviewing or testing another Android phone for work, it’s the Pixel 10 Pro that’s in my pocket.

But not so recently. For the past week, I’ve been using Google’s latest budget Pixel: the Pixel 10a. Being $500 cheaper than the Pixel 10 Pro I’m used to and featuring lesser specs across the board, it’s easy to assume I’d be counting down the days before I can return to my 10 Pro. But, surprisingly, that’s not at all what’s happened.

The more I use the Pixel 10a, the more I like it. And with each day that passes, the less sure I am about whether I’ll return to the more expensive Pixel 10 Pro after all.

There are a few reasons for this, but the biggest is the Pixel 10a’s design. I love how the Pixel 10 Pro looks, and for the last several months, I’ve used it regularly without issue. But after a few days with the Pixel 10a, I think Google’s less expensive phone is my preferred hardware.

At 183 grams, the Pixel 10a is 24 grams lighter than its more expensive sibling. In real-world use, you absolutely feel and notice that difference. The Pixel 10a is a supremely comfortable smartphone. It’s not so light that it feels cheap or poorly built, but it’s also light enough that you appreciate its slender build every time you pick it up — or at least I do.

More importantly, having used the Pixel 10a for a while now, I’ve realized just how heavy the Pixel 10 Pro is. I’ve picked up the 10 Pro a handful of times while using the 10a, and the former now feels like a top-heavy brick. I’m not sure I’d go as far as to say the Pixel 10a has ruined the Pixel 10 Pro for me, but the weight alone has me second-guessing my return to the Pro life.

In addition to lighter materials on the 10a (aluminum vs. stainless steel on the 10 Pro), its more comfortable design is also due to its camera bump — or rather, the lack thereof. As you’ve probably heard by now, the Pixel 10a has zero camera bump. It’s one of the only mainstream Android phones with that title, and it’s wonderful.

I never found the Pixel 10 Pro’s camera bump annoying, but the 10a has reminded me how wonderful it is to not have one. Being able to wrap my hand evenly around the entire back of the phone is great. Having a phone that rests completely flat on a table or desk is excellent. Not having to worry about a camera bump catching on a pocket or sleeve in my backpack is exactly how life should be.

I know these sound like insignificant details, but in practice, the light design and flat camera make the Pixel 10a a more practical, comfortable, and enjoyable phone to pick up and use compared to the Pixel 10 Pro. And in my experience, that’s a big deal.

The Pixel 10a’s design has been the highlight after my first week with the phone, but what’s equally impressive is how good everything else is, too. The 10a’a design wouldn’t matter if the rest of the phone weren’t enjoyable to use, but it is.

Even coming directly from the Pixel 10 Pro, it’s commendable just how seamless the transition to the Pixel 10a has been. The Tensor G4 chip, while technically a step down from the G5 in the 10 Pro, has been just fine for my regular use. All of my apps run normally, Gemini answers quickly, and I haven’t noticed any overheating issues either. The 6.3-inch OLED panel has slightly large bezels, but it’s still bright, colorful, and runs at a fluid 120Hz.

Battery life has also been strong. The Pixel 10a isn’t a multi-day smartphone, but even with heavy camera use, hotspot connectivity, and frequent Google Maps navigation, it easily lasts an entire day with juice still in the tank. I’ll have more exact numbers to share in my full review, but first impressions have been promising.

Google’s flavor of Android 16 shines on the Pixel 10a, as it does on all Pixels. The camera system is good for the price, and — critically — that price remains at $499 for another year. In today’s economy, that’s not bad at all.

All of that’s great, but when I still have the Pixel 10 Pro — and it’s technically better than the Pixel 10a in almost every regard — why am I even floating the idea of not switching back from the Pixel 10a? Because I honestly like the Pixel 10a that much.

The day-to-day experience of using the Pixel 10a really isn’t that different from the Pixel 10 Pro. It’s the same software I enjoy and has most of the same Pixel features. The cameras are just as reliable (if less flexible), and battery life is great. It’s everything I want out of a Pixel, and the Pixel 10a delivers it in a package that I enjoy interacting with, holding, and carrying more than the Pixel 10 Pro.

So, is the Pixel 10a going to remain my primary smartphone? For now, we’ll see.

As much as I like the phone, I do have annoyances — the lack of built-in magnets like the rest of the Pixel 10 series being chief among them. And as a telephoto camera enjoyer, I miss its presence on the 10a. But if those are the only two things I’m thinking about for a phone that’s $500 cheaper, I think that’s a sign Google did something right with the Pixel 10a.

What does all of this mean for you? It means that the Pixel 10a is a damn good handset. The fact that I’m even considering staying with it rather than wanting to switch back to the Pixel 10 Pro speaks to just how much Google got right. I’ll have more to share in our full review (coming soon) about specific battery stats, benchmark numbers, and more camera samples. We also need to discuss the elephant in the room, the Pixel 9a, which the Pixel 10a is almost a carbon copy of.

But even with that being true, it doesn’t change the fact that the Pixel 10a is great — and if you buy one today, I think you’ll be just as pleased with it as I’ve been.