SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 4, 2026, 02:24 PST
- Leaks point to Pixel 10a preorders starting Feb. 18 and a retail release in early March
- Reports suggest a “boosted” Tensor G4 chip, bigger battery and brighter screen versus the Pixel 8a
- Chipmakers are warning that AI-driven supply strain could keep pressure on mid-range phone pricing
Google’s next mid-range Pixel phone, the Pixel 10a, could open pre-orders on Feb. 18 and reach stores on March 5, according to a recent report citing tipster Evan Blass. The same report said early leaks point to a “boosted” Tensor G4 processor and a larger battery, while keeping the broad formula of Google’s recent A-series phones. (Android Central)
Why this matters now: the A-series is Google’s volume play in a crowded $500 bracket, where small spec swings can decide whether buyers upgrade or wait. Discounts on newer Pixels are already tightening the space the 10a would need to occupy, with the risk that Google ends up competing with its own lineup as much as with Samsung’s Galaxy A range.
Cost pressure is the other piece of it. MediaTek Chief Executive Rick Tsai warned this week that AI demand is straining supply chains and “resulting in higher costs across the supply chain,” adding the company would adjust prices to reflect those increases. That backdrop makes a conservative Pixel 10a spec sheet easier to understand. (Reuters)
Android Central said the Pixel 10a is expected to keep the Pixel 9a’s exterior look, while shifting the comparison with the older Pixel 8a. It flagged a larger 6.3-inch OLED screen with a higher peak brightness — measured in “nits,” a standard way to rate how bright a display can get — versus the 8a’s smaller 6.1-inch panel.
On the silicon side, the Pixel 10a is expected to stick with the Tensor G4 family rather than move to the newer Tensor G5 used in Google’s flagship line, the report said. It also pointed to 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, a common phone storage standard that affects how quickly apps and files load.
Camera changes look narrower. The Pixel 10a is expected to use a 48-megapixel main rear camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide, while the Pixel 8a shipped with a 64-megapixel main camera, the report said. Pixel camera results often depend more on software processing than sensor size, but Google has not confirmed any of the hardware.
Durability is one of the clearer rumored upgrades. The Pixel 10a is expected to carry an IP68 rating — an industry standard for dust resistance and higher water protection — compared with the Pixel 8a’s IP67 rating, Android Central said.
Battery and charging are another headline change, if the leaks hold. The Pixel 10a is expected to pack a 5,100 mAh battery (mAh is a measure of battery capacity) with faster wired charging and slightly faster wireless charging than the Pixel 8a, the report said.
Software support remains part of the pitch. Android Central said the Pixel 10a is expected to ship with Android 16 and carry Google’s seven-year update policy, extending security support deeper into the 2030s than the Pixel 8a.
Android Authority argued the minimal-change approach could be intentional, saying the Pixel 10a appears set to keep many of the Pixel 9a’s internals to protect the expected $500 price point. It also warned that trying to cram too many upgrades into a mid-range phone can backfire, pointing to Samsung’s Galaxy A56 as a cautionary example. (Android Authority)
But the leak-driven story cuts both ways. Google has not announced the Pixel 10a, and details on launch timing, final specs and pricing can change late in the cycle. Component costs are still a moving target: TrendForce said this week it expects conventional DRAM contract prices to jump 90% to 95% in the current quarter versus the prior one, a swing that could squeeze budgets for phones that live and die on price. (Reuters)
If the reported schedule holds, the Pixel 10a would land earlier than past A-series launches and ahead of Google’s I/O developer conference, giving the company a fresh mid-range device for spring sales. The bigger question is whether a brighter screen and a larger battery are enough to pull Pixel 8a owners forward — and whether Pixel 9a buyers will see any reason to move at all.
