The Pixel 10a might fix one of my biggest Pixel 9a complaints

It’s only been about two months since Google launched the Pixel 10 series, but it’s already time to start talking about Google’s next Pixel phone: the Pixel 10a.

The first Pixel 10a renders were shared online on October 28, and they sure do look a lot like the Pixel 9a. Considering the Pixel 9a was a dramatic redesign compared to the Pixel 8a, it’s not surprising that Google is keeping this design around for another year.

However, the Pixel 10a has one key design change you might not have noticed, and it could fix one of my biggest issues with the Pixel 9a.

The Pixel 9a is a fantastic phone. For $500, the combination of reliable cameras, great software, seven years of updates, and long battery life is really tough to beat — especially since the 9a’s most significant drawbacks are minor nitpicks like slower charging and a couple of missing software features.

One other nitpick is the Pixel 9a’s bezels. While far from a deal-breaker or a serious reason not to buy the phone, the bezels are unsightly. Especially compared to more expensive models like the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, the Pixel 9a’s larger bezels stick out quite a bit. The screen itself is high-quality, but the large, black bars surrounding it are an eyesore. You definitely get used to them after a couple of days, but I certainly wish they were smaller.

Thankfully, if those Pixel 10a renders are true, I could very well be getting my wish.

Looking at the Pixel 10a render side-by-side with the Pixel 9a, you can immediately see the difference in bezel size. Where the Pixel 9a’s bezels are almost the first thing you notice about it, the Pixel 10a’s bezels are so small that they almost disappear. It’s a dramatic year-over-year reduction, to the point where the bezels appear just as thin as the regular Pixel 10.

Of course, leaked renders are never a final indication of a phone’s design (especially this early on), so it’s possible the Pixel 10a’s bezels won’t be quite as thin as we’re seeing here. Leaker @OnLeaks suggests as much, tweeting that the “depicted bezels are a very little bit thinner than they actually are.”

Still, all signs currently point to at least some reduction in bezel size, and that’s a win in my book.

Do the Pixel 9a’s bezels make it a lesser smartphone? Do they ruin what’s an otherwise great Android handset and render it unworthy of your money? Of course not. If the Pixel 10a launches with the exact same bezels as the Pixel 9a, it’ll likely still be one of next year’s best Android values.

However, the bezels are one of the few traits of the Pixel 9a that set it apart as a “cheap” phone compared to its flagship siblings. Slimming the bezels down is an admittedly small change on its own, but it’s a notable step toward making the Pixel 10a feel more like a value flagship, rather than a low-cost budget phone. Plus, it just looks a lot better.

If that’s the direction Google is heading with the Pixel 10a, I think it’s a wise one. Google is coming off a big year with the Pixel 9a. With a refreshed design and considerable upgrades to the display, battery, and durability, Google is working from an excellent foundation that doesn’t need much changing. That theoretically means Google can use the Pixel 10a to focus on the details — not just smaller bezels, but also newer display glass and maybe even built-in magnets like the rest of the Pixel 10 series.

But hey, that’s big picture stuff. I’m just focused on the slimmer bezels for now, and I’m crossing my fingers that what we see in these renders carries over to the final product. If it does, Google can deliver the best-looking Pixel A-Series phone yet.