I’ve never had good luck with Pixels, but I decided to give them another chance

Last month, I wrote about how I want to be a Pixel fan, but I’ve had pretty poor luck with the series over the years. Still, as Android 16 continues to evolve, I’ve admitted more than once that I’ve been tempted to give Pixels another try to experience the latest betas and more.

Recently, I finally decided to pull the trigger and am once again a Pixel owner. This time around, I’ve decided to give its budget range a try, as my family has been very impressed with the Galaxy S25 FE, and so I was curious how Google’s own mid-ranger might compare. So far, I’ve been using the Pixel 10a for almost two weeks, and overall, I’m impressed.

What I love about the Pixel 10a

Earlier this year, I wrote about my daughter’s Galaxy S25 FE and how it’s made me reconsider whether I really need a flagship anymore. Considering its weaker processor, I wasn’t sure that the Pixel 10a would be able to measure up nearly as well.

Aside from getting a bit hot during more intensive games and apps, I have to admit I really didn’t notice much of a difference between the Galaxy S25 FE and the Pixel 10a when it came to browsing, playing games, or really anything I do on a regular basis. It even fared well compared to my Galaxy S24 or my company-owned Galaxy S25 Edge.

The camera experience was also pretty impressive. Packing a 48MP primary and 13MP ultrawide sensor that’s identical to the Pixel 9a before it, you might not get the most impressive on-paper hardware, but Google’s AI chops really shine through here.

Snaps look good in just about every lighting condition, and really, the only massive difference I’ve noticed from the Samsung devices I’ve used is that you won’t get a telephoto lens, though the digital zoom isn’t that bad for what it is.

Battery life also blew me away, especially for a Pixel, which historically hasn’t been so great here. I remember thinking the Galaxy S25 FE had some impressive battery capabilities compared to my Galaxy S24, lasting up to six hours before I’d have to run to the charger. I was able to make it to almost seven hours one day on the Pixel 10a. I am also happy that the charging speeds support up to 30W, though wireless charging is a bit on the slower side at 10W.

While I may have given up on Pixels, I have to admit I never stopped loving Google’s take on Android. It’s clean, simple, and yet way more feature-packed than the older iterations I had used. Let’s just say it would be an understatement to say I prefer its out-of-the-box experience over Samsung’s.

What I was less impressed by

Let’s start with the Tensor chip. While I admit the experience still feels nearly as good as any modern flagship, I still wish that Google had opted for the Tensor G5 over the aging Tensor G4, as this feels like the least future-proof part of the Pixel experience. The phone offers seven years of software updates, but I genuinely wonder how well it will actually perform that far into the future.

I also want to mention the design. The Pixel 10a color really suits me and reminds me of my favorite Pixel of all time, the orange Pixel 4 XL.

That said, I actually feel like Google’s unique camera bar introduced with the Pixel 6 was a nice way to set Google’s phones apart from the pack. With its flat rear and simple camera cutout with no bump, the latest budget Pixel feels a bit too generic for my taste. Certainly not a deal breaker, but I really wish Google had kept the Pixel A design more in line with the flagship family, like the Pixel 10.

I’m still cautious with Google, but the Pixel 10a seems like a solid secondary device

So far, I’m more than happy with the Google Pixel 10a. The performance is solid for a mid-ranger, as is the battery life, software, and really everything about it. Still, that’s always how Pixels start for me.

Slowly but surely, the cracks have always shone through eventually. Whether the battery life starts dropping suddenly or a bootloop, or even just my own clumsiness, Pixels never seem to last me as long as devices from Samsung and other brands.

Could the Pixel 10a be the first Pixel to break my curse? I certainly hope so. Considering my wife’s long-term luck with the Pixel 6, I know that a Pixel can last years. Still, I can’t help but be a little cautious given the number of Pixel issues I’ve encountered in earlier days of the series.

For now, I know I’m not ready to go all-in on Pixels. The Pixel 10a will remain my secondary device for testing new Android features, and I’ll probably rotate it in and out of being my daily driver here and there. But until I’ve had the phone for a good year or more without problems, I’ll likely baby it and still rely on my Samsungs first and foremost.