Head to head

Google Pixel 8a vs Samsung Galaxy S25+

Samsung Galaxy S25+ leads 10 to 3 on the 13 rankable specs, but Google Pixel 8a costs $500 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: Google Pixel 8a lists 188 g (6.63 oz) (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists 190 g (6.70 oz) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Size: Google Pixel 8a lists 6.1 inches (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists 6.7 inches (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Chipset: Google Pixel 8a lists Google Tensor G3 (Titan M2 security coprocessor) (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
RAM: Google Pixel 8a lists 8 GB LPDDR5x (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists 12 GB (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Max optical zoom: Google Pixel 8a lists None (2x lossless Super Res Zoom) (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists 3x optical zoom (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your phone.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 3 to 10

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25+.

Leads 10 of 13 rankable overall specs; Google Pixel 8a takes 3.
Size: 6.7 inches vs 6.1 inches
RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB LPDDR5x
Google Pixel 8a is $500 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.

3 Google Pixel 8a13 rankable of 48 specsSamsung Galaxy S25+ 10

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No stylusrow
No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Trips:Google Pixel 8a · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · No
No headphone jackrow
Wired headphones need a USB-C dongle.
Trips:Google Pixel 8a · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · No
No charger in the boxrow
Budget another $20 to $40 for a fast charger.
Trips:Google Pixel 8a · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · No
Not IP68row
Less dust and water protection than an IP68 rival.
Trips:Google Pixel 8a · IP67 dust/water resistantClear:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
No microSD slotrow
Storage is fixed at what you buy.
Trips:Google Pixel 8a · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · No

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

6 of 6 differ

Weight

Google

188 g (6.63 oz)

Samsung

190 g (6.70 oz)

Size

Google

6.1 inches

Samsung

6.7 inches

Chipset≠

Google

Google Tensor G3 (Titan M2 security coprocessor)

Samsung

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)

RAM

Google

8 GB LPDDR5x

Samsung

12 GB

Max optical zoom

Google

None (2x lossless Super Res Zoom)

Samsung

3x optical zoom

Capacity

Google

4,492 mAh

Samsung

4,900 mAh

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Google: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

Samsung: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

Google Pixel 8a$4993 wins

Samsung Galaxy S25+$99910 wins

Body Display Platform Memory Rear camera Front camera Battery & charging Audio Connectivity Features

43 of 48 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Body

leads 1-0

Body specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Dimensions	152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm	158.4 × 75.7 × 7.3 mm
Weight	188 g (6.63 oz) (wins this row: lower)	190 g (6.70 oz)
Build	Matte composite back with aluminum frame	Enhanced Armor Aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back
Water / dust rating	IP67 dust/water resistant	IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
Colors	Bay, Aloe, Porcelain, Obsidian	Silver Shadow, Midnight Black, Moon Night Blue, Sparkling Green
Stylus	No	No

Display

leads 4-0

Display specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Type	Actua OLED	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
Size	6.1 inches	6.7 inches (wins this row: higher)
Resolution	2400 × 1080 (FHD+)	3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher)
Pixel density	430 ppi	513 ppi (wins this row: higher)
Refresh rate	120 Hz (Smooth Display 60–120Hz)	120 Hz (1–120Hz LTPO)
Peak brightness	2,000 nits peak / 1,400 nits HDR	2,600 nits peak (wins this row: higher)
HDR	HDR support (HDR10, HLG)	HDR10+, HLG
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Always-on display	Yes (Always-on with At a Glance)	Yes

Platform

5 differences

Platform specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Operating system	Android 14	Android 15 (One UI 7)
Software support	7 years of OS, security, and Feature Drop updates	7 generations of OS upgrades & 7 years security updates
Chipset	Google Tensor G3 (Titan M2 security coprocessor)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
CPU	9-core (1× Cortex-X3 + 4× Cortex-A715 + 4× Cortex-A510)	8-core Oryon CPU (2× 4.47 GHz Prime + 6× 3.53 GHz Performance)
GPU	Immortalis-G715s MC10	Adreno 830

Memory

leads 2-0

Memory specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
RAM	8 GB LPDDR5x	12 GB (wins this row: higher)
Storage	128 GB	256 GB (wins this row: higher)
Storage options	128 GB, 256 GB (UFS 3.1)	256 GB, 512 GB (UFS 4.0)
microSD	No	No

Rear camera

leads 2-1

Rear camera specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Main	64 MP Quad PD (f/1.89, 26mm, 1/1.73", OIS, Super Res Zoom up to 8x) (wins this row: higher)	50 MP (f/1.8, 24mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS)
Ultrawide	13 MP (f/2.2, 120° FOV)	50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF) (wins this row: higher)
Telephoto	None (Super Res Zoom 2x sensor crop / up to 8x digital)	10 MP (f/2.4, 67mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom)
Max optical zoom	None (2x lossless Super Res Zoom)	3x optical zoom (wins this row: higher)
Stabilization	Optical + electronic image stabilization on main	OIS on main and 3x telephoto cameras
Video	4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps	8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+

Front camera

leads 1-0

Front camera specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Selfie camera	13 MP (f/2.2, 96.5° ultrawide FOV) (wins this row: higher)	12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF)
Selfie video	4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30 fps	4K at 30/60 fps

Battery & charging

leads 2-0

Battery & charging specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Capacity	4,492 mAh	4,900 mAh (wins this row: higher)
Wired chargingNot on the official sheet	18W wired fast charging (USB-PD 3.0)	45W fast wired charging (up to 65% in 30 min) (wins this row: higher)
Wireless charging	7.5W Qi wireless charging	15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
Reverse wireless	No	4.5W Wireless PowerShare
Charger in box	No	No

Audio

1 differences

Audio specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Headphone jack	No	No

Connectivity

6 differences

Connectivity specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Cellular	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave on carrier variants)	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave)
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax tri-band)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be tri-band)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4
NFC	Yes (Google Wallet)	Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Pay)
USB	USB-C 3.2 Gen 1	USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort video out)
SIM	Single Nano-SIM + eSIM	Dual eSIM / Nano-SIM + eSIM

Features

2 differences

Features specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 8a, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Biometrics	Under-display fingerprint sensor + Face Unlock	Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock
Extra controls	None	None
Standout features	Google AI photography (Best Take, Magic Editor, Audio Magic Eraser), Call Screen, 7-year update guarantee	Galaxy AI suite (Circle to Search, Now Brief, Live Translate, Note Assist), Samsung DeX desktop mode, UWB support

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

Google Pixel 8a source Samsung Galaxy S25+ source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Google Pixel 8a

6.1-inch mid-range phone powered by Google Tensor G3, Actua 120Hz display, and 7 years of software support.

Exceptional photo quality for $499
7 full years of Android OS and security updates
Bright 120Hz Actua display with IP67 water resistance

What you give up

Thicker bezels than flagship phones
18W wired charging is slower than competitors

Full Google Pixel 8a specs →

Pick this one if

Samsung Galaxy S25+

6.7-inch Galaxy S25+ featuring Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, QHD+ 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 12GB RAM standard, and upgraded 50MP ultrawide.

Snapdragon 8 Elite custom 3nm performance with 12GB RAM standard
Sharp QHD+ 120Hz LTPO screen with slim 7.3mm profile
7 years of full Android OS and security upgrades

What you give up

No built-in S Pen stylus like the Ultra
Telephoto zoom capped at 3x optical

Full Samsung Galaxy S25+ specs →

Best for each use

Photos

Camera first: zoom reach, sensors, stabilisation and video

Tied on photos. Google Pixel 8a is cheaper.

The 4 rankable photos specs split 2 to 2.
Saves $500 at list price.

Battery & updates

All-day battery, fast top-ups and years of software support

For battery & updates, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25+.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable battery & updates specs.
Capacity: 4,900 mAh vs 4,492 mAh
Wired charging: 45W fast wired charging vs 18W wired fast charging
Google Pixel 8a is $500 cheaper. Pay the difference only if capacity matters to you.

Games & video

Games and streaming: chip, refresh rate, brightness, speakers

For games & video, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25+.

Leads 3 of 3 rankable games & video specs.
RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB LPDDR5x
Size: 6.7 inches vs 6.1 inches
Google Pixel 8a is $500 cheaper. Pay the difference only if ram matters to you.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Google Pixel 8a spec sheet Samsung Galaxy S25+ spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Google Pixel 8a ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S25+ ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Google Pixel 8a or the Samsung Galaxy S25+?

Google Pixel 8a costs $500 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Google Pixel 8a or Samsung Galaxy S25+?

Both has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.

Which is better for photos, the Google Pixel 8a or the Samsung Galaxy S25+?

Tied on photos. Google Pixel 8a is cheaper. The 4 rankable photos specs split 2 to 2. Saves $500 at list price.

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 48 specs tracked here, 35 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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