Can we please shut up about the Pixel 10a’s bezels?

The Pixel 10a, Google’s next smartphone, went on full display this week. On the same day that official-looking renders and marketing images of the phone leaked online, Google also teased the phone itself — confirming its name, design, and February 18 release date.

Naturally, there’s been ample discussion about the Pixel 10a since this happened — and much of it has centered on the phone’s bezels. Specifically, there are people harping on the 10a’s bezels for being “ugly,” “hot garbage,” and “a crime.”

I’ve looked at the renders and the bezels myself, and it’s left me with just one question: Are we serious about this?

These are the bezels you’re getting so worked up about?

If you haven’t seen the Pixel 10a’s bezels, or need a refresher, here’s what they look like.

Right off the bat, we can see that — yes — these are larger bezels compared to other phones on the market today. They’re thicker than the bezels on Google’s more expensive Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro handsets, and even compared to Samsung’s Galaxy A56 5G (which we expect the Pixel 10a to be similarly-priced to). No one is arguing that the Pixel 10a doesn’t have bigger bezels; it does.

However, what’s insane is how so many people are reacting to these bezels as if they singlehandedly ruin the Pixel 10a. Below are a few standout posts I saw on Twitter/X:

Given the current state of social media, I’m sure that some of these are purely rage/engagement bait. But reading the replies to a lot of these posts, plenty of other people agree. I’ve seen replies like “everything is fine, except those bezels dear god,” “those bezels give me anxiety,” and even “the Google pixel bezels are diabolical.”

Reading these posts and comments, it’s left me wondering if we’re all looking at the same phone. The Pixel 10a’s bezels are objectively larger, but pretending like they’ll make the Pixel 10a unusable is absurd.

Is a slightly thicker black border around the screen really going to ruin a phone for you? Is it going to completely tarnish your YouTube videos, social media apps, and games? No, it won’t.

I know it won’t because I’ve used the Pixel 9a. The Pixel 9a also has larger bezels (seemingly identical to those on the Pixel 10a), and they’re perfectly fine. It’s a little unsightly if you’re coming from a more expensive Android phone, but your eyes completely adjust to and ignore the bezels after a few hours of use.

Do I notice the bezel difference when I put the Pixel 9a next to the Pixel 10 Pro? Certainly. But in everyday use, the Pixel 9a’s bezels have never been a legitimate issue — and the same will be true of the Pixel 10a.

The Pixel 10a has bigger fish to fry

Would it be nice if the Pixel 10a had smaller bezels? Of course. I’d take thinner bezels over larger ones every single day. I think this is something Google could (and should) address with the A-Series, but I’m also not going to completely disregard the Pixel 10a just because its bezels are a little bit thicker than its competitors.

I also want to make it clear that there are legitimate things to criticize about the Pixel 10a. Rumors heavily suggest that the phone has the same display specs, battery size, charging speeds, and camera system as the Pixel 9a. There are even reports that the 10a will retain the same Tensor G4 chip we saw in the 9a. If that’s all true, Pixel fans have every right to critique this phone.

But to seemingly ignore all of that and put so much energy toward bezel size — one of the most insignificant things to complain about — is something I will never understand.