Google Pixel 10a camera ranked below Pixel 8a and iPhone 15 in DxOMark test

Google’s latest A-series phone, the Google Pixel 10a, is meant to offer the Pixel experience at a lower price. The phone brings the usual features like clean Android and AI-powered tools, but early camera testing suggests the improvements this year are modest. Also Read: Pixel 10a vs Pixel 9a: What’s actually new in Google’s latest budget phone?

According to camera testing platform DxOMark, the Pixel 10a scored 134 points in its camera evaluation. That places the phone 75th in the global ranking and below some of its rivals, including Google’s own Pixel 8a and Apple’s iPhone 15. Also Read: How To Clean Up Gmail Storage Quickly

Pixel 8a and iPhone 15 score higher

The Pixel 8a, which launched in 2024, managed a slightly better score of 136 points in the same test. According to DxOMark, this difference comes mainly from the Pixel 8a’s larger primary camera sensor. The Pixel 8a comes with a 64MP main camera and a larger sensor, which helps it capture slightly better detail in certain situations.

Apple’s iPhone 15 performs even better in the same ranking, scoring 145 points. That puts it clearly ahead of the Pixel 10a in DxOMark’s camera results.

Camera hardware remains largely the same

One reason for the limited improvement in the Pixel 10a’s score is the camera hardware. The phone continues to use a 48MP main camera with an f/1.7 aperture and a 1/2.0-inch sensor. Alongside it is a 13MP ultra-wide camera that uses a smaller sensor.

According to DxOMark testing, most of the small improvement in the Pixel 10a’s score comes from software processing rather than hardware upgrades. The overall camera setup remains largely the same as what was seen in the previous generation.

Low-light and zoom performance

The test results suggest that the Pixel 10a struggles more in low-light scenes. DxOMark noted visible image noise in photos and videos when lighting conditions drop. Exposure and white balance were also found to be less consistent in these situations.

Video recording also showed some limitations. Fine detail can drop in recordings, and autofocus may occasionally struggle when subjects are moving.

Zoom performance is another weak point. The Pixel 10a does not include a dedicated telephoto camera, relying instead on digital zoom from the main sensor. As a result, the phone scored only 25 points in the zoom category in DxOMark’s tests.

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While the Pixel 10a still delivers the usual Pixel camera features, these early results suggest that the upgrades this year are relatively small compared to earlier A-series improvements.