Head to head
Google Pixel 8a vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leads 12 to 2 on the 14 rankable specs, but Google Pixel 8a costs $800 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
Swap
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OnePlus 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$999Google Pixel 9 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
OnePlus 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$999Google Pixel 9 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: 2 to 12
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
- Leads 12 of 14 rankable overall specs; Google Pixel 8a takes 2.
- Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.1 inches
- RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB LPDDR5x
- Google Pixel 8a is $800 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:Google Pixel 8a · NoClear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE)
- Trips:Google Pixel 8a · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:Google Pixel 8a · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:Google Pixel 8a · IP67 dust/water resistantClear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
- Trips:Google Pixel 8a · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
188 g (6.63 oz)
Samsung
219 g (7.72 oz)
Size
6.1 inches
Samsung
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
Google Tensor G3 (Titan M2 security coprocessor)
Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
RAM
8 GB LPDDR5x
Samsung
12 GB (16 GB option)
Max optical zoom
None (2x lossless Super Res Zoom)
Samsung
5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom)
Capacity
4,492 mAh
Samsung
5,000 mAh
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Google: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Samsung: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
6 differences| Dimensions | 152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm | 162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 188 g (6.63 oz) (wins this row: lower) | 219 g (7.72 oz) |
| Build | Matte composite back with aluminum frame | Titanium frame with Gorilla Armor 2 front and 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 | 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 4-0| Type | Actua OLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.1 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 2400 × 1080 (FHD+) | 3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | 430 ppi | 505 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 Armor 2 (anti-reflective) |
| Always-on display | Yes (Always-on with At a Glance) | Yes |
Platform
5 differences| 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| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR5x | 12 GB (16 GB option) (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, 1 TB (UFS 4.0) |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 3-0| Main | 64 MP Quad PD (f/1.89, 26mm, 1/1.73", OIS, Super Res Zoom up to 8x) | 200 MP (f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 13 MP (f/2.2, 120° FOV) | 50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF, macro) (wins this row: higher) |
| Telephoto | None (Super Res Zoom 2x sensor crop / up to 8x digital) | 50 MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, 115mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50 MP 3x (f/2.4, 67mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) |
| Max optical zoom | None (2x lossless Super Res Zoom) | 5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom) (wins this row: higher) |
| Stabilization | Optical + electronic image stabilization on main | OIS on main and both telephoto cameras |
| Video | 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+, 10-bit LOG video |
Front camera
leads 1-0| 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| Capacity | 4,492 mAh | 5,000 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| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
6 differences| 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
3 differences| Biometrics | Under-display fingerprint sensor + Face Unlock | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | None | S Pen air gestures |
| Standout features | Google AI photography (Best Take, Magic Editor, Audio Magic Eraser), Call Screen, 7-year update guarantee | 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 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
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 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Google Pixel 8a ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Google Pixel 8a or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Google Pixel 8a costs $800 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Google Pixel 8a or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Google Pixel 8a 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 Ultra?
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Leads 3 of 4 rankable photos specs; Google Pixel 8a takes 1. Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs None
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 34 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.