Last week, we got our first look at the upcoming Google Pixel 11a, and it’s the best Pixel news I’ve heard all year; the Pixel 11a will look identical to the Pixel 10a.
Now, this might not seem like good news when Android phones are steadily losing their identity, but I’m glad. The Pixel 10a was nearly perfect, and the Pixel 11a is set to surpass it.
So forget the Pixel 11, and don’t even bother examining the Pixel 11 Pro: The Pixel 11a is the Pixel phone to buy.
Early leaks show off the stylish Pixel 11a
Regal beauty
Our first look at the Pixel 11a, courtesy of @OnLeaks, revealed a regal purple colorway. It’s subtler than the blinding Lavender and Berry tones of the Pixel 10a, but still eye-catching.
Other than that, the rest of the phone is practically identical to the Pixel 10a. The dimensions are slightly different (153.46 x 72.35 x 9 mm, compared to 153.9 x 73 x 9 mm for the Pixel 10a), but it’s hard to tell at a glance.
The oval-shaped camera is slightly wider, but the dual-lens system is still present. Importantly, it’s flush with the back of the phone, which was the best design feature of the Pixel 10a.
Inside, things get a little more exciting. The Pixel 11a will reportedly feature the Tensor G6 chipset, the same one that powers the Pixel 11 lineup. Its display may also reach a brightness level 250 nits higher than the Pixel 10a.
That’s all we’ve heard about the Pixel 11a, and it lines up neatly with what we expected.
Further leaks will reveal more, so we’ll find out whether Qi2 charging will make its way to the A-series at last.
The new modem in the Pixel 11a would also be a welcome touch. The MediaTek modem fixed a lot of our long-standing gripes about the Pixel series, and it would be disappointing if the Pixel 11a skipped it.
But if that doesn’t happen, I’m convinced the Pixel 11a will replace the Pixel 10 as the best Pixel phone you can buy.
What made the Pixel 10a great
A perfect balance of features
The Pixel 10a drew early criticism because of its internal hardware. Google opted to keep the same parts as the Pixel 9a, with only minor modem upgrades.
On the outside, Google made the display brighter and more scratch-resistant, and reduced its weight in the process. Its bezels were also 10% thinner than the Pixel 9a’s.
On paper, the Pixel 10a looked like a flop. Sure, the camera island was now flush with the rear of the phone, but was that really worth upgrading for? As it turns out, yes, it was.
Camera islands have been huge for so long, we’ve stopped talking about them, unless something particularly silly comes along. But every time my Pixel 10 Pro’s enormous island catches on my pocket, I find myself longing for the days when all cameras were flush.
The Pixel 10a feels compact in the hand, and the sleek silhouette ensures it never catches in your pocket. It’s a phone you don’t have to think twice about using.
That’s the real appeal of the Pixel 10a. The battery life could be better, and the chipset can’t handle demanding games for long periods, but the phone is so straightforward to use that it doesn’t matter.
Google’s software does a lot of the heavy lifting. The Pixel 10a lacks many of the advanced AI features of its bigger brethren, but who cares? It’s fast, responsive, and thankfully bloat-free.
In short, the Pixel 10a was the perfect phone to buy if you just wanted a phone. It isn’t the best for photography, performance, or battery life, but for simply being a phone, it excelled.
The Pixel 11a can’t lose, especially if it features the Tensor G6 chipset and a MediaTek modem. Or can it?
The Pixel 11a will face stiff competition at launch
It’s not the only midrange phone with power
The most obvious way the Pixel 11a could fail is in the shopping basket. Prices are rising, and the Pixel 10a’s $600 price tag was already pushing the boundaries of what can be classified as “midrange.”
But let’s say the Pixel 11a costs the same as the Pixel 10a. It’ll still face competition. Nothing and OnePlus make brilliant midrange phones, and Motorola keeps pumping out fantastic budget devices.
Compared against other phones at the same price point, the Pixel 11a will have its work cut out for it. But against other Pixel devices? It’s not even close.
Flagship Pixels do too much
The Pixel 11 Pro is a great phone. It’s also unnecessary. The only standout feature is the camera setup, and I discovered long ago that most of the camera features on my Pixel go unused 90% of the time.
The Pixel 11a should bring balance back to the Pixel 11 series. It won’t have HiLight, but frankly, I don’t think anyone cares.
