Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Google Pixel 9: What we know so far

A new year means a new Samsung Galaxy S flagship smartphone — three of them, in fact. This year, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is expected to arrive on January 22 with three varieties: the regular phone, a larger ‘Plus’ version and the souped-up Ultra model.

But how does the basic phone compare to one of the best phones of 2024, the Google Pixel 9? Here’s what we’re expecting, to give you an idea of which one deserves to be your next smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Google Pixel 9 specs

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Google Pixel 9 price

As the Google Pixel 9 is already out, we know exactly how much it costs. It starts at $799, rising to $899 if you want to double the internal storage to 256GB (worth doing if you need it, as the Pixel 9 doesn’t support expandable storage).

We won’t know the Samsung Galaxy S25’s price until it’s officially announced, but the mood music suggests it will see an increase to the $799 price that the S24 originally went for. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite said to be adding considerably to costs, we’d expect it to at least match the Pixel 9’s starting price, but for now, it remains TBD.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Google Pixel 9 design and display

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is rumored to look much like its predecessor, albeit with a slightly larger screen. While the S24 had a 6.2-inch display, its successor is set to extend to 6.3 inches.

The Google Pixel 9, meanwhile, is one of the most distinct-looking phones you can buy right now, with its raised camera visor on the back fast approaching iconic status.

The Pixel 9 also has a 6.3-inch panel, but the aspect ratio means you’ll likely get a few more pixels on it with its 2,424 x 1,080 resolution. The S25 is expected to maintain the 1080p panel of its predecessor, which had a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080. Both will support 120Hz, so there’s likely to be little difference in screen size between the two handsets.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Google Pixel 9 performance

The Pixel 9 has the Google Tensor 4 chip and 12GB RAM. The Samsung Galaxy S25, meanwhile, is set to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and the same 12GB RAM.

While we still don’t know how the Samsung Galaxy S25 will perform in our standard benchmarks, it’s a safe bet to say it’ll outperform the Pixel 9 regarding raw speed. Not only does even last year’s Qualcomm chipset handsomely beat the Tensor G4 both in Geekbench and graphical FPS tests, but the early benchmarks of the new Elite point to a chip that’s going to be incredibly fast.

Of course, there’s more to phone performance than just speed, and the Pixel 9 has one big advantage over the Samsung Galaxy S25: it’s made by Google. That means that the OS is made by the same company making the hardware, which in turn means it gets the latest version of Android faster than any other handset — quite a big advantage.

There’s also the small matter of artificial intelligence, and both Google and Samsung have gone big on this recently. It’s mainly a matter of personal preference — do you prefer Google Gemini or Samsung’s Galaxy AI? The latter is currently free (though Samsung says it may have paid elements at some point), while Gemini has a paid tier: Gemini Advanced. Unfortunately, only the Pixel 9 Pro benefits from a year’s free access — which is disappointing.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Google Pixel 9 cameras

While both the Pixel and Galaxy S families have more expensive models known for their photography prowess, the entry-level models highlighted here are no slouch either.

Nonetheless, they do have cuts over their more premium models. In the case of the Pixel 9, that means there’s no telephoto lens. Instead, you get a dual camera array featuring a 50MP (f/1.68) primary lens and a 48MP (f/1.7) ultrawide sensor.

Overall, it does very well indeed, as Pixel handsets always do. Even the digital-only zoom does a solid job, though it can’t compete with a dedicated telephoto lens for long-distance photography.

This means that the Samsung Galaxy S25, on paper, has the edge. The camera specs aren’t expected to be different from the S24, meaning a 50MP (f/1.8) main sensor, supported by a 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide snapper and a 10MP (f/2.4) telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

The lack of change sounds disappointing, but two points to bear in mind. Firstly, the S24 still features on our list of the best camera phones (albeit as a value Samsung proposition below the even better value Pixel 8a). Secondly, basic topline camera specs can only take you so far, and it’s possible that Samsung will have a few tricks both in software and hardware to make it a solid upgrade in the photography department.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Google Pixel 9 outlook

All in all, it feels like the race between these two handsets is going to be very close indeed, and it may well end up coming down to personal preference. Does getting the latest version of Android earlier trump speedier performance? Do you prefer Google Gemini to Galaxy AI? Is Google’s excellent photo processing enough to make up for a lack of a telephoto lens?

All fair questions, but with the Samsung Galaxy S25 launch just a month away, it doesn’t hurt to wait just a little longer for the reviews to come in and for pricing to be confirmed. This way you can make an informed choice over which phone to buy.

Plus, if Samsung’s latest is only a modest upgrade from the Galaxy S24, you could always grab yourself a bargain when the price of last year’s model inevitably plummets.

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