Head to head

Google Pixel 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S25+

Samsung Galaxy S25+ leads 10 to 1 on the 11 rankable specs, but Google Pixel 9 costs $200 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: Google Pixel 9 lists 198 g (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists 190 g (6.70 oz) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Size: Google Pixel 9 lists 6.3 inches (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists 6.7 inches (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Chipset: Google Pixel 9 lists Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Max optical zoom: Google Pixel 9 lists 2x optical quality crop (8x digital) (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists 3x optical zoom (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Capacity: Google Pixel 9 lists 4,700 mAh (Google sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25+ lists 4,900 mAh (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: 1 to 10

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25+.

Leads 10 of 11 rankable overall specs; Google Pixel 9 takes 1.
Weight: 190 g vs 198 g
Size: 6.7 inches vs 6.3 inches
Google Pixel 9 is $200 cheaper. Pay the difference only if weight matters to you.

1 Google Pixel 911 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 9 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · No
No headphone jackrow
Wired headphones need a USB-C dongle.
Trips:Google Pixel 9 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · No
No charger in the boxrow
Budget another $20 to $40 for a fast charger.
Trips:Google Pixel 9 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · No
No microSD slotrow
Storage is fixed at what you buy.
Trips:Google Pixel 9 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25+ · No

At a glance

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

5 of 6 differ

Weight

Google

198 g

Samsung

190 g (6.70 oz)

Size

Google

6.3 inches

Samsung

6.7 inches

Chipset≠

Google

Google Tensor G4 (4 nm)

Samsung

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)

RAMsame

Google

12 GB

Samsung

12 GB

Max optical zoom

Google

2x optical quality crop (8x digital)

Samsung

3x optical zoom

Capacity

Google

4,700 mAh

Samsung

4,900 mAh

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

Google Pixel 9

Upfront list price$799

Essential add-ons (45W USB-C PPS charging brick (no charger in box))+$30

3-Year Estimated Total$829

Samsung Galaxy S25+

Upfront list price$999

3-Year Estimated Total$999

Pocket, Palm & Desk Usability Check

One-handed reachability, pocket weight, and table wobble when typing without a case.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

One-Handed Palm Reach

Widths under 72mm allow thumb access to opposite screen edges without shifting grip.

Google

6.3" display with 72.0mm width (comfortable one-hand hold)

Samsung

Standard smartphone width

Desk Typing Table Wobble

Horizontal visor cameras sit flat on desks without annoying rocking while typing.

Google

Horizontal camera bar spans across back: zero desk wobble!

Samsung

Corner camera bump causes minor wobble

Pocket Weight & Heft

Google

198g (completely stable when typing on flat desks)

Samsung

Standard phone weight

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 9$7991 win

Samsung Galaxy S25+$99910 wins

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

41 of 48 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Body

leads 1-0

Body specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Dimensions	152.8 × 72.0 × 8.5 mm	158.4 × 75.7 × 7.3 mm
Weight	198 g	190 g (6.70 oz) (wins this row: lower)
Build	Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back, satin metal frame	Enhanced Armor Aluminum frame with 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, Wintergreen, Peony	Silver Shadow, Midnight Black, Moon Night Blue, Sparkling Green
Stylus	No	No

Display

leads 3-1

Display specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Type	Actua OLED	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
Size	6.3 inches	6.7 inches (wins this row: higher)
Resolution	1080 × 2424	3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher)
Pixel density	~422 ppi	513 ppi (wins this row: higher)
Refresh rate	60–120 Hz Smooth Display	120 Hz (1–120Hz LTPO)
Peak brightness	2,700 nits peak / 1,800 nits HBM (wins this row: higher)	2,600 nits peak
HDR	HDR10, HDR10+, Ultra HDR	HDR10+, HLG
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Always-on display	Yes	Yes

Platform

5 differences

Platform specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
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)	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

Memory specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
RAM	12 GB	12 GB
Storage	128 GB UFS 3.1	256 GB (wins this row: higher)
Storage options	128 GB / 256 GB	256 GB, 512 GB (UFS 4.0)
microSD	No	No

Rear camera

leads 2-0

Rear camera specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Main	50 MP Octa PD, f/1.68, 25 mm, 1/1.31", OIS	50 MP (f/1.8, 24mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS)
Ultrawide	48 MP Quad PD with Macro Focus, f/1.7, 123°	50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF) (wins this row: higher)
Telephoto	None (Super Res Zoom up to 8x)	10 MP (f/2.4, 67mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom)
Max optical zoom	2x optical quality crop (8x digital)	3x optical zoom (wins this row: higher)
Stabilization	OIS on main wide lens	OIS on main and 3x telephoto cameras
Video	4K 24/30/60 fps, 10-bit HDR	8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+

Front camera

leads 1-0

Front camera specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Selfie camera	10.5 MP Dual PD with autofocus, f/2.2	12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF) (wins this row: higher)
Selfie video	4K 60 fps	4K at 30/60 fps

Battery & charging

leads 2-0

Battery & charging specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Capacity	4,700 mAh	4,900 mAh (wins this row: higher)
Wired chargingNot on the official sheet	27 W fast charging	45W fast wired charging (up to 65% in 30 min) (wins this row: higher)
Wireless charging	15 W 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

Audio specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, 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 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
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	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

Features specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25+.
Biometrics	Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint + Face Unlock	Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock
Extra controls	Power and Volume keys	None
Standout features	Gemini Live AI, Pixel Screenshots app, Add Me, Clear Calling	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 9 source Samsung Galaxy S25+ source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Google Pixel 9

Standard Pixel with 120Hz Actua OLED display, Tensor G4 processor, and 12GB of RAM.

Smooth 120Hz Actua display with 2,700 nits peak brightness
Generous 12GB RAM for snappy on-device Gemini AI
Industry-leading 7 years of full software support

What you give up

No telephoto zoom lens
Slower charging compared to Chinese brand rivals

Full Google Pixel 9 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

For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25+.

Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs.
Max optical zoom: 3x optical zoom vs 2x optical quality crop
Ultrawide: 50 MP vs 48 MP Quad PD with Macro Focus, f/1.7, 123°
Google Pixel 9 is $200 cheaper. Pay the difference only if max optical zoom matters to you.

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 4,700 mAh
Wired charging: 45W fast wired charging vs 27 W fast charging
Google Pixel 9 is $200 cheaper. Pay the difference only if capacity matters to you.

Games & video

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

Tied on games & video. Google Pixel 9 is cheaper.

The 2 rankable games & video specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $200 at list price.

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 9 spec sheet Samsung Galaxy S25+ spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Google Pixel 9 ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S25+ ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Google Pixel 9 or the Samsung Galaxy S25+?

Google Pixel 9 costs $200 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Google Pixel 9 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 9 or the Samsung Galaxy S25+?

For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25+. Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs. Max optical zoom: 3x optical zoom vs 2x optical quality crop

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 48 specs tracked here, 37 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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