Google has officially put a date on its next mid-range Pixel. The Pixel 10a will be available to pre-order globally and in India on February 18th. This is Google’s ‘affordable alternative’ to the flagship Pixel 10 series, with a similar design but toned-down specifications and features. While the company has only teased a single colour so far, fresh leaked renders suggest buyers will have four options: Obsidian, Fog, Berry, and Lavender.
These are the rumoured names for the Pixel 10a’s colours, and official renders of the phone, shared by Android Headlines, give us a good look at them. Obsidian feels familiar and is a Google staple, while Lavender has been officially revealed by Google and looks like a darker shade of the Pixel 9a’s Iris shade. Fog appears to be a light green colour for the Pixel 10a and a new addition too, replacing the Porcelain shade from the previous lineup. It’s also the most subtle out of the four.
Berry is the interesting one here, replacing the Pixel favourite ‘Peony’, and looking like a dark-bright pink, even slightly orange, but nothing too dramatic like the iPhone 17 Pro’s orange.
Overall, Google seems to have refreshed the colour palette for the Pixel 10a. The colours might also be the only differentiating factor between the Pixel 10 and Pixel 9a, since there’s a lot more that hasn’t changed with the new model.
Based on everything we know so far, the Pixel 10a appears to be very close, almost uncomfortably close, to last year’s Pixel 9a. Design-wise, the leaked renders show no meaningful departures with the same metal frame, thick bezels around the display, and a dual-camera setup on the back that is now almost completely flush with the body.
Even internally, the story sounds familiar. Early speculation hinted at a possible upgrade to Google’s next-generation Tensor G5 chip, but more recent reports suggest the phone may stick with the same silicon as its predecessor. This is the Tensor G4 chip used in the Pixel 9a, which isn’t exactly known for its performance. But there could be optimisations to help boost the Pixel 10a’s performance.
The Pixel 10a is also said to continue with UFS 3.1 storage, a 6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate. The screen size seems to have slightly reduced from the Pixel 9a’s 6.3-inch display, making it even more compact. We might also see the HDR brightness increase to 2,000 nits from 1,800 nits on the Pixel 9a. Cameras might be a setup of a 48MP main sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide, and a 13MP front camera. The smartphone is also tipped to pack a 5,100mAh battery, which is the same as the Pixel 9a, but charging could be upgraded.
The leaked specifications don’t inspire much confidence that the Pixel 10a will bring meaningful hardware upgrades. As has often been the case with Google’s mid-range lineup, the real improvements are likely to come on the software side, where Pixel phones traditionally punch above their weight. Google’s AI-driven features, camera processing, and long-term software support have consistently helped offset relatively conservative hardware choices.
Still, that formula is under increasing pressure. The premium mid-range and sub-flagship segment has evolved rapidly, with competing Android devices now offering faster chipsets, larger and smoother displays, large batteries, and more versatile camera hardware. In that context, the Pixel 10a will need more than just clean software and smart features to stand out.
Whether Google’s software-first approach is enough this time will depend on pricing and execution. If the Pixel 10a delivers a compelling overall experience without stretching its price tag, it could still find an audience. But if it launches with familiar hardware and little room to undercut rivals, it risks feeling outpaced in a segment that has become far more aggressive and spec-driven than it once was.
If the Pixel 10a really is a lightly refreshed Pixel 9a, discounted deals on the older model could end up being the smarter purchase. With only a few weeks to go before its release, we should know all about the Pixel 10a very soon.
