The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Google Pixel 8 Pro are two of the most powerful Android phones you can get – but depending on what you need from a phone, you might prefer one to the other.
While Apple and Google tend to release their new flagship devices in the leadup to Christmas, Samsung likes to reveal its new devices after the holiday period. This year, the company has released the Galaxy S24 Ultra as its flagship device, and it is seriously impressive (we loved it in our review), but just how impressive is it when we put it against the other top-of-the-line Android smartphone, the Google Pixel 8 Pro?
I’ve been using Google’s Pixel range for about two years now and found it was the perfect Android splint to switch to when coming from iOS. Up until a brief stint with the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which I used for about a month before my review period with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I wasn’t too fussed about Samsung’s range, but now I’ve come around on the phone maker’s devices.
As someone who has used both flagship devices, here’s how I compare the Google Pixel 8 Pro to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Which is better?
As the best phones that these companies have to offer, they’re stuffed with features that you’ll find quite useful and pointless. We’ve split our comparisons up into some easy-to-understand sections down below.
Price
This is the easiest section to cross off because we can objectively say that one is cheaper than the other.
The Pixel 8 Pro is the cheapest of the two, with its 128GB model starting at $1,699. There is also a 256GB model for $1,799 and a 512GB model for $1,999.
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at a much higher price. The 256GB base model starts at $2,199. There is also a 512GB model for $2,399, and a 1TB model for $2,799.
If we’re just talking dollars, then the Google Pixel 8 Pro wins out – no contest. However, as you’ll see in the sections below, there are legitimate reasons why the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a higher entry price. You may have already noticed that there is a different entry-level device storage difference between the devices, and you’ll notice that the Ultra is, generally, a more powerful device.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or Google Pixel 8 Pro: If you’re after high-end specs but don’t want to spend too much, the Pixel 8 Pro wins out.
Look and feel
The Google Pixel 8 Pro made a lot of improvements over the 7 Pro in terms of look and feel, removing the ‘waterfall’ display with curved sides, and adding a better-feeling plastic to the back, along with a more flush ‘camera bar’ and a generally nicer screen.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra also axed the ‘waterfall’ look, and with a new titanium chassis, it looks and feels exceptionally premium – running circles around Google’s plastic.
There’s also a size and resolution difference between both phones. While both displays operate at 1-120hz, the Pixel 8 Pro’s screen is 1344×2992 pixels – dwarfed by the Ultra’s 3,120×1,440. In terms of dimensions, the Pixel 8 Pro might look slightly smaller (162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm), but it’s not that much different from the Ultra (162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm) – the Ultra does, however, have noticeably thinner bezels, is taller, and the corners of its screen are more square, making it appear bigger.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or Google Pixel 8 Pro: Both phones look beautiful, but the Ultra is much more premium, and its titanium finish really gives it a brilliant feeling in hand.
The specs
Here’s where we’ll notice the bulk of differences. While both phones represent the heights of their respective tech companies, what Google considers the best is a bit different to what Samsung does. After all, one typically only has three new phones out in a year, while the other will release several more across three separate categories.
With that in mind, it’s safe to say that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a much more powerful device, though it would take a serious power user to notice. Powering the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, one of the most powerful in any Android smartphone, while the Pixel 8 Pro is the comparatively underpowered Tensor G3 chip. Both phones have 12GB RAM to back the processor up, though the Galaxy S24 Ultra has the more powerful Adreno 750 GPU, against the Pixel 8 Pro’s Immortalis G715s MC10.
Battery sizes are similar, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra packing a 5000mAh unit, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a 5,050mAh battery. Despite being slightly more powerful, the Pixel 8 Pro didn’t score as well in our Avengers Endgame battery test – Starting from 100 per cent, the Pixel 8 Pro dropped to 87 per cent after one hour, 74 per cent in the second hour, then 62 per cent in the third. The S24 Ultra dropped to 92 per cent after one hour, then to 81 per cent in hour two, then 69 per cent in hour three.
Fast charging requirements are, however, more stringent with the S24 Ultra. The device requires a 45W wired charger to perform at maximum speeds, whereas the Pixel 8 Pro requires a 30W charger. Additionally, both phones are IP68 rated.
Just to round things off, the Galaxy S24 Ultra also includes a stylus, whereas the Pixel 8 Pro does not. This is probably a deciding factor for someone who might want to create some digital art, but ultimately it might not be too important. I like the precision a lot, and use it constantly when I’m reading websites.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or Google Pixel 8 Pro: As someone who has used both quite a lot at this point, I’m not confident that a casual user would notice a great deal of performance difference between the devices. However, the S24 Ultra is the winner in terms of specs – in day-to-day use, its battery holds together much better, and it is generally a much faster device.
Software
This is where most users might put a stick in the mud. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Google Pixel 8 Pro both use Android 14, however, these phones also use a proprietary operating system built on top of Android – for the Ultra, it’s Samsung’s One UI 6.1, and for the Pixel, it’s simply Google’s Pixel-focused splint of Android (FYI, Google owns Android).
Functionally, the operating systems are very similar – they’re both very minimalist and are designed to be accessible, however, Samsung has integrated a lot of extra stuff that might leave a user confused. Stuff like Bixby, Gaming Hub, Global News, Samsung News, Galaxy Shop, SmartThings, and ‘AR Zone’, just to name a few.
Meanwhile, Google’s Pixel phones are typically quite barebones as far as in-the-box apps go; the Google suite of apps is there, Drive, Docs, Gmail, and such, but very few, if any, things that aren’t Google.
I also tend to think that Pixels are generally less convoluted; in my experience, I’ve found navigating through settings and home screen customisation to be a breeze. I’ve also grown to love the persistent ‘Google’ search bar, that is constantly at the bottom of the screen, but, understandably, some users won’t like this. It’s designed to search both the web and your device, in case you’re after a hidden app or you’re after some recipes from a website.
Naturally, both phones offer wide-ranging customisation options, letting you change the look as you go.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or Google Pixel 8 Pro: The Google Pixel 8 Pro has a less overwhelming operating system, but you can easily get used to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Cameras
In our review of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, we already compared snaps between these phones extensively, so we’ll be including the same comparisons in the section below.
Samsung tends to add more vibrancy to its photos, whereas a phone maker like Google would rather add more true-to-life colouring. This gives Samsung an advantage in some capacities, such as when taking macro photos or night photos, but it can also make things look washed out and over-edited.
Let’s run through the camera specs:
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 200MP Wide, 50MP periscope, 10MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP selfie
- Google Pixel 8 Pro: 50MP Wide, 48MP telephoto, 48MP ultrawide, 10.5MP selfie
From the specs above, you might dismiss the Pixel 8 Pro as having generally worse camera quality, but surprisingly, no. In my experience, photo quality between the two phones was mostly on par, though the S24 Ultra did have the advantage in some capacities, such as in close-ups or in certain low-light environments.
However, as you’ll see below, you might not like how either Samsung or Google render their photos. I like Google’s shots a lot more as they’re more authentic, but the better quality from the S24 Ultra is also quite nice.
Let’s start with a wide-angle photo.
Now a macro photo.
Now another macro photo.
Maximum zoom out.
Now 30x zoom in (the maximum for the Google Pixel 8 Pro).
The S24 Ultra can zoom into 100x, but the picture quality isn’t terrific.
Now a selfie test on a 32-degree day (you can see Samsung’s beautification at work here, versus Google’s true-to-life approach).
Some night comparisons.
That same shot from the beginning, but at night.
And how about a low-light selfie?
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or Google Pixel 8 Pro: Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra seems to have the advantage of showing more detail, but it achieves this alongside a focus on beautification. I like the natural shots that Google produces with its Pixel phones, but I appreciate the extra detail Samsung offers with the Ultra in many of these photos, such as the photo of the spider, the night selfie, the train station, and the macro shot.
The verdict
If you were switching over from an iPhone, I would happily recommend the Google Pixel 8 Pro, however, if you want the best-of-the-best, it’s hard to look past the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Pixel 8 Pro is a much more accessible device, particularly for its lower entry price and for its much less overwhelming operating system, but in terms of performance, the S24 Ultra dwarfs it.
Image: Gizmodo Australia
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