Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro: Compact phone lovers rejoice

Smartphone manufacturers love following trends. Over the past couple of years, the Android space has operated under the idea that bigger is better. With massive screens and batteries, large phones like the One Plus 13 offer benefits you won’t find on smaller devices. The issue wasn’t the presence of these unwieldy devices but that smaller phones were all but forgotten.

Boutique phones like the Unihertz Jelly Max often have trade-offs, especially in software support. Outside of Samsung and its base Galaxy lineup, it seemed none of the major Android manufacturers took small phones seriously. However, that trend is slowly changing thanks to Google’s renewed focus on the small phone market.

If you don’t want to explore flip phones, the Samsung Galaxy S25 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro are two of the best small phones you can get with a traditional design. These powerhouse devices have fans and detractors, but each offers an excellent Android experience.

Price, availability, and specs

With an early February 2025 release date, the Galaxy S25 is the latest and greatest small phone from Samsung. The Galaxy S25 sees a modest bump in specs in a couple of categories, but this isn’t a major jump forward compared to last year’s Galaxy S24. It’s available with 128GB or 256GB of storage and retails for $800 and $860 respectively. It comes in four colorways: Navy, Mint, Icy Blue, and Silver Shadow. There’s no black option this year, which may annoy some.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro has been on the market for almost five months. The Pixel 9 Pro launched in September 2024 and comes in Porcelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, and Obsidian colorways. You get your choice of storage with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options. The color that you choose may dictate the storage size for you. Obsidian is available in all four storage sizes, Porcelain and Hazel are available in everything but the 1TB size, and Rose Quartz only comes with 256GB of storage.

You can find these devices almost everywhere, including all major carriers, their respective websites, and retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

• 	Samsung Galaxy S25	Google Pixel 9 Pro
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy	Google Tensor G4
  Display type	LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz	LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz
  Display dimensions	6.2″	6.3″
  Display resolution	2340 x 1080	1280 x 2856
  RAM	12GB	16GB
  Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
  Battery	4,000mAh	4,700mAh
  Charge speed	25W	27W wired, 21W wireless
  Charge options	USB-C Wired, Qi wireless	USB-C wired, Qi wireless
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  Operating System	Android 15 and One UI 7	Android 14
  Front camera	12MP f/2.2	42MP, f/2.2
  Rear camera	50MP f/1.8 main, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto	50MP, f/1.7, OIS main; 48MP, f/1.7 ultrawide; 48MP, f/2.8, 5x telephoto
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 7
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
  Dimensions	146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm	152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm
  Weight	162g	199g
  IP Rating	IP68	IP68
  Colors	Silver Shadow, Navy, Icy Blue, Mint	Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, Rose Quartz
  Price	$800	From $999

Design

Flat sides and rounded corners

This comparison opens with the idea that the smartphone industry loves following trends, and that’s on full display here. It’s a copycat industry, and when one does something well, everyone needs to get in on the fun. The latest trend is to design your phone with flat edges and rounded corners, a design both of these devices lean into. I’m indifferent to this trend, but it may irk some more than others.

Both phones offer great pocketability thanks to their compact sizes, although the Galaxy S25 is smaller than the Pixel 9 Pro. The Galaxy measures 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2mm and weighs a feathery 162g. The Pixel measures 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm and weighs a bit more at 199g.

They also offer premium build materials, with aluminum frames sandwiched between Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back. They have an IP68 rating against dust and water ingress, making them dustproof and capable of taking a quick dip in the pool.

The front is virtually identical on both devices. The major design differences can be found on the back. As phones continue to follow design trends, the camera housing has become the biggest design differentiator between devices. The Galaxy S25 has three camera lenses that protrude individually from the upper-left corner. The Pixel 9 Pro features the horizontal camera bar unique to the Pixel lineup. It no longer runs from edge to edge. Instead, it is pill-shaped with rounded edges.

The Galaxy S25 has an almost identical design to the last couple of base Galaxy S-series devices. The Pixel 9 Pro features a more unique design compared to years past. Still, the designs are close enough that neither has a true advantage. I prefer the look of the Pixel 9 Pro’s horizontal camera bar, but the Galaxy S25 is slightly more portable.

Display

Small beauties

The Samsung Galaxy S25 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro come with industry-leading displays that are a joy to use. These are flagship devices, and, to some degree, a high-quality panel is part of the expectations of a top-tier device.

The Galaxy S25 has a 6.2-inch dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080. It has a 120Hz refresh rate that drops to 1Hz, making the phone feel smooth when navigating menus or browsing the web. This saves on battery when you don’t need the faster refresh rate. Seeing the S25’s display in bright conditions isn’t an issue, thanks to its 2,600 nits of peak brightness.

Google chose a 6.3-inch Super Actua display for the Pixel 9 Pro. This LTPO OLED panel has a 2,856 x 1,280 resolution and a dynamic refresh rate that ranges from 1Hz to 120Hz. The Pixel 9 Pro has no issues in bright conditions, with up to 3,000 nits at peak brightness.

It’s a close call, but the display on the Pixel 9 Pro edges out the victory over the Galaxy S25. You get a slightly larger display, a better resolution (which leads to a higher pixel density, 495ppi vs. 416ppi), and a brighter panel. The Galaxy S25 has a better screen-to-body ratio, helping it keep those compact dimensions. Unless you’re after the smallest device, the Pixel 9 Pro has a slightly better display.

Software

It’s all about AI

Samsung and Google offer two of the best versions of Android. With their baseline Android software being so good, both companies have started to focus heavily on AI. It’ll take some time to see if that strategy pays dividends over the long term, but you can’t blame them for trying to push Android software forward.

The Galaxy S25 comes with Android 15 and One UI 7, a fantastic Android skin that offers a range of customization options and Galaxy AI. It also features productivity features, such as running multiple apps simultaneously and using DeX to connect your phone to a hub or docking station to turn it into a desktop experience.

One UI 7 brings a few tweaks and additions compared to previous iterations, which may be a bit polarizing. There’s the Now Bar, which is a Dynamic Island-like replacement for the lock screen that controls things such as music playbook. In addition to the Now Bar, you get Live Notifications, a return to the vertical app drawer, new animations, and revamped icons.

With such a big focus on AI, it’s no surprise that One UI 7 has new AI-related features. I’m not a huge fan of AI, but some of what Samsung is doing seems genuinely interesting. The biggest news for me was that Bixby is being replaced with Google Gemini, something I have long wanted. You also get features such as Now Brief, which attempts to aggregate all your data into an easy-to-view window, giving you an at-a-glance overview of your day.

The Pixel 9 Pro launched with Android 14 but has since been upgraded to Android 15. It comes with the Pixel UI, a mostly stock version of Android, that doesn’t allow for the amount of customization you get with One UI. It’s a fast and fluid UI and everything feels snappy on the Pixel 9 Pro. It includes nifty features like call screening, which helps you get rid of annoying spam calls.

A large focus has been placed on AI and, like the Galaxy S25, comes with Gemini built in. You also get AI features like Pixel Weather, Pixel Screenshots, and Pixel Studio, in addition to all the AI features baked into the camera software.

Samsung and Google lead the industry in software support with seven years of Android upgrades and security updates. If you’re interested in either device, read the review to check out all their software capabilities.

Performance

Powerhouse vs. good enough

Equipped with 12GB of RAM and the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the Galaxy S25 will win most performance comparisons. If you’re after the best possible performance, especially if you’re into gaming or frequently use DeX, nothing is faster than the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. It’s overkill for daily tasks. However, if you do more intensive tasks, like video editing, or want to run the latest games at the highest frames per second, the Galaxy S25 is the easy choice.

That’s not to say that the Google Tensor G4 processor and 16GB of RAM in the Pixel 9 Pro isn’t a solid option. However, it lacks the top-end speed of recent flagship Snapdragon processors. To be fair, Google never intended the Tensor processors to have the same type of speed as its Snapdragon equivalent, instead opting to optimize it for AI and Pixel UI.

If you aren’t looking for the best possible frame rates or don’t push your device to the limits, the Tensor G4 is an alright option. It’s more than enough for daily tasks. If you don’t compare it to other devices, it provides a good enough experience for tasks that require more power, like gaming. The Tensor G4 is better optimized and runs cooler than previous Tensor processors, but it’s playing catch-up with the Snapdragon lineup.

I wish Google would ditch the Tensor processor and opt for the latest Snapdragon flagship processor for its Pixel lineup. The company is well known for abandoning projects, so there is hope. Still, it looks like Google will stick with the Tensor processor for the foreseeable future. It’s too bad because if Google went with something like the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, it would easily be considered the top Android phone.

Battery life

All-day battery, slow charging speeds

If you’re after all-day battery life, you won’t be disappointed with either of these devices. I’ll start this section with the caveat that we are still putting the Galaxy S25 through its paces. If you want a definitive take, wait for our review. Based on last year’s performance and the efficiency improvements provided by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, I expect the S25 to have similar, if not slightly improved, battery life compared to the Galaxy S24.

The Galaxy S25 comes with a 4,000mAh battery, which should get you through a solid day of modest use. If you are a heavy user, the S25 may not make it to bedtime, so your usage may make or break the battery life. The Pixel 9 Pro comes with a larger 4,700mAh battery. It should also provide a full day of use on a single charge. It can be pushed a little harder than the S25 due to the extra capacity, but both devices require nightly charging.

I continue to be disappointed with Samsung and Google because of their slow charging speeds. The S25 can be charged up to 25W wired or up to 15W wirelessly. The Pixel 9 Pro can be charged up to 27W wired, 21W wireless with the Pixel Stand, or 12W wireless with a Qi charger. With devices hitting 100W wired charging speeds and 50W wireless, it’s time for Samsung and Google to get with the times.

Camera

Falling behind the best

As a fan of the base Galaxy series, saying that I am disappointed in Samsung regarding its recent camera decisions is an understatement. It’s inexcusable that Samsung kept the same camera setup for years. There is no reason the S25 should have the same camera setup as my Galaxy S23.

What makes it even worse is that I have been underwhelmed by the S23’s camera performance, which makes this decision more mind-boggling. Yes, Samsung could improve image quality with enhanced computational capabilities, but I’m not holding my breath.

As it stands, the Galaxy S25 comes with a triple camera setup which includes a 50MP, f/1.8 primary lens with OIS, a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide lens with a 120-degree field of view, and a 10MP, f/2.4 telephoto lens with OIS and 3x optical zoom. It also has a 12MP, f/2.2 front-facing lens for all your selfie needs. It gets great-looking shots in well-lit conditions if your subjects aren’t moving. Samsung has long struggled to get images of fast-moving subjects. Only time will tell if they improve that this year. It can record video at 8K up to 30fps and 4K up to 60fps.

The Pixel 9 Pro operates on a different level than the Galaxy S25 thanks to its 50MP, f/1.7 primary lens with OIS, 48MP, f/1.7 ultrawide with a 123-degree field of view, and 48MP, f/2.8 periscope telephoto lens with OIS and 5x optical zoom. It also has a 42MP, f/2.2 front-facing camera.

The Pixel 9 Pro offers one of the simplest point-and-shoot cameras, almost guaranteeing a quality image every time. It’s better at freezing fast-moving subjects, which makes it ideal for parents or pet owners. I don’t care which lens you use, you may end up with a better image on the Pixel 9 Pro than the Galaxy S25. Video recording options are limited, with 4K and 60fps achievable on the device, but you need Google’s cloud-based up-scaling to achieve 8K and 30fps.

Which is right for you?

Choosing one of these small flagships comes down to what you value most in a smartphone. It’s not an easy decision, and with these devices trading blows in different categories, it will be a toss-up based on preference. No matter which device you choose, you’re guaranteed a stellar device that won’t let you down.

As much as I want to choose the Pixel 9 Pro over the Samsung Galaxy S25, I can’t for two reasons. The first is their overall performance, which the Galaxy S25 wins hands down. As the years pass, I trust the Snapdragon 8 Elite to hold up better than the Tensor G4. The other main reason comes down to their price difference. The S25 is not a perfect device, but it gets a lot right. I have an easier time overlooking its shortcomings with a price that starts at $200 less than the 9 Pro. The Galaxy S25 has a great display, good battery life, and amazing software. The camera leaves a bit to be desired, but this is a fantastic device. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is also a wonderful phone. Still, with a starting price of $999, I struggle to look past the performance of the Tensor G4. It has a lot going for it, like a lovely design, a beautiful display, good battery life, and great software support. It also has one of the best cameras on the market, practically guaranteeing a quality image. Even with all that it does well, I can’t trade camera performance for general performance, especially when its competition undercuts the price by so much. These two are fairly matched across the board, so you can’t go wrong with either option. Still, I’ll take the Snapdragon 8 Elite over the Tensor G4 any day of the week.