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Affordable phones bear the brunt Supply chain constraintswhich reshapes what you can expect from a $500 phone. While medium range Phones In 2026 they don’t offer the same value they used to, the latest phones from Google and Samsung Still competing neck and neck. New Pixel 10a and Galaxy A57 Mid-range phones remain the most profitable on the market at the moment. Although they are not much different from their predecessors, each phone has its own distinct appeal.
The Google Pixel 10A didn’t get a lot of upgrades this year, but it kept the Pixel 9A’s $499 price and actually got a discount on occasion. On the other hand, Samsung’s Galaxy A57 is one of the lightest phones in this price range, even with a larger screen. I put them head to head, and both phones have their own features that could be better for different reasons.
Design and construction
The Samsung Galaxy A57 has a more immersive display thanks to its thinner bezels.
Google and Samsung phones are radically different in terms of design. The Pixel 10A is a small phone with a built-in 6.3-inch display, while the Galaxy A57 is a large phone with a 6.7-inch display. Both are convenient to carry and use in daily life.
However, the Samsung phone is impressively lightweight this time around. You no longer need to buy a huge phone if you want a big screen. At 6.9mm thick and 179g, the Galaxy A57 is thinner than the smaller Google Pixel 10A (9mm thick and 183g).
I liked using the A57 more because of its slimmer bezels, giving it a more modern look. In comparison, Google’s phone looks dated with its thick borders around the screen. Samsung’s slimmer, albeit asymmetrical, bezels enable a more immersive content consumption experience. Both of these displays can be viewed in direct sunlight, but are prone to smudges and are highly reflective. However, I didn’t encounter any major issues when navigating on Google Maps abroad.
Both the Pixel 10A and Galaxy A57 are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance. This means that they can generally survive most shallow water dives and days spent at the beach without leaving sand in them. Google kept the plastic back of its Pixel phone with an aluminum frame, while Samsung gave its device a glass back. The Galaxy A57 is theoretically more durable, thanks to Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on the front and back. For comparison, the Pixel 10A has the less scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 7i on the front.
The Google midranger phone has a unique design, where the dual camera cover is located under the plastic back. On the other hand, the Galaxy A57 has three rear cameras arranged vertically, like the Galaxy S26.
If you want a phone without camera notches, the Pixel 10A is the one to get. However, if you want a more immersive display in a user-friendly, more premium design, the Galaxy A57 is an easy win.
Performance and battery
The Galaxy A57 is more susceptible to smudges and fingerprints due to its glossy back, especially on the blue version.
Neither phone will give you top-notch performance, but both are powered by capable internal chipsets. The Google Pixel 10A has a Tensor G4, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage, while the Galaxy A57 has an Exynos 1680 processor with the same amount of RAM and storage. However, you can get the 12GB RAM version of the Galaxy A57 outside the US paired with 256GB or 512GB of storage in some markets.
I used both phones in similar ways – messaging on social media apps (WhatsApp and Instagram), navigating on Google Maps, having conversations on Slack, and using the cameras when needed. I didn’t experience any noticeable stutter or lag on either device. Although neither of them are designed for gaming at high graphics settings, the Galaxy A57 could do a little better due to the more capable processor.
They both lasted me an entire day on a single charge. For comparison, the Pixel 10A has a slightly larger 5,100 mAh battery (charging at 30W), but the Galaxy A57 charges its 5,000 mAh battery faster at 45W. The Google phone supports 10W wireless charging, while the A57 does not support wireless charging.
I still say Google missed out by not including the PixelSnap magnetic technology in the budget 10A after making it available for all other Pixel 10 phones. This might have been a major selling point, but third-party cases could instead provide support for magnetic accessories for both the 10A and Galaxy A57.
Both phones run Android 16 with their respective versions on top. The Pixel 10A debuted with Pixel UI and Material 3 Expressive, while the Galaxy A57 launched with One UI 8.5. Both devices will give you long-term software support with Google promising seven years of Android OS updates, while Samsung will give you six years of OS upgrades.
I like One UI better for its customizations and widgets, but Pixel UI has its own unique capabilities and experiences. Both phones support a number of artificial intelligence features to improve photography, including the feature of editing a group photo if someone blinks. The Pixel version of this feature is called Auto Best Take, while the Galaxy A57 calls it Best Face. More AI features include AI Eraser for removing unwanted objects from a photo and Gemini for an intelligent virtual assistant, among others.
Cameras
The Galaxy A57 has more cameras but that doesn’t mean a more versatile camera system.
The Google Pixel 10A has a dual rear camera setup. It has a 48-megapixel main camera, accompanied by a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. On the other hand, the Galaxy A57 has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 5-megapixel macro sensor.
However, only two of Samsung’s three cameras can be used. For the review period, I relied on the 4x zoom in the 50MP camera mode to get sharper images with natural-looking bokeh rather than using the macro sensor, which produces noisy results with poor color reproduction. This puts both middle guards face to face in camera performances.
The main cameras of both phones capture a great deal of detail. You get pixel batch photos by default, but the Galaxy A57 offers a 50MP camera mode, which allows you to take photos at a higher resolution. As for the ultra-wide sensors, there is no noticeable color shift but both have the ‘fishbowl’ effect common in ultra-wide cameras.
As for selfies, you get a 13-megapixel front camera on the Pixel 10A and a 12-megapixel sensor on the Galaxy A57. Both provide satisfactory results.
Google Pixel 10A vs Samsung Galaxy A57: Specifications
| Google Pixel 10a | Samsung Galaxy A57 | |
| Display size, technology, resolution, refresh rate | 6.3-inch pOLED, 2,424 x 1,080 pixels, variable refresh rate 60-120Hz | 6.7 inches Super AMOLED, 2340 x 1080 pixels, 120Hz variable refresh rate |
| Pixel density | 422 dpi | 385 dpi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 6.06 x 2.87 x 0.35 inches | 6.36 x 3.02 x 0.27 inches |
| Dimensions(mm) | 153.9 x 73 x 9 mm | 161.5 x 76.8 x 6.9 mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 183 grams (6.5 ounces) | 179 g (6.31 oz) |
| Mobile software | Android 16 with Pixel UI interface | Android 16 with One UI 8.5 interface |
| camera | 48 MP (wide), 13 MP (ultra wide) | 50 MP (wide), 12 MP (ultrawide), 5 MP macro |
| Front camera | 13 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
| Capture video | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Google Tensor G4 | Samsung Exynos 1680 |
| RAM + Storage | 8GB + 128GB, 256GB | 8GB + 128GB, 256GB Or 12GB + 256GB, 512GB (in some international markets) |
| Expandable storage | no one | no one |
| battery | 5,100 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Under the offer | Under the offer |
| conductor | USB C | USB C |
| Headphone jack | no one | no one |
| Special features | 7 years of reduced OS, security and Pixel features; Gorilla Glass 7i glass cover; IP68 dust and water resistance; Brightness up to 3000 nits; Contrast ratio 2,000,000:1; 30W fast charging with 45 charge adapter (charger not included); Qi-certified 10W wireless charging; SOS via satellite; Wi-Fi 6; NFC; Bluetooth 6; Dual SIM (Nano-SIM + eSIM); Camera coach, add me; Best take; magic eraser; Magic Editor; blurry image; Research circle. Colors: Lavender, Berry, Mist, Obsidian (Black) | 6 years of OS and security updates; Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back; 1900 nits peak brightness; IP68 dust and water resistance; Galaxy AI features like AI Select, Live Transcribe, etc.; Google Gemini support. research department; 45W fast charging (adapter not included); Wi-Fi 6; NFC; Bluetooth 6; Colors: navy, grey, ice blue, lilac. |
| US price starts from | $499 (128GB) | $550 (128GB) |