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The Galaxy S25 Ultra is extremely powerful and long-lasting, with some of the most advanced AI applications yet.
TheSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultrais a compromise-free flagship smartphone, but what happens if you want something a little smaller?
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)
TheSamsung Galaxy S25is a great phone, but it’s no Galaxy S25 Ultra Mini.
That’s the sales pitch, anyway.
So, does the Google Pixel 9 Pro actually match up to theSamsungGalaxy S25 Ultra?
Is it really as simple a case of choosing your preferred screen size?
But to declare a winner, we’re going to have to break things down into a point-by-point comparison.
Google’s Pixel 9 Pro landed in shops a little earlier on September 9, 2024.
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)
The top 1TB model costs $1,659 / 1,549 / AU$2,749.
It’s a lot more expensive than the Pixel 9 Pro whichever way you cut it.
US customers alone get the option of a 1TB model for $1,449.
(Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)
First blood, Google.
It’s all flat edges now, albeit with much pointier corners than the regular Galaxy S25.
Its frame is made of titanium rather than the Pixel 9 Pro’s aluminum.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Both phones are IP68 certified, so are similarly water and dust-resistant.
From the rear, the Pixel 9 Pro is arguably the more interesting phone of the two.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s discrete camera lenses simply don’t have the same wow factor.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Of course, the biggest difference here relates to the size of these two phones.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is huge, measuring 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm and weighing a hefty 218g.
The Pixel 9 Pro is much more pocketable, measuring 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm and weighing 199g.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Where the Pixel 9 Pro wins points is for its superior brightness.
It can attain a 3000 nits peak inHDRcontent, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra only hits 2600 nits.
Both are strong, but Google’s phone takes the edge on sunnier days.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
It’s certainly a look, but it’s not the most technically accurate out there.
Both phones employ ultrasonic fingerprint sensors underneath their displays, which are fast and secure.
The Pixel 9 Pro, by contrast, only has the one 48MP 5x unit.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Expect bluer-than-blue skies and super-green leaves.
It’s tough to choose which phone takes better nighttime images.
Both Samsung and Google have a strong low-light algorithm game.
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
It might not be pure photography, but it sure is impressive.
Taking performance first, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra uses Qualcomm’s blazing Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.
In the opposite corner, the Pixel 9 Pro is one of the weakest-performing flagship phones on the market.
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
Last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra handily beats it, let alone the current model.
We had no such issues with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
This could be particularly problematic going forward.
(Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)
Google’s stock UI is simply much cleaner and less cluttered than Samsung’s.
While Samsung’s phone lasted more than 17 hours, the Pixel 9 Pro lasted about four hours less.
This isn’t a criticism of the Pixel.
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
It holds up to its fellow small flagships pretty well.
It’s just in a different class to the hulking Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Neither phone is hugely impressive when it comes time to recharge times.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The Galaxy S25 Ultra supports 45W charging, while the Pixel 9 Pro supports 27W.
It’s not a hugely significant difference, but it’s a win for Samsung nonetheless.
Elsewhere, its S Pen function makes it uniquely suited to scrawling notes and ideas.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The tit-for-tat continues: Samsung’s phone is much faster, and thus arguably a little more future-proof.
Google makes both the hardware and the software here, which counts for a lot just ask Apple fans.
Ultimately, you’re not going to be sorry with whichever of these two phones you buy.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
