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The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was recently launched as the next big thing in the smartphone industry. It was designed to provide the best smartphone experience money can buy. However, it's a tough market, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra will face tough competition from other flagships like the Pixel 9 Pro XL from Google.
Pixel phones are known for camera prowess, so does the Samsung phone have what it takes to beat that? That's what we plan to find by doing a detailed comparison of the two phones here.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinions.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Detailed comparison
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL are excellent phones, but they are designed to fulfill different roles and offer distinct experiences. Below, you will find an in-depth comparison of every aspect of the two phones:
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Specs comparison
Design and display
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is built like a tank, and it's not just a saying. The side frame is made of Titanium metal, which not only provides great strength to the body but also makes it lighter. The Titanium used here is stronger than the Stainless Steel used in the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra's rear and front glass are made from Gorilla Armor 2, which is stronger than the ones in the Pixel. In terms of build quality, the Samsung phone wins hands down. However, the design is subjective and depends on user preference.
For the display, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a bigger, brighter, and less reflective display than the one in Pixel 9 Pro XL. The latter also has a good display, but not quite on the same level. The Samsung phone gets another win.
Performance
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is significantly faster than the Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9 Pro XL in both applications and games. Here's a benchmark comparison that shows the same:
Most apps and games will launch faster on the Samsung phone and deliver a better experience in the long run. However, the Pixel phone is not bad. It may not be as fast as the Samsung, but it's decently smooth. The Pixel 9 Pro XL's true strength lies in AI processing and capabilities, which is better than Samsung.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra wins in raw performance and gaming, while the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL wins in AI and timely software updates. Additionally, Samsung lags behind Google when it comes to delivering software updates.
Memory and storage
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with 12GB RAM, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL has 16GB RAM, which is necessary for AI processing. More RAM is good, but anything after 12GB is not very useful, especially in a phone, unless you run memory-hungry programs.
As for storage, the Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at 256GB, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL begins at 128GB, a bit lower for the price you will be paying.
Camera performance
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 200MP quad-camera setup consisting of a primary, an ultra-wide, and two telephoto sensors. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, on the other hand, has a 50MP triple-camera setup with a primary, an ultra-wide, and a telephoto sensor.
Galaxy S25 Ultra outperforms the Pixel phone in primary and ultra-wide cameras. When it comes to the telephoto sensors, both phones win depending on the scene and lighting conditions.
However, the story changes at night. In darker scenes, the Pixel 9 Pro XL wins in almost every case. It also captures better selfies with more details and a natural color tone in both day and night settings.
Essentially, the Samsung wins during the day, while the Pixel wins during the night. We have no choice but to call it a tie.
Battery and charging
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a significantly better battery life than the Pixel 9 Pro XL, whether you are a light or heavy user. Both phones will deliver a full-day battery life, but the former will last longer. The Samsung phone will also charge faster, thanks to the higher charging speed of both wired and wireless charging modes.
Pricing
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a starting price of $1,199 and has 256GB of storage for that price. On the other hand, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,099 but only has 128GB of storage for that price. The 256GB of Pixel 9 Pro XL costs $1,199. Essentially, both phones cost the same.
Final verdict of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is better than the Pixel 9 Pro XL in almost every aspect, including the display, performance, battery life, charging speed, and even camera, at least during the day. On the other hand, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is better in AI, night photography, selfies, and timely software updates. It's clear that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the better choice.
However, if having timely software updates or nighttime photography is critical, you can choose the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Also read: 65-inch Samsung OLED TV drops to the lowest price on Best Buy
