Affordable phones are bearing the brunt of supply chain constraints, which is reshaping what you can expect from a $500 phone. While midrange phones in 2026 don't provide the same value as they used to, the latest phones from Google and Samsung are still competing neck-and-neck. The new Pixel 10A and Galaxy A57 remain the most lucrative midrange phones in the market right now. While they aren't terribly different from their predecessors, each phone has its own distinct appeal.

The Google Pixel 10A didn't get a lot of upgrades this year, but it has kept the $499 price of the Pixel 9A and has already gotten the occasional discount. On the other hand, Samsung's Galaxy A57 is one of the lightest phones in this price range, even with a larger screen. I put them head-to-head, and both phones have their own highlights that could be better for different reasons.

Design and build

The two Google and Samsung phones are drastically different in terms of design. The Pixel 10A is a small phone with a comparatively compact 6.3-inch screen, whereas the Galaxy A57 is a big phone with a 6.7-inch display. Both are comfortable to hold and use in day-to-day life.

However, the Samsung phone is impressively lightweight this time around. You no longer need to settle for a bulky phone if you want a big screen. At 6.9mm in thickness and 179 grams in weight, the Galaxy A57 is thinner than the smaller Google Pixel 10A (9mm thick and 183 grams in weight).

I liked using the A57 more because of its slimmer bezels, which give it a more modern look. In comparison, Google's phone looks outdated with its thick borders around the screen. Samsung's slimmer, albeit asymmetrical, bezels also allow for a more immersive content consumption experience. Both of these displays are visible in direct sunlight, but they're smudge-prone and highly reflective panels. However, I didn't have any major issues when navigating on Google Maps outdoors.

Both the Pixel 10A and Galaxy A57 are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance. This means they generally can survive most plunges into shallow water and days at the beach without letting sand inside of them. Google retained the plastic back on its Pixel phone along with an aluminum frame, whereas Samsung gave its device a glass back. The Galaxy A57 is theoretically more durable, thanks to the Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on both the front and back. To compare, the Pixel 10A has a less-scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 7i on the front.

The Google midranger has a unique design, where its dual-camera cover is recessed beneath the plastic back. On the other hand, the Galaxy A57 has three rear cameras, arranged vertically, like the Galaxy S26.

If you've ever wished for a phone with no camera bumps, the Pixel 10A is the device to get. However, if you want a more immersive screen in a handy and more premium-feeling design, the Galaxy A57 scores an easy win.

Performance and battery

Neither phone will deliver flagship-grade performance, but both are powered by capable in-house chips. The Google Pixel 10A has a Tensor G4, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage, whereas the Galaxy A57 houses an Exynos 1680 processor with the same amount of RAM and storage. However, you can get a 12GB RAM Galaxy A57 variant outside of the US that's paired up with 256GB or 512GB of storage in some markets.

I used both phones in similar ways: messaging on social apps (WhatsApp, Instagram), navigating on Google Maps, work conversations on Slack and using the cameras when needed. I didn't face any noticeable stutters or lags on either device. While neither is built for gaming at high graphics settings, the Galaxy A57 is a bit better thanks to its more capable processor.

Both of them lasted me an entire day on a single charge. To compare, the Pixel 10A has a slightly larger battery with a 5,100-mAh capacity (charging at 30 watts), but the Galaxy A57 charges its 5,000-mAh battery faster at 45 watts. The Google phone supports 10-watt wireless charging, while the A57 doesn't support wireless top-ups.

I'd still say that Google missed out by not including its PixelSnap magnetic technology in the lower-cost 10A after providing it to all of the other Pixel 10 phones. It could've been a major selling point, but third-party cases can instead bring support for magnetic accessories to both the 10A and the Galaxy A57.

Both phones run Android 16 with their own versions on top. The Pixel 10A debuted with Pixel UI and Material 3 Expressive, whereas the Galaxy A57 launched with One UI 8.5 onboard. Both devices will give you long-term software support, with Google promising seven years of Android OS updates, while Samsung will give you six years of OS upgrades.

I like One UI better for its customizations and widgets, but the Galaxy A57 has a lot of pre-installed apps. You'll need to be careful when setting up the device so you don't install all the extra third-party apps. I wish there was a way to set it up without the Microsoft apps and Facebook but you can always uninstall them after setup.

On the other hand, Pixel UI will give you a cleaner experience. Both phones support a number of AI features for enhancing photography, including a feature for editing a group photo in case someone is blinking. The Pixel version of this feature is called Auto Best Take, while the Galaxy A57 calls it Best Face. More AI features include AI Eraser to remove unwanted objects from a photo and Gemini for a smart virtual assistant, among others.

The cameras

The Google Pixel 10A has a dual rear camera setup. It has a 48-megapixel main camera, which is accompanied by a 12-megapixel ultrawide-angle lens. On the other hand, the Galaxy A57 has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide-angle lens and a 5-megapixel macro sensor.

However, only two of the three Samsung cameras are usable. In my review period, I relied on 4x zoom in 50-megapixel camera mode to get sharper images with natural-looking bokeh rather than using the macro sensor, which outputs noisy results with poor color reproduction. This puts both the mid-rangers head-to-head in camera performance.

Both phones' main cameras capture a good amount of detail. You get pixel-binned photos by default, but the Galaxy A57 offers a 50-megapixel camera mode that lets you capture higher-resolution photos. As for the ultrawide sensors, there's no noticeable color shift, but both exhibit the "fishbowl" effect common to ultrawide cameras.

Coming to the front, you get a 13-megapixel selfie shooter on the Pixel 10A and a 12-megapixel sensor on the Galaxy A57. Both offer satisfactory results.

Google Pixel 10A vs. Samsung Galaxy A57: Specs