Head to head
Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leads 9 to 4 on the 13 rankable specs, but Google Pixel 9 Pro costs $300 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
Swap
Compare a different phone
Google Pixel 8a$499OnePlus 12$799iPhone 16$799Google Pixel 9$799Samsung Galaxy S24$799Samsung Galaxy S25$799iPhone 17$799ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra$899iPhone 16 Plus$899OnePlus 13$899iPhone 16 Pro$999Samsung Galaxy S24+$999Samsung Galaxy S25+$999iPhone 17 Pro$999iPhone Air$999Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6$1,099Google Pixel 9 Pro XL$1,099iPhone 16 Pro Max$1,199iPhone 17 Pro Max$1,199Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra$1,299Xiaomi 14 Ultra$1,399OnePlus Open$1,699Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold$1,799Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6$1,899Swap
Compare a different phone
Google Pixel 8a$499OnePlus 12$799iPhone 16$799Google Pixel 9$799Samsung Galaxy S24$799Samsung Galaxy S25$799iPhone 17$799ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra$899iPhone 16 Plus$899OnePlus 13$899iPhone 16 Pro$999Samsung Galaxy S24+$999Samsung Galaxy S25+$999iPhone 17 Pro$999iPhone Air$999Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6$1,099Google Pixel 9 Pro XL$1,099iPhone 16 Pro Max$1,199iPhone 17 Pro Max$1,199Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra$1,299Xiaomi 14 Ultra$1,399OnePlus Open$1,699Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold$1,799Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6$1,899Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 4 to 9
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
- Leads 9 of 13 rankable overall specs; Google Pixel 9 Pro takes 4.
- Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.3 inches
- Capacity: 5,000 mAh vs 4,700 mAh
- Google Pixel 9 Pro is $300 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:Google Pixel 9 Pro · NoClear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE)
- Trips:Google Pixel 9 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:Google Pixel 9 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:Google Pixel 9 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
199 g
Samsung
219 g (7.72 oz)
Size
6.3 inches
Samsung
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) + Titan M2 security
Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
RAM
16 GB
Samsung
12 GB (16 GB option)
Max optical zoom≠
5x optical (up to 30x Super Res Zoom)
Samsung
5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom)
Capacity
4,700 mAh
Samsung
5,000 mAh
True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pocket, Palm & Desk Usability Check
One-handed reachability, pocket weight, and table wobble when typing without a case.
One-Handed Palm Reach
6.3" display with 72.0mm width (compact pro flagship)
Standard smartphone width
Desk Typing Table Wobble
Horizontal camera visor spans full width: zero desk wobble!
Corner camera bump causes minor wobble
Pocket Weight & Heft
199g (sits completely flat and stable on tables)
Standard phone weight
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Google: What to watch for
- Hardware Quirk
Tensor G4 processor still throttles under sustained 3D mobile gaming.
Samsung: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
6 differences| Dimensions | 152.8 × 72.0 × 8.5 mm | 162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 199 g (wins this row: lower) | 219 g (7.72 oz) |
| Build | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front/back, polished aluminum frame | Titanium frame with Gorilla Armor 2 front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min) | IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, Rose Quartz | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver |
| Stylus | No | Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE) (wins this row: has it) |
Display
leads 3-1| Type | Super Actua LTPO OLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.3 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 1280 × 2856 | 3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | ~495 ppi | 505 ppi (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 1–120 Hz Smooth Display | 120 Hz (1–120Hz LTPO) |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits peak / 2,000 nits High Brightness Mode (wins this row: higher) | 2,600 nits peak |
| HDR | HDR10, HDR10+, Ultra HDR | HDR10+, HLG |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 (anti-reflective) |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | Android 14 (upgradable) | Android 15 (One UI 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | 7 years of OS, security, and Feature Drops | 7 generations of OS upgrades & 7 years security updates |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) + Titan M2 security | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) |
| CPU | 8-core (1× Cortex-X4 + 3× A720 + 4× A520) | 8-core Oryon CPU (2× 4.47 GHz Prime + 6× 3.53 GHz Performance) |
| GPU | Mali-G715 MC7 | Adreno 830 |
Memory
leads 1-0| RAM | 16 GB (wins this row: higher) | 12 GB (16 GB option) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB UFS 3.1 | 256 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (UFS 4.0) |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 3-0| Main | 50 MP Octa PD, f/1.68, 25 mm, 1/1.31", OIS | 200 MP (f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 48 MP Quad PD with Macro Focus, f/1.7, 123° | 50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF, macro) (wins this row: higher) |
| Telephoto | 48 MP Quad PD, f/2.8, 113 mm, 5x optical zoom, OIS | 50 MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, 115mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50 MP 3x (f/2.4, 67mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
| Max optical zoom | 5x optical (up to 30x Super Res Zoom) | 5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom) |
| Stabilization | OIS on wide and telephoto lenses | OIS on main and both telephoto cameras |
| Video | 8K 30 fps (via Video Boost), 4K 24/30/60 fps, 10-bit HDR | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+, 10-bit LOG video |
Front camera
leads 1-0| Selfie camera | 42 MP Dual PD with autofocus, f/2.2, 103° ultrawide (wins this row: higher) | 12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K 60 fps | 4K at 30/60 fps |
Battery & charging
leads 2-0| Capacity | 4,700 mAh | 5,000 mAh (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | 27 W fast charging (50% in ~30 min) | 45W fast wired charging (up to 65% in 30 min) (wins this row: higher) |
| Wireless charging | 21 W fast wireless with Pixel Stand / Qi | 15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 |
| Reverse wireless | Yes (Battery Share) | 4.5W Wireless PowerShare |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
6 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 + mmWave) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be tri-band) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes (Google Pay) | Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Pay) |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort video out) |
| SIM | Single Nano-SIM + eSIM | Dual eSIM / Nano-SIM + eSIM |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint + Face Unlock (Class 3) | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | Power, Volume, Thermometer sensor | S Pen air gestures |
| Standout features | Gemini Live AI, Best Take, Magic Editor, Add Me, Temperature sensor | Built-in S Pen, Galaxy AI 2.0 (Now Brief, Live Translate, Sketch to Image), Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2, Samsung DeX |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Compact pro flagship with Google Tensor G4, Gemini Nano AI, and Super Res Zoom camera system.
- Compact form factor with uncompromised triple-camera system
- 7 years of Android OS, security, and Pixel Feature Drops
- Class-leading computational photography and AI tools
What you give up
- Tensor G4 benchmark scores trail Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in heavy games
- Charging speeds capped at ~27W
Pick this one if
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Flagship titanium smartphone with Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, built-in S Pen, 200MP quad camera with 50MP ultrawide and 50MP 5x telephoto, and Galaxy AI.
- Top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm custom Galaxy performance
- Upgraded 50MP ultra-wide and dual 50MP telephoto sensors with 200MP main
- Corning Gorilla Armor 2 anti-reflective display and built-in S Pen stylus
What you give up
- Premium $1,299 starting price
- Wired charging remains at 45W
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Battery & updates
For battery & updates, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Google Pixel 9 Pro ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Google Pixel 9 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Google Pixel 9 Pro costs $300 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Google Pixel 9 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Google Pixel 9 Pro has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the Google Pixel 9 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Leads 3 of 4 rankable photos specs; Google Pixel 9 Pro takes 1. Main: 200 MP vs 50 MP Octa PD, f/1.68, 25 mm, 1/1.31", OIS
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.