The Google Pixel 10a now starts at $599, making it harder to recommend

When the Pixel 10a launched earlier this year, it had a starting price of $499 for the base model with 128GB of storage and $599 for the 256GB version. Now, Google has raised the price of the budget Pixel smartphone, albeit quietly.

According to info on the Google Store, the Pixel 10a now starts at $599 for the 128GB version, while the 256GB version sells for $699. Unfortunately, unlike the recently-hiked Galaxy A series which are discounted on Amazon, the new Pixel 10a prices have already taken effect on the retail giant's website.

At $599, the Pixel 10a is harder to recommend, especially for a phone that is minimally different from its predecessor. At its new price, Google's cheapest Pixel phone now costs the same as the Galaxy A57 5G. However, with similarly priced phones or even cheaper models with better specs, it makes it hard to recommend the Pixel 10a.

Amazon currently has a deal on the Galaxy S26 FE (128GB version) that brings the price down to $599.99 from $699.99. Like the Pixel 10a, the Galaxy S26 FE will get 7 OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates. It also uses the faster UFS 4.0 storage, has a telephoto camera, and charges at 45W, whereas the Pixel 10a has UFS 3.1 storage, lacks a telephoto camera, and charges at 30W. And if you want to keep your budget under $500, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is also down to $419 from $499 on Amazon.

While the Pixel 10a will likely get discounted in the coming days as Amazon kicks off its Prime Big Deal Days, this increase in price is an indicator that the Pixel 11a will have a higher launch price.