The Zenfone 10 was one of the last of its kind compact phone, with a screen measuring less than 6 inches. Since then, compact Android devices have essentially been erased from existence, and all that remains are a few devices trying hard to fill that gap. Samsung’s base Galaxy S and Google’s non-Pro Pixel models are a few phones that kinda fit into the small phone tag, albeit they’re still not considered “compact.” Now that the Galaxy S25 is out to continue this legacy, we’ll see how it fares vs the Pixel 9 in this segment.
Galaxy S25 vs Pixel 9: Specifications
You can take a look at the specifications of the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 before we move on to their in-depth comparison.
Galaxy S25 Pixel 9 Dimensions and Weight 152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm, 198 grams 152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm , 198 grams Display 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X LTPO 1080×2340 pixels resolution, 120Hz refresh rate with 2,600 nits of peak brightness protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 6.3-inch OLED 1080 x 2424 pixels resolution, 120 Hz, with 2,700 nits of peak brightness protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite Tensor G4 Cameras 50 MP f/1.8 wide,
10 MP f/2.4 telephoto (3x)
12 MP f/2.2 ultrawide
12 MP f/2.2 selfie snapper50 MP f/1.7 wide,
48 MP f/1.7 ultrawide
10.5 MP f/2.2 selfie shooterBattery and Charging 4,000 mAh with 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2), and 4.5W reverse wireless 4,700 mAh with 27W wired, 15W wireless via Pixel Stand, and 12W Qi2/reverse wireless Software Launched with One UI 7 based on Android 15
7 years of major updatesLaunched with Android 14. Android 15 available with 7 years of major updates Connectivity and Misc Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, UWB, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, and NFC.
Ultrasonic Fingerprint SensorWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, and NFC.
Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor, Temperature SensorStorage 128 GB + 12 GB (UFS 3.1)
256 GB + 12 GB
512 GB + 12 GB
UFS 4.0, LPDDR5x128 GB + 12 GB
256 GB + 12 GB
UFS 3.1, LPDDR5Colors Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow Porcelain, Peony, Wintergreen, Obsidian
Galaxy S25 vs Pixel 9: Design and Build
Unlike the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s design, which received a slightly bigger change this year, the S25’s didn’t change that much. You get the same 6.2-inch display with a negligibly better screen-to-body ratio. Height-wise, the S25 (146.9 mm) is smaller than the Pixel 9 (152.8) and also much thinner at 7.2 mm (vs 8.5 mm).
The reason behind the Pixel 9 being taller and slightly wider is the 6.3-inch display. Another area where the S25 beats the Pixel 9 (review) is in the weight. It weighs just 168 grams. That’s a whopping 30 grams lighter than the Pixel 9’s 198 grams bulk. The bottom line is, that the Galaxy S25 should be easier to hold and store than the Pixel 9 as it’s less bulky, slimmer, and smaller.
Both devices sport an Aluminum frame with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 at the front and the back. Both have a hole-punch notch, but the one on the S25 is significantly smaller. The S25 gets Samsung’s signature vertical camera module design, whereas the Pixel’s floating camera island gives it its distinctive charm.
Display
As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy S25 sports a 6.2-inch display which is an FHD+ 2x LTPO Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz unit with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits and 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution. The Pixel 9, on the other hand, has a larger 6.3-inch FHD+ 1080×2424 pixels OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and a higher peak brightness of 2,700 nits.
While both the displays seem almost identical on paper, the one on Pixel 9 is not an LTPO display, so a definitive win for the Galaxy S25. It’s worth mentioning that the bezels on the S25 are slimmer than the Pixel 9’s. Therefore, it should feel a tad bit more premium to hold and use.
Galaxy S25 vs Pixel 9: Cameras
In the camera department, the Galaxy S25 features a triple camera setup with a 50 MP wide sensor, 10 MP telephoto with 3x zoom, and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor. The Pixel 9 sports a dual camera setup with a primary 50 MP sensor and a secondary 48 MP ultrawide snapper. The front camera is a 12 MP unit on the S25 and 10.5 MP on the Pixel 9.
The S25 does have an advantage with its telephoto, but the Pixel 9 more than makes up for it with a larger main camera sensor (1/1.31″) and a smaller aperture (f/1.7). Combined, there’s a higher-resolution ultrawide snapper with a much smaller aperture (f/1.7 vs f/2.2). This should mean the Pixel should be better overall when shooting in low light. Combined with Google’s arguably better computational photography, the Pixel 9 offers a better set of cameras.
Galaxy S25 vs Pixel 9: Hardware
As highlighted in our Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Pixel 9 Pro XL comparison, Pixel’s Tensor G4 cannot compete with Galaxy S25’s Snapdragon 8 Elite (benchmarks). The latter is much more powerful, with its 2nd generation Oryon prime cores clocked at 4.47 GHz and performance cores clocked at 3.53 GHz. It’s not just powerful but also efficient because it’s built on TSMC’s 3nm process compared to the 4nm Samsung of the Tensor.
Similarly, the Mali-G715 MP7 is no match for the Adreno 830. Overall, the performance of the Tensor G4 is comparable to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, on paper, an SoC that came out in 2021. Doesn’t bode well for Google.
Overall, if you want performance, you shouldn’t be looking at the Pixel 9. The Galaxy S25 outperforms the Tensor G4 in every aspect.
Software
Perhaps the Pixel 9 can make up for the bad performance numbers with its software? Unfortunately, we believe it’s no longer a close fight. One UI 7 brought some brilliant features and improvements to the overall UI, making it one of the most significant Android 15-based updates. Also, both devices will get 7 years of OS updates.
Still, if you’re confused between Pixel UI and One UI 7, the latter is more customizable and feature-rich. The Pixel UI is known for its smoothness, optimizations, and simple user experience. In terms of raw features and customizations, One UI 7 takes the crown, but Pixel’s optimizations and experience are still up there. Hence, it all boils down to the kind of experience you want.
Battery
The battery on the S25 is a 4,000 mAh unit that can charge at 25W and supports 15W Qi2 wireless charging alongside 4.5W reverse wireless. Pixel 9 has a much larger 4,700 mAh unit with slightly faster 27W wired charging, 15W wireless with Pixel stand, and 12W with Qi chargers.
On paper, Pixel 9’s battery should last much longer than Galaxy S25’s. Although we believe it will last longer, don’t expect the difference to be that huge. That’s due to the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC which is a 3nm SoC versus Tensor G4 (4nm) and an improved vapor chamber, which is absent in the Pixel 9.
Storage and Connectivity
Coming to the storage, the 128 GB base variant of the S2X series still exists. There’s UFS 4.0 storage across the board excluding the 128GB variant, and 12 GB RAM. The storage variants include 128 GB + 12 GB, 256 GB + 12 GB, and 512 GB + 12 GB. Pixel 9 comes in two variants 128 GB + 12 GB and 256 GB + 12 GB, albeit with UFS 3.1 on both variants.
Then there’s Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, UWB, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, NFC, and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader. The Pixel 9 lacks UWB, though, and so does the US variant of the S25. The sensors are pretty similar across the board.
Colors and Pricing
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 comes in four colors — Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow while the Pixel 9 is available in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, and Peony colorways. The vanilla S25’s colors look great this time around, and so do the Pixel 9’s.
Let’s compare the 256 GB variants of both phones because that’s what most people will consider buying. Samsung has decided not to increase the prices this time despite the rumors, therefore the 256 GB variant comes at $859. Pixel 9’s 256 GB variant costs $750 as of writing this.
Galaxy S25 vs Pixel 9: Conclusion
The Galaxy S25 is a better small phone on paper compared to the Pixel 9. It’s all thanks to its slimmer chassis, smaller design, lighter weight, and more pocketable overall size. The only areas Pixel 9 takes the edge are in the camera department and battery, although by just a slight margin. Therefore, for $100 more, it makes more sense to get the Galaxy S25 right now thanks to the vastly better 8 Elite chipset alone.
What are your thoughts on the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25? Which one would you pick? Let us know in the comments.
