With the recent release of the Google Pixel 9 series, the company is finally tackling the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with the flagship Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. Since both devices are currently similarly priced, it’s an understandable dilemma for many users looking to upgrade now. Especially in the USA, only a few brands dominate the entire market, which somewhat limits the selection of smartphones.
Size comparison
The Pixel 9 Pro XL and Galaxy S24 Ultra are fairly large devices, with 6.8-inch displays that might even be overkill for most people. If you’ve never had one of these, go to the store and check your size.
However, knowing what it is, you should pay attention to some nuances. The Galaxy S24 is extremely wide and has sharp edges that make it appear larger than it is. Some people cope better with sharp turns, while others find them awkward.
The Pixel, on the other hand, has rounded corners and a smooth side frame that makes it easier to hold in your hand.
In terms of quality, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is definitely the better choice. Compared to the Victus 2 Pixel seat, it appears to have Gorilla Armor protective panels on the front and back and has a superior titanium frame design compared to the usual aluminum.
Compare the show
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a boxier aspect ratio. Although both phones have the same 6.8-inch screen, the S24 Ultra has a slightly larger screen.
Feature-wise, both panels are impressive – 120Hz refresh rate, granular controls, HDR10+ certification, and more.
In our testing, the Pixel recorded an impressive peak brightness of 2,365 nits in automatic mode and over 1,300 nits in manual mode. It’s definitely the brightest screen of any flagship this year (and possibly even before). The upper limit for S24 Ultra automatic mode is 1440 nits.
It’s important to note that Samsung has now added its own anti-reflective coating and the S24 Ultra’s display is very comfortable even in bright sunlight. However, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is significantly brighter, so it should easily make up for that.
Battery life
The Galaxy S24 Ultra narrowly won the long-distance battery race. The phone increased its active usage rating by over an hour, largely due to longer 4G calls. Video playback and gaming results are also slightly better, but it lags behind the Pixel when it comes to web surfing.
However, if battery life is your top priority, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is probably the safest choice. In this context, the benefits of the Pixel’s low browsing time are largely negligible.
Loading speed
When it comes to charging, neither phone is particularly fast. The Galaxy can charge up to 45W while the Pixel can charge up to 37W. Both companies offer a 45W fast charger as an optional extra. The chargers do not have any proprietary technology, both use USB Power Delivery 3.0 and have very detailed specifications.
Of course, the maximum charging power is not the whole story. At the 15 and 30 minute mark both phones are equally fast or slow depending on how you look at it.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra charges slightly faster and reaches 100%. In our testing, a full cycle was completed in 1 hour and 5 minutes. That’s 13 minutes faster than the 9 Pro XL.
Speaker test
According to our speaker tests, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is slightly louder than the Pixel 9 Pro XL, but both received a “Very Good” rating. The difference lies in the attitude. The Pixel’s sound is slightly warmer, deeper and more defined in the mids, while the S24 Ultra’s speakers sound smoother. However, the difference is not noticeable as both devices offer excellent sound quality.
Performance
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is powered by Google’s latest Tensor G4 chipset, which is far from the fastest on the market.
The 3rd Gen Snapdragon 8 in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, on the other hand, is the best silicon available today and is an overclocked “for Galaxy” version called the SM8650-AC.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a clear advantage when it comes to storage. The device comes standard with 12GB/256GB and is expandable up to 12GB/1TB. The standard Pixel option is 16GB/128GB, expandable to 16GB/1TB. Of course, you get more RAM in the Pixel regardless of configuration, but storage is probably more important these days. The S24 Ultra’s 12GB is a lot, so we recommend increasing the storage instead.
Benchmark performance
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to run any benchmarks on the Pixel 9 Pro XL. I won’t post the results here as they are consistently lower than last year’s Pixel 8 series with the Tensor G3 and the results are meaningless.
Nevertheless, you can assume that the Galaxy S24 Ultra has more performance. The Pixel is much slower than its flagship competitors, and has been for generations, so Qualcomm’s most powerful chip, the 3rd-generation Snapdragon 8, likely won’t compete with the G4’s Tensor.
Camera comparison
The Pixel 9 Pro XL features a powerful camera setup with a 50-megapixel f/1.7, 1/1.31-inch main camera and a 48-megapixel f/2.8, 1/2.55-inch periscopic telephoto camera with 5- x optical zoom. The ultra-wide unit is a 48-megapixel f/1.7 and 1/2.55-inch autofocus unit. There is an unconventional 42-megapixel f/2.2 selfie front camera with an ultra-wide-angle lens.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has the same 200-megapixel 1/1.3-inch f/1.7 sensor, but has two telephoto lenses instead of one (10-megapixel f/2.4, 1/3.52 inches with 3x zoom). , 50 megapixels f). /3.4, 1/2.52 inch teleperiscope with 5x optical zoom. 12MP f/2.2, 1/2.55″ ultra wide angle camera and 12MP f/2.2 selfie camera.
From the data sheet alone you can see that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is more versatile thanks to a 3x telephoto unit. But let’s dig deeper to see the nuances.
Image quality
There aren’t a lot of differences between the primary camera shots on both phones, but you’ll notice that the Galaxy’s images are a bit more vibrant. The HDR algorithm offers brighter shadows and post-processing is smoother on the current S24 series, but we prefer richer color reproduction. In comparison, the Pixel 9 Pro XL has more muted colors and darker tones.
It’s hard to say which device performs better in 2x crop zoom mode, but the Galaxy’s stills are slightly clearer and slightly sharper.
The same goes for the 5x telephoto lens. The S24 Ultra delivers more vibrant scenes with brighter shadows and bolder colors, and if you look closely you’ll notice that the S24 Ultra is slightly sharper. However, it’s hard to tell the difference, so I’ll call this a draw. I didn’t notice any noticeable difference in the 10x hybrid zoom shots.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s ultra-wide camera is great on paper, but it has little advantage over the Galaxy. There is a higher resolution, but I wouldn’t say it’s significantly better than Ultra.
The S24 Ultra performs slightly better in scenes with low light and displays objects in shadows and highlights more sharply. Highlights and light sources are also used better on the Samsung flagship.
These results become more apparent at longer focal lengths. Photos at 2x zoom perform better in low light on the Galaxy, and photos at 5x telephoto are crisp and clear.
When it comes to ultrawide, both phones hit the nail on the head. The 9 Pro XL’s ultra-wide shots in low light are reasonably clean and with less noise, especially in challenging conditions, while the S24 Ultra’s shots are sharper and more detailed.
Selfies are pretty similar in quality, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s ultra-wide selfie camera has a wider FoV.
Video quality
We didn’t expect it to be this easy, but the winner of the video quality comparison was the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This phone always delivers very clear videos with all of its cameras.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s video recording capabilities are weak in comparison, except for low-light shots, where the Pixel’s main camera produces sharper shots.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
