iPhone 17e vs. Google Pixel 10a vs Samsung Galaxy A56: This budget phone wins it for me

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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Apple, Google, and Samsung are erstwhile again butting heads successful the midrange telephone market, with the erstwhile 2 having precocious released caller models. Samsung bushed the others to the punch erstwhile it launched the Galaxy A56 backmost connected July 18, 2025. 

Eight months later, connected March 5, 2026, Google released the Pixel 10a, its latest fund handset designed to present the halfway Pixel 10 acquisition astatine a little price. Not agelong aft that, connected March 11, Apple introduced the iPhone 17e, a much affordable alternate to the remainder of the iPhone 17 series.

Also: iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 17: I compared some models to uncover the $200 difference

These 3 phones people the aforesaid buyer: radical who privation a dependable mobile instrumentality without flagship prices. They absorption connected practicality and beardown mundane show alternatively than flashy features. 

However, determination are chiseled differences betwixt them. The champion telephone for you depends connected your needs arsenic a user. Below, I interruption down wherever the iPhone 17e, Pixel 10a, and Galaxy A56 basal out, truthful you tin determine which is champion for you.

Specifications

You should bargain the Google Pixel 10a if...

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

1. You privation a amended worth phone

The Pixel 10a is the cheaper of the two. Prices commencement astatine $499 for the 128GB model, and spell up to $599 for the 256GB model. In comparison, the iPhone 17e is $599 for its basal 256GB mentation and $799 for the upgraded 512GB model. So, you tin prevention a bully magnitude of wealth by sticking to the Pixel 10a. 

Plus, if you ever request much space, Google offers plentifulness of unreality storage. With Google One, you'll get 100GB of retention for $1.99 a month.

Review: Google Pixel 10a

Samsung's Galaxy A56 costs arsenic overmuch arsenic the Pixel 10a; however, Google's instrumentality offers amended worth acknowledgment to its much almighty hardware, larger battery, and high-quality display.

2. You privation the champion display

Google's Pixel 10a houses a 6.3-inch pOLED touchscreen with a solution of 1080 x 2424 and astir 422 ppi (pixels per inch). In plain English, that means the ocular output is crisp and affluent successful detail. The sheet tin scope up to 3,000 nits of highest brightness, making it disposable adjacent successful nonstop sunlight. Its 120Hz refresh complaint makes navigating done web pages consciousness noticeably smooth. 

What's more, the show is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which adds other durability and absorption to scratches.

You should bargain the iPhone 17e if...

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

1. You privation the champion performance

The iPhone 17e runs connected Apple's A19 chipset, the aforesaid 1 recovered successful the basal iPhone 17. Compared to the erstwhile generation, the spot comes with a faster six-core CPU, a four-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and a 16-core Neural Engine to enactment Apple Intelligence features. 

In plain English, this puts the iPhone 17e's show beauteous adjacent to that of the iPhone 17. It has capable powerfulness to grip gaming apps, AI tools, and dense multitasking without slowing down.

2. You privation amended accessory support

In my opinion, 1 of the biggest drawbacks of the Pixel 10a is that it does not enactment Pixelsnap.

Pixelsnap, if you don't know, is Google's magnetic accessory ecosystem introduced with the Pixel 10 lineup. It enables Qi-certified 25W wireless charging via magnetic attachment. The tech lets you connect compatible chargers and stands to the backmost of the phone. Because the Pixel 10a doesn't enactment Pixelsnap, users volition miss retired connected large accessories.

Also: The thinnest MagSafe charger I've tested adds astir nary value to my iPhone

The iPhone 17e doesn't person this issue. It supports MagSafe devices, conscionable similar the remainder of the iPhone 17 series, giving it entree to a ample lineup of accessories and a much polished experience. Samsung's Galaxy A56 besides has entree to a wide array of accessories, but thing is exclusive to the exemplary oregon arsenic blase arsenic MagSafe.

You should bargain the Samsung Galaxy A56 if...

Samsung/ZDNET

1. You privation the champion camera system

Samsung's Galaxy A56 has the champion camera array retired of the trio. It houses a 50MP main, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro lens, giving the telephone large versatility successful the shots you tin take. The ultrawide camera is utile for capturing wide landscapes oregon large-group photos without stepping back, portion the macro lens is cleanable for close-up photography.

Plus, it's affluent successful photography-related features, including Night mode for low-light environments, Hyperlapse for time-lapse videos, and Dual Recording, which lets you grounds videos utilizing some the beforehand and rear cameras simultaneously.

Also: I expected Samsung's caller flagship earbuds to bore me, but I fell successful emotion with them instead

2. You privation a profoundly customizable phone

The Galaxy A56 runs connected One UI 7, Samsung's latest operating strategy with a beardown absorption connected customization. Users tin rearrange the location surface successful a assortment of ways, letting them spot apps, widgets, and shortcuts successful antithetic sizes to their liking. 

If you look online, you'll find plentifulness of YouTube tutorials showcasing however flexible One UI 7 tin be. You'll find originative setups wherever widgets are angled oregon layered to make unsocial on-screen designs.

And that's conscionable the extremity of the iceberg of what's imaginable connected the A56. Just to item a fewer different things, Samsung's instrumentality volition fto you make your ain speedy panel, automatically fastener its surface if it detects that it's been stolen, and supply Live Notifications for ongoing activities similar timers and audio playback.

Writer's choice

Each of the phones are fantabulous enactment and good worthy your money, but if I had to prime 1 myself, I'd spell with the iPhone 17e, and determination are 2 main reasons why. One: its performance, and two: its entree to the MagSafe accessory ecosystem. 

I thin to enactment my telephone done dense multitasking, truthful I privation a mobile instrumentality that I americium assured tin grip everything I propulsion astatine it. Also, being capable to heighten my iPhone 17e with a MagSafe charger, mount, oregon wallet makes the idiosyncratic acquisition truthful overmuch better.

That said, the Pixel 10 is inactive a bully choice, particularly if you're trying to walk little oregon privation a amended screen. The Galaxy A56 is simply a solid, affordable alternative, too, but the powerfulness of the iPhone puts it astatine the top.