(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

If there was an award for most improved Android phone range, the Google Pixel would have it down. Once a kind of quirky sibling to the major brands, the range has earned some serious pedigree in recent years, establishing itself as a firm favourite among users.

Now, a new render has leaked for the successor to the Google Pixel 9a. That's the brand's more affordable handset, and arrived last time out with a fresh new design which did away with the camera bump entirely.

The new renders show off a Google Pixel 10a handset which is almost entirely identical to the the look of the previous iteration. In fact – save for the gorgeous blue hue, which the report suggests may not even end up being real – you'd be hard-pressed to find any differences at all.

The device shown features the same flat back panel, with a flush-mounted camera array on the rear. That still looks like a dual rear camera setup, though there's nothing to say what specs to expect. It also appears to utilise similar, slightly chunky, bezels on the display.

The device itself is also expected to be physically pretty similar to the current iteration. According to the report, the device is expected to make use of a 6.2-inch display, and sit 9mm thick.

Other rumours of note include a change to the chipset. The Pixel 10a is said to make use of the older Tensor G4 chip, found in the Google Pixel 9 series. That goes against tradition for the 'a' series devices, which have always used the current chip.

It is said to be a "boosted" version of the G4 chip – likely an overclocked one – but that's still going to frustrate some users. It's also going to make the choice between a Pixel 9a and a Pixel 10a really confusing. If the two are similarly priced, with almost identical spec sheets, it's hard to see what the new model really offers.

Hopefully there's some hidden goodies which Google has to offer with the Pixel 10a.