Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: The two best Android phones face off

Samsung debuted its latest flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, back in March, and it's been a real hit. The company saw a huge uptick in preorder demand thanks to the Ultra's new Privacy Display and other great features. But Google's latest releases are finally here, with the Pixel 11 series now official.

The Pixel 11 Pro XL brings notable improvements, like upgraded camera hardware, a new Tensor G6 processor, and a security-focused Titan M3 coprocessor. It's sleeker than ever, but that slim design comes with one key compromise. There's also a flashy HiLight feature that adds a glowing dot to the back of the Pixel 11 Pro XL. If you're deciding between the two best Android phones in the U.S., this is everything you need to know.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Design

Both the Pixel and Galaxy S lines feature flat sides and fully flat glass on the front and back surfaces. Google uses more rounded corners and edges on its phones, making them more comfortable to hold without a case. Pixels also use a horizontal camera bar, which provides a better balance and prevents the device from wobbling when placed on a table. Most cases aren't thick enough to fix the Galaxy S26 Ultra's annoyingly off-balance design.

Google must've realized the wobbling on flat surfaces gets annoying fast, because the Pixel 11 Pro XL's camera bar is 40% smaller. This means with a case, the camera bar should sit flush with the case, resulting in zero wobble. The design is also thinner and lighter, measuring 7.6mm thick and weighing 227 grams. This is thinner than the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but Samsung's flagship is still considerably lighter, at 214 grams.

The Pixel 11 Pro XL to adds a new LED in the camera bar, which will light up when you talk to Gemini or display an array of colors, called HiLight. Pixels also feature Pixelsnap, which are built-in magnets that work with MagSafe accessories. If you want this functionality on a Galaxy S26 Ultra, you'll need to get one of the best cases for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

But Samsung's S Pen might be a more useful feature for folks who love to take handwritten notes. While the Galaxy S26 Ultra's S Pen lacks the cool Bluetooth features of previous Galaxy S Ultra S Pens, it's still a handy tool for precision input.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has the new Privacy Display, which makes it difficult for people to view your screen at an angle. Privacy Display is one of the coolest display innovations we've seen in years, but it comes with some significant drawbacks. The Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen doesn't look as crisp as the Pixel 11 Pro XL's, and it also sports lower brightness and a chromatic aberration-like effect.

Pixel 11 Pro XL users can achieve a similar effect by using a privacy-tempered glass protector on their phones, but Samsung's built-in privacy function lets you dim specific types of content on-screen. A tempered glass protector will dim the whole thing at an angle.

Neither of these phones' displays is suitable for people with PWM sensitivity since they use very slow dimming rates. Samsung's Privacy Display also seems to cause headaches and discomfort in a different group of people. These problems don't affect everyone, but they make the phones unusable for people who are affected.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Battery life, performance, and specs

The Google Pixel 11 Pro XL has the larger battery, with a 5,115mAh capacity. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is still limited to 5,000mAh. With the more efficient Tensor G6 and the new MediaTek modem inside the Pixel 11 Pro XL, the Pixel may actually match the Galaxy S26 Ultra's battery life. We'll have to wait for our testing and benchmark results to roll in before we know whether the Pixel 11 Pro XL's Tensor G6 or Galaxy S26 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy will win out — but Samsung and Qualcomm have locked down performance in recent years.

Both phones come with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM. They'll start with 256GB of storage, but each can be configured with 512GB or 1TB of space with optional upgrades.

Both phones will get seven years of Android OS upgrades. The Google Pixel 11 Pro XL launches with Android 17, whereas the Galaxy S26 Ultra started with Android 16 (One UI 8.5).

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Camera and software

Last year, my Pixel 10 camera review showed how close Samsung was getting to Google's historically superior camera experience, but this year could be anyone's game. In my Galaxy S26 Ultra camera review, I found that the phone's ultrawide camera and portrait modes left a bit to be desired, and this is an area where Google may once again overtake Samsung.

If the hardware is any indication, Google might have a winner here. The Pixel 11 Pro XL features a larger main and telephoto sensor, and the Tensor G6 helps with image-signal processing. Specifically, the Pixel 11 Pro XL's Night Sight mode can shoot 4.5 times faster than the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Google also adds Magic Capture, Camera Looks, and Creator Suite to the Pixel 11 Pro XL and camera-focused exclusives — with a touch of AI.

Notably, you can choose to limit AI processing on the Galaxy S26 Ultra to local-only processing (and off the cloud), while the Pixel offers no such option.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Which should you buy?

For most people, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could be the better buy, since you're getting the best from both Google and Samsung in one premium phone. While some love Google's Tensor efficiency, it's hard to say no to Snapdragon power in a $1,299 phone. Innovations like the Privacy Display and classic features such as the S Pen could make the Galaxy S26 Ultra better-suited to justify its cost.

That said, the Pixel 11 Pro XL is just about everything Google fans could've wanted. It features improvements in all the right places, so if you're ready to upgrade, you may be willing to spend the $1,299 you'll have to give up to get one. Though, pre-order promos can sweeten the deal.