Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Battle to the finish

A Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 can be fun and informative, giving you the information you need to choose between two great options. Both offer impressive specs at a more affordable price point than their higher-tier companions.

Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Looks and basics

The Google Pixel 9 is available in an Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, or Peony finish. Equipped with a 6.3-inch Actua OLED display with a 2,424 x 1,080 resolution, you get a refresh rate that can go from 60Hz up to 120Hz (turn on Smooth display to get the highest option), depending on what’s needed for the application you’re using. It features rounded corners, a squared design, and a new camera visor that houses dual cameras.

With a polished back and a soft metal finish frame, it has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 screen, making it a pretty durable phone. It’s also IP68 water—and dust-resistant, adding to its rugged design, and has a fingerprint-resistant coating. The IP rating means it is dust-tight, and you can submerge it in water for 30 minutes in 1.5 meters. However, be careful not to spill liquids such as sugary drinks or cleaning liquids since they can damage the phone.

Android Central's Derrek Lee reviewed the Google Pixel 9 and found that the satin metal frame is "surprisingly soft. "The slight curve means the phone doesn't dig into your pinky finger when you hold it. He also found that the new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor feels "fast and accurate."

The display's HDR brightness reaches 1,800 nits but peaks at 2,700 nits. With these brightness numbers, you get effortless outdoor visibility every time you step outside.

Available with either 128GB or 256GB storage, you’ll have to rely on cloud storage after that since there isn’t a microSD card slot. The 4,700mAh battery affords a day or more of battery life, which you can extend to up to four days using the Extreme Battery Saver mode. It also supports fast charging using the optional Google 45W USB-C charger and wireless charging. With Battery Share, you can recharge your phone or other compatible devices, like a pair of Google Pixel Buds.

Lee was impressed with battery life, but he found the 27W charging to be "unbearably slow. " If you need to be up and running quickly at all times, you'll want to invest in Google's 45W charger.

Additional features include fingerprint and face unlock, pattern PIN, and password. The Pixel 9 also has Stereo speakers and three mics with noise suppression, along with Spatial Audio support, which are also included.

With the Pixel 9, you won't have to worry about ending up with an outdated phone anytime soon. Google promises seven years of software updates, and the phone also gets frequent feature drops.

Comparatively, the Samsung Galaxy S24 comes in Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, and Marble Grey. Samsung offers exclusive colors, including Sapphire Blue, Sandstone Orange, and Jade Green, when purchasing directly from it.

The Galaxy S24 has a similar design to its predecessor, the Galaxy S23, using a unified design and a flat front and back. However, let's not forget the rounded edges and soft finish similar to the Pixel 9. It is made of Armor Aluminum, lighter than steel, and comes with a Corning Gorilla Armor screen, making it slightly more durable. Samsung placed the three cameras in a vertical row on the back.

The screen is 6.2 inches in size, so it’s a smidge smaller, making the phone itself a hair smaller and quite a bit lighter. The screen is a dynamic AMOLED 2x FHD+ with a 2,340 x 1,080 resolution, slightly lower in resolution. With Vision Booster, you can get up to 2,600 nits peak brightness, which stands up to the Google Pixel 9 in this respect. Furthermore, it has the same 120Hz refresh rate.

It has the same IP68 water—and dust-resistant rating, but the Samsung Galaxy S24 4,000mAh battery likely won’t last as long on a single charge. It supports fast and wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare, which allows users to recharge other compatible devices like Samsung Galaxy Buds. Expect about a day’s life per charge, which is less for heavier users.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 has the same non-expandable 128GB or 256GB storage variants. It has stereo speakers and face and fingerprint unlock. Like the Google Pixel 9, this phone has seven years of software and security updates.

Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Comparing the specs

Let’s look at the specs of these two phones in a side-by-side comparison.

There are clearly many similarities between these two phones, so the decision might come down solely to brand preference.

Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Features, functions, and performance

Let’s break down what makes these phones tick.

Equipped with Android 14, the Google Tensor G4 processor powers the Pixel 9. It has an impressive 12GB RAM, so you can be confident that it will keep up with all your multi-tasking needs, even activities like video streaming and gaming. Indeed, Lee found that it performs well when juggling multiple apps, even while gaming. He did, however, notice a slight delay with touch input.

The Google Pixel 9 has all the usual AI features that you’ll find in other recent Pixel devices, like the Google Pixel 8. These include seamless access to Google Gemini and AI assistance with everything from photos to composing messages, surfing the web, generating images, and more.

The phone has the Google VPN standard and Google’s end-to-end security. The tensor security core, Titan M2 security co-processor, anti-malware and anti-phishing protection, and spam protection are also part of the multi-layer hardware security.

The phone also has many safety features, including satellite SOS, emergency SOS, crisis alerts, car crash detection, and Safety Check. Set up for Wi-Fi 7, it has the Bluetooth 5.3 spec with dual antennas for enhanced quality and connection. There’s also NFC, Google Cast, and built-in GPS.

Support for Samsung DeX allows for versatile setups, such as a second screen if you’re using the phone for productivity. It also works seamlessly with Samsung SmartThings to add it to a smart, connected home.

Also running Android 14, the Samsung Galaxy S24 includes Samsung One UI 6.1 for further customization and personalization over and above the stock Android experience. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, it has only 8GB RAM, which is significantly less than the Google Pixel 9. Both should yield favorable results, but if you tend to do a lot of intensive tasks, from gaming to video recording and multi-tasking, you might appreciate the extra RAM in the Google Pixel 9.

You’ll get all the same AI features through Google Gemini AI, including Circle to Search, which Android Central’s Nicholas Sutrich calls his favorite feature (also available in the Google Pixel 9). Moreover, there are features like Live Translate, Note Assist, Transcript Assist, generative photo editing, and more, all of which you’ll find on the Google Pixel 9, too.

Google Pixel 9 vs. Pixel 9 Pro: How good are the cameras?

Nowadays, everyone uses their smartphones as cameras, so it's crucial to know how these two phones perform in taking photos and videos and in post-editing.

The Google Pixel 9’s primary camera has a 50MP wide sensor and affords up to 8x Super Res Zoom. It also has a 48MP Quad PD ultra-wide camera with Macro Focus. The front camera is where it falls short: it’s a measly 10.5MP. It's also lacking a telephoto camera, which limits zoom capabilities. You might want to upgrade to the Google Pixel 9 Pro if that's important.

Overall, Lee says images taken with the Google Pixel 9 are not bad but not remarkable either. You get crisp details and good dynamic range, even in low light, but they also lack some vibrancy and saturation, even appearing dull in some cases. However, most people will find the cameras sufficient for everyday shooting needs.

Regarding photo editing, you get all the Google camera features you have come to know and love over the last few generations of devices. For example, you get Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Best Take, Photo Unblur, and Portrait Light.

Using the rear camera, you can take 4K videos with digital video zoom up to 7x and 4K videos using the front camera as well. As expected, the Audio Magic Eraser feature is available with this phone, along with enhanced features like cinematic blur and slo-mo. Record in stereo and use features like speech enhancement, wind noise reduction, and audio zoom.

How do the Samsung Galaxy S24 cameras compare? This phone also has a 50MP wide primary camera, but its ultra-wide camera drops significantly in specs to just 12MP. It also has a 10MP telephoto camera, and the wide front camera isn’t much better than just 12MP. You get up to 30x space zoom and 3x optical zoom.

Samsung adds the ProVisual Engine to this phone, an AI tool that helps power its intelligent features, many of which work just like in the Google Pixel 9. This includes everything from generative edit, which works like Magic Editor. Samsung also adds some unique features, like Edit Suggestion, which recommends how to tweak a photo to improve it, and flaw detection, which will help eliminate the possibility of taking a bad photo.

You can also leverage AI features while taking videos, like instant slo-mo, whereby AI generates additional frames to help fill in the blanks.

Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Which should you buy?

It’s a tough comparison when looking at the Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24. The Google Pixel 9 is the newer of the two phones, but the Samsung Galaxy S24 is not even a year old. Both give you seven years of OS and software updates, so you’re in a good position for longevity. They also feature the same Google Gemini AI and photo editing features that match one another. 

The decision may come down to nothing more than brand preference. The Google Pixel 9 does have more RAM and a slightly higher-resolution screen. Samsung adds a telephoto camera, but its ultra-wide camera doesn’t have as high of a resolution, though its front camera might be a tad better when looking at specs alone. 

The Samsung Galaxy S24 has a more refined design and an Armor Aluminum finish, which ranks among the best Android phones. However, both phones are rugged and meet water—and dust-resistance ratings. They’re equally great for productivity and entertainment. 

The bottom line is that you won’t go wrong with either of these phones, which are around the same price. If you’re familiar with and like Samsung Galaxy devices, and if you own or plan to buy other Galaxy devices like Galaxy Buds or even smart home gear like a Samsung TV or appliances, you’ll want to stick with the Galaxy phone.

Conversely, if you upgrade from an older model Pixel or even an Android phone of another brand, you’ll find the Google Pixel phones blazingly simple to use and intuitive. Plus, they work well with other Google devices, from Google Pixel Buds to your smart home speakers.