
Great budget pick, lazy upgrade

Samsung
Skip the Ultra, buy this
Google Pixel 10a
Google Pixel 10a
Google Pixel 10a
The marquee design change is the camera module — Google ground it down until the lenses sit completely flush with the back, so the phone lies dead flat on a table with no rock or wobble. Otherwise it is dimensionally and visually almost indistinguishable from the Pixel 9a: same 6.3-inch 153.9 × 73 × 9mm chassis, same aluminum frame, same plastic back, same IP68 rating. The new Berry color is the standout, with reviewers from The Verge to 9to5Google to Wired specifically calling it the one to buy.
TechTalkTown may earn a commission from purchases made through links below. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not influence our reviews. Learn more.
Samsung Galaxy S24+
Samsung Galaxy S24+
Samsung Galaxy S24+
A sleek one-piece flat design with rounded corners and an aluminium frame, under 200g. It looks very similar to the S23+ but feels premium and dense.
Google Pixel 10a
The 6.3-inch 1080×2424 pOLED with 120Hz refresh is identical in resolution and panel tech to the 9a, but Google bumped peak brightness 11% to 3,000 nits and finally replaced the ancient Gorilla Glass 3 with Gorilla Glass 7i. Reviewers agree it is good rather than great — bright enough for outdoor use, sharp, fast — but the bezels remain noticeably thick by 2026 mid-range standards, and the panel still ships with 120Hz off by default.
Samsung Galaxy S24+
The headline upgrade. The S24+ moves to a 6.7-inch QHD+ LTPO panel (up from the S23+'s 1080p) at 120Hz with a 2,600-nit peak.
Google Pixel 10a
The 5,100 mAh cell is identical to the 9a's — Engadget measured 28 hours in their video rundown (matching last year), and most reviewers report comfortable all-day life with two-day endurance on lighter use. Charging is the bigger story: wired jumps from 23W to 30W (~50% in 30 minutes, full in ~98 minutes), and wireless from 7.5W to 10W. The non-negotiable disappointment is the lack of Pixelsnap magnets — every single reviewer flags it.
Samsung Galaxy S24+
A 4,900mAh battery (+200mAh vs S23+) with 45W wired and 15W wireless. All-day life is consistent; charging is unremarkable by 2026 standards.
Google Pixel 10a
Holding the price at $499 in a year of RAM shortages and broad consumer-electronics inflation is itself a small win — Samsung's Galaxy S26 line all saw price increases this cycle. But the elephant in every review is the Pixel 9a still on Google's store at the same price, and on retailer sale for ~$100 less. The iPhone 17e's MagSafe + A19 upgrade, plus the Nothing Phone 4a Pro's telephoto + 50W charging at the same $499, give the 10a real same-price competition for the first time. Reviewers split: about half explicitly recommend the cheaper 9a; the other half argue the flush camera, Gorilla Glass 7i and Satellite SOS justify the new model for first-time A-series buyers.
Samsung Galaxy S24+
Launched at $999 (256GB), the S24+ is widely framed as the best-value S24 and an exceptional used buy in 2026.