Google Pixel 10a

At Rs. 169,999 in our listing, the Google Pixel 10a is priced as an upper mid-range phone in Pakistan, and its hardware alone does not justify that. Officially it repeats the Pixel 9a's chip, RAM, cameras, battery capacity and screen size. The upgrades are a brighter display, Gorilla Glass 7i, faster wired and wireless charging, a completely flush camera and Satellite SOS where supported.

Hands-on coverage called it essentially the same phone as last year's model, yet still a decent deal at its US launch price. GSMArena's review reached a similar view: it praised battery life, speakers, the camera's consistency and the update promise, but listed identical specs to the cheaper Pixel 9a as the main drawback.

• Main strengths: seven years of updates, Google's call and camera features, flat IP68 design, strong battery life in independent testing.
• Main weaknesses: a year-old Tensor G4, 128GB base storage, plastic back, fairly thick bezels and modest charging speed.

Verdict: worth buying for people who keep a phone for many years and care most about clean software and long support. Buyers who want the most hardware for their money (bigger battery, much faster charging, telephoto zoom or a memory card slot) will get more from the Oppo Reno 16F, and a Pixel 9a at a lower price gives almost the same experience. Pixels are usually imported, so check the unit's PTA status before paying.

Official specs: a 6.3 inches P-OLED panel with 1080 x 2424 pixels, HDR and up to 120Hz, rated at 2000 nits in high brightness mode and 3000 nits peak. It is covered by Gorilla Glass 7i, a clear step up from the Gorilla Glass 3 on the Pixel 9a.

Hands-on: apart from brightness and glass, the screen matches the 9a: same size, resolution, centred punch-hole and under-display fingerprint reader. Google says the bezels are slightly thinner, but they still look fairly thick next to rivals.

• The phone ships at 60Hz by default. Turning on Smooth Display lets it switch automatically up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and gaming.
• GSMArena measured peak brightness close to Google's claim, so outdoor visibility in strong sunlight should be good.
• Refresh rate control is limited to an on/off switch, which GSMArena listed as a drawback.

For video and social media the panel is sharp and bright enough; the main limitation is the dated look of the bezels rather than picture quality.

Chipset: Google Tensor G4 (4 nm), an octa-core chip with Mali-G715 graphics, paired with 8GB RAM. It is the same chip and memory as the Pixel 9a, not the newer Tensor G5 found in Google's pricier Pixel 10 models.

Hands-on and independent testing:

• The year-old chip is the most obvious missed upgrade, though most A-series buyers notice Google's software more than processor speed.
• GSMArena found day-to-day performance excellent despite modest benchmark scores, but its graphics performance trails rival chips.
• Under long stress tests the chip throttles noticeably and the phone gets warm, though not hot.

What it means: apps, social media, browsing, calls and photo editing run smoothly, and casual games are fine. Players who want high settings for long sessions will find stronger graphics elsewhere at this price. Storage starts at 128GB with no memory card slot, so the 256GB version is the safer pick if you record a lot of video.

Hardware: a 48 MP main camera (f/1.7 with OIS) and a 13 MP ultrawide on the back, plus a 13 MP ultrawide selfie camera. The cameras are unchanged from the Pixel 9a, so results should be very close to last year's model.

New software: Auto Best Take picks the best faces from several frames for group photos, and Camera Coach guides you on framing and lighting. Neither feature is especially useful in practice.

Independent testing (GSMArena):

• Daylight photos are detailed with excellent dynamic range, though colours are slightly muted and skin tones can look flat.
• The main camera handles low light well; Night Sight adds detail but brings some smearing and noise.
• The ultrawide is good in daylight but muddy at night and has no autofocus, so close-ups suffer.
• Selfies look good at arm's length, but the fixed-focus front camera is not sharp up close.
• Video stabilisation is excellent, while low-light video is muddy.

There is no telephoto lens, so zoom is digital: 2x shots are usable, and quality drops beyond that.

Official specs: a 5100 mAh battery, 30W wired charging over USB Power Delivery (Google quotes 50% in 30 min), 10W wireless charging and bypass charging. Capacity is the same as the Pixel 9a, but both wired and wireless charging are faster.

Hands-on and independent testing:

• The capacity is generous for this price range, though a full battery life test is not available yet.
• GSMArena's lab test found clearly better endurance than the Pixel 9a, especially for video streaming, and suggested a more power-efficient display as the likely reason.
• In GSMArena's charging test it reached about half in half an hour and needed roughly an hour and a half for a full charge.

Compromise: charging is adequate rather than fast. Rivals such as the Oppo Reno 16F fill up far quicker, so the Pixel suits people who charge overnight more than those who top up in a rush. Use a USB Power Delivery charger to get the full wired speed.

Official: the Pixel 10a ships with Android 16 and Google promises seven years of OS and security updates, which is the strongest reason to choose it over similarly priced rivals.

Useful features:

• Call Screening, Hold for Me and Clear Calling help with spam calls, waiting on hold and noisy lines.
• Now Playing identifies songs around you automatically.
• Quick Share now works with Apple's AirDrop, so files can move between Pixels and Apple devices.
• Auto Best Take and Camera Coach are new to the A-series this year.
• GSMArena also highlights Magic Cue, which surfaces information from your apps at the right moment, and Gemini Live, which can use the camera view.

Limitations: some features depend on region. Satellite SOS works only in supported countries, and some AI photo editing tools are US-only, so not everything may work in Pakistan. The interface is Google's clean near-stock Android, and existing Pixel users will find it familiar.