Xiaomi announced its flagship smartphone series at MWC, made up of the premium Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the more affordable Xiaomi 17.
With that in mind, how does the Xiaomi 17 compare to Google’s current affordable option, the Pixel 10a? If you’re an Android user on a tighter budget, which handset offers more bang for your buck?
To help you decide, we’ve compared the specs of the Xiaomi 17 to the Pixel 10a and noted the key differences below. Otherwise, if you’re considering splurging on the top-end model, make sure you visit Xiaomi 17 vs 17 Ultra instead.
If you want more of a selection to choose from, we’ve also rounded up the best smartphones and best mid-range phones of the year so far.
Specs comparison table
| Xiaomi 17 | Pixel 10a | |
| Battery | 6300mAh | 5100mAh |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Google Tensor G4 |
| Front Camera | 50MP | 13MP |
| Operating System | Android 16 | Android 16 |
| Rear Camera | 50MP + 50MP + 50MP | 48MP + 13MP |
| Screen Size | 6.3-inches | 6.3-inches |
| Wired Charging | 100W | 45W |
| Wireless Charging | 50W | 10W |
| Manufacturer | Xiaomi |
Price and Availability
The Pixel 10a is currently available for pre-order ahead of its official launch on March 5th. With a starting price of £499/$599, it’s the cheapest of the Pixel 10 series and comes in a choice between four colours including Lavender, Berry, Fog and Obsidian.
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Google Tensor G4
The Pixel 10a’s announcement was met with controversy, as Google has decided to kit the affordable smartphone with the 2025 Tensor G4 chip, rather than the newer Tensor G5 model. While this may not sound that surprising, as many manufacturers tend to use older chips on their cheaper smartphones, Google usually equipped its entire flagship series with the same chip.
Despite this disappointing choice, we should state that we found Tensor G4 to be a solid chip that offers speedy everyday performance. Although it didn’t receive very high benchmarking scores, this shouldn’t be surprising as the focus of all Google’s Tensor chips is AI performance over sheer power.
In comparison, the Xiaomi 17 runs on Qualcomm’s premium Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. Powering many of the best Android phones, in our experience with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 we’ve found the chip runs through everything from everyday scrolling to console gaming and even video editing with barely any stutter. Plus, and unsurprisingly, it achieves seriously high benchmark scores – especially when compared to Tensor G4.
Having said that, for everyday uses you really are unlikely to notice that much of a difference between the Xiaomi 17 and Pixel 10a. We’ll be sure to update this versus once we review both phones.
Xiaomi 17 has a telephoto lens
With a main, ultrawide and 5x optical-zoom telephoto lenses – all 50MP – the Xiaomi 17’s Leica camera set-up promises to capture “true-to-life images even under the most challenging lighting conditions.” The specs undoubtedly sound promising, however if photography is important to you, then perhaps the Xiaomi 17 Ultra might be a better fit.
Otherwise, the Pixel 10a sports a dual-camera set-up which is equipped with a 48MP main and a 13MP ultrawide. Although we’re yet to review the Pixel 10a, it’s the same hardware found in the Pixel 9a which we concluded was able to take detailed and vibrant images across most lighting conditions. In fact, we’ve often hailed the Pixel range as being some of the best camera phones as they deliver accurate results, thanks to Google’s excellent image processing.
While we would have preferred the Pixel 10a to see some hardware tweaks, it does benefit from a few new AI-powered photography tools including Camera Coach which offers guidance on how to take the perfect shot, based on your current shooting environment.
Xiaomi 17 supports 100W charging
Although the Pixel 10a supports 45W charging, which Google promises should take the handset from 0-50% in about 30 minutes, the Xiaomi 17 is a clear winner thanks to its 100W support.
That’s not all, as although both support wireless charging, the Xiaomi 17 boasts 50W support. However, you will need to invest in a compatible wireless charger to actually see those speeds. In comparison, the Pixel 10a supports Qi charging up to just 10W.
Pixel 10a has more of Google’s AI features
One of the key selling points of the entire Pixel range is its plethora of AI features, many of which can be found on the Pixel 10a. These features include Gemini, Circle to Search and Live Translation, plus photo and video editing tools within the Photos app.
However, that’s not to say the Xiaomi 17 is lacking in AI capabilities. In fact, you could argue that the Xiaomi 17 has found the sweet spot of AI features, with enough to be genuinely useful in everyday life, but not enough that it’s the only reason to opt for the handset. For example, like the Pixel 10a, the Xiaomi 17 has Circle to Search and access to Gemini too.
Xiaomi 17 has a 1-120Hz refresh rate
The Xiaomi 17’s 6.3-inch OLED display boasts many premium screen technologies, including a 1-120Hz LTPO refresh rate, a peak brightness of 3500 nits and Xiaomi Shield Glass for scratch resistance. While the Pixel 10a also sports a 6.3-inch display, it’s instead fitted with a 60-120Hz refresh rate. This means it isn’t quite as energy efficient as the Xiaomi 17, which can drop down to just 1Hz when needed.
Otherwise, the Pixel 10a promises a peak brightness of 3000 nits and is fitted with Corning’s 2024 Gorilla Glass 7i for screen protection.
Early Verdict
We’ll be sure to update this versus with more of a conclusive verdict once we review both handsets. However, at this early stage, if you want plenty of power, faster charging and a more varied camera set-up, then the Xiaomi 17 is certainly an appealing choice.
On the other hand, if you’d prefer a stock-Android experience and want to play around with Google’s AI features, then the Pixel 10a remains a solid choice. Having said that, considering there aren’t many differences between the Pixel 10a and Pixel 9a, we’d argue that you could opt for the latter to save a bit of money.
