Samsung Galaxy S25 Vs Google Pixel 9: There’s A Clear Winner For Me

While Pro Max’s, Ultra’s, and Pro XL’s get all the attention every year, the base models are becoming the more compelling option to me, bringing flagship power and enough high-end features to a compact body. More importantly, they are significantly cheaper than their biggest siblings. The Samsung Galaxy S25 brings all the necessary upgrades you’d expect from an annual update, bringing the fight to Google’s own “affordable flagship,” the Pixel 9.

I’ve used Pixel smartphones since the very beginning (the Pixel 2 XL remains a favorite), and after comparing them to numerous Samsung flagships over the years, I feel confident in my opinions. Of course, it’s always a good idea to wait for our hands-on testing and detailed reviews of the Galaxy S25, but I can’t imagine my preference shifting unless we find something truly worrisome. When it comes to the Galaxy S25 vs Pixel 9 fight, for me, there’s a clear winner.

See price at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

Snapdragon 8 Elite power
12GB RAM
7 years software support

See price at Amazon

Google Pixel 9

Powerful Gemini AI tools
Excellent build quality, refined design
Extensive update policy

I like the Pixel 9’s design a lot more…

Design choices are subjective, but as the title says, I prefer the Pixel 9’s design over the Galaxy S25’s. The pill-shaped camera housing gives the phone a unique, instantly recognizable look. There’s no doubting the phone for anything other than the Pixel 9. The Galaxy S25 is, of course, distinctly Samsung, but that’s as far as the differentiation goes. You’d be hard-pressed to pick the Galaxy S25 out from a lineup of Galaxy S flagships going back a couple of generations and even some Galaxy A devices at first glance. Good or bad, no two generations of Pixel phones look the same, which I really like.

Samsung sticking with the tried and true isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. It’s a clean, functional design and obviously uses premium materials that will feel great in the hand, especially with its compact size. I also agree that buyers absolutely don’t need to upgrade to the latest flagship every year, which makes the similar design between recent generations less of a concern. But as someone who does get a new phone every year, or at the most two, I’d like something different when I buy one.

The Pixel 9 is heavier and larger than the Galaxy S25, though. What’s better is your choice once again. I have large hands and prefer the extra weight; a “heavy” phone just feels better to me. But if you’re after a compact, lightweight option, the Galaxy S25 is the far better choice. Durability is the same across the board, with both coming with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panels, metal frames, and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

…But the Galaxy S25 has better hardware

The Pixel 9’s Tensor G4 wasn’t going to win any benchmark performance comparisons anyway, but the Galaxy S25’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, a souped-up version of the flagship processing package, leaves the former even further behind. I don’t see it making a huge difference in everyday usage, but I also rarely push my phone much beyond playing Real Racing 3 regularly and taking lots of pictures.

If anything, the cranked-up iteration of the Snapdragon 8 Elite might have issues with overheating if our tests of the standard processor are anything to go by. But that’s for my reviewer colleagues to figure out. On paper, the Galaxy S25 has a big advantage here. A key upgrade to the Galaxy S25’s RAM, now at 12GB, also brings it up to par with the Pixel 9. This was one of our negatives when comparing the Pixel 9 with last year’s Galaxy S24, so it’s good to see Samsung make the change.

On the camera side of things, Samsung and Google are both saving their best for the Pro and Ultra. The Pixel 9’s camera is pretty great, with the upgraded 48MP ultrawide lens making a difference, but neither will be at the level of its premium siblings. The Galaxy S25’s camera setup remains unchanged from last year. It has the advantage of a third camera with its 10MP 3x telephoto lens, but that feels like an “on paper” difference that won’t matter too much. I’ll wait for our hands-on camera tests, but the S25’s camera should be at least as good as what we got last year, so I’m not worried.

The Pixel 9 has a larger 4,700mAh battery compared to the Galaxy S25’s 4,000mAh unit. The Pixel 9 should provide more longevity on a single charge, but we’ll need to run the Galaxy S25 through our battery tests first. The bad news is that neither phone will charge particularly fast, which is still quite disappointing to see in 2025.

While hardware comparisons will require hands-on testing, the Galaxy S25 should take the win in most aspects.

Similar AI-powered software features bring the two phones closer together

The Galaxy S25’s One UI 7 brings a slew of extra features to Galaxy AI, but the biggest takeaway is that Google Gemini will be the default assistant and will power a lot of the phone’s generative AI features. While Google has been focusing on AI smarts on its smartphones for longer, especially when it comes to the camera, Samsung has caught up, or at least borrowed what’s necessary, to make both phones quite similar in terms of AI-powered features.

Of course, One UI and the Pixel Launcher are otherwise as different as can be. Since I mostly use Pixel phones, I prefer the cleaner and simpler launcher, and our Android software rankings agree. However, if you want something that’s packed with features, One UI is the option to go for.

Both phones will give you seven years of major software upgrades and security updates, so you’ll be able to hold on to either for a long time. However, how quickly the Galaxy S25 will get these updates remains a question, especially as it gets older and Samsung prioritizes newer releases. Meanwhile, any Pixel should theoretically be among the first to get the yearly OS upgrade.

While I haven’t mentioned the Galaxy S25 Plus much, it is a better alternative to the S25 and the Pixel 9. You get a larger, higher-resolution display if that’s what you prefer, and its larger battery should provide better battery life. However, at its starting price of $999, the S25 Plus is more in line with the Pixel 9 Pro, which is compact but has a far better camera setup.

I will say that the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus are the more powerful smartphones, and that will help with longevity if you plan to keep the phone anywhere close to as long as its seven years of updates allow. If you’re looking for a flagship that will last, get the Galaxy S25. For almost everything else, I’d pick the Pixel 9.