Google Pixel 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Battle of the small flagships

The Google Pixel 10 Pro finally official, and it's immediately competing with the Galaxy S25. Google and Samsung each use different strategies to separate their flagship models. Google has the base model, Pro, and Pro XL, whereas Samsung uses a base model, Plus, and Ultra (plus the Edge, if you count it). This creates an interesting situation where the base Samsung Galaxy S25 is competing with both the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro.

The two phones are more similar than you may think, each offering triple-camera systems on the back and smaller flagship-caliber displays. If you're in the market for a great compact flagship, you might be choosing between the Google Pixel 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S25. Let's break down how these two handsets compare.

Google Pixel 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Pricing and availability

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Google officially announced the Pixel 10 at a Made by Google 2025 showcase on Aug. 20. The Pixel 10 Pro kept its $999 starting price point, and you get 128GB of storage and 16GB of RAM for the base model. Higher-priced upgrades are available to 256GB, 512GB, and possibly 1TB configurations. The phone is available in four colorways: Obsidian, Porcelain, Moonstone, and Jade. For those keeping track at home, that's black, white, bluish-gray, and green in normal colors.

Meanwhile, Samsung announced the Galaxy S25 in January, and it has been available for purchase since February. The base model starts with 128GB of storage but is more accessible at a cheaper $799 retail price. Months after its official launch, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is frequently available much cheaper than that. You can get it in Icyblue, Navy, Mint, and Silver Shadow colorways, as well as a few more Samsung online exclusive shades.

Google Pixel 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Design and display

This year, the Samsung Galaxy S25 stayed true to its compact design and form factor. Google Pixel phones have been on the bulky side of the market comparatively, and in a way, the brand is sticking to that identity too with the Pixel 10 Pro. The phone is thicker and heavier, but there's a tradeoff. You also get features like magnetic Qi2 charging, a larger battery capacity, and faster charging across the board. These are all areas where the Pixel 10 Pro will beat the Galaxy S25.

Those who enjoy small phones will find comfort in the Galaxy S25's tiny feel. It's smaller than the Pixel 10 Pro by every measure, and by a wide margin. The device measures 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm and weighs 162 grams, which is seriously light. By comparison, the Google Pixel 10 Pro measures 152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm and weighs 207 grams, which are gargantuan figures for a phone of this size.

You get a lot in exchange for the bulkier feel. With that being said, the Pixel 10 Pro might feel massive for some, and it'll only get worse when you start adding cases and screen protectors.

A small part of the reason the Galaxy S25 is more compact than the rumored Pixel 10 Pro is due to its smaller display. The phone has a 6.2-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display panel, which can support 120Hz variable refresh rates. It's covered by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and the entire phone has an IP68 rating against dust and water. It's a gorgeous panel, but it is slightly smaller than the 6.3-inch screen on the Pixel 10 Pro.

The Pixel 10 Pro offers a 6.3-inch Actua OLED panel with a 1280 x 2856 resolution. We also have 120Hz variable refresh rate support and a 3,300-nit peak brightness level. Like the Galaxy S25, the Pixel 10 Pro is secured with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and an IP68 certification.

Google Pixel 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Hardware and specs

While the Google Pixel 10 Pro might not look much different than its predecessors one the outside, that's another story on the inside. For starters, we have a Tensor G5 processor — but that was a given. Here's the important part: this year, the Tensor G5 is manufactured by TSMC for the first time, which has us excited. Thanks to TSMC's 3nm process node, the Pixel 10 Pro will finally be able to get closer to Qualcomm-powered handsets in raw performance.

Google says that the Tensor G5 platform brings a slew of upgrades, from performance boosts to a new image-signal processor (ISP) that improves camera quality. In terms of numbers, the Tensor G5's CPU is claimed to be 34% faster on average than the Tensor G4. For an annual upgrade, that's actually an impressive boost. For AI tasks that leverage the tensor processing unit (TPU) there's even better news. The TPU in the Tensor G5 is up to 60% more powerful, according to Google.

We'll have to test the Tensor G5 ourselves, and while Google is still trying to catch up to Qualcomm-powered phones, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is a Qualcomm-powered phone. The Galaxy S25 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy mobile platform, which is a breakthrough SoC that may be the best in the world. The Pixel 10 Pro beats the Galaxy S25's 12GB of memory, offering 16GB this year, but it probably won't beat the Snapdragon 8 Elite and performance.

Google did leap head of Samsung in one key area: Qi2 support. It's true — the Samsung Galaxy S25 does support Qi2.1 via the Qi2 Ready spec. However, it requires a third-party case or magnet ring to connect to chargers and accessories. This is annoying, and Google finally addressed the problem by building the Qi2 magnets right into the Pixel 10 Pro.

It's part of a broader strategy for Pixel accessories, which are part of a universal "Pixelsnap" brand. It's a magnetic accessory ecosystem for Google Pixel products similar to Apple's MagSafe ecosystem on iOS. Unfortunately, only the Pixel 10 Pro XL supports the new Qi2 25W fast-charging spec — the regular Pixel 10 Pro is stuck with Qi2 15W.

Google ships the Pixel 10 Pro with Android 16, while the Galaxy S25 comes with the Android 15-based One UI 7. Both phones are covered by seven years of OS updates, and the Android 16 update for the Galaxy S25 is currently in the beta testing stage.

Google Pixel 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Cameras

The Google Pixel 10 Pro includes a triple-camera system on the rear, just like the Galaxy S25, but the Pixel has the superior setup. Samsung hasn't updated its camera loadout in years. By comparison, even the smaller "Pro" Pixel features top-notch camera hardware. We have a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP telephoto lens, and a 48MP ultrawide on the Pixel 10 Pro.

Notably, the Pixel 10 Pro's telephoto camera supports 5x optical zoom, which will beat out the Galaxy S25's 3x optical zoom support. With a 42MP front-facing camera, the Pixel 10 Pro has the edge for selfies, too. It'll likely beat the 12MP selfie cam on the Galaxy S25. That's without considering the improvements in software and processing that come from the upgraded ISP in the Tensor G5 chip.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is equipped with a 50MP main camera, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. The hardware is dated, and there's a big dropoff from the primary shooter to the secondary lenses.

Google Pixel 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Which flagship is best?

Depending on your needs and price point, there are plenty of reasons to choose either the Google Pixel 10 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S25. The Pixel 10 Pro has a superior camera system, and also brings a larger screen and battery. There's also a more powerful Tensor G5 chip and support for QI2 with inbuilt magnets, which are nice perks.

However, the Pixel 10 Pro retails for $1,000, and that's $200 more than the Galaxy S25 costs at full price. With ongoing discounts, you can regularly find the Galaxy S25 even more affordable than that, sweetening the deal. The Google Pixel 10 Pro might be better than the Galaxy S25, but is it a few hundred dollars better?

Maybe not, especially considering the Galaxy S25 has plenty of perks of its own. It includes a blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset and a thin-and-light chassis. All told, the Pixel 10 Pro faces stiff competition from the Galaxy S25. If you want a compact phone, go with Samsung. For the most features, grab a phone from Google.