Cost-Cutting Could Hit The Pixel 10a Right In Its Tensor
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is in the early stages of development for the Pixel 10a.
- It is deciding whether to bring a watered-down Tensor G5 to the Pixel 10a or stick with the Tensor G4 from the Pixel 9a for another year.
- The higher cost of the Tensor G5 is said to be the reason behind this dilemma.
Pixel’s A-series is a great option for those looking for a great camera phone on a budget. We expect more of the same with the Pixel 9a, presumably launching in the next few months. While we wait to see what Google officially announces for its mid-range Pixel, we have details to share about Google’s 2026 mid-range Pixel, the Pixel 10.
Revealed as part of our larger Pixel 11 and Pixel 10 leak, Google is in the early stages of development for the Pixel 10a. The company is still deciding whether to bring a custom version of the Pixel 10’s Tensor G5 to the mid-range Pixel 10a or stick with the Samsung-designed Tensor G4 for another year after the upcoming Pixel 9a.
It’s not immediately clear why Google is having second thoughts about the SoC it uses in the A-series. So far, the company has used the same chip in its A-series mid-ranger that it uses in its flagship Pixel series, albeit it often uses an inferior bin for it. The Pixel 10 series has equine-related codenames, and the Pixel 10a is part of the same family with its “stallion” codename (also referred to as “STA5”).
If Google decides to use the Tensor G4 in the Pixel 10a, it would adopt the G4 for practically three years in a row: the Pixel 9 series in 2024, the Pixel 9a in 2025, and the Pixel 10a in 2026. Consequently, the Pixel 10a’s feature set could be severely limited, as many new Pixel 10 features are expected to rely on the new AI and camera functionality that the Tensor G5 brings to the table.
Would you still buy the Pixel 10a with a Tensor G4 chip?
39 votes
The higher cost of the Tensor G5 could be the driving force behind this decision to use the G4 on the Pixel 10. The G5 is said to measure 121 sq.mm, so it is bigger than the Apple A18 Pro SoC seen on the iPhone 16 Pro. We might have to wait until the cost-optimized Tensor G6 to see a completely custom Google SoC in a mid-range phone.
Google has been constantly adjusting and optimizing its Pixel lineup in recent years. The Pixel 9 series saw one such shakeup, and with the lines blurring between its products, the company might have to explore other forms of product differentiation.
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