Pixel 10a Preorders Open At $499 As Google Takes On Apple’s iPhone 17e

Official pricing is set for Google's new Pixel 10a smartphone, a midrange handset that will go up against Apple's upcoming iPhone 17e that is expected to be unveiled during an Apple Experience event on March 4. Google gets the jump on its rival by a solid two weeks, and to entice buyers who may be on the fence, it's dangling a few promotional carrots.

Pricing starts at $499 for the Pixel 10a, which gets you the version with 128GB of onboard storage. Alternatively, there's a 256GB SKU priced at $599.

The base prices are the same whether you opt for an unlocked phone or choose Verizon or Google Fi as the carrier. All three options can be financed at $13.86 per month for 36 months. However, one of Google's promotional offers is getting up to $739 back when joining a Google Fi wireless plan. That applies to the Unlimited Premium plan, whereas other plans get $499 back, paid via 24 monthly credits. The caveat is that it only applies to new customers.

Google's also advertising up to $450 back with an eligible trade-in, though we've seen even higher amounts depending on the model (up to $550).

The other promotional offer applies to buyers who opt for the unlocked model. When doing so, Google gives a choice between a free set of Pixel Buds 2a (worth $129) in choice of Iris, Hazel, Fog, and Berry colorways, or a $100 Google Store credit that can be used on future purchases.

As for the phone itself, the Pixel 10a is mostly a minor upgrade over the Pixel 9a we reviewed last year. It retains the same 6.3-inch pOLED display with a 24240x1080 resolution and 60-120Hz refresh rate and HDR support, but gets a brightness boost to 2,000 nits for HDR (up from 1,800 nits) and 3,000 nits (up from 2,700 nits). The contrast ratio also gets a bump to 2,000,000:1 (up from 1,000,000:1). It also gets a durability upgrade with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i (versus Gorilla Glass 3).

The core hardware is the same, including the storage options, 8GB of RAM, and Google's Tensor G4 processor with a Titan M2 security coprocessor. Likewise, Google is retaining the same camera setup consisting of a 13MP front camera and dual rear camera system with a 48MP wide-angle lens and 13MP ultrawide shooter.

Beyond the camera hardware, the Pixel 10a gets some new software tricks, such as Auto Best Take (the phone scans burst images for the best facial expressions and puts them into a single photo), Camera Coach (uses Gemini models to give step-by-step guidance on lighting and composition), and Macro Focus. It's possible those features will be ported to the Pixel 9a as well.

Both the Pixel 10a and Pixel 9a feature a 5,100mAh battery with 23W wired charging, but the Pixel 10a ups the ante with up to 10W wireless charging (versus up to 7.5W).

Finally, the Pixel 10a launches with Android 16 out of the box, which the Pixel 9a will get as well. In a blog post, Google reiterated its commitment to seven years of OS and security updates, and Pixel Drops.

You can preorder the Pixel 10a now at the Google Store. Alternatively, the Pixel 9a is as low as $399 on Amazon (20% off). And of course Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17e in a couple of weeks, and if it sticks to the same launch pricing as the iPhone 16e, it will debut at $599. The Pixel 10a will be out on March 5.