5 Android Phones You Should Buy Instead of the Google Pixel 10a

The Google Pixel A series is an easy pick for most users looking for a daily commute smartphone, especially those seeking a pure Android experience without spending much.

It offers great performance, the best cameras without the premium price tag, 7 years of long-term software updates, and useful PixelDrops updates every quarter, all at an affordable price (around $500), making it a no-brainer for most people.

If you are looking to buy a Pixel 10a smartphone, there are plenty of good options in this price range, and some are even better than the Pixel 10a phones at a much lower price. This guide covers the best alternatives to the Google Pixel 10a. If you are ready, let’s get started.

Best Alternatives to the Google Pixel 10a

Every year, Google refreshes the Pixel A series and very recently announced the Google Pixel 10a, the successor to the Pixel 9a.

However, this time Google hasn’t brought any meaningful updates to the table, and in fact, it is almost the same phone as last year. It comes with a few minor changes to display brightness and charging speeds, and a new flat camera bump, which doesn’t make sense for most people, especially those looking to upgrade from the Pixel 9a.

If you aren’t excited about the new Google Pixel 10a and are looking for alternatives, here are my 5 top picks.

Google Pixel 9a

Google kept the Google Pixel 10a price very similar to the Google Pixel 9a. However, in some regions, the Google Pixel 9a currently retails at about $ 350- $ 400, while in others, like India, it sells for under 40,000 rupees. For your information Google Pixel 10a is priced at 50000 rupees in India.

Given that there are no meaningful upgrades over the Google Pixel 9a, picking the Pixel 9a makes a lot of sense. If you are still confused, here are the differences between the Google Pixel 10a and 9a.

First, the Google Pixel 10a display delivers 3000 nits, about 10% brighter than the Google Pixel 9a. The rest of the display specs are the same, including size and refresh rate. The 10 percent increase in brightness is negligible for most people. In terms of protection, the Google Pixel 10a comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, while the Google Pixel 9a has Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Another change you will notice is in charging speeds: the Google Pixel 10a comes with 30-watt fast wired charging, compared to 23 Watts in the previous Google Pixel 9a, which again doesn’t make much of a difference. In terms of wireless charging, the Google Pixel 10a comes with 10W fast charging, while the Google Pixel 9a comes with 7.5W wireless charging support, and again, almost negligible.

Another change you will notice is that the Google Pixel 10a comes with an almost flat display on the back. Google has removed the minor camera bump in the Google Pixel 10a.

Google Pixel 9a’s camera bump is not as big as on other Google Pixel smartphones and can be easily avoided. However, Google has decided to make it completely flat, which is a welcome move, but forgot to update the rest of the smartphone specs. And one more addition to this year’s Google Pixel 10a is the new satellite SOS support in regions, which is currently limited to emergency services only.

And since Google offers 7 years of software updates, the Google Pixel 9a will get 6 more years, while the latest Google Pixel 10a should get up to 7 years, which again is not a big deal, especially when most users upgrade even before the end of the software cycle.

Those are the biggest differences (Yes) you can find between the Google Pixel 10a and the Google Pixel 9a, as you can see, fundamentally, the Google Pixel 10a is a point-one upgrade over the Google Pixel 9a, which makes picking up the Google Pixel 9a a smarter move.

Google Pixel 9a is currently retailing at a much lower price, which you can pick over Google Pixel 10a if you are looking for a direct alternative.

Google Pixel 10

If you only want a pixel smartphone, the Google Pixel 10 is also a great option over the current Google Pixel 10a. The Google Pixel 10 is a proper flagship smartphone. So, along with the higher price tag, you get upgraded features over the Google Pixel 10a.

The best part is that the Google Pixel 10 is also retailing for around 600 dollars, which is barely a hundred dollars more than the Google Pixel 10a.

Spending 100 dollars extra gets you a 5x telephoto camera, which brings a proper, versatile camera system, including the main camera as an ultra-wide.

The Google Pixel 10 also uses the latest Tensor G5, an upgraded version of the Tensor G4 used in Pixel 10a. Along with that, you also get 12 GB of RAM and, ofcourse, the premium build quality and a better premium display than the Google Pixel 10a.

Along with other improvements, the Google Pixel 10 also supports PixelSnap, which lets you attach various magnetic accessories, unlocking a wide range of new features.

Related:

• Best Google Pixel 10 Screen Protectors You Can Buy
• Best Google Pixel 10 Cases You Can Buy
• Best Accessories for Google Pixel 10

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE

Similar to the Google Pixel A series, Samsung also has a Fan-Edition series called the FE series. Similar to the Google Pixel A series, this Galaxy S-FE series is also a stripped-down smartphone, priced lower but slightly more expensive than the Google Pixel A Series.

If you are looking for a Google Pixel 10a alternative, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is also a good option. especially if you want performance and reliable cameras.

First, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE features a telephoto camera that delivers better optical zoom camera performance, whereas the Google Pixel 10a completely misses it. So the zoomed-in shots should look better on the Samsung S25 FE. Samsung is also better at video quality, making it head-to-head.

The Exynos 2400 on the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE offers decent performance compared to the Tensor G4. You can expect better gaming and also day-to-day performance on the Samsung S25 FE.

Like Google, Samsung also has its own ecosystem of users, and it currently has better AI implementations than Android smartphones, on par with the Google Pixel’s software tricks.

Samsung also offers up to 7 years of software updates, similar to the Google Pixel 10a, in which you should be able to use the smartphone without any issues for the next 5 years.

If you are not limited to Pixel options, you can also consider the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE for better performance and a more reliable camera. However, compared to the Google Pixel 10a, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is priced slightly higher.

Related:

• Best Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Cases You Can Buy Now
• Make the Most of Your Samsung Galaxy S25 FE with These Accessories

OnePlus 15R

Another good alternative to the Google Pixel 10a is the OnePlus 15R. We recently compared the OnePlus 15 and the OnePlus 15R. Despite the big price difference, the OnePlus 15R has emerged as the overall best pick for most people, and now, when it is put against the Google Pixel 10a, it is a no-brainer, especially for people looking for incredible performance at an affordable price.

One big reason to consider the OnePlus 15R over the Google Pixel 10a is its performance. OnePlus is known for its best performance-oriented smartphones, and the OnePlus 15R is no less than a flagship performer.

The smartphone uses a Snapdragon processor with an Adreno 840 GPU, making it a highly reliable option for gaming and smooth daily performance.

On the other hand, the Google Pixel 10a is powered by the latest Google Tensor G4, which generally doesn’t prioritize performance, though it’s decent for day-to-day use, not best for gaming.

Not just limited to performance, be it battery, be it RAM numbers, display, OnePlus 15R has monster specs on paper when Google Pixel 10a behind it on paper; however, one of the biggest differences is that OnePlus is powered by Oxygen OS 16 which is one of the biggest strength of OnePlus phones; however, if you are looking for a pure stock Android experience, it’s not a reliable option for you,

OnePlus typically offers only 5 years of software updates, compared to Google’s 7-year update promise, including quarterly Pixel drops.

Another big difference is the camera. The Google Pixel A series is widely known for its best-in-class camera capabilities, while OnePlus wasn’t strong in that area. Even flagship smartphones struggle to get reliable cameras, so if camera performance is your biggest priority, you should pick the Google Pixel 10a, or even the 9a, over the OnePlus 15R.

Related: Tensor G5 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite: Can Google Catch Qualcomm?

Moto G Stylus 5G (2025)

Motorola has been very consistent in its G series smartphones. The company has been making very consistent upgrades to its mid-range series. If you are looking for a Pixel 10a alternative, the Motorola G stylus is also a good option.

However, before telling the reasons why you should consider the Motorola G Stylus over the Google Pixel 10a, here are some reasons why you shouldn’t consider it. The biggest drawback of G-series smartphones is that, as mid-range devices, their cameras are not up to par. If you are expecting pixel-grade cameras on this smartphone, you will definitely be disappointed.

To add to it, Motorola only offers 2 years of software updates, which is a major downside compared to the 7 years of support on the Google Pixel 10a. The performance is also not up to the mark, but it is decent for the price.

However, the Motorola G stylus offers an extra advantage: a built-in stylus for taking handwritten notes or sketches, a feature usually found on premium flagship phones, such as the popular Galaxy S Ultra series.

Another big advantage of the Motorola G Stylus is its faster charging, which also supports wireless charging. The best part is that it also comes with expandable storage and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which is a great option for audiophiles, especially for some people who hate using wireless audio.

So, all the things that made you pick the Google Pixel 10a were absent on the Motorola G stylus, but what makes it unique is the stylus support, and also the expandable storage and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which makes it the best option for some uses, specifically looking at these features at a significantly lower price compared to the Google Pixel 10a.

Signing off

So, overall, those are the five best smartphones you should look beyond the Google Pixel 10a to summarize. Google Pixel 9a is the best overall option if you are looking for a direct alternative to the Google Pixel 10a.

It retails at a much lower price and offers very similar specs. Price isn’t an issue if you want the Pixel experience. If you want a Pixel experience, upgrading to the Google Pixel 10 is another option; it offers an extra telephoto lens, better hardware, better cameras, and faster charging, making it a significant upgrade over the A Series.

However, if you are not limited to Google, you should also consider the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, which offers reliable cameras, better performance, and faster charging speeds than the Google Pixel 10a.

If performance is your highest priority, and you don’t want the pixel experience, the OnePlus 15R is a very good option. Finally, the Moto G stylus is the best option if you are just looking for an alternative to a Google Pixel 10a at a much lower price. It offers expandable stylus support and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Let me know which one you would pick. To help you decide, here is the decision matrix to make your decision easier.