iPhone 17e offers Pixel 10a its largest L — all because of Google

Apple had a giant lineup of bulletins final week. Of all of the information, what significantly caught my eye is the iPhone 17e, which got here on the heels of the Pixel 10a — its direct competitor. Name it unbelievable timing, however it nearly felt like Apple was intently trailing Google and launched its personal funds telephone with one terrific characteristic I’ve been sorely lacking on the Pixel 10a: MagSafe.

The whole iPhone lineup, from the most affordable iPhone 17e to the most costly iPhone 17 Professional Max, has magnets for extra handy charging. In stark distinction, the weakest hyperlink within the Pixel 10 lineup is the brand new Pixel 10a, which already feels outdated just some days after its launch.

What makes you name one thing handy? I’d say it’s getting the identical and even comparable outcomes with decreased effort. MagSafe suits that assertion completely — it helps you to wirelessly cost your telephone with out worrying about inserting it appropriately on the charging mat. With out it, wi-fi charging can generally get so irritating that you just’d need to plug within the telephone as an alternative.

Between MagSafe with slower charging and quick however non-magnetic wi-fi charging, I’d decide the previous with out second ideas — the comfort is that addictive.

Past dependancy, it’s additionally about what system works higher along with your current {hardware} setup. Smartphone buy selections aren’t primarily based solely on which camp you’re in — iOS or Android — but in addition on what current linked units you personal; you wouldn’t decide up an iPhone in case your automobile solely helps Android Auto.

The identical goes for MagSafe equipment. If you have already got a MagSafe charger on the nightstand or as a automobile mount, you’ll doubtless go together with the handset that works with these equipment. Qi2 is now a important characteristic I now search for whereas purchasing for equipment or when upgrading my household’s handsets. I’d particularly keep away from the Pixel 10a as a result of it wouldn’t work with all of the MagSafe units unfold round my home.

Calling MagSafe common might sound like an overstatement when most Android flagships, together with the newly launched Galaxy S26 sequence, nonetheless haven’t totally embraced magnetic Qi2 charging. However one easy search on Amazon gives you an inventory of MagSafe equipment so lengthy that your fingers will get bored with scrolling. That’s the iPhone impact.

When iPhones add a characteristic, it immediately goes viral amongst shoppers and, because of this, accent makers. We’ve seen that with MagSafe and beforehand with the Lightning cable, when the market exploded with suitable equipment.

And people magnets have discovered far extra attention-grabbing methods to shine apart from charging. You possibly can connect a small pockets to the telephone’s again, a hoop for higher grip, interchangeable lenses, laptop computer mounts, and even stick a conveyable SSD on the again whereas it’s linked.

Sadly, you are able to do precisely zero of these issues straight on the Pixel 10a. You’d want a case with a magnetic ring to make it work, however such patch jobs include a number of compromises, together with by no means being fairly certain whether or not the telephone’s charging correctly. Furthermore, if Google releases a brand new Pixelsnap accent, the Pixel 10a will probably be manifestly lacking from the compatibility record.

This will appear to be a rant in opposition to the Pixel 10a, however it’s really one in opposition to Google for skipping MagSafe. In different areas, the Pixel 10a really beats the iPhone 17e to the punch.

Have you ever seen that hideous notch on the iPhone 17e? It appears like a smartphone from a bygone period. And whenever you flip it over, a single digicam lens stares proper again at you. In each these areas, the Pixel 10a appears way more fashionable with its slick hole-punch entrance digicam and a devoted ultrawide lens on the again — all whereas flaunting a flat rear with completely no digicam bumps.

Furthermore, the funds Pixel comes with a brighter show — one which refreshes at 120Hz vs. 60Hz on the iPhone — and presents a bigger 5,100mAh battery with sooner 30W charging. And to not overlook, you get a a lot richer suite of AI apps powered by Gemini, which Apple itself is borrowing because the underlying tech for Siri. All of this makes the Pixel 10a an total higher telephone than the iPhone 17e.

The truth that the Pixel 10a prices $100 lower than the iPhone 17e is a sound excuse for ditching magnetic charging (and utilizing an older-gen Tensor processor). Fairly frankly, the Pixel would nonetheless be a robust handset even when it had been priced nearer to the funds iPhone — at that worth, it might’ve been simpler to justify including Qi2 charging.

Google is aware of how a lot magnetic equipment matter, which is why the remainder of the Pixel 10 lineup has Qi2 help. Maybe that is Google’s “iPhone 16e” second, the place it’s making an attempt to chop prices to maintain costs in verify. So, there’s a very good likelihood it is going to course-correct subsequent 12 months with the Pixel 11a, following within the footsteps of the iPhone 17e.

Within the meantime, when you should purchase a telephone proper now, be sure that to snag a deal on the Pixel 10 to get significantly better worth in your cash as an alternative of making an attempt to make MagSafe work on the Pixel 10a utilizing a case.