Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Which Android Phone Is Better?

The Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comparison will go a long way toward determining who makes the best Android phone, with Google hoping the one-two punch will help it beat Samsung’s premium flagship.

The company has already confirmed that the Pixel 9 Pro will make an appearance at its Made by Google event on August 13, showing off the upcoming flagship in a short teaser video . But that phone could have a bit of the company’s back in the form of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, a larger version of the standard Pro with a screen that rivals the size of the panel on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Two different phones might not be enough to beat the Ultra, which is one of the best phones we’ve tested this year. In addition to a powerful chipset and a long-lasting battery, the Galaxy S24 Ultra includes Galaxy AI features that rival the intelligence in any phone — including Google’s.

To see who has the better AI features, not to mention the best device overall, we conducted a Google Pixel 9 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review. We use the rumored Galaxy 9 Pro features to get our first impressions of Samsung’s latest device, and compare them to what we already know about the Galaxy S24 Ultra ahead of launch.

Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Specs

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Row 0 – Cell 0	Google Pixel 9 Pro (rumors)	Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (rumors)	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Screen size	6.1 – 6.3 inches	6.7 – 6.8 inches	6.8 inches
Processor	Tensor G4	Tensor G4	3rd Generation Snapdragon 8 Processor
Aries	16 GIGA BYTES	16 GIGA BYTES	12GB
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Rear cameras	Main 50MP, ultra-wide 48MP, telephoto 48MP (5x zoom)	Main 50MP, ultra-wide 48MP, telephoto 48MP (5x zoom)	200 MP main; 12 MP ultra-wide, 50 MP telephoto (5x zoom), 10 MP telephoto (3x zoom)
Front camera	50MP	50MP	12MP
Battery size	4.558 milliamperes	4942 milliamperes	5000mAh
Coloration	Black, white, pink, green	Black, white, pink, green	Titanium Black, Titanium White, Titanium Purple, Titanium Yellow

Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Price and Availability

At $100 more than its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the most expensive non-foldable smartphone, starting at $1,299. That’s $300 more than Google’s most expensive non-foldable smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro, which starts at $999.

Google will be under pressure to keep at least one of its rumored Pixel 9 Pro models priced at that price point. And there could be some good news on that front. While the rumor mill suggests that prices for some Pixel 9 models will increase, at least according to the leaked pricing for Europe, not every model will cost more than its predecessor. That would suggest that the Pixel 9 Pro could cost the same $999 as the Pixel 8 Pro, with the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL costing a bit more.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra went on sale in late January. Given the Made by Google event scheduled for August 13 and the fact that the Pixel 9 Pro is in the pipeline, we would certainly expect Google’s latest flagships to ship before the end of August.

Google Pixel 9 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – Design and Display

Pixel 9 Pro in 3 colors

Pixel 9 Pro Renders (Image source: OnLeaks / Android Headlines)

When it comes to the Pixel 9 Pro, we’re actually talking about two models, at least according to the rumors about the new phone. Google is allegedly making the Pixel 9 Pro more compact by reducing the screen size to between 6.1 and 6.3 inches, depending on which rumor you accept. Alongside the Pixel 9 Pro, there would be an XL model that would either match the Pixel 8 Pro’s 6.7-inch size or have a slightly larger 6.8-inch panel.

The latter size would match the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 6.8-inch OLED screen. As with the Ultra, we’d expect both Pixel models to offer 120Hz displays.

Brightness could prove to be a huge battleground for these displays. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a maximum brightness of 2,600 nits, although we only measured it at 1,363 nits when we tested the phone earlier this year. Rumors surrounding the Pixel 9 Pro suggest that both models will match the 2,600 nits of brightness on Samsung’s premium phone, so we’ll see if that holds true when the new phones arrive in our lab.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Back

Galaxy S24 Ultra (Photo source: Future)

When it comes to the design of these Android flagships, Samsung has kept the same look as the Galaxy S23 Ultra while using new materials for its premium device. The S24 Ultra uses a titanium frame that makes the phone more durable and slightly lighter than before (8.22 ounces versus 8.25 ounces). Samsung has also opted for a flat display to better accommodate the S Pen that comes with the S24 Ultra.

The biggest potential change to the Pixel models involves a new look for the camera bars. Previously, a horizontal bar stretched across the back of Google’s flagship phone, but photos of the Pixel 9 Pro show a rounded camera bar that doesn’t extend all the way.

Rumored colors for the Pixel 9 Pro phones include black, white, green, and pink. The latter two options sound a bit more colorful, matching the Galaxy S24 Ultra options, which have two conventional choices (Titanium Black and Titanium Gray) alongside more vibrant options (Titanium Violet and Titanium Yellow).

Google Pixel 9 Pro cameras vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

alleged Pixel 9 Pro XL photo

Leaked Pixel 9 Pro XL image (Image source: XDA Forums / pourelle)

The Galaxy s24 Ultra ranks high among the phones with the best camera, and it’s easy to see why. Samsung equips its top-of-the-range phone with a 200MP main camera, which has larger pixels than previous Ultra models, giving it better low-light performance. There’s also a 12MP ultra-wide camera and two telephoto cameras — a 10MP camera with 3x zoom and a 50MP camera with 5x zoom. The second lens has come with some controversy, as it replaces the 10MP telephoto camera that can offer 10x zoom. Essentially, Samsung has traded in more zoom for better close-up resolution.

We don’t expect to see any huge changes to the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera setup, at least in terms of the number of megapixels on the rear cameras. Both Pro models will likely have the same 50MP main camera as the Pixel 8 Pro. A 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens will also return, although reports suggest it will be a larger sensor than before. The same 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom that’s on the Pixel 8 Pro should also be part of the Pixel 9 Pro’s setup.

As for the Pixel 9 Pro’s front-facing camera, it could get a significant megapixel boost from the current 10.5MP camera, and rumor has it that the new Pro phones will get an improved 50MP selfie camera with autofocus.

The hardware specs only tell part of the story about these camera phones, as AI-powered photography software plays a big role in both Google’s Pixel phones and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung’s phone has added features like suggested editing to improve your photos, generative editing tools, and a feature that adds slow motion to any video you record. Previous Pixels have come with tools to remove unwanted objects from photos and enhance group shots with the Best Take editor to make sure everyone in the photo looks their best. The Pixel 9 Pro is rumored to be getting an Add Me feature, which lets the person taking the photo insert themselves into the photo, along with a number of other AI features. (We’ll get to those in a moment.)

Google Pixel 9 Pro Performance vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review.

(Photo source: Future)

The beefed-up AI features on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are possible thanks to the likely addition of a new chipset, rumored to be the Tensor G4. Google’s silicon isn’t known for its efficiency, though there’s a report that the improved thermal performance could help the chipset run more efficiently, improving both overall performance and power management. Additionally, it’s been rumored that the Pro models could get a RAM boost of up to 16GB.

Even with these improvements, it’ll be hard to beat the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that powers the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line silicon puts up some incredible performance numbers, even outperforming the A17 Pro that powers the iPhone 15 Pro models in some benchmarks.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Battery Life and Charging vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Leaked Google Pixel 9 Pro Renders

Pixel 9 Pro Render (Photo source: OnLeaks)

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the Galaxy S24 Ultra isn’t just fast, it’s also power-efficient. That’s how long the Ultra lasts on a single charge — 16 hours and 45 minutes in our battery test, where the phones surf the web over a cellular network until they run out of juice. The average phone lasts 10 hours in this test, so the Ultra’s score is very impressive, earning it a spot on our list of the best phones for battery life.

Google’s phones didn’t fare as well in this test, but recent models have shown some improvement in battery life, so we’re hoping that’s the case for the Pixel 9 Pro as well. The Pixel 8 Pro’s battery test result was in line with the average for smartphones, so there’s definitely room for improvement. According to regulatory documents in Taiwan, the Pixel 9 Pro has a 4,558mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the battery in the similarly sized Pixel 8. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 4,942mAh battery.

The same regulatory documents suggest faster charging speeds for the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL compared to the 30W wired charging supported by the Pixel 8 Pro. The Galaxy S24 Ultra offers 45W charging.

Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Software

Pixel9 Pro

(Photo source: Google)

As mentioned above, AI features should be plentiful on the Pixel 9 Pro, thanks to the new G4 chipset that powers Google’s phones. Rumored additions to the already impressive list of AI-powered capabilities include call recording with transcripts, an image-generating workspace, and the ability to search screenshots saved on your phone by the content they contain.

Pixel phones have historically set the standard for AI features, but the introduction of Galaxy AI features in the Galaxy S24 series shows that Samsung is taking this area seriously, too. With the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can get help with texting, transcriptions and summaries of recordings, and searches powered by simply circling images on the phone’s screen.

Pixel phones tend to have an advantage over other Android devices because they run the latest version of Google’s phone software before anyone else. We’d expect that to be the case with the Pixel 9 Pro, which comes with Android 15 pre-installed — the S24 Ultra likely won’t get the update until later this year. That said, the rumor suggests that Google’s new phones could debut without Android 15, which we find hard to believe.

Google Pixel 9 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Any Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comparison will come down to how the phones stack up against each other in terms of photography, as well as AI features. From what we’ve heard about Google’s upcoming phones so far, the Pixel 9 Pro and S24 Ultra seem to be equal on both fronts. We can’t wait for the Made by Google hardware event later this month to find out how many of these Pixel 9 Pro rumors are true.