The best Pixel
If you want to get on the Google Pixel bandwagon, the Google Pixel 9 is the best option you can get right now if you don’t want to pay more for the Pro or Pro XL. While it’s the entry model in the newest line, it boasts tons of premium features, Google AI integration, plenty of RAM, and a gorgeous high-res screen. When it comes to bang for your buck, this one goes the distance.
For
- Affordable
- More RAM
- Bigger battery
- Tons of AI integration
Against
- Front camera is only 10.5MP
- No telephoto camera on the rear
An affordable Galaxy phone
For those who prefer the Samsung ecosystem, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is the most affordable option in the new S24 line, which was introduced in the beginning of 2024. It’s a solid phone with premium specs, access to the same Google Gemini AI features, with some Samsung flavor added for good measure, from Samsung Health to the One UI overlay. It rivals the Google Pixel 9 in many ways.
For
- Affordable
- Has Samsung-specific features
- Better front camera, added telephoto lens
- Much lighter in weight
Against
- Ultra-wide camera is much lower resolution
- Smaller battery
- Less RAM
If you are looking for one of the newest Android devices, the Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 are two good phones to consider. Both are the entry options in their respective line-ups but boast premium specs at the most affordable price. We’re here to help with this detailed look at how they compare.
Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Looks and basics
The Google Pixel 9 is available in an Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, or Peony finish. Equipped with a 6.3-inch Actua OLED display with a 2,424 x 1,080 resolution, you get a refresh rate that can go from 60Hz up to 120Hz (turn on Smooth display to get the highest option), depending on what’s needed for the application you’re using. It features rounded corners with a squared design and a new camera visor that houses dual cameras.
With a polished back and a soft metal finish frame, it has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 screen, making it a pretty durable phone. It’s also IP68 water and dust-resistant, adding to its rugged design, and has a fingerprint-resistant coating. Android Central's Derrek Lee reviewed the Google Pixel 9 and finds that the satin metal frame is "surprisingly soft," and the slight curve means the phone doesn't dig into your pinky finger when you hold it. He also finds that the new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor feels "fast and accurate."
The screen can hit 1,800 nits brightness in HDR and 2,700 nits peak brightness, so you can confidently use it outdoors in bright sunlight and shouldn’t have any issues seeing the screen.
Available with either 128GB or 256GB storage, you’ll have to rely on cloud storage after that since there isn’t a microSD card slot. The 4,700mAh battery affords a day or more of battery life, which you can extend to up to four days using the Extreme Battery Saver mode. It also supports both fast charging using the optional Google 45W USB-C charger and wireless charging. With Battery Share, you can recharge your phone or other compatible devices, like a pair of Google Pixel Buds.
Lee was impressed with battery life, but he found the 27W charging to be "unbearably slow" so you'll want to invest in Google's 45W charger if you need to be up and running quickly at all times.
Additional features include fingerprint and face unlock along with pattern PIN and password. There are stereo speakers and three mics with noise suppression along with Spatial Audio support.
As with all the latest Google Pixel phones, you don’t have to worry about this one becoming outdated quickly. Google promises seven years of OS and security updates, along with frequent Pixel feature drops through this same timeframe.
Comparatively, the Samsung Galaxy S24 comes in Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, and Marble Grey. Samsung offers its own exclusive colors when purchasing directly, including Sapphire Blue, Sandstone Orange, and Jade Green.
Employing a unified design similar to the Galaxy S23, for those familiar with that phone, this phone has a flat front and back with rounded edges and a soft finish similar to the Google Pixel 9. It is made of Armor Aluminum, which is lighter than steel and comes with a Corning Gorilla Armor screen, making it slightly more durable. The three cameras are positioned in a vertical row on the back.
The screen is 6.2 inches in size, so it’s a smidge smaller, which also makes the phone itself a hair smaller as well. It’s also quite a bit lighter in weight. The screen is a dynamic AMOLED 2x FHD+ with a 2,340 x 1,080 resolution, slightly lower in resolution. With Vision Booster, you can get up to 2,600 nits peak brightness, which stands up to the Google Pixel 9 in this respect. It has the same 120Hz refresh rate as well.
It has the same IP68 water and dust-resistant rating, but the Samsung Galaxy S24 4,000mAh battery likely won’t last as long on a single charge. It supports both fast and wireless charging, as well as Wireless PowerShare for using the phone’s battery to recharge other compatible devices, like Samsung Galaxy Buds. Expect to get about a day’s worth of life per charge, which is less for heavier users.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 comes with the same non-expandable 128GB or 256GB storage variants. It has stereo speakers as well as face and fingerprint unlock. Like the Google Pixel 9, you get seven years of software and security updates with this phone.
Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Comparing the specs
Let’s look at the specs of these two phones in a side-by-side comparison.
It’s clear there’s a lot of similarities between these two phones, so the decision might come down solely to brand preference.
Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Features, functions, and performance
Let’s look at what these two phones can actually do.
Equipped with Android 14, the Google Pixel 9 is powered by the Google Tensor G4 processor. It has an impressive 12GB RAM, so you can be confident that it will keep up with all your multi-tasking needs, even activities like video streaming and gaming. Indeed, Lee found that it performs well when juggling multiple apps, even while gaming. He did, however, notice a slight delay with touch input.
The Google Pixel 9 has all the usual AI features that you’ll find in other recent Pixel devices, like the Google Pixel 8. These include seamless access to Google Gemini and AI assistance with everything from photos to composing messages, surfing the web, generating images, and more.
You’ll get Google VPN standard with the phone along with Google’s end-to-end security. Along with multi-layer hardware security are the tensor security core, Titan M2 security co-processor, anti-malware and anti-phishing protection, and spam protection.
The phone also comes with plenty of safety features, including satellite SOS, emergency SOS, crisis alerts, car crash detection, and Safety Check. Set up for Wi-Fi 7, it has the Bluetooth 5.3 spec with dual antennas for enhanced quality and connection. There’s also NFC, Google Cast, and built-in GPS.
Support for Samsung DeX allows for versatile setups, such as a second screen if you’re using the phone for productivity. It also works seamlessly with Samsung SmartThings for adding it to a smart connected home.
Also running Android 14, the Samsung Galaxy S24 also includes Samsung One UI 6.1 for further customization and personalization over and above the stock Android experience. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, you get only 8GB RAM, which is significantly less than with the Google Pixel 9. Both should yield favorable results, but if you tend to do a lot of intensive tasks, from gaming to video recording and multi-tasking, you might appreciate the extra RAM in the Google Pixel 9.
You’ll get all the same AI features through Google Gemini AI, including ones like Circle to Search, which Android Central’s Nicholas Sutrich calls his favorite feature (it’s also available in the Google Pixel 9). There are also features like Live Translate, Note Assist, Transcript Assist, generative photo editing, and more, all of which you’ll find in the Google Pixel 9, too.
Google Pixel 9 vs. Pixel 9 Pro: How good are the cameras?
Everyone uses their smartphones as cameras nowadays, so how these two phones perform for taking photos and videos as well as in post-editing is crucial.
The Google Pixel 9’s main camera has a 50MP wide sensor and affords up to 8x Super Res Zoom. It also has a 48MP Quad PD ultra-wide camera with Macro Focus. The front camera is where it falls short: it’s a measly 10.5MP. It's also lacking a telephoto camera, which limits zoom capabilities. If that's important to you, you might want to upgrade to the Google Pixel 9 Pro.
Overall, Lee says images taken with the Google Pixel 9 are not bad, but not remarkable either. You get crisp details, good dynamic range, even in low light, but they also lack some vibrancy and saturation, even appearing dull in some cases. But most people will find the cameras sufficient for everyday shooting needs.
When it comes to photo editing, you get all the Google camera features you have come to know and love over the last few generations of devices, including Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Best Take, Photo Unblur, and Portrait Light.
Using the rear camera, you can take 4K videos with digital video zoom up to 7x and can shoot 4K videos using the front camera as well. The Audio Magic Eraser feature is available with this phone, as expected, along with enhanced features like cinematic blur and slo-mo. Record in stereo and use features like speech enhancement, wind noise reduction, and audio zoom.
How do the Samsung Galaxy S24 cameras compare? This phone also has a 50MP wide main camera, but its ultra-wide camera drops significantly in specs at just 12MP. It adds a 10MP telephoto camera as well, and the wide front camera isn’t much better at just 12MP. You get up to 30x space zoom, though, and 3x optical zoom.
Samsung adds the ProVisual Engine to this phone, an AI tool that helps power its intelligent features, many of which work just like they do in the Google Pixel 9. This includes everything from generative edit, which works like Magic Editor. Samsung adds some unique features as well, like Edit Suggestion, which recommends how to tweak a photo to improve it, and flaw detection that will help eliminate the possibility of taking a bad photo.
You can leverage AI features while taking videos as well, like instant slo-mo whereby AI will generate the additional frames to help fill in the blanks.
Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24: Which should you buy?
It’s a tough comparison when looking at the Google Pixel 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24. The Google Pixel 9 is the newer of the two phones, but the Samsung Galaxy S24 is not even a year old yet. Both give you seven years of OS and software updates, so you’re in a good position when it comes to longevity. They also both feature the same Google Gemini AI features along with photo editing features that match one another.
The decision may come down to nothing more than brand preference. The Google Pixel 9 does have more RAM and a slightly higher-resolution screen. Samsung adds a telephoto camera, but its ultra-wide camera doesn’t have as high of a resolution, though its front camera might be a tad better when looking at specs alone.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 has a more refined design and an Armor Aluminum finish, which ranks among the best Android phones. However, both phones are rugged and meet water and dust resistance ratings. They’re equally great for productivity and entertainment.
The bottom line is that you won’t go wrong with either of these phones, which come in around the same price. If you’re familiar with Samsung Galaxy devices and like them, and if you own or plan to buy other Galaxy devices like Galaxy Buds or even smart home gear like a Samsung TV or appliances, you’ll want to stick with the Galaxy phone.
Conversely, if you are upgrading from an older model Pixel or even an Android phone of another brand, you’ll find the Google Pixel phones blazingly simple to use and intuitive. Plus, they work well with other Google devices, from Google Pixel Buds to your smart home speakers and more.
If you're looking to buy, wait for October Prime Day, known as Amazon Prime Big Deal Deals, which take place October 8 and 9, 2024. Both these phones will probably be on sale with deep discounts so you can save, maybe even spring for one of the higher-end versions of these two instead if you find you need more.
A portal to AI
The Google Pixel 9 is the newest model in the Pixel line that comes in at an affordable price yet gives you everything you’d want in a phone. From AI integration to great cameras and camera editing features, you get tremendous value for your dollar. With seven years of OS and security updates, you can’t go wrong with this new device.
Affordable Samsung
Also with seven years of OS and security updates, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is a solid competitor to the new Google Pixel 9. Available at the similar price point, it has plenty of Google AI goodies inside, too, plus Samsung’s own features that make it unique. If you like Galaxy phones and you are looking for an upgrade, this one is a solid choice.
