Google’s Pixel 10a Could Be More of a Downgrade than an Upgrade

Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a may not be the leap many expected, as fresh leaks have some disappointing information in store. The mid-ranger is now said to stick with last year’s Tensor chipset and skip several flagship features.

Mystic Leaks on Telegram suggests that the Pixel 9a will launch with the Tensor G4 chipset, the same chipset found in last year’s Pixel 9 and Pixel 9a. This can be considered underwhelming, given that the newer Tensor G5 powers the flagship Pixel 10 series. Besides, this would also mark the first time since the Pixel 4a that Google’s “a” series skips a generational chipset upgrade.

Apart from using the older processor, the Pixel 10a is also tipped to use the UFS 3.1 storage instead of the faster UFS 4.0 seen in the Pixel 10. While this could help Google keep costs low, it does raise questions about the upcoming phone’s performance.

As per the latest leak, the Pixel 10a could also skip on the telephoto lens, sticking to a standard wide and ultrawide setup. That puts it a step behind the regular Pixel 10, which introduced a telephoto this year. Another notable omission is Magic Cue, Google’s new AI-powered conversational assistant.

The latest leak also suggests that the Pixel 9a’s OLED display can hit 2,000 nits of HBM, up from 1,800 nits on the predecessor. While nothing can be said for sure, the Google Pixel 10a can be expected to launch in late Q1 or early Q2 2026 for around $500 (approximately Rs 44,000).

If the leaks hold true, the Pixel 10a could win over budget-minded buyers, but those expecting flagship-grade upgrades in Google’s affordable series may be left wanting more.