Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: two AI champions compared

Google has actually shaken up the flagship smartphone panorama with the launch of the Google Pixel 9 vary. Its newly expanded sequence arrived two months early, and provides a contemporary design and an all-new mannequin within the Google Pixel 9 Pro.

Does that make Google the model behind the best Android phone? We awarded the Pixel 9 Professional 4.5 out of 5 stars in our Google Pixel 9 Pro review, which might counsel it’s in with a shout. Nevertheless, it’s going to need to get previous the mighty Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which has been our prime choose for many of 2024.

It’s price noting from the off that the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is basically extra of a direct rival to the Galaxy S24 Extremely, each when it comes to worth and measurement. Nevertheless, it’s the smaller Pixel 9 Professional that’s probably the most attention-grabbing mannequin within the household. In providing a real flagship expertise in a compact type issue, it gives one thing that Samsung merely doesn’t proper now.

So, how do the Pixel 9 Professional and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely stack up in opposition to each other? Let’s take a more in-depth look.

Google Pixel 9 Professional vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely: specs comparability

Let’s take a fast take a look at the important thing specs of those two telephones earlier than we dive into the finer particulars. 

Google Pixel 9 Professional vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely: worth and availability

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The Google Pixel 9 Professional arrived within the US, UK and Australia on August 22, 2024. This was some seven months on from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, which arrived on January 31.

On the subject of pricing, the Pixel 9 Professional begins at $999 / £999 / AU$1,649 for 128GB of storage. Nevertheless, the value comparability ought to actually begin from the step-up 256GB mannequin, which prices $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849, in addition to the 512GB mannequin at $1,219 / £1,219 / AU$2,049 and the 1TB range-topper at $1,449 / £1,449.

These are the fashions that map on to the Galaxy S24 Extremely vary, which begins at $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$2,199 for the mannequin with 256GB of storage. In the meantime, the 512GB mannequin prices $1,399.99 / £1,399 / AU$2,549, and the 1TB mannequin prices $1,659.99 / £1,549 / AU$2,799.

Evaluating like for like, then, the Galaxy S24 Extremely is $200 / £150 / AU$350 costlier than its new Pixel 9 Professional rival.

Google Pixel 9 Professional vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely: design

There actually isn’t a lot similarity between these two telephones from a visible perspective. For one factor, the Galaxy S24 Extremely is way greater than the Pixel 9 Professional, with its hulking 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm footprint towering over the 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm Google telephone.

Samsung’s flagship can be a a lot heavier buyer at 232g, whereas the Pixel 9 Professional weighs a reasonably modest 199g. Titanium hasn’t made the Galaxy S24 Extremely as gentle as we’d have preferred, nevertheless it has technically made it more durable than Google’s telephone.

These two telephones look very completely different to at least one one other, too. Google’s new design language cribs rather a lot from the iPhone playbook, and by extension, the Pixel 9 Professional seems extra just like the Samsung Galaxy S24 than the Extremely. It’s obtained a flat metallic rim and gently curved corners, mirrored in each the physique and the show.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely has flattened its left and proper edges out rather more than earlier than, however they’re nonetheless barely curved. In the meantime, its corners are fairly pointed, leading to a wonderfully rectangular show.

Google’s telephone has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to the back and front, whereas Samsung’s has customized Corning Gorilla Armor, which is claimed to be broadly as powerful. Each telephones have IP68 water and dirt resistance certification.

Speaking of the backs of those telephones, the Pixel 9 Professional has a extra putting digicam module that runs nearly the width of the telephone. Samsung’s particular person modules may be extra discrete, however in addition they lack a bit persona.

In brief, the Galaxy S24 Extremely is constructed like a tank – for higher and for worse – whereas the Pixel 9 Professional is dinky and pocketable, if a bit spinoff. Each are supremely well-built telephones.

Let’s not overlook that the Galaxy S24 Extremely comes with an S Pen stylus cleverly hidden away in its physique. Most individuals gained’t discover this to be notably helpful, however for anybody who likes to scrawl notes or make sketches, it’s the best choice available on the market.

Google Pixel 9 Professional vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely: shows

That measurement distinction is mirrored within the show choices for every telephone. The Pixel 9 Professional gives a compact (by 2024 requirements) 6.3-inch AMOLED show, whereas the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s AMOLED measures a whopping 6.9 inches.

Samsung has packed extra pixels in to assist cowl that further actual property, with a 1440 x 3120 decision. Google’s compact flagship has an ostensibly lesser 1280 x 2856, although they work out to an identical pixel density (505 ppi for the Galaxy S24 Extremely, 495 ppi for the Pixel 9 Professional).

What may shock you right here is that the Pixel 9 Professional display screen has the next potential brightness, hitting a peak of three,000 nits in HDR content material in comparison with the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s 2,600 nits. Each are very vivid and greater than as much as the duty of working on a vivid day.

The 2 telephones make the most of LTPO panels, which implies that each screens can freely regulate between 1Hz and 120Hz refresh charges in accordance with the duty at hand. This helps no finish with power effectivity.

Variations in measurement apart, these are two of the very best screens available on the market proper now, each able to outputting vibrant but correct colours. The Pixel 9 Professional has the sting on sheer smack-in-the-face brightness, whereas the Galaxy S24 Extremely gives you all that beautiful house to play with. We actually can’t fault both.

Google Pixel 9 Professional vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely: cameras

Our reviewer gave each of those telephones full marks within the digicam division, which tells you that there isn’t a lot between them. That’s to not say they provide the identical advantages, although, past typically taking crisp, clear, vivid snaps in all situations.

The primary sensors are an identical measurement, however the Pixel 9 Professional provides you 50MP whereas the Galaxy S24 Extremely goes with 200MP. The latter doubles down (or certainly quadruples down) on pixel-binning methods. Total, although, we’d say that the Pixel 9 Professional takes higher pictures in most conditions with its fundamental sensor, together with in low gentle. Google’s picture processing is solely extra superior than Samsung’s, and captures extra pleasing pictures.

After we take into account the ultra-wide choices, once more, each sensors are about the identical measurement. Nevertheless, this time it’s Google that lays on the additional pixels with a 48MP providing in comparison with Samsung’s 12MP. Benefit Google, particularly while you consider its peerless picture processing, however there nonetheless isn’t a lot in it.

These two digicam {hardware} setups diverge even additional in relation to the zoom provision. Google provides you a single 48MP 5x periscope digicam, whereas Samsung provides you a 10MP 3x telephoto and a 50MP 5x periscope. The sheer number of zoom ranges that Samsung supplies provides the Galaxy S24 Extremely the win if you happen to wish to stand up shut from afar.

Each telephones take wonderful movies, although solely the Galaxy S24 Extremely takes 8K movies natively. The Pixel 9 Professional must up-res its 4K movies within the background, which takes time and naturally isn’t a local 8K course of.

Whereas each of those telephones pack in loads of AI smarts – you’ll be able to delete and edit background components on each – the Pixel 9 Professional goes the additional mile. Add Me permits you to insert your self into group photographs, whereas the Reimagine characteristic inside the Magic Editor instrument permits you to essentially play together with your reminiscences, including entire new components and scenes utilizing pure language requests.

Total, we’d in all probability have to offer the Pixel 9 Professional the nod within the digicam stakes for its all-round excellence, however the Galaxy S24 Extremely greater than holds its personal, and stays the king of zoom.

Google Pixel 9 Professional vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely: efficiency and software program

To this point, we’ve been capable of hedge our bets, with each telephones being wonderful in their very own proper. There’ll be no such nauseating equivocation within the efficiency spherical. The Galaxy S24 Extremely wipes the ground with the Pixel 9 Professional right here.

Its overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor merely obliterates the Pixel 9 Professional’s customized Tensor G4 in all the conventional metrics. Run any CPU or GPU benchmark you care to obtain, and the Galaxy S24 Extremely will come out with a wholesome lead.

We’re nearly a bit embarrassed for Google at simply how far behind its rivals it has fallen when it comes to uncooked efficiency, and we do fear a bit for the way the Pixel 9 Professional will run in simply a few years, not to mention the seven years that Google will assist it for.

You may not discover this efficiency gulf basically use, in fact. Nevertheless, our reviewer hit the Pixel 9 Professional exhausting with a number of duties working without delay, and it undoubtedly faltered. There’s an opportunity that it is a teething situation, solvable by a firmware replace, however the benchmark outcomes level in direction of a efficiency shortfall.

We additionally noticed the Pixel 9 Professional overheating on a sunny day of images, suggesting it may not be a very environment friendly runner.

With that mentioned, one space the place these chipsets have actually began to be challenged is within the AI division, and in that respect, the Pixel 9 Professional isn’t such a wimp. Certainly, most of Google’s focus with its Tensor chips has been on AI efficiency. It has even given its telephone a whopping 16GB of RAM to assist run these superior AI duties, which beats the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s 12GB.

If you happen to’re intent on enjoying the most recent high-end 3D sport at silky clean body charges, the Galaxy S24 Extremely goes to be a greater performer. For working superior AI duties in a number of years’ time, nonetheless, the Pixel 9 Professional could find yourself being the efficiency champ.

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Each Google and Samsung supply seven years of software program assist, which locations them proper on the prime of the trade. Nevertheless, within the right here and now, we’d take Google’s software program over Samsung’s each day of the week.

Google makes the Android OS, so it’s no shock that its UI is the extra cohesive and user-friendly of the 2, with a lot much less in the way in which of useless bloat and obfuscation (although the Settings menus are getting a bit cluttered). Samsung’s providing is an influence person’s dream, nevertheless it nearly journeys over itself to current its personal customized apps on prime of what Google gives as commonplace, whereas its personal Settings menus are labyrinthine.

We gave the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s software program provision 3 out of 5 stars in our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review, which makes it probably the most disappointing factor of an in any other case excellent telephone. The Pixel 9 Professional earned a way more respectable 4 out of 5.

In fact, each of those producers are maybe leaning a bit too closely into AI gimmicks, and even their extra promising options don’t appear prepared for prime time. Google is now making Gemini AI its default assistant, nevertheless it makes a number of too many rudimentary errors and is a bit sluggish, even when it’s able to some spookily human-like conversations.

Samsung provides you reams of AI stuff, all buried away in menus. It’s an actual hodge-podge of Google provisions (you can additionally entry on the Pixel 9 Professional) and Samsung’s personal efforts. It’s very troublesome to get your head round all of it, and solely a few of it’s consequential.

Google Pixel 9 Professional vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely: battery

It shouldn’t shock you to be taught that the Galaxy S24 Extremely wins on battery life. In any case, greater telephone, greater battery.

It’s not fairly the slam dunk that you just may be anticipating, although. Sure, its 5,000mAh cell is greater than the Pixel 9 Professional’s 4,700mAh equal. And sure, we rated the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s stamina increased in our evaluation, with Samsung’s telephone lasting an enormous 16 hours and 45 minutes in our lab check in comparison with the Pixel 9 Professional’s 13 hours and quarter-hour.

However these are two completely different telephones with completely different use circumstances. The Galaxy S24 Extremely has a number of the greatest stamina within the enterprise, lasting you thru a full day of even probably the most intensive utilization with out a fear. It’s a telephone for energy customers, in order that’s type of the purpose.

The Pixel 9 Professional shouldn’t be that. It’s a compact flagship, designed for use reasonably. On that entrance, it too will final you thru the day comfortably.

Neither of those telephones are setting any velocity information with their charging occasions, although. Samsung’s bigger battery helps 47W wired charging, whereas Google’s smaller battery helps 27W charging. The outcome: each will get you previous the 50% mark inside half-hour, however not by a lot. Solely Samsung’s telephone can bomb on to 100% inside the hour, however that’s nothing to shout about.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely helps 15W wi-fi charging, whereas Google’s helps 12W as commonplace. Purchase a Pixel Stand, nonetheless, and the Pixel 9 Professional can assist 21W wi-fi charging.

Google Pixel 9 Professional vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely: verdict

These are two of the very best telephones cash can purchase proper now. Each the Galaxy S24 Extremely and Pixel 9 Professional pack wonderful designs, very good shows, and top-notch digicam techniques. The truth that we awarded each a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars suggests a reasonably even struggle.

Drill down into the small print, nonetheless, and also you’ll discover loads of causes to lean in some way. The Pixel 9 Professional is smaller and cheaper, with cleaner software program and a superior point-and-shoot digicam expertise, making it the higher choose for most individuals.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely, nonetheless, is an influence person’s dream, with a means bigger display screen, epic battery life, impeccable digicam zoom capabilities, and a devoted S Pen stylus.

We’d maybe give the Pixel 9 Professional the nod for its extra wide-ranging attraction, however the fact is that each of those telephones are proper close to the highest of the cell sport.

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