Google Pixel 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Spoilt For Choice

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Need-to-knows

• Pixel 10 is heavier and has a slightly brighter display
• Both take excellent photos, Pixel has slightly more optical zoom
• S25 uses a Snapdragon chip, Pixel uses Tensor G5
• Both cost $799/£799

If you’re looking at buying a new Android phone, you’re likely to be stuck choosing between the Google Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S25. On the face of it, this is a very difficult choice because both are so good. But, if you look at it a different way, the good news is that whichever you choose, you’ll be satisfied. Remember that as you read this article!

Whilst these phones are very similar, there are some key differences that might make you discount one over the other. Let’s take a look!

At a glance

Design and Build

Let’s start with how these phones look and feel, because first impressions matter. The Pixel 10 brings a familiar but refined aesthetic. It’s a bit chunkier than its rival, weighing in at 204g and measuring 152.8mm tall, 72mm wide, and 8.6mm thick. The back is a polished slab of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, framed by aerospace-grade aluminium, meaning it feels solid in the hand, deliberate even. The famous Pixel camera bar is bigger than ever to account for the third lens.

Related: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

Colour options like Indigo, Lemongrass, and Frost provide a nice splash of character, while Obsidian gives the minimalists something to love. Overall, it’s a lovely-looking device with Google’s personality stamped on it.

The Galaxy S25, by comparison, is a bit more generic and slight. At just 162g and 7.2mm thick, it is noticeably lighter. It’s smaller in every dimension and a bit more pocket-friendly. It, too, is clad in Gorilla Glass Victus and framed by metal, but the overall effect is definitely more conventional than the Pixel.

Samsung offers colours like Icy Blue, Navy, and Coral Red, some of which are exclusive to its website, so there is an equal level of personality to the Pixel 10.

Full Google Pixel 10 review

Both are durable, very well made and feel super premium. The choice between the two is really down to your personal taste.

Display

The Pixel 10 features a 6.3-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2424 x 1080, producing visuals at 422 pixels per inch. It supports HDR, a dynamic refresh rate between 60 and 120Hz, and peaks at a searing 3,000 nits of brightness. It’s protected by the same Gorilla Glass Victus 2 used on the back.

The Galaxy S25 doesn’t sit quietly in this department either. Its Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen comes in at 6.2 inches with a slightly more traditional 2340 x 1080 resolution. Samsung’s display tech has long been considered best-in-class, and the S25 is no exception. Colours are lush, contrast is deep, and everything looks incredible. It matches the Pixel with a 120Hz refresh rate and supports the full HDR colour depth you’d expect, but has a slightly lower peak brightness at 2600 nits.

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Choosing between them comes down to nuance. The Pixel’s display might technically be brighter, but Samsung’s panel still feels just about the best. But they’re both brilliant.

Cameras

Now onto the meat of the matter, the cameras. Both phones sport a triple rear camera system with ultrawide and telephoto lens. The Pixel 10 includes a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom. Google’s Super Res Zoom enhances that to 20x with truly usable results, maxing out at around 8x.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 counters with a 50-megapixel main shooter, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. It boasts digital zoom up to 30x, but as always, things get fuzzy the further you go.

In reality, that means both phones produce excellent results that are largely comparable across the board. The only difference is the optical zoom. The Pixel 10 has a slightly longer optical length, which means zoom is better than the S25, but it’s fairly marginal. Unless you really do zoom in to take photos often, then it probably doesn’t matter.

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If you want a point-and-shoot, then both will serve you well. The Pixel 10 takes warmer, more saturated photos, whereas the S25’s are noticeably cooler. Again, it’s down to your own tastes here!

Performance and Battery Life

Under the hood, the Pixel 10 is powered by Google’s in-house Tensor G5 chip. It’s paired with 12GB of RAM and offers either 128GB or 256GB of storage. The battery is a healthy 4,970mAh unit, promising 24 hours of usage or up to 100 hours in Extreme Battery Saver mode. It charges at 30W with USB-C, reaching over 50% in about 30 minutes, and supports 15W wireless charging with the latest Qi2 standard.

How important is battery life? Check out Mark’s iPhone Air review

The Galaxy S25, meanwhile, comes equipped with either a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 or Samsung’s own Exynos chip, depending on your region. It also packs 12GB of RAM and starts with 128GB of storage, stretching all the way up to 512GB. But it only includes a 4,000mAh battery. Despite the smaller capacity, Samsung claims up to 29 hours of video playback, but in reality, these two phones will both see you through a day and a half of use at least.

On paper, Samsung has the faster chip and potentially better gaming performance. But in everyday use, the Pixel 10 feels just as fast unless you’re really putting it through its paces. The biggest difference is that the Pixel 10 has Pixel Snap now, which allows you to magnetically attach accessories to the rear of the device, like a wallet. You can’t do this on the S25.

Software and AI

I know you’re going to hate me saying this again, but the choice between the software is entirely personal. These two brands have honed their takes on Android down to very efficient and user-friendly models. The one you prefer is, ironically, up to you

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Both phones use Android 16 along with seven years of OS and security updates. One UI 7 is a lot closer to iOS in terms of look and feel, if that matters to you.

Google’s built-in AI, Gemini, is tightly woven throughout the Pixel experience. Circle to Search, Live Translate, AI summaries, Call Screening, and features like Audio Magic Eraser make tasks genuinely easier if you get into a routine of using them. And crucially, they don’t feel tacked on because of how integrated Google Gemini is with the OS.

Samsung’s Galaxy AI is equally as good in my books, with practically identical features, mainly because it also relies on Google Gemini. If you’re an AI enthusiast, you’ll be served well by either phone.

Connectivity and Extras

Connectivity-wise, both phones are well-equipped. The Pixel supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, and USB-C 3.2, while the Galaxy S25 steps up slightly with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Both offer IP68 water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, and all the usual flagship fare like NFC, 5G, and spatial audio.

Related: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review

Samsung supports DeX mode for desktop-style usage, which is handy for power users. The Pixel focuses more on Google ecosystem integration, with seamless pairing across devices, smart home support, and strong privacy tools like the Titan M2 security chip and on-device AI.

Verdict

I’m sorry to say that there is no clear answer for you here. Both phones are equally priced and, for the most part, equally as good. There are marginal differentiators, like the longer optical zoom length on the Pixel and Pixel Snap feature, but really it’s a much of a muchness.

The phone you choose will be down to the existing tech ecosystem that you’re in, or whether you want to try something new this year. I’d say the Pixel 10 just about edges it; it’s the one I’d go for, but try both out and make a choice!