I have loved my Galaxy Z Fold 6 for over a year, but something bad has happened—I reviewed the Google Pixel 10a. That phone fit so perfectly into my hand that I’m questioning if I really want to return to my boxy foldable.
A phone that feels just right
I find most slab phones to be too big
There’s something I don’t understand about the smartphone market—small phones have all but disappeared. People consistently want the largest phone they can afford, like the iPhone Pro Max and the Galaxy S Ultra. I have longer fingers than most people, but I still don’t understand how anyone comfortably uses these phones. I didn’t deduct pins for size when I reviewed the OnePlus 15R earlier this year, but it was also too large for my tastes.
This is part of why I fell in love with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6. When closed, these foldables are actually smaller than conventional phones, but then they open up to have a substantially larger screen. It has been the best of both worlds. Sure, these phones come with extra thickness, but since I keep my phones naked, they aren’t that much thicker than slab phones that most people carry around in cases.
Then I reviewed the Google Pixel 10a. I had some issues with the phone, but none of them had anything to do with how it feels to hold.
7/10
- SoC
-
Google Tensor G4
- Display
-
6.3-inch Actua display
The Google Pixel 10a is a barely updated version of the Google Pixel 9a, with a slightly brighter screen and an upgrade from Gorilla Glass 3 to Gorilla Glass 7i. Google has shaved the remaining few millimeters from the camera bump, making it completely flat. Unlike prior versions of the Pixel a series, this model year does not share the same Tensor processor as the mainline Pixel 10.
It’s not just the size—it’s the corners.
Those round curves feel good against my palm
The Pixel 10a is 6.06 inches tall and 2.87 inches wide. The 6.3-inch screen feels large and vibrant, but it’s small enough that I can reach the far corners without having to overstretch my hand. I still have to shimmy the phone around to reach the farthest edges, but it doesn’t feel like I’m going to drop it. Many slab phones feel like two-handed devices. Not so with this one.
I am not new to the Pixel line. Despite not being a fan of Pixel phones, I have access to several in my home. My wife used to own a Pixel 6 and a Pixel 7, which are devices we now pull out whenever anyone in the house needs an old phone. The Google Pixel 10a I was sent to review is the latest to join this semi-neglected but useful Pixel collection.
The Pixel 10a is a few millimeters shorter than the Pixel 7. It’s also a few millimeters less wide. The biggest difference between them, though, isn’t the size but the corners. The Pixel 10a has much rounder corners than the relatively boxy Pixel 7. Its corners are much rounder than the boxy shape of my Galaxy Z Fold 6. After carrying that phone around for a review period, I’ve become less tolerant of my Z Fold 6 digging into my hand. The square shape of my Z Fold 6 is the one aspect I’ve disliked after the upgrade from the Z Fold 5, a phone I still feel was much more comfortable to hold despite being heavier, thanks to its round corners. I’ve lived with this, but I increasingly don’t want to.
The Pixel 10a is not the only phone of this size
Smaller phones are just so little talked about
The Google Pixel 10a is not all that different in size from the Google Pixel 10 or 10 Pro. In theory, someone like me, who prefers One UI over the Pixel experience, should just buy a Galaxy S26—but Samsung’s phone remains boxier and less comfortable in my hand. I imagine the Google 10a probably wouldn’t feel all that different to anyone accustomed to carrying around a base iPhone, but I’ve never been in the Apple camp to know.
I can say this: the Pixel 10a has changed the way I think about phones. I don’t fundamentally dislike slabs—I’ve just disliked the size of so many of them. This has changed the way I look at a device like the Fairphone 6, which has piqued my interest for its repairability and optional private OS. It also happens to be remarkably similar in size and shape to the Pixel 10a.
Specs can’t tell you everything
Unfortunately, what makes the Pixel 10a so comfortable is not easily found on a spec sheet. It’s hard to know how the corners feel without picking up a phone firsthand. But going forward, that’s something I’m going to pay attention to. I’m surprised to say that it isn’t a premium handset, but Google’s budget line, that has so strongly altered the way I feel about phones.
Source: Read Full Article