I put the iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a through a 7-round face-off — here's the one I'd buy

I’m all for budget phones, but the two most important releases of the year have somewhat soured my excitement. Nevertheless, an iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a face-off is necessary to decisively crown the best cheap phone on the market.

Part of the reason this year’s models don’t excite me is the lack of hardware upgrades. In my Pixel 10a review, I noted how Google’s decision to recycle the Tensor G4 puts the phone at a disadvantage — while in my iPhone 17e review, I lament the fact that it's still stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Still, these phones don’t cost a fortune and offer some of the best value around. If you’re on the fence, I’ll show you exactly how they stack up in this iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a comparison.

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10: Specifications

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a: Price

On paper, the Pixel 10a continues to have the edge with its lower $499 starting cost—but the iPhone 17e retains the same price point as its predecessor at $599. However, it’s worth noting that you get 128GB of storage with the base Pixel 10a model, whereas the iPhone 17e comes standard with 256GB. While that storage bump might make the iPhone 17e seem like the better value, the Pixel 10a still has more to offer, including dual cameras and better AI features. I'll explain more below.

Winner: Pixel 10a

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a: Design

As much as I love the smaller size and lightweight feel of the iPhone 17e, the Pixel 10a has more attractive design qualities. Most notably, the rear cameras are now completely flush with the rest of the chassis — an aesthetic that almost no other phone offers. Conversely, the iPhone 17e has a slight wobble due to its protruding main camera, and its display still features a notch.

Secondly, you have four color options to choose from with the Pixel 10a. Lavender and Berry have deep tones that really pop, with the Pixel 10a, whereas the iPhone 17e’s new soft pink shade is so subdued it almost looks white.

Don’t get me wrong — both phones feel incredibly solid for their price points, but the Pixel 10a simply has the more modern design.

Winner: Pixel 10a

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a: Display

Everything points to the Pixel 10a having the superior display. Not only does it feature a larger 6.3-inch pOLED panel, but it’s also much brighter with a peak output of 1,896 nits.

In comparison, the iPhone 17e’s 6.1-inch OLED is significantly dimmer at 1,002 nits. While I don’t have issues seeing either screen indoors, the difference is immediate when I'm outside in direct sunlight.

Another notable difference is the refresh rate. The Pixel 10a benefits from a fluid 120Hz rate, making scrolling and interface animations look much smoother and providing a snappier response. In 2026, it is frankly unbelievable that the iPhone 17e is still stuck at 60Hz.

Winner: Pixel 10a

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a: Cameras

Cameras are what I prioritize most with any new phone I test. Even without seeing the side-by-side samples, the Pixel 10a has an inherent advantage thanks to its dual-camera setup: a 48MP main shooter paired with a 13MP ultrawide. The ultrawide lens allows me to better capture landscapes, tight group shots, and other unique perspectives that simply aren’t possible with the iPhone 17e’s lone 48MP rear camera.

If that wasn't enough, the Pixel 10a also offers far more shooting modes and AI tools for post-capture editing. Tools like Camera Coach and Auto Best Take prove just how helpful AI can be to the overall shooting experience. Still, the beauty of both phones is that anyone can pick them up and walk away with outstanding photos.

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Starting off with their main cameras under daytime conditions, I’m immediately drawn to the iPhone 17e’s image above — largely in part due to its sharpened look and warmer color temperature. The Pixel 10a’s shot looks bland and muted by comparison.

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Despite having a dedicated macro mode, the Pixel 10a suffers from soft focus around the edges of the subject. In fact, the sharpest and most detailed parts of the shot are concentrated in the middle. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17e lacks a macro mode, but it manages to keep the entire wooden ring in focus.

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I’m not entirely sold on their selfie camera performance, but the iPhone 17e’s 12MP TrueDepth camera still manages to pull out more definition just about everywhere. From my facial features to the fabric of my shirt and hoodie, there’s simply more detail and clarity.

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Not only do I prefer the way the iPhone 17e captures panoramas with one complete sweeping motion, but the results look far superior as well. In particular, the warmer colors of the beach sand paired with the higher contrast of the entire scene make the image pop more.

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Neither phone offers a dedicated telephoto camera, so all zooming is handled by the main cameras via sensor cropping. This results in a 10x digital zoom for the iPhone 17e and a slightly shorter 8x zoom for the Pixel 10a.

Looking at the shots of the sign above, I can tell the iPhone 17e is doing a better job of processing the results, as some of the words are more legible than those on the Pixel.

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Finally, there’s low light. This is another clear win for the iPhone 17e, which manages to draw in more light to brighten the scene more effectively than the Pixel 10a — though it does give the shot a very warm tone.

Meanwhile, the Pixel 10a suffers from a lack of detail, resulting in the tree looking more like a sketch than an actual photograph.

Winner: iPhone 17e

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a: Performance

Apple did the right thing by upgrading the iPhone 17e with the A19 chip, putting its performance in line with the more expensive iPhone 17. Unfortunately, Google’s decision to recycle the Tensor G4 chip for the Pixel 10a means there is no year-over-year performance boost. As a result, the iPhone 17e easily beats the Pixel 10a in practically every synthetic benchmark test.

Geekbench 6 single and multi-core scores for the iPhone 17e are nearly double those of the Pixel 10a. The same can be said for graphics processing: the 110.9 fps average the iPhone 17e produced in 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited test is significantly higher than the Pixel 10a’s 58.49 fps.

In reality, both phones exhibit plenty of power for everyday tasks like running my favorite apps, browsing the web, and watching the occasional YouTube clip. The one thing that really offsets the Pixel 10a’s performance deficit is its faster 120Hz refresh rate, which gives the illusion of smoother graphics. I ran Diablo Immortal on both phones, and while they handled the ray tracing effects nicely, I will say that frame rate appeared just as smooth with the Pixel 10a.

Winner: iPhone 17e

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a: Battery life and charging

Hands down, the Pixel 10a has the better battery life. Its 5,100 mAh battery lasted an impressive 15 hours and 16 minutes in Tom’s Guide’s battery drain test. More importantly, I consistently noticed I had more gas in the tank by the end of the night with the Pixel. This is a crucial distinction if battery endurance is high on your priority list, especially since the iPhone 17e lasted a shorter 12 hours and 35 minutes in the same test.

Both phones offer similar charging speeds, even though the Pixel 10a technically has the edge with 30W wired charging. However, the fact that the iPhone 17e finally supports MagSafe is a big deal. I’m not just talking about native magnetic wireless charging. Rather, it opens the phone up to an entire ecosystem of accessories that aren't available for the Pixel 10a unless you use a magnetic phone case.

This round's a tough call. As much as I value the Pixel 10a’s longevity, I find the iPhone 17e’s MagSafe support to be just as impactful for daily use. The edge goes to the Pixel for its endurance.

Winner: Google Pixel 10a

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a: Software and AI features

I’ve spent a ton of time with iOS 26 and Android 16, the software running on the iPhone 17e and Pixel 10a, respectively. Each has its strengths, like how I love the Liquid Glass aesthetic of iOS 26, along with its comprehensive home screen personalization. However, despite helpful additions like Call Screen, iOS 26 still lacks the deep AI integration that I consistently rely on throughout my day.

That’s exactly why I prefer the Android 16 experience on the Pixel 10a. Gemini Live is arguably the best example of AI having a meaningful impact, as I can instantly use the camera to show the assistant what I’m seeing and get real-time answers. The Pixel 10a also pulls ahead in productivity thanks to the new Pixel desktop mode and native support for multiple users. And yes, the Pixel 10a's Call Screening feature is way more helpful.

Finally, it’s worth noting the support window: Google pledges seven years of major Android updates, whereas Apple typically provides around six years of support for its entry-level models.

Winner: Pixel 10a

iPhone 17e vs. Pixel 10a: Verdict

This face-off turned out to be a decisive win for the Pixel 10a, which is somewhat surprising considering how little has changed from a hardware perspective. Then again, Google manages to distance itself through software — an experience that continues to appeal to me for its rich AI features, longer software support, and superior productivity tools. It also helps that the Pixel boasts a brighter screen, longer battery life, and the added versatility of an ultrawide camera. And the icing on the cake is that it still has the more affordable $499 starting price.

To Apple’s credit, the iPhone 17e is a much more satisfying upgrade over the 16e, primarily because it gains double the starting storage and MagSafe support. And while its single camera consistently produces better-looking photos under similar situations that the Pixel 10a, it's at a disadvantage from the onset due to its lack of an ultrawide shooter. Ultimately, the iPhone still comes up short against the sheer value that the Pixel 10a brings to the table.

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