With the price of top-tier flagship smartphones hovering around $1,200, it’s worth thinking about a good smartphone that splits the difference between features and price, offering good enough (and sometimes better) performance at a price that most people can afford.
Apple’s latest iPhone 17e looks like just that kind of phone, with a 48MP Fusion camera, MagSafe charging, a Super Retina XDR display, the capable A19 chip, and 256GB of storage, all for just $599.
A closer look
In this liminal space where we have no reviews for either phone, the Pixel 10a beats the iPhone 17e in a few crucial aspects.
First of all, the Pixel 10a is slightly larger at 6.3 inches compared to 6.1 inches for the 17e. Apple’s Super Retina And while the 17e’s brightness tops out at 1,200 nits, the Pixel 10a offers up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
Both phones have a 48 MP main wide camera, but Google adds a 13 MP ultra-wide on the back. Of course, I wish the megapixels were higher, but having this ultra-wide in your pocket for extra-dramatic photos can’t be beat.
The Google Pixel 10a also features Gemini Intelligence, which, at the moment, the iPhone 17e, even with its Apple Intelligence support, can’t match. Gemini is ready on Pixel 10a to answer questions, help you understand your world with Gemini Live, and create and edit images. There is even a photo coach who can guide you, step by step, to take better photos. Aside from photo cleanup and poor ChatGPT integration, there’s nothing like this on iOS 26; at least we know Gemini is coming to save Siri.
Let’s be flat
And then there is flatness. The Pixel 10a is the first modern flat phone in a long time; no bumps on the camera that would make it sit unevenly on your table or feel a little lumpy in your pocket. Even with just one camera, the iPhone 17e has a small raised lip around its 48 MP camera.
The iPhone 17e has clear advantages, however. Let’s start with the A19, this year’s Apple silicon, which means you can expect top-notch performance. The Pixel 10a? It’s stuck with last year’s Tensor G4. It’s not a slow chip by any means, but not top-notch either.
Additionally, the 17e supports MagSafe, meaning it has built-in magnets that snap onto any MagSafe accessory or wireless charger (and charge at a fast 15W). Although all other Pixel 10s receive the new Pixel Snap, it has been excluded from the Pixel 10a. Finally, the cheaper Pixel 10a comes with half the storage. If you want 256GB, you end up paying $599 for the Pixel 10a, which is, yes, the same price as the iPhone 17e.
I’m not saying the iPhone 17e isn’t a great value iPhone; of course it is, especially for those already part of the Apple ecosystem. However, Apple didn’t invent the affordable smartphone, and its efforts often pale in comparison to those of Android competitors like Google, a company that’s made it its mission to deliver more, usually for less.
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