Ever since the biggest phones started getting bigger and bigger, a vocal minority of Android fans has been asking for smaller flagship phones that don’t skimp on any features. I’m one of those complainers, and when Google released a 6.3-inch Google Pixel 9 Pro with all the same specs and features as the 6.8-inch XL version, I hopped right on it. I’ve been using the 9 Pro since September.
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But now that I’ve got the new Samsung Galaxy S25 on my desk, I thought it might be illuminating to take a look at how the two small flagships compare in the hand. The S25 is a little smaller — but is it enough of a difference to really notice?
Pixel 9 Pro vs. Galaxy S25, by the numbers
It’s right there in the measurements: the Samsung Galaxy S25 is smaller, thinner, and lighter than the Google Pixel 9 Pro. Samsung’s new phone is clearly the more compact device.
|
Pixel 9 Pro |
Galaxy S25 |
|
|
Screen size |
6.3″ |
6.2″ |
|
Height |
152.8 mm |
146.9 mm |
|
Width |
72 mm |
70.5 mm |
|
Thickness |
8.5 mm |
7.2 mm |
|
Weight |
199 g |
162 g |
The Samsung Galaxy S25 is 5.9 millimeters (about 4 percent) shorter, 1.5 millimeters (2 percent) narrower, and 1.3 millimeters (15 percent) thinner than the Google Pixel 9 Pro. It’s also 37 grams lighter, a significant 19 percent difference from the Pixel 9 Pro. I’ve never thought of the Pixel as a particularly heavy device, but I noticed the S25 was light as soon as I picked it up, before I even compared the two phones. A difference of 37 grams is about the same as $1.50 in quarters — not a make-or-break amount of bulk, but absolutely an appreciable difference.
Does it actually matter? Which phone feels better?
Being the more svelte smartphone, I think the Samsung Galaxy S25 generally feels better to handle and use than the Google Pixel 9 Pro. Samsung’s phone is smaller than Google’s in every dimension and significantly lighter, so naturally, as a small-phone fan, the S25 speaks to me.
The most notable differences are in height and weight. Being almost six millimeters shorter than the Pixel 9 Pro, the Galaxy S25 is a bit easier to use with one hand. Reaching the top edge of the screen with my thumb while keeping the bottom of the phone supported with my little finger isn’t as much of a strain. Popping open the phone’s quick settings by swiping down from the top right corner of the display is perfectly comfortable.
Picking up my Pixel 9 Pro after using the S25 for a couple of days, I’m struck by how heavy Google’s phone feels. If you’re on your phone for hours at a time, the S25 might cause a little less fatigue in your hands. This seems like a fringe benefit, though; neither phone is objectively _heavy_, and you’ll get used to the weight of whatever device you’re using.
The S25’s thinness is also pretty striking: it’s 15 percent thinner overall than the Pixel 9 Pro. The difference is even more pronounced at the camera bump. Thanks to its much slimmer camera modules, the S25 sits flatter on a table than the Pixel — though the S25 does wobble on its back in a way the Pixel doesn’t, thanks to Google’s symmetrical camera bump.
I’d also like to briefly shout out the Galaxy S25’s finish. Both its glass back and its metal side rails have a matte finish, which hides fingerprints and minor damage better than a glossy finish would. The Pixel 9 Pro’s got matte glass paired with glossy metal — a fine enough look, but the S25 fits my preferences more closely here. That was true of last year’s S24, too, but it bears mentioning as we’re comparing these two phones.
Galaxy S25: Comfortably compact
The Samsung Galaxy S25’s hardware is _very_ similar to last year’s Galaxy S24 — the last-gen Samsung phone was smaller and lighter than the Pixel 9 Pro, too. But that won’t matter much to you if you’re deciding what to upgrade to from a phone you’ve had for two or more years. The S25 is a hair lighter and smaller than even the S24 was — which, for small-phone enthusiasts, makes it pretty appealing.
If your top priority in your next Android phone is something you can use with one hand, keep an eye out for our full Galaxy S25 review, which is coming soon. If camera performance and One UI 7 clear the same quality bar as the phone’s hardware, the S25 is going to be a serious contender for best compact Android phone.
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Google Pixel 9 Pro
The Pixel 9 Pro is a new addition to Google’s lineup, slotting in as a smaller premium flagship to pair with the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The latter is the direct successor to 2023’s Pixel 8 Pro despite its new XL moniker, whereas the Pixel 9 Pro brings a new form-factor to Google’s high-end offerings, sporting the same dimensions as the standard Pixel 9 model while packing all the AI and camera prowess we’ve grown accustomed to from Google’s Pro lineup.
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Samsung Galaxy S25
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 keeps things small without sacrificing power. With a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 12GB of RAM, and all sorts of tools courtesy of Galaxy AI, this is everything you expect from a modern flagship squeezed into a relatively svelte chassis.
