Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Pixel 10a: Comparing the Android phones
Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 FE promises to offer more users access to AI tools at a more affordable price, but how does it compare to Google’s budget friendly option?
To help you decide between the two budget-friendly Androids, we’ve compared the Galaxy S26 FE’s specs to the Pixel 10a‘s. Read on to see what separates the phones and work out which one will better suit your needs.
We’ve also compared the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE to the Galaxy S25 FE, so you can see what’s new with this year’s iteration. If you’re not sold on either, make sure you visit our round-up of the best mid-range and best cheap phones.
Price and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is the cheapest of Samsung’s 2026 S-series line-up, and has a starting price of £699 for the 128GB variant. It comes in a choice between three colours including Graphite, Blueberry and Pistachio.
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In comparison, the Pixel 10a is cheaper than the S26 FE, with a starting price of £499/$499 for the 128GB iteration. We have also seen the phone drop in price over the past year, so it’s not impossible to find it for even more of a deal. Unlike the Galaxy S26 FE, which has a more muted palette, the Pixel 10a comes in more vibrant shade options including Lavender, Berry, Fog and Obsidian.
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Both Androids have AI at their core
Despite being affordable handsets, both the Galaxy S26 FE and Pixel 10a promise to offer flagship-level AI features. In fact, Samsung has hailed the Galaxy S26 FE as being an “accessible entry to Galaxy AI” and agentic AI experiences too. That means you can find popular Galaxy AI tools like Now Brief, Live Translation and Generative Edit within photos, to name just a few.
In addition, the Galaxy S26 FE also includes some of Google’s own AI tools, which are also found within the Pixel 10a, such as Circle to Search and Gemini Live.
Otherwise, the Pixel 10a shares many top-end AI features that are found in its more expensive counterparts, including Camera Coach which gives you live advice when you’re taking a photo.
Pixel 10a has a larger battery
Although neither Samsung nor Google offer industry-leading battery capacities, it’s fair to say that we’ve never been left that disappointed with their abilities. While we’re yet to review the Galaxy S26 FE, it shares the same 4900mAh capacity as last year’s Galaxy S25 FE which we concluded could see us through a busy day before needing a top-up overnight.
It’s a similar story with the Pixel 10a as, although it has a slightly larger 5100mAh battery, it offers a similar all-day life before needing a recharge overnight.
So, while you probably shouldn’t expect either to offer two-day life (unless you are an extremely light user), both the Galaxy S26 FE and Pixel 10a should see you through a busy day.
Galaxy S26 FE has a dedicated telephoto lens
While the Pixel 10a is fitted with two rear cameras, that are made up of a main and an ultrawide, the Galaxy S26 FE benefits from a trio. That trio is formed of a main, ultrawide and a dedicated telephoto lens too.
As we haven’t reviewed the Galaxy S26 FE yet, we don’t know how well its camera really performs. However, as it retains the same hardware as the Galaxy S25 FE, and we found that the phone was able to take detailed – if slightly over-saturated – photos, then we expect a similar performance with the S26 FE.
Having said that, it’s worth noting that the S26 FE’s telephoto is just an 8MP lens, which means it will likely struggle with sharpness once you push it past the 3x zoom mark.
Despite its lack of telephoto lens, we are still impressed with the Pixel 10a’s photography, with the handset earning a spot on our best camera phones guide too. With Google’s image processing technology and colour reproduction behind it, the Pixel 10a is able to deliver consistently sharp photos with natural and realistic colours too. Not only that, but the main lens also doubles as a decent-enough zoom lens that can reach up to around the 5-7x mark before losing any sharpness.
Pixel 10a has a 13MP selfie camera
Speaking of cameras, the Pixel 10a benefits from a 13MP front-facing lens which is ideal for those who plan on taking video calls, zoom meetings or just like snapping selfies. While Apple’s square selfie sensor is arguably better at capturing group shots without needing to actually rotate the phone, the Pixel 10a is still a solid choice.
The Galaxy S26 FE has a slightly low-res 12MP selfie lens, which is the same as the Galaxy S25 FE. We found that last year’s 12MP selfie lens was surprisingly impressive, as images had a nice composition to them.
Galaxy S26 FE launches with Android 17, and both promise seven years of upgrades
Despite being its budget-friendly handset, the Galaxy S26 FE is the first of Samsung’s S-series to see Android 17 and One UI 9 – meaning it joins the high-end Z Flip 8, Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra which also see Android 17. In comparison, the Pixel 10a launched with Android 16.
Otherwise, both the Galaxy S26 FE and Pixel 10a promise up to seven years of OS and security upgrades.
Early Verdict
As we haven’t reviewed the Galaxy S26 FE yet, we’ll try not to give too conclusive a verdict. However, if you’re looking for a genuinely affordable phone that offers flagship-level AI features, a brilliant camera set-up and still has six years of support behind it, then the Pixel 10a is a really easy recommendation.
On the other hand, if you’re keen to get a newer phone, want a dedicated telephoto lens and are already in Samsung’s ecosystem, then the Galaxy S26 FE is a solid choice too.
