Pixel 10a Delivers Everything You Need and Nothing You Don’t, Complete with a $100 Amazon Gift Card

Google launched the Pixel 10a earlier this month, and the smartphones will begin shipping to customers on March 5. If you pre-order one now for $499 (128GB model), you’ll get a $100 Amazon gift card, Android 16, and seven years of key OS upgrades and security fixes.

The display, a 6.3-inch pOLED panel, looks amazing at 1080 x 2424 resolution, or 422 pixels per inch if you will. The adjustable refresh rates do an excellent job of making scrolling smooth and consistent, whether you’re browsing at 60Hz or 120Hz. If you plan to use your phone outdoors frequently, don’t worry; its brightness can reach a respectable 3000 nits in the most severe settings. Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protects the front from any drops or scratches, while an aluminum frame and a tough-looking matte composite back offer durability to the whole product. IP68 certification means that the phone is dust and water resistant, allowing you to use it in the pool or bath.

Power-wise, Google has chosen the Tensor G4 CPU, which is the same unit as in previous flagship models. With a healthy 8GB of RAM, the phone easily handles everything from apps to browsing to multitasking and even light gaming. Naturally, the Titan M2 security coprocessor is present to ensure that everything remains secure.

Cameras are also a significant focus, with a 48-megapixel main sensor doing the heavy work and performing admirably in a variety of lighting scenarios. That’s backed up by a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, which allows you to capture more of the scenery around you. Meanwhile, the 13-megapixel selfie camera is useful for capturing crisp pictures and video calls. Google does all of their computational photography on the device, so you get natural colors, a great dynamic range, and, okay, even consistent low-light performance. If you want to be creative with your images, Google’s AI-powered editing tools allow you to do so without any additional software.

The 5100mAh battery is pretty well sized, and it should last for more than 30 hours of ordinary use before needing to be recharged. If you need to go any farther, the phone includes an Extreme Battery Saver mode that will allow you to get about 120 hours of use out of it, but it’s more of a ‘cut down on the things you don’t really need & get by on the basics’ type of thing. 30W fast charging is also a significant upgrade, as it is faster than before, and 10W wireless charging allows you to charge your device on the go if necessary.

In the hand, the phone feels quite robust, and the flat back design allows it to rest level on any surface, which is pleasant to see. The weight is 183 grams, and the dimensions are small enough that it may be carried in a pocket. As an added bonus, the phone is made from recycled materials in order to be more environmentally friendly without sacrificing quality.