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The brand new Google Pixel 10a makes just a few compromises this yr, maybe the largest being that it’s now not powered by Google’s newest yearly flagship processor. As a substitute of the newest Tensor G5, the Pixel 10a settles for final yr’s Tensor G4 processor. These hoping for a bit extra efficiency on a price range will little question be disenchanted.

To be honest to the 10a, the Tensor G4 was a flagship-tier processor (of types) simply final yr and is actually no slouch for each day duties. Nevertheless, because of this the Pixel 10a is not any quicker than its predecessor, not less than on paper. This actually seems to be the case once we ran the cellphone by means of the favored GeekBench 6 CPU check as properly.

The Pixel 10a and 9a are inside the margin of error of one another, which you’d anticipate for equivalent chips working the identical clock speeds. Outdoors Google’s ecosystem, these CPU outcomes are within the ballpark of Samsung’s reasonably priced Galaxy S23 FE from 2023. Nonetheless not dangerous for a $500 cellphone, but it surely does present how far Pixels are from the leading edge of contemporary efficiency.

Whereas basic efficiency appears to be like to be primarily unchanged, the Pixel 10a does appear to have a slim benefit over its predecessor — stress check temperatures.

3DMark’s Wild Life Excessive stress check, the efficiency begins out the identical as final yr’s mannequin and is a long way behind the Pixel 10. Nevertheless, because the check continued, the Pixel 10a maintained the bottom temperatures of the three, after ranging from the identical level.  The cellphone lasts a full seven minutes earlier than we see a dip in efficiency, however at which level the Pixel 9a has already began to throttle again, and the brand new price range mannequin is now competing immediately with the costlier Pixel 10.

So what does this imply for actual video games? Properly, the Pixel 10 undoubtedly has a efficiency lead for lighter video games and brief play classes over the 10a and 9a. Nevertheless, for longer gaming classes with demanding graphics, the Pixel 10a might not truly be that far behind. Actual video games aren’t as demanding as these stress exams, so it’ll take various minutes for the hole to shut. However half an hour of play may be sufficient to even out the body fee, particularly for those who love emulating basic video games.

After all, there are a whole lot of variables right here. We check all our telephones at room temperature, however taking part in in hotter or cooler environments, utilizing a case, or attaching a controller all make a distinction. This isn’t a robust sufficient end result to say the Pixel 10a is at all times higher, but it surely’s a small win for the price range mannequin over its predecessor. On the very least, the decrease temperatures will make the Pixel 10a extra snug.

Within the spherical, I nonetheless assume $500 for a cellphone with this degree of efficiency — together with Google’s different {hardware} and software program goodies — is fairly good worth for cash. It’ll don’t have any downside working apps and lighter video games, helps a variety of Google’s AI goodies, and, after all, powers what continues to be a stable low-cost digicam setup.

In comparison with the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G, Nothing Telephone 4a Professional, or Moto G Stylus (2025), which all retail for across the identical value or simply beneath, the Tensor G4 nonetheless runs rings round them, notably for gaming. Whereas we would see some barely quicker rival telephones seem within the coming months, they’re unlikely to leapfrog the Pixel 10a in uncooked efficiency for $500 or much less.

Nevertheless, a part of Google’s gross sales pitch is that the Pixel 10a will obtain seven years of Android updates. That means at the moment’s fairly common {hardware} has to maintain up with no matter our cellular OS appears to be like like in seven years’ time. Provided that some Pixel fans already complain that their flagship handsets can really feel a bit sluggish only a yr or so down the road, I wouldn’t purchase the Pixel 10a with the expectation of utilizing it for fairly that lengthy.

If you happen to really need opt-tier efficiency on a price range that’s sturdy sufficient to final for the long run, the OnePlus 13R (or OnePlus 15R for those who should) and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE are maybe higher picks. Sure, they’re costlier, however they nonetheless are available slightly cheaper than the Google Pixel 10 and supply efficiency that not solely beats the Tensor G4 but in addition Google’s newer Tensor G5.

Maybe the largest concern will not be that the Pixel 10a makes use of the identical processor as final yr, however that it doesn’t price rather more to purchase a cellphone that’s a lot nearer to a flagship — with superior efficiency and extra.