Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S25+ Specs

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the company’s current flagship. It arrived back in August 2024. A new one is not far away at this point, but this is still the best Google can offer. In this article, we’ll compare it with one of Samsung’s best smartphones. No, not the Galaxy S25 Ultra, as we’ve already done that. This is a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S25+ specs comparison.

Both of these smartphones are quite powerful. The Galaxy S25+ is also a member of Samsung’s flagship lineup. They are quite different, though. There are some similarities between them, but not a lot. As per usual, we’ll first list the specs of both of these smartphones and will then compare them across a number of different categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output.

Specs

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Samsung Galaxy S25+

	Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	Samsung Galaxy S25+
Dimensions	162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm	158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm
Weight	221 grams	190 grams
Display	6.8-inch LTPO OLED	6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
Refresh rate	1-120Hz (adaptive)	1-120Hz (adaptive)
Resolution	2992 x 1344	3120 x 1440
Chipset	Google Tensor G4	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM	16GB (LPDDR5X)	12GB LPDDR5X
Storage	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)	256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
Main camera	50MP (f/1.7 aperture, 1/1.31-inch sensor size, 1.2um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS)	50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS)
Ultra-wide camera	48MP (f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 123-degree FoV, dual pixel PDAF)	12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size)
Telephoto camera	N/A	10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.94-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom)
Periscope telephoto camera	48MP (f/2.8 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom)	N/A
Selfie camera	42MP (f/2.2 aperture, PDAF)	12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.2-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size)
Battery size	5,060mAh	4,900mAh
Charging	37W wired, 23W wireless (Pixel Stand), 12W wireless (Qi), 5W reverse wired (charger not included)	45W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready), 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included)
Colors	Porcelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, Obsidian	Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold, Coral Red, Blue Black

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S25+: Design

Both of these smartphones are made out of aluminum and glass. In fact, both of them have the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass backplate. The displays of both smartphones are flat, and there’s a centered display camera hole up top. That camera hole is notably smaller on the Galaxy S25+, though. Both devices have uniform bezels, which are also quite thin. The ones on the Galaxy S25+ are a bit thinner, though. More on that in the display section.

You’ll also find a flat frame on both of these phones. It is ever so slightly rounded on the edges for both smartphones, for comfort’s sake. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has the power/lock and volume keys on the right-hand side, in that order. It’s the other way around on the Galaxy S25+, as the power/lock key sits below the volume up and down buttons. There are no physical keys on the left side, on either phone.

If we flip them around, you’ll see notably different back sides. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a pill-shaped camera bar, which is horizontal. It has three cameras inside of it, and it protrudes on the back quite a bit. The Samsung Galaxy S25+ features three vertically-aligned cameras in the top-left corner. They protrude directly from the backplate.

Both of these phones are quite large, though the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a bit taller, wider, and thicker, while it’s also 31 grams heavier. Both of them are IP68 certified for water and dust resistant, and they’re also quite slippery.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S25+: Display

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL features a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display, which is flat. It has a resolution of 2992 x 1344 pixels, and it supports HDR10+ content. The refresh rate here is adaptive (1-120Hz), and the peak brightness the display offers is 3,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is around 88%, while the display aspect ratio is 20:9. Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this panel.

The Samsung Galaxy S25+ includes a 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display. It is also flat, and it offers a resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels. It also supports HDR10+ content, and the peak brightness here is 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 91%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is protecting this display, and it comes from Corning.

Both of these displays are very good, actually. They’re quite vivid and offer great viewing angles, too. Both panels are more than sharp enough and offer good touch response. The blacks are as deep as you’d expect them to be, too. They’re also bright enough. Most people will be more than happy with either panel. Do note that neither display supports high-frequency PWM dimming, well, higher than 480Hz. Many competitors go well over 2,000Hz.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S25+: Performance

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is fueled by the Google Tensor G4 processor. That is Google’s most powerful chip at the moment, a 4nm offering. It is paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM inside of this phone, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Samsung Galaxy S25+ is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, a 3nm chip. That chip is paired with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. Neither phone supports storage expansion.

Now, both of these phones work perfectly fine in day-to-day tasks. In fact, they offer great performance. The Galaxy S25+ is a bit snappier when you compare them directly, which is not surprising considering the faster chip and storage. However, they’re both very fast in general, and lag is not really a part of the equation.

You will start seeing a difference if you run high-end games, however. The Galaxy S25+ is definitely better suited to run such games, due to the performance advantage, plus some additional software that Samsung included. When it comes to low-end and mid-range games, however, well, it really doesn’t matter which phone you use, they can both run such games without a problem.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S25+: Battery

There is a 5,060mAh battery included inside the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The Samsung Galaxy S25+, on the other hand, has a 4,900mAh battery on the inside. Yes, the one inside the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a bit bigger, but the difference is barely there. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a slightly larger display, while the Galaxy S25+’s is a bit sharper. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy S25+ offers better battery life, at least from what we’ve seen.

Don’t get me wrong, both of these smartphones offer good battery life, but the Galaxy S25+ has the edge. It has a 1+ hours of screen-on time advantage over the Pixel 9 Pro XL, but both can reach very high screen-on-time levels. In fact, chances are you won’t have to charge either before the end of the day, even if you’re a power user. You can always drain them before it’s time, though, with games, for example. That is the case with every phone, though.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL supports 37W wired, 23W wireless (Pixel Stand), 12W wireless (Qi), and 5W reverse wireless charging. The Samsung Galaxy S25+, on the other hand, supports 45W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Samsung’s phone will charge up faster, in an hour. The Pixel 9 Pro XL takes around an hour and 20 minutes to fully charge. Neither of these two phones comes with a charger in the box, though.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S25+: Cameras

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has three cameras on the back. A 50-megapixel main camera (1/1.31-inch sensor size) is backed by a 48-megapixel ultrawide snapper (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 123-degree FoV). The third camera on the back is a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom).

The Samsung Galaxy S25+, on the other hand, also has three cameras on the back. It has a 50-megapixel main camera (1/1.56-inch sensor size), along with a 12-megapixel ultrawide snapper (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV). The third unit on the back is a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (1/3.94-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom).

Overall, we preferred the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera performance. It was more consistent in general, while its main camera came through in more situations, including challenging ones, like low light. The Galaxy S25+’s main camera did a good job, but the colors were often not where they should be, plus it was less consistent. The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s ultrawide camera was a tad bit sharper and was able to capture more details, while the phone has a major advantage in terms of high-zoom shots. Anything over 5x is not even close, the Pixel 9 Pro XL has the edge. Do note that images from the phone don’t really look close to real-life, however, they definitely look contrasty and processed, but most people like that look.

Audio

Both of these phones include stereo speakers. The ones on the Galaxy S25+ are technically slightly louder, but the difference is so minimal that you likely won’t even notice it. Both sets offer great sound output, though.

There is no audio jack on either of these two smartphones. You can utilize their Type-C ports, though, if you’d like to connect your wired headphones. Alternatively, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers Bluetooth 5.3 support, while the Galaxy S25+ supports Bluetooth 5.4.