Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Which is the king of the Androids?

If you're in the market for a new smartphone, you're probably looking at the freshly minted Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra as a potential candidate. The wordy Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is another strong smartphone worth looking at. It, too, costs above $1,000 and is a pricey option.

Deciding between the Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Pixel 9 Pro XL comes down to this: are you willing to pay a high price for cutting-edge tech, or should you opt for a deal on the Pixel and live with a few compromises? Or do you value Google's seamless and simplified software experience? It's not an easy decision, but one we must make.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Design

The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with a slight design change, with the phone having flat sides and rounded corners. This puts it more in line with the rest of the series, but the edges of the Ultra have a lesser curve than the S25 and S25 Plus. The phone is also lighter and slimmer than its predecessor, at 218 grams, which makes it lighter than even the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

The main silhouette of the Galaxy S25 Ultra is similar to the S24 Ultra, with a similar layout for the ports and buttons. Even the camera layout is nearly identical, aside from the DSLR-style camera lens housings. While the flat sides and lighter design should make it easier to hold, it's still a massive phone. Other design staples include the IP68 waterproofing, Corning Gorilla Armor on the front, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back, the S Pen stylus, and the USB-C 3.2 port.

In terms of S25 Ultra colorways, the phone is offered in Titan Black, Titan Gray, Titan Silverblue, and Titan Whitesilver colorways, as well as a few more Samsung online exclusives.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL adopted a new design language with glossy, flat sides and a more pronounced camera bar on the back. This very iPhone Pro-like aesthetic actually looks very flattering, and the new colors it comes in really help it stand out. The 9 Pro XL is relatively slim at 8.5mm in thickness, but it is on the heavier side at 221g. Thankfully, the edges don't really dig into your palm to make it uncomfortable.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is the larger variant of the 9 Pro and is the direct replacement for the Pixel 8 Pro, even though the nomenclature is a bit different this time around. You get IP68 dust and waterproofing, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 scratch protection over the display, and eSIM support.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Display

Aside from the fact that the corners will be more curved than the last-gen model, and the slightly larger screen, the Galaxy S25 Ultra's underlying display specs are the same. It's now a 6.9-inch panel with a QHD+ resolution, LTPO 120Hz refresh rate, and support for HDR playback. There's an improved Corning Gorilla Armor covering for anti-reflective properties and scratch protection. You also get an inbuilt S Pen, albeit without support for Bluetooth Low Energy on the stylus.

Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro XL features Google's Super Actua display panel of the same 6.8-inch size and a resolution of 2,992x1,344 pixels. This LTPO panel also has a high peak brightness of 3,000 nits, along with a 120Hz variable refresh rate. The biggest issue still plaguing Pixel phones is the abysmal 240Hz PWM dimming rate which it uses across the brightness spectrum. This can cause severe headaches for people that are sensitive to this and can end up being a deal-breaker.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Hardware & specs

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra officially starts at $1,299.99, with the same storage variants starting with 256GB. RAM is offered at 12GB, for all storage configurations. The phone also sports the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy SoC, which brings laptop-class CPU performance to smartphones. It's also co-designed by Samsung and Qualcomm for peak efficiency and performance.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL cannot hope to compete with the raw processing power of the S25 Ultra, as its Tensor G4 SoC simply isn't built for it. Google has made big improvements to thermal efficiency and AI performance with this generation, compared to the previous one. In our review, we noticed that while the SoC still throttles when playing demanding games, it doesn't get as hot, so it takes longer for the phone to reach its thermal threshold.

Pricing is slightly better for the Pixel. While most should skip past the entry 128GB model, the 256GB variant costs $1,199, 512GB is $1,319, and the 1TB variant is $1,549. This is, of course, before you apply any coupons or discounts from retailers, which there most certainly will be.

You can take a look at all the differences in specs in the table below.

Samsung only upgraded one camera sensor this year, adding a 50MP ultrawide to the Galaxy S25's camera offerings. The rest of the system is unchanged, with a 200MP main sensor and a 3x and 5x telephoto lens.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL passed our camera tests with flying colors, delivering excellent details, colors, and white balance. It's also very effective for capturing subjects in motion, like pets or toddlers. Whether it's low-light or day-light, the 9 Pro XL's cameras are up to the job and almost never disappoint. Exclusive AI features like Add Me take the photography experience a step further.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the same battery capacity as the S24 Ultra, but that may not be a bad thing. The 5,000mAh capacity delivered multiple-day battery life on the S24 Ultra. With the newer chip and other software optimizations, the S25 Ultra does just as well, holding up like a champ according to our reviewer Andrew Myrick.

On the downside, Samsung hasn't budged from the stale 45W wired and 15W wireless charging speeds yet again. The monotony of the Galaxy S25 Ultra's lackluster charging speed makes it look very bad next to competitors like the OnePlus 13's 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. Not to mention, you don't even get proper Qi2 magnetic support on the large Android device.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL has impressive battery life, often stretching well beyond a full day, even with heavy use. According to our parent company's lab test results, the 9 Pro XL took an average of 13 hours to drain its battery completely, compared to the nine hours it took for the 8 Pro. Considering it has nearly the same capacity as the 8 Pro, the power efficiency of the new Tensor G4 really shines here. Charging speed has gotten better, but only for the zero to 30-minute dash and when using Google's 45W charger.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Software

One of the big talking points of the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the software. It's running One UI 7, which is massively overhauled, based on what we've seen. There's a new look for the notification shade and toggle buttons, new icons and UI elements, and most importantly, more AI integration in the form of notifications summaries and more. You also get AI agents with support for cross-app actions.

The S25 Ultra is guaranteed to get seven years of OS and security updates. Keep in mind that One UI 7 will eventually come to the S24 Ultra, but it's possible some features will be kept exclusive for the S25 series.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL launched with Android 14 but was one of the first phones to get the Android 15 update. Google will also be supporting this phone for the next seven years in terms of software updates. Google's AI features in the 9 Pro XL are nothing short of amazing. The Reimagine tool especially is incredibly fun to play with as it lets you modify the environment around your subject in a very realistic manner.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Which one should you get?

If you are a current Samsung user still holding on to the S23 Ultra, then the S25 Ultra will be a good upgrade. Be prepared to shell out a hefty premium though, which I'm guessing you probably won't mind having skipped a generation. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is no doubt the best Android phone in 2025 as it's a proper all-rounder tackling photography, productivity, and gaming, in a single device.

For the majority of users who don't care about the S Pen or need a gaming smartphone, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL will serve you a lot better. The cameras are simply amazing, the design is unique, the battery life is stellar, and it has some of the best software in the Android space. Prices of all the variants are more competitive as well, compared to the S25 Ultra.