Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Vs Pixel 9 Pro: The Choice Is Clear For Me

Samsung has finally released its mega-flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra, with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from Android’s top-dog smartphone. But how does it compare to Google’s own idea of peak Android devices? Is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a better buy than the Google Pixel 9 Pro/9 Pro XL?

We’re still in the middle of our testing for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but to me, it’s already clear which one is better.

All about AI

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

Samsung has made it crystal clear that Galaxy AI is one of the main selling points of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Not only does it have an enhanced AI assistant in Gemini, it also has an AI agent that can do everything from help change settings to cross-app actions like setting up meetings with friends from a single voice command. A new feature called Now Brief summarizes your to-do list, health metrics, traffic, and more throughout the day without you having to lift a finger.

There are plenty of generative AI goodies, too, like better on-device text generation, Object Eraser for photos, Audio Eraser for videos, Gen AI stickers, and much, much more. These can take some time to get used to, but make everyday tasks much faster and easier once you do.

The problem is that most, if not all, of these features are or will be available on the Pixel 9 Pro, too. We’ll test both to find out which ones work better, but to be honest, the Pixel 9 Pro’s AI smarts have been more than enough for me. Plus, Google has placed such a huge focus on AI that it’s hard to imagine a world where a hardware company like Samsung can compete.

That said, I think Google’s overreliance on AI features might actually be a bad thing. The Tensor G4 processor is significantly weaker than the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy on the S25 Ultra. Unless you’re a serious power user, I doubt you’ll need the extra performance, but for things like demanding mobile games or emulation, it makes a difference.

The other huge power user feature on the S25 Ultra is the S Pen, which is still housed in the body of the device. The new S Pen is actually a step back this year, removing Bluetooth support. Considering virtually no one used that feature, I wouldn’t consider it a dealbreaker.

When it comes to more practical features like cameras, both phones are among the best camera phones you can buy. Pixels and Galaxy S series devices regularly compete for the top spots in our camera tests, and based on our early testing, that looks to be the case with the Pixel 9 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The S25 Ultra takes the cake when it comes to the sheer number of megapixels thanks to the 200MP main sensor, but megapixels haven’t really mattered for years. Post-processing and now AI smarts make a much bigger difference, so stay tuned for our full camera shootout in the coming weeks.

Both phones have great AI smarts and the best cameras you can buy.

What matters is how the cameras feel to use, and I’m happy to report that the biggest problem with last year’s model has been fixed with the Galaxy S25. I’m talking about shutter lag, which was a huge problem on the S24 Ultra. In our early testing, things were snappier than ever on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The S25 Ultra edges out the Pixel 9 Pro XL in another aspect: the screen. The larger 6.9-inch AMOLED 2X display (compared to the 6.8-inch LPTO OLED on the Pixel 9 Pro XL) is the best and among the largest until you start looking at foldables like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Value makes the difference

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Despite all of this, I still think the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL are better buys than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the main reason is price. The Pixel 9 Pro is $300 cheaper than the S25 Ultra, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is $200 cheaper. Granted, the difference is $100 less when comparing the 256GB versions of the Pixel 9 series since it starts at 128GB.

Even so, you can already get huge discounts on the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL. In fact, as of writing, they’re both $150 off, and that includes all colors and storage options. These kinds of deals can regularly be found for the Pixel 9 series, so don’t worry if you missed out this time.

The Pixel 9 Pro is simply a better value than the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The other elephant in the room is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ($1419.99 at Amazon). Since most of the new features are software-related AI smarts, in a few months, last year’s model will be able to do almost everything the S25 Ultra can do for significantly cheaper. If money is any concern at all, I’d recommend the Galaxy S24 Ultra over the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but check out our full comparison to learn more.

If money isn’t a concern, there’s no doubt the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the pinnacle of Android smartphones. It has all the bells and whistles, even if you probably won’t need them.

See price at Amazon

15%off

Google Pixel 9 Pro

Impressive AI-powered features
Excellent build quality
Flexible, capable cameras
Reliable update commitment

See price at Amazon

13%off

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

The best specs in the Pixel 9 series
Gorgeous display
Seven years of software updates