With the Pixel 10a, Google might have made the right smartphone for seniors

That’s why I at all times advise my readers to decide on an acceptable telephone for his or her dad and mom, not simply any telephone. Nevertheless, many individuals nonetheless find yourself selecting the mistaken system. A very long time in the past, I made the identical mistake once I gave my dad and mom a telephone with a lot bloatware that, inside per week of use, it grew to become gradual and left them pissed off.

It was at that second that I actually realised our dad and mom deserve higher merchandise – not one thing low cost or discounted. Once I get a name from the senior members of my household, I perceive that they don’t essentially need a low-cost telephone; they need one thing that serves them effectively, lasts lengthy, and doesn’t require frequent journeys to the service centre for repairs.

The Pixel 10a is light-weight and simpler to carry in a single hand, a rarity to seek out as of late. (Picture: The Indian Specific/Anuj Bhatia)

Possibly the Google Pixel 10a could be very near being the right smartphone for seniors. It’s a simple system that’s straightforward to arrange, light-weight, freed from bloatware, has a serviceable digital camera for images and video calls, and gives good battery life. It’s not priced like a flagship, however it’s not precisely low-cost both.

I spent weeks with the Pixel 10a, and right here’s why I believe Google has made the appropriate telephone for seniors, or anybody who needs to make use of their telephone for a very long time and isn’t into upgrading their smartphone yearly (which, to me, is nothing greater than a advertising and marketing gimmick).

What: Google Pixel 10a | Value: Rs 49,999

Compact…for those who love the small telephone kind issue

Every time I held the Pixel 10a, I used to be shocked by how comfy it felt to make use of. It simply slips right into a pocket, a shoulder bag, or perhaps a women’ purse. This makes it handy in nearly any state of affairs whether or not you’re holding it whereas strolling in a park, scrolling by social media, or shortly checking WhatsApp.

It’s a compact telephone by right now’s requirements, though the 6.3-inch display screen isn’t small. Personally, I desire telephones with a show dimension within the 6.1 to six.3-inch vary, as that makes the general kind issue extra comfy and simpler to deal with.

The design of the Pixel 10a is easy and simple on the eyes, particularly within the white color I’ve for evaluation. The telephone has a flat metallic body, which supplies the system good rigidity. The buttons, positioned on the appropriate fringe of the body, are giant, flat, and durable. On the other facet is the SIM card slot. The underside is way cleaner, with cut-outs housing the speaker and microphone.

The telephone is rated IP68 rated for water and dirt publicity. (Picture: The Indian Specific/Anuj Bhatia)

I reviewed final yr’s Pixel 9a, and the Pixel 10a’s fundamental design language hasn’t modified a lot. The one change I seen is that the digital camera bump has been decreased to nearly utterly flush with the again of the telephone. In contrast to many telephones I’ve reviewed lately, the Pixel 10a can really be laid flat on a desk and isn’t susceptible to wobbling.

The final well-made compact telephone I used was the iPhone 13 mini. Though Apple nonetheless helps smaller telephones with the iPhone 17e, it’s primarily for individuals who stay within the Apple ecosystem. Truthfully, in right now’s market, only a few manufacturers nonetheless imagine in small telephones, and the Pixel 10a is one in all them.

The very best show on a small telephone 

The 6.3-inch pOLED display screen feels excellent for every day use. I observe many senior residents watching bhajans on YouTube, listening to Gurbani paath on their telephones, and a few even taking part in Sweet Crush. The height brightness has been elevated to three,000 nits (from 2,700), which is nice for out of doors use. It additionally includes a super-smooth 120Hz refresh fee that makes the whole lot look fluid, particularly when scrolling Fb (in case you continue to use the service in 2026) and Instagram.

At 6.3 inches, the OLED display screen is kind of vivid and colourful. (Picture: The Indian Specific/Anuj Bhatia)

The iPhone 17e’s 60Hz show feels sluggish by comparability. Complementing the show is the dual-speaker system, which delivers extra balanced sound. They aren’t tremendous loud, however they’re ok for watching YouTube movies for those who don’t like utilizing earphones.

A stellar performer, however removed from a efficiency powerhouse

There isn’t a trade-off when it comes to velocity. The Tensor G4 (developed by Google) is superb. The telephone feels very quick and responsive for on a regular basis duties, and you may multitask and run all of your apps with none points. Nevertheless, let me make clear that whereas the Tensor G4 is a quick processor, it isn’t designed for gaming on the highest graphical settings.

It additionally comes with an honest 256GB of storage as customary, which needs to be sufficient for many customers, together with extra cloud backup. The 8GB of RAM is sweet sufficient for on a regular basis use, however don’t count on it to be probably the most highly effective smartphone available on the market, as a result of it’s not.

Not as unhealthy as I feared initially. In truth, I used to be shocked by the battery life on a compact telephone. In my two weeks of testing, the 5,100mAh battery lasted all day (I name myself a heavy person, however I believe the Pixel 10a can final nearly two days between costs). It’s good to see compact telephones lastly getting lengthy battery life, in contrast to earlier than. Google additionally upgraded wired charging from 23W on the 9a to 30W on the 10a. Wi-fi charging has elevated from 7.5W to 10W with a suitable Qi charger. I guarantee you, you don’t want to hold an influence financial institution on an in a single day prepare journey.

The Pixel 10a runs Android 16 out of the field. (Picture: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Specific)

No bloatware, accessibility mode, and plenty of AI (in case you care)

I like Pixel telephones for his or her clear and easy-to-use person interface. There aren’t any third-party apps (in tech-speak, that is referred to as bloatware) preinstalled on the Pixel 10a that you just don’t want. Bloatware can unnecessarily gradual the telephone over time, and a few preinstalled apps could also be intrusive or unsafe, resulting in a poor person expertise. Consider adverts, free-to-play video games, and sports activities apps that come preinstalled once you purchase a telephone. In truth, customers usually can’t delete these apps, they usually stay on the telephone, slowing down the system. Simply think about how practically not possible it’s for aged customers to determine this out.

One other beauty of Pixel telephones, normally, is how straightforward they’re to make use of for the aged. It simply takes just a few faucets. You may change the show dimension and textual content in fast settings, alter the color distinction to make on-screen parts simpler to differentiate, and swap the navigation mode to make use of the standard three-button structure on Android as an alternative of gesture-based navigation.

Goodbye, suppose heavy telephones. (Picture: The Indian Specific/Anuj Bhatia)

Then there’s the Accessibility menu in settings, which incorporates options corresponding to TalkBack (for studying out textual content on the display screen), Magnification (for zooming in on particular areas of the show), Listening to gadgets (for connecting listening to aids), and Stay Caption mode. I discovered the Easy View much more helpful. If you allow this function through the toggle swap, the Pixel software program adopts an easier structure, with bigger textual content and icons, simplified navigation, and improved touchscreen sensitivity.

The Pixel 10a additionally comes with a number of AI options, however it misses a full-fledged Google’s full flagship suite. Options like Pixel Screenshots and Pixel Studio are reserved for premium fashions with extra highly effective Gemini Nano capabilities. Nevertheless, the Pixel 10a nonetheless gives helpful options like spam safety, Gemini integrations, and Name Display.

The Pixel 10a is assured 7 years of updates, together with common safety patches and main OS updates, which means it ought to keep updated by 2033. Google additionally delivers new options by quarterly Pixel Drops, although not each Pixel system receives them. The long-term assist that Google guarantees merely means customers don’t need to improve to a brand new telephone each two to a few years. The Pixel 10a, though not a high-end smartphone, will final for years and obtain new software program options and safety updates.

Fundamental digital camera that does the job 

The Pixel 10a sports activities a 48-megapixel major wide-angle digital camera, paired with a 13-megapixel ultrawide. There isn’t a telephoto lens on the again, and the front-facing selfie shooter can also be 13 megapixels. Images taken with the digital camera system are sharp and vivid, and I seen that Google’s picture processing enhances the pictures I took and corrects some areas that the {hardware} alone can’t totally deal with.

Whereas I didn’t have any hassle, there are noticeable digital camera limitations with the Pixel 10a, and I seen them immediately. Not as a result of I’ve solely been reviewing high-end digital camera telephones these days, however as a result of the variations between the Pixel 10 Professional XL and Pixel 10a are clearly seen. By itself, the Pixel 10a isn’t a foul digital camera telephone, however don’t count on wealthy, finely detailed images.

All digital camera samples (beneath) are straight out of the Pixel 10a however have been resized for the online.

Pixel 10a digital camera pattern. Picture: The Indian Specific/Anuj Bhatia)
Pixel 10a digital camera pattern. Picture: The Indian Specific/Anuj Bhatia)
Pixel 10a digital camera pattern. Picture: The Indian Specific/Anuj Bhatia)

So, must you purchase the Google Pixel 10a?

One of many questions you want to ask when getting a telephone in your dad and mom (for those who stay overseas and will not be bodily current), and even when aged members of your family ask in your recommendation on selecting a telephone, is that this: don’t simply decide any telephone. It’s possible you’ll select a Pixel 10a or some other smartphone. Do not forget that a smartphone is all about connection- and for aged customers, the appropriate telephone is essential as a result of it’s their window to remain related with you. How they really feel, their expertise, and whether or not they really feel protected utilizing a telephone shouldn’t be ignored.

Sure, if…

You need a slim and compact smartphone that matches in your pocket.

You want bloatfree expertise and simple to make use of interface.

You reside within the Google ecosystem and don’t have a want for FaceTime, ever.

You want a telephone that lasts all day.

No, if…

You’re a energy person who needs the most effective digital camera and efficiency.

You need a big-screen smartphone expertise.