Google almost fooled me into thinking the Pixel 10a would be one of the best Android releases of 2026

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Google is going to release the Pixel 10a in the next few days. As is the case with every Google phone before its release, it has also been listed on the Google Store page, mentioning some of its main highlights. The bottom of the page had a section that mentioned FaceTime. Looking at this, I got really excited thinking that the Pixel 10a was going to have a dedicated FaceTime app… but after a few seconds, I realized that it’s not actually what it seems to be.

Google has quickly corrected its mistake

I own a Pixel 10 and find it equally good in almost all aspects compared to an iPhone. However, FaceTime is one Apple feature that I really wish was available on my Pixel as well. There are definitely a lot of video calling applications available for Android, but the quality FaceTime offers is unmatched. That’s the reason why, when I first saw the mention of FaceTime on the Pixel 10a Google Store page listing, I got really excited. Here’s what the exact line said: “Keep video chatting, even with FaceTime.”

But then my tech mind kicked in, making me realize Google is not actually thinking of a dedicated FaceTime app that would be exclusively available for the upcoming budget Pixel. Instead, it is referring to the ability to join FaceTime calls through web browsers on the Pixel. Furthermore, this feature is not something that would only come on the Pixel 10a, but it’s already available on all Android smartphones and Windows PCs as well.

All you have to do is ask your friend with the Apple device to send you the FaceTime call link through any means to your device. Then, when you click on that link from your Android phone or Windows PC, you will be able to join the FaceTime call through a web browser.

What’s even more interesting is that the same FaceTime phrase was used on the Pixel 10 page as well. At that time, some users spotted it and posted about it on Reddit. However, the report didn’t receive much attention then, so Google continued with it until the page was updated after the release of the Pixel 10 series.

Things turned out to be a bit different this time, as many publications, including us, reported about it. Looking at all the coverage, Google might have realized that the mention of FaceTime might mislead some people into believing that the Pixel 10a is going to exclusively support the official FaceTime app. As a result, the page has been updated since I last covered this story to remove any mention of FaceTime from it.

It’s seemed believable because of AirDrop adoption

Mention of FaceTime on the Pixel 10a Google Store page listing. | Image by Google

AirDrop, which was released for iOS back in 2013, remained exclusive to Apple for years until, at the end of last year, Google announced that the Pixel 10 lineup would support AirDrop functionality. The feature has recently been reported to be made available to older Pixel phones and other Android devices as well.

Because of all this action of Google adapting Apple-exclusive features to its Pixel phones, it seemed believable that the Mountain View giant might have actually cracked the code or made a deal with Apple to introduce FaceTime to the Pixel 10a. However, the possibility of this happening seems very unlikely, especially after that FaceTime phrase has also now been removed from the Google Store page. But in case it somehow miraculously happens, I would definitely declare the Pixel 10a as the best budget Android phone of 2026, just because of this feature.

That said, the Pixel 10a will be officially unveiled on February 18th. The device is reportedly almost identical to its predecessor, with its chipset only getting a slight boost. It’ll likely compete against the iPhone 17e, which is also not getting any sort of major upgrades compared to the iPhone 16e.