As much as we like the OnePlus 13, most buyers looking for a new Android phone will probably choose between the Google or Samsung handsets. They are available via American operators, are familiar to longtime Android users and offer the best software in class. Now that the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 have come out, I used the two phones side by side to determine which one is the best.
We already have a complete ventilation of how the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 shake on paper, so I will focus on the intangible assets here. Things like the way each phone feels in hand or what it is to use a pixel ui or a daily UI 7. Boy, there are many. You might think that as representatives of the basic model of the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 series, these two phones have a lot in common, but this is simply not the case.
The most important thing you notice when recovering one or the other device is that the Galaxy S25 is lighter, not by an insignificant margin. It only weighs 162, which makes it the lightest flagship product on the market in the United States in comparison, the Pixel 9 weighs 198 grams, and it is more than the Galaxy S25 Plus. Google may have understood how to make the Pixel 9 feels premium this generation, but it has not yet cracked the perfect weight.
The weight of the Galaxy S25, plus its compact factor overall, makes me want to pick it up more than Pixel 9. It is more comfortable to hold, and I can promise that you will notice the difference in 36 grams without having Need to look at the specification sheet. That makes even more difference if you like to use your smartphone with a case, as it will of course add more weight and thickness.
The Google Pixel 9 is larger than the Samsung Galaxy S25 overall, and I’m not sure that it is a good thing. The first has a 6.3 -inch screen, while the second has a 6.2 -inch screen. At 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm, the Galaxy S25 is downright tiny, especially when you take into account the rear cameras. They exceed less from the rear glass than the camera bar of the Pixel 9, so it will not swing as much on a table.
The screens themselves use similar technology. These are both OLED panels with a variable refresh support at 120 Hz and high brightness capacities. I would say that the Galaxy S25 is slightly less thoughtful and is easier to visualize outside, but both are excellent and flat screens.
When the Pixel 9 was released for the first time, it was my favorite Android basic model, and I thought he was able to go aside with the iPhone 16. 9 in my book, and Samsung made the Good things to make it happen. To be clear, Samsung did not do everything perfectly. I wanted to see new camera equipment and a new design. But he did the RIGHT Things.
What do I mean by that? Well, Google has always had a field with the Pixel range. Going with Pixel 9, you may not have a phone that wins each reference. However, you will get a very well optimized device, has fantastic and excellent software in AI tasks. Here is the thing: the Samsung Galaxy S25 is probably better optimized, with software just as good and with better AI tasks.
Samsung and Qualcomm worked together to make the Snapdragon 8 elite for the Galaxy chipset, and it’s a breakthrough. Geekbench 6 tests below provide an instantaneous how the Galaxy S25 works against Pixel 9 in synthetic workflows. Samsung wins, and it’s not particularly close.
|
Reference |
Samsung Galaxy S25 (Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy) |
Google Pixel 9 (Tensor G4) |
|---|---|---|
|
Geekbench 6 (Simple-Noyau) |
3,025 |
1,572 |
|
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Fond) |
9,640 |
3,792 |
More importantly, the Galaxy S25 is now the leader in AI treatment – a title that Pixel 9 held not so long ago. Google’s Tensor G4 processor has made tricks around the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 coming out in the Galaxy S24, as it could treat up to 45 tokens per second. Qualcomm responded with a Snapdragon 8 mobile platform for Galaxy which can manage 70 tokens per second for AI tasks, beating the Google lighthouse.
Thus, the Galaxy 25 is better in raw performance and the processing of AI, but what about software? I was the first to criticize a user interface over the years – I have written several articles that slam Samsung trends to enrage phones with bloating and double applications. However, there are no things to get around the fact that a UI 7 is a breakthrough, and it could beat pixels for the first time.
The reason why I fully appreciate an IU 7 on the Galaxy S25 is that it gives you the best of Google AI and Galaxy AI. He has Gemini and a circle to search for the support and was the first phone to support the multi-appliance actions of Gemini. He also has a care of Magic Editor via Google Photos. In addition to that, he has all the magic of Samsung, including the Eraser object, Ai Drawing Assist and AI Select.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Samsung offers the best of both worlds with the Galaxy S25. Meanwhile, Google could have some pixel software exclusives, but there is no way to obtain the large Galaxy AI suite on a Pixel 9.
Put everything, and I think the choice between the Galaxy S25 and the Pixel 9 is clear. The first is lighter, more compact and faster, with more AI and software features.
Now, before running to buy a Galaxy S25 for $ 800, there is a limitation that you need to know. It is the camera system, which has been recycled from the Galaxy S22 series and obtains extremely old. As you can see in the photos I captured with the Galaxy S25 in the gallery below, this leads to results that are simply correct.
If you need better cameras, get the Google Pixel 9. This is essentially the only reason why I would recommend the Pixel 9 on the Galaxy S25, which is not something that I expected to write before Test these side on the side phones.
The reality is that Samsung has officially exceeded Google in terms of raw performance, optimization and AI treatment. With many of the best Galaxy S25 Galaxy IA features, there are few reasons to promote Pixel 9 as it is currently.
The superior compact android
The Samsung Galaxy S25 is faster and smaller than the Google Pixel 9 – with more AI features thanks to the inclusion of Galaxy AI and Google AI. As such, if you want the best small Android flagship product today, it’s your best option. However, you will have to look beyond dated camera equipment and a familiar design.
