Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: A friendly but heated rivalry
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Intro
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is here, marking the start of 2025's highly anticipated flagship phones. It costs a premium starting price of $1,300, which makes it $200 pricier than one of its main competitors—the Pixel 9 Pro XL from Google.
But Samsung seems to have kept things rather conservative with the S25 Ultra, offering only a few upgrades here and there. So, the question is, why buy the S25 Ultra instead of the Pixel 9 Pro XL?
Well, there are some good reasons to consider. First of all, it is more durable thanks to its titanium body and Gorilla Armor Glass (2) display, one of the toughest we have tested here at the office. Arguably more important though, is the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that comes with better power efficiency and higher performance, much higher than that of the Pixel.
Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Pixel 9 Pro XL differences:
| Galaxy S25 Ultra | Pixel 9 Pro XL |
|---|---|
| $1299 starting price for 256GB variant | $1099 starting price for 128GB model, and $1159 for 256GB |
| Twice as fast UFS 4.0 storage | Still pretty fast UFS 3.1 storage |
| More capable Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) silicon | Less powerful Tensor G4 (4nm) chipset |
| More durable titanium frame that is still very light | Light but much less durable aluminum frame |
| More durable and less reflective display thanks to Gorilla Glass Armor 2 | Display is still very durable but scratches more easily and shows more reflections |
| One 3X and one 5X telephoto camera | Comes with one 5X telephoto |
| Faster wired charging | Faster wireless charging |
| Comes with a stylus embedded in its body | Does not have a stylus |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Samsung's dedication to impeccable design
It seems like flagship colors are getting less and less recognizable these days. | Image by PhoneArena"
With the S25 Ultra, Samsung has decided to round up the corners, while keeping the sides flat but with tapered edges. This balanced approach is what most smartphone manufacturers are gravitating towards nowadays, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL being Google's example for this transition.
Size-wize, the two are quite similar. Both are not too heavy for the size – the S25 Ultra weighs 217g vs the Pixel's 221g. Both also feel comfortable to hold and handle.
Materials are unchanged, with Samsung sticking to titanium for the S25 Ultra's frame, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL features an aluminum frame.
Display Differences
The Pixel gets brighter, but the Galaxy has better anti-reflection capabilities. | Image by PhoneArena
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is equipped with a 6.9-inch AMOLED display, with a crisp 1440p resolution and dynamic 1-120Hz refresh rate. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has only a slightly smaller, 6.8-inch screen, with a similar 1344p resolution and the same 120Hz refresh rate.
The Galaxy, however, has Gorilla Armor 2 with its incredible anti-reflective properties, which no other phone has at this moment. The Pixel uses a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display, so it is still quite scratch and drop resistant, but the Galaxy is simply better for outdoor use.
A somewhat gimmicky feature is the ProScaler technology embedded in the Snapdragon 8 Elite that powers the S25 Ultra. It helps upscale low-res video, but that is a very niche scenario that most users probably won't get to try out or remember it's there to begin with.
In our measurements, the Pixel 9 Pro XL achieved higher brightness levels, although it is important to keep note that both phones were perfectly usable in sunny conditions. What might be more important to some is the lower minimum brightness of the S25 Ultra. In comparison, the Pixel's display can be a bit too harsh for your eyes if you are in a very dark room.
Performance and Software
Google's creative software is becoming less unique
Google's Pixel phones, even the "Pro" ones, have traditionally lagged behind the competition from Samsung when it comes to pure performance. The Tensor G4 chipset inside the Pixel 9 series does not change that, which is even more true when comparing it to S25 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Elite.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite offers a 40% improvement in NPU performance and 37% CPU boost over its predecessor. Not to mention that the S25 Ultra’s advanced thermal management system, with a 40% larger vapor chamber than before.
While Google has had an even bigger hand in customizing the 4nm Tensor G4 than previous generations, it is still based on one of Samsung's Exynos chipsets. It is only with the Tensor G5 rumored to come with the Pixel 10 series that Google might finally rival the competition from Samsung and other manufacturers.
As for RAM, the Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with 16 GB across all of its storage variants. The Galaxy has less RAM – 12GB on all versions.
It is clear just how much more capable the Snapdragon 8 Elite powering the S25 Ultra is in terms of raw power. It practically doubles the performance of the Tensor G4 in the multi-core benchmark test, and more than doubles it when it comes to 3D graphics.
But when it comes to actual user experience, we think both phones are smooth to operate. Samsung's flagships have had some trouble with UI stutters and lag in previous years, but it seems this new chip has helped fix that issue, at least for now.
For storage, the Pixel starts from 128 GB while the S25 Ultra starts at 256 GB.
On the software side of things, the Pixel 9 Pro XL debuted the new Android 15 software, which is also what the Galaxy S25 Ultra is rocking, with the One UI 7 skin on top.
Both manufacturers offer seven years of software support, so the S25 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL will be sufficiently future proofed and should get major OS updates until Android 22.
When it comes to AI features, the two companies offer lots to choose from.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra AI Features:
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL AI Features:
- AI Select: This tool enables smart interaction with on-screen content, such as identifying objects, creating GIFs, or suggesting edits with Generative AI.
- Circle to Search: Enhanced multimodal capabilities allow users to search text, audio, or visuals on the device with contextual results.
- Cross-App Actions: Perform multi-step tasks across apps with a single command, such as saving a recipe to Notes or scheduling events in the Calendar.
- Now Brief and Now Bar: These features provide personalized, actionable updates like weather forecasts or event reminders directly on the lock screen.
- Writing Assist: Enables real-time content summarization and text formatting across apps without switching between them.
- Drawing Assist: Combines sketches, text, and images for creative projects, empowering users to execute ideas seamlessly.
- Gemini Integration: Offers advanced voice commands to interact across Samsung and Google apps, or third-party apps like Spotify, for a seamless experience.
- Personal Data Engine: Ensures user data remains private, with insights powered by on-device processing to deliver personalized results.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL AI Features:
- Gemini Live: A conversational AI assistant that feels almost indistinguishable from a human, offering intuitive help for daily tasks.
- Add Me: A group photo tool that combines two images, seamlessly placing the photographer in the group shot.
- Reimagine: Part of Magic Editor, this feature allows users to transform photos dramatically, such as replacing backgrounds or adding new elements.
- Auto Frame: AI-based suggestions to improve image composition for aesthetically pleasing photos.
- Video Boost: Enhances video quality by upscaling 4K footage to 8K in the cloud, making it ideal for extracting high-quality stills.
- Pixel Studio: A creative hub for generating AI art based on text prompts, allowing users to refine images in various styles.
- Call Notes: Uses on-device AI to summarize conversations, with notifications provided to all participants for privacy.
- Keep Magic List: Generates actionable lists in Google Keep based on user commands, such as creating shopping lists or event plans.
- Screenshot Organizer: Collects and organizes all screenshots into a searchable library, powered by AI.
Camera
Camera versatility powerhouses
Samsung comes out on top yet again, but not by much. | Image by PhoneArena
The Galaxy S25 Ultra keeps the 200MP ISOCELL HP2 main sensor from the S24 Ultra, now slightly improved with better light sensitivity and dynamic range thanks to a process upgrade. One notable enhancement is the new 50MP ultra-wide camera, an upgrade from the 12MP one on the S24 Ultra. This upgrade delivers sharper, more detailed wide-angle shots.
The dual telephoto cameras—key to the S25 Ultra’s versatility—remain unchanged from the previous generation. The setup includes a 10MP 3X telephoto lens and a 50MP 5X telephoto lens, both offering excellent zoom performance.
The dual telephoto cameras—key to the S25 Ultra’s versatility—remain unchanged from the previous generation. The setup includes a 10MP 3X telephoto lens and a 50MP 5X telephoto lens, both offering excellent zoom performance.
For video enthusiasts, Samsung has added a couple of creative tools. Audio Eraser helps clean up background noise in videos, while the Virtual Aperture feature in the Expert RAW app allows you to adjust the depth of field, giving you more control over background blur for portraits and creative shots.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL takes a different approach, leaning heavily on Google’s software expertise. Its Video Boost feature can upscale 4K video to 8K, adding sharpness and detail. There's also some new hardware, like the 42MP front-facing camera, which has an extremely wide viewing angle.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL takes a different approach, leaning heavily on Google’s software expertise. Its Video Boost feature can upscale 4K video to 8K, adding sharpness and detail. There's also some new hardware, like the 42MP front-facing camera, which has an extremely wide viewing angle.
PhoneArena Camera Score:
The main areas where the Pixel 9 Pro XL is lacking in comparison to the S25 Ultra's camera system is recording video with the telephoto camera. The main camera is also a bit behind when it comes to photos, but those are two areas where we noticed a significant difference in our camera lab tests.
Main Camera
During the day, the Pixel 9 Pro XL main camera produces more lively images with slightly more contrast and vibrance compared to the S25 Ultra. Both are great in terms of image quality though.
At night, things flip 180 degrees and now the S25 Ultra is the one with the more colorful image. The Pixel, on the other hand, has more subdued tones. What's more important in this case, however, is that the Galaxy has managed to capture more light, making the image brighter and easier to see what's in it.
Zoom Quality
The differences in post-processing continue into the 5x telephoto cameras both phones come with. That said, the Pixel 9 Pro XL's image has nailed the white balance better, while the S25 Ultra leans a bit towards green.
Ultra-wide Camera
In this specific comparison, the new ultra-wide camera on the S25 Ultra seems to have vastly miscalculated the exposure, leaving the highlights of the building overexposed and therefore loosing detail in them. In contrast, the Pixel has done a good job at with its HDR.
Selfies
Both phones take stunning selfies, but the Galaxy has exposed better for the shadows, showing more from the clothing of our colleague.
More Camera Samples
Video Quality
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is definitely doing a better job at exposing the image during video recording compared to the Pixel 9 Pro XL, with more detail in the shadows thanks to the less aggressive contrast. The 5x telephoto camera also seems to offer better image quality here, with with the image appearing sharper.
Video stabilization is equally good between the two phones during the day, but the Galaxy does a better job at night, especially when using the 5x telephoto camera. Speaking of night, the S25 Ultra does a lot better at avoiding light reflections when its dark, while there are visible flares on the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
The Galaxy also shows much less noise in the darker areas of the image, resulting in a overall cleaner look in comparison.
Battery Life and Charging
Probably some of the best you can get
The Galaxy S25 Ultra lasts more and charges faster. | Image by PhoneArena
The Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with a massive 5060 mAh battery capacity that most definitely contributed to its amazing performance in our battery life tests. The S25 Ultra comes with the same 5,000 mAh battery as last year, but the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset has given it much better power efficiency, as you will see from our test results below.
Charging-wise, the S25 Ultra and its 45W of wired charging speeds are still enough for Samsung to win on this front, since the Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with 37W charging.
For wireless charging things are the other way around, with slower 15W speeds for the Galaxy and faster 23W speeds for the Pixel. The caveat is that you need the latest Pixel Stand wireless charger in order to charge the Pixel 9 Pro XL at those max speeds.
For wireless charging things are the other way around, with slower 15W speeds for the Galaxy and faster 23W speeds for the Pixel. The caveat is that you need the latest Pixel Stand wireless charger in order to charge the Pixel 9 Pro XL at those max speeds.
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
The S25 Ultra scored a little more than 40 minutes more in our battery life tests compared to the Pixel 9 Pro XL. It was during gaming in particular when the S25 Ultra was better at preserving its power, certainly thanks to the new Snapdragon 8 Elite. The S25 Ultra also charged a little faster than the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick look at the specs for both phones, but feel free to check out our more detailed Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Pixel 9 Pro XL specs comparison.
| Galaxy S25 Ultra | Pixel 9 Pro XL |
|---|---|
| Size 162.3 x 77.6 x 8.6 mm, 232 g | Size 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm, 221 g |
| Display 6.9" OLED 1-120Hz LTPO Gorilla Armor 2 | Display 6.8" OLED 1-120Hz LTPO Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy 3nm | Processor Tensor G4 4nm |
| Storage --- 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB LPDDR5 | Storage 16/128GB 16/256GB 16/512GB 16/1TB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras 200MP main 50MP ultrawide 10MP 3X telephoto 50MP 5X telephoto 12MP front | Cameras 50 MP wide 48 MP ultrawide 48 MP 5X telephoto --- 42 MP front |
| Battery 5,000mAh | Battery 5,060 mAh |
| Charging USB-C 45W wired 15W wireless | Charging USB-C 37W wired 23W wireless |
Most notable here are the different chipsets, number of cameras and their megapixels, as well as the lack of a 128GB model from Samsung. In general, the differences in these spec sheets are similar to comparisons between previous generations of both phones.
Summary
You are getting a much more powerful and future-proof phone if you pick the S25 Ultra. | Image by PhoneArena
What makes this comparison especially exciting are the two different camera systems. Samsung has replaced the ultra-wide camera sensor with a brand new one, and it seems to be on par with that of the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Both phones are absolute beasts as far as their camera systems go, so at the end of the day it boils down to which look you prefer more—the more natural and subdued one of the Galaxy or the more processed one of the Pixel.
A major advantage for the S25 Ultra is its processor's performance. Even though the Pixel is perfectly pleasant to use on a day to day basis, the vast difference in chip power makes it a much less viable option for those that want to future-proof themselves.
Of course, we can't neglect the $200 price difference. At $1,100, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is cheaper than the S25 Ultra at $1,300 and offers various features that make everyday use better. It's also the first to receive any new software features from Google, including new Gemini capabilities.
If you are looking for a phone that will give you the best hardware in 2025, then the Galaxy S25 Ultra is probably the one to go for. But if you think you don't need the stylus, power, and extra durability of the Gorilla Glass Armor, then the Pixel will leave you more than happy with what it has to offer.
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