Joe Maring / Android Authority

When you’re shopping with a budget of around $500, the two Android mid-rangers that go head-to-head in the final showdown are the Google Pixel 10a and the Samsung Galaxy A57.

They may be priced closely, but they come with a very distinct set of characteristics — ones that can make or break the deal for you. They certainly have for me because, without a second thought, I would pick the Pixel 10a over the Galaxy A57 each and every time.

Pixel-only perks

Shimul Sood / Android Authority

You saw this coming from a mile away, right? It’s one of the biggest draws of Pixel smartphones, even the cheapest one. While Samsung offers plenty of enticing features, Google’s more AI-leaning feature roster is far more appealing to me. And to Google’s credit, many flagship-class features from the main Pixel 10 lineup also made it to the Pixel 10a, including Camera Coach and Add Me.

Google keeps adding new features through Pixel Feature Drops, but none of that overshadows the existing feature set that includes tools like Call Screen, Hold For Me, Best Take, Circle to Search, Recorder, the Screenshots app, Now Playing, and a whole lot more — I know I must have missed a few good ones. There are just so many of them that the Galaxy A57 feels like less of a phone to me.

Day-one updates

Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority

Both Samsung and Google commit to six to seven years of software updates, but the way the two handle them is quite different.

For Samsung, the rollout is usually tiered, with the latest flagship models taking priority. Subsequent models are much lower on the list, and further down are the budget Galaxy A-series phones. Even if Samsung commits to six years of updates, a few years from now, the Galaxy A57 could take several months — or maybe even more than a year — to get the newest Android update.

On the Pixel side, however, updates arrive on day one. Android 17 is a good example and is already rolling out to eligible Pixel phones around the world. You can’t say the same for the newest version of One UI. Google maintains that rollout cadence not just for major Android updates but also for the quarterly Pixel Drops and security patches that arrive like clockwork. I would much prefer that predictability when it comes to the newest updates over Samsung’s uncertainty.

Wireless charging

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

I was really bummed by the lack of Qi2-based magnetic wireless charging on the Pixel 10a, since the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup got it just a few months before it released. However, compared to the Galaxy A57, which lacks wireless charging entirely, something is better than nothing. I can easily add the required magnetic ring using a compatible case, and I can throw the phone onto one of the several MagSafe accessories in my home.

With the case on, I would most likely not even notice that the phone lacks Qi2 magnets. If I were using the Galaxy A57, I would surely notice the missing wireless charging altogether, now that I’ve grown used to sticking my phone onto MagSafe chargers.

Compact design

Joe Maring / Android Authority

I’m aware that despite being a bigger phone, the Galaxy A57 is not only thinner but also lighter than the Pixel 10a. However, a few grams here and there aren’t as noticeable as the difference in their screen sizes. I’m increasingly growing fonder of smaller phones compared to the ever-growing tablet-esque Ultras and Pro Maxes of the world. They’re just better phones that fit your palm, rather than trying to double as your tablet as well.

While that compact size makes the Pixel 10a easier to use one-handed and easier to fit into smaller jeans pockets, it comes with a unique physical feature that not many modern phones can flaunt. The Pixel 10a may be a thicker slab, but it’s entirely flat on the back, meaning the cameras are flush with the phone’s rear panel this year. This gives it a unique in-hand feel, more noticeable than you might realize without actually holding it.

The Pixel 10a may not look like the rest of the Pixel 10 family without its familiar camera visor, but it has a very clean look that is quite appealing in a budget phone.

Battery life

Joe Maring / Android Authority

Back in the day, battery life was a reason to avoid Pixel phones in the first place, but that perception has changed. Despite its smaller footprint, the Pixel 10a packs a 5,100mAh battery (perhaps a benefit of the extra thickness), which is slightly larger than the one in the Galaxy A57. Since it also comes with a smaller display, its battery performance is meaningfully better.

In our testing, my colleague Joe Maring achieved six hours of screen-on time, even on a really heavy day, so you can expect it to last even longer during regular use. It sure won’t win any multi-day battery championships like phones with 9,000mAh batteries these days, but it is a reliable performer that doesn’t give you any sort of battery anxiety.

It’s also a shocker for me to talk about battery life as a strength of a Pixel phone, but here we are.

The Galaxy A57 is good, but the Pixel 10a is just better

Paul Jones / Android Authority

The Galaxy A57 is really an excellent budget phone. It’s got a more immersive display that looks futuristic thanks to its thinner bezels, and it comes with faster 45W wired charging and a competitive processor to back it all up. It’s a good phone on paper, but despite weaker hardware in some areas, the Pixel 10a edges it out with its overall experience.

The Pixel 10a is a much better value as well, because it gives you many of the premium benefits of the Pixel experience for just $500, and I think it’s a steal at that price.