6 changes I hope Google makes to the Pixel 10a

Summary

The Pixel 9a is my favorite mid-range phone on the market, and the Pixel 10a has the potential to be Google’s greatest mid-range offering yet, with a few changes.
Google should upgrade the glass on the Pixel 10a to Corning Glass Victus and slim down the bezels on the display.
The Pixel 10a would greatly benefit from increased charging speeds, and aesthetically the return of the camera bar would make the phone more unique.

As a massive fan of the

Pixel 8a
last year, I was very excited about the launch of the

Pixel 9a
this year, and it didn’t disappoint. It took everything I loved about the 8a and made it even better — such as a faster processor, bigger battery, and a larger display.

For $500, the Pixel 9a is undoubtedly the best mid-range phone on the market, destroying its competition in the field, such as the $600

iPhone 16e
. While the Pixel 9a offers a lot of value for money, there are some things I think Google can improve on for next year’s release, which will make the phone even more attractive to budget consumers.

While there aren’t many rumors surrounding the Pixel 10a just yet, here are a few changes I think Google could make to the phone to build upon the success of the Pixel 9a. I understand that a $500 mid-range phone can only get so much better due to cost, but I think these changes would be reasonable to expect for a potential $500 Pixel 10a in 2026.

Pixel 9a

Google’s mid-range Pixel 9a offers impressive high-end features like a 48-megapixel main shooter, a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera with macro, its Tensor G4 chip, and 8GB of RAM, all in a cost-effective $500 package.

Brand: Google
SoC: Tensor G4, Titan M2
Display: 6.3-inch 1080 x 2424 pixel resolution pOLED, (422.2ppi), 60-120Hz variable refresh rate, 1,800 nits (HDR), 2,700 nits (peak brightness)
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB/256GB
Battery: 5,100mAh

The Pixel 9a is so much better than the iPhone 16e, it’s not even close

As far as 2025 mid-range smartphones go, the Pixel 9a beats the competition by a significant margin.

6

Improved Corning display glass

A glass upgrade is long overdue

The Pixel 9a uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which Corning first introduced in 2013. While it is fairly scratch-resistant and durable, it could be much better, and it’s finally time for Google’s mid-range handset to receive a much-needed glass upgrade. By the time the Pixel 10a presumably launches in 2026, Gorilla Glass 3 will be 13 years old.

The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro both feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, introduced by Corning in 2022. It is newer, significantly stronger, exceptionally scratch-resistant, and much better at withstanding long drops than Gorilla Glass 3.

Cost is always on my mind with the Pixel A series, so even if Google opted for Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 1, which came out in 2020, I would view that as a win. Any glass that is newer, tougher, and more durable for the Pixel 10a would be a win in my book. It’s time to leave Gorilla Glass 3 behind. Budget users deserve dependable, modern glass screens as well.

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5

Sleeker screen bezels

The Pixel 9a’s bezels are an eyesore

Staying on the Pixel 9a’s display, I believe many people would agree that its thick bezels are somewhat of an eyesore. The Pixel 9a’s display gets a lot right (like its OLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate), so I won’t harp on the bezels too much, but I do feel this is one area where the iPhone 16e and the

OnePlus 13R
have an advantage over the Pixel 9a.

In all fairness, you don’t notice the bezels as much over time. However, aesthetically, it would be preferable if they were slimmed down for the Pixel 10a, so it aligns more closely with the Pixel 9. This might be wishful thinking on my part due to the phone’s budget nature, but I can dream, even if it’s just a millimeter.

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4

Quicker charging speeds

The Pixel 9a’s battery is impressive, but the charging speed isn’t

Google has outdone itself with the Pixel 9a’s battery size. This year, the company packed a 5,100mAh battery into the Pixel 9a, the largest battery in a Pixel phone yet, surpassing the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s 5,060mAh battery.

Clearly, battery size isn’t an issue. However, charging speeds are. The Pixel 9a’s wired charging speed is 23 watts, and its wireless charging only pulls a meager 7.5 watts. The Pixel 9, which has a 4,700mAh battery, has a 27-watt wired charging speed and up to 15 watts of wireless charging if paired with Google’s Pixel Stand 2 wireless charger.

The Pixel 10a would benefit from an increased charging speed similar to the Pixel 9. Admittedly, it’s not that much faster, which makes me believe that Google could act on this without impeding the phone’s cost. The mid-range OnePlus 13R, which is $600, has a wired charging speed of up to 80 watts, so asking Google for up to 27 watts on the Pixel 10a seems fair.

I used the Pixel 9a and OnePlus 13R for a week, and the winner is obvious

Mid-range Android phones are peaking, and these two show how far they’ve come.

3

Bring back the camera bar

The Pixel 9’s camera bar makes it distinct

One of the biggest changes to the Pixel 9a this year is the elimination of the phone’s camera bar. The Pixel 6a, 7a, and 8a have a very distinct camera bar look. When I see them, at least in my eyes, I immediately recognize them as Pixel smartphones; the Pixel 9a just isn’t the same with its new flat camera design.

I understand the benefits of the Pixel 9a’s new camera design, such as it being easier to pocket and lie flat on a table. However, as controversial as this may be, I genuinely think it would be nice to see the camera bar return for the Pixel 10a. Aesthetically, I believe it looks better and would give the Pixel 10a its unique identity back. The Pixel 9a’s flat camera design makes the phone look a bit like a generic, boring slab.

It would be nice to see some variation of the Pixel 9’s camera bar on the Pixel 10a, especially if the

Pixel 10 series
later this year maintains the same camera design as the Pixel 9 series.

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Google’s latest mid-range Android phone, the Pixel 9a, is solid enough to hold its own against the more expensive Pixel 9.

2

More RAM, please

Give people 12GB of RAM Google

The Pixel 9a has 8GB of RAM, the same as the Pixel 8a. It would be nice to see Google increase it to 12GB of RAM for the Pixel 10a, especially since the company is likely to continue pushing more Gemini AI features that will consume RAM.

The Pixel 9a’s 8GB of RAM already presents some limitations for the phone, such as the inability to use the Pixel Screenshots app available on the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, which is powered by a local Gemini AI model that eats up resources.

The Pixel 9a offers the same seven-year software update guarantee as its flagship counterparts, so over time, that 8GB of RAM will become even more of a burden for the mid-range phone. If the Pixel 10a has 12GB of RAM, it would be better equipped for handling local AI tasks, better at multitasking, and overall improve the phone’s longevity.

Google Pixel 9a and Pixel 8a header image

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1

Add an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor

It will make the phone easier to unlock

One of my favorite aspects of the Pixel 9 is its ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Compared to the optical fingerprint sensor found in the Pixel 9a and the Pixel 8a, ultrasonic fingerprint sensors are much more reliable for unlocking phones in low-light environments, as well as when your fingers are wet or dirty, and it would be convenient to have on the Pixel 10a.

An optical fingerprint sensor uses a specialized camera to capture an image of your fingerprint to unlock the phone. It’s cheaper, doesn’t capture as much detail, and struggles if the fingerprint is obscured by something (such as water or dirt) since the camera can’t read it correctly.

In contrast, ultrasonic fingerprint sensors use inaudible sound pulses to scan your fingerprint. They capture the print in greater detail, recording all its ridges, and can be used in dark environments and with wet or dirty hands. Ultrasonic fingerprint readers are more expensive to implement than optical fingerprint sensors, so this may be another far-fetched dream. Still, I believe Google could pull it off on a $500 Pixel 10a if it wanted to.