Galaxy S25 FE vs Pixel 9a: The bona-fide affordable flagship battle
The upcoming Galaxy S25 FE promises some neat upgrades. But will it be able to topple the king of the affordable flagships - the Pixel 9a?
Intro
The Galaxy S25 FE is the next iteration of Samsung's "barebones flagship" idea. The phone is aimed to give you that flagship experience and feel at a lower price, cutting a corner or two in the process.
This last model is expected to bring some upgrades to the battery capacity and charging and also feature a different chipset than its predecessor, so we're thrilled to see what the end package will look like.
At the other side of this comparison lies the Pixel 9a—a pretty successful contender employing the same idea of an "affordable flagship," offering a ton of features for just $499. At this price, the Pixel 9a is almost unbeatable in this segment. Today we're going to explore that "almost" and pit it against the upcoming Galaxy S25 FE.
This last model is expected to bring some upgrades to the battery capacity and charging and also feature a different chipset than its predecessor, so we're thrilled to see what the end package will look like.
Galaxy S25 FE vs Galaxy S25 Plus differences:
| Galaxy S25 FE* | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|
| Larger dimensions at 161 x 76 mm, but thinner | Much more compact but thicker |
| Weighs 190 grams | Not that much lighter at 186 grams |
| Main camera is 50MP | 48MP main camera, different sensor |
| The same 12MP camera as the one used on the S25 and S25 Plus | 13MP ultrawide camera |
| 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom | No telephoto camera here |
| Exynos 2400 chipset | Tensor G4 chipset |
| 4,900 mAh battery | Bigger, 5,100 mAh battery |
| Rumored to sport the same 45W wired charging as the S25+ | Slower 23W wired charging Wireless charging support |
| Same screen size, 6.7-inch AMOLED | Smaller 6.3-inch screen, better resolution |
| Seven years of software updates, Android 16 out of the box | Seven years of software updates |
| Expected to be more expensive at around $700 | Starts at $499 |
| Gray, Graphite, Mint | Obsidian, Porcelain, Peony, Iris |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Big vs small
In a world where most smartphone models look very similar, the Galaxy S25 FE and the Pixel 9a somehow manage to look different. Samsung continues to polish the design it started with the Galaxy S21, and according to the latest info, the Galaxy S25 FE feels and looks very similar to the Galaxy S25 Plus.
It features the same flat sides, slightly curved corners, and separate vertical cutouts for the cameras on the back as previous generations of the S series, and that's not a bad thing. It looks stylish, and the bezel around the display is minimal.
Now, when it comes to the Pixel 9a, Google made a radical turn in the design of the Pixel 9 series to bring it into the modern flat and angular smartphone world. The Pixel 9a was subsequently affected, getting many of the features of that new design.
There are differences, however, when we put both phones side-by-side. The camera system of the Pixel 9a is housed in a horizontal, pill-shaped cutout that's flush with the back of the phone. The bezels around the screen are also substantially bigger than the ones we find on the S25 FE.
It features the same flat sides, slightly curved corners, and separate vertical cutouts for the cameras on the back as previous generations of the S series, and that's not a bad thing. It looks stylish, and the bezel around the display is minimal.
Now, when it comes to the Pixel 9a, Google made a radical turn in the design of the Pixel 9 series to bring it into the modern flat and angular smartphone world. The Pixel 9a was subsequently affected, getting many of the features of that new design.
There are differences, however, when we put both phones side-by-side. The camera system of the Pixel 9a is housed in a horizontal, pill-shaped cutout that's flush with the back of the phone. The bezels around the screen are also substantially bigger than the ones we find on the S25 FE.
| Galaxy S25 FE* | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|
| Thickness 7.4 mm | Thickness 8.9 mm |
| Dimensions 161.4 x 76.6 | Dimensions 154.7 x 73.3 |
| Weight 190 | Weight 186 grams |
In terms of size and weight, even though the Pixel 9a has a smaller footprint, thanks to its 6.3-inch screen, the device weighs almost the same as the Galaxy S25 FE. The Pixel 9a feels good in the hand, not as good as the curved Pixel 8a but still comfortable.
Given the Galaxy S25 FE is substantially larger, we expect the ergonomics to be a tad worse compared to the Pixel 9a. But not by much. We have to wait until we lay our hands on the Galaxy S25 FE to give you some insight on that one.
As far as materials go, we expect similar Gorilla Glass and an aluminum frame on the Galaxy S25 FE as we've been seeing on all Galaxy S-series devices of late. The Pixel 9a also comes with an aluminum frame, but the back is made out of recycled plastic, which might be a downside to some people.
In all fairness, it doesn't feel all that cheap; it's sturdy and won't shatter to pieces if you drop the phone.
| Galaxy S25 FE colors* | Pixel 9a colors |
|---|---|
| Blue | Obsidian |
| Graphite | Porcelain |
| Gray | Peony |
| Yellow | Iris |
| Mint | - |
We don't know much about the colors of the upcoming Galaxy S25 FE, but we suspect they will mimic the hues of the previous generation to some extent. The Pixel 9a features some of the trademarked hues Google has been using on Pixel phones for the past couple of generations.
Display Differences
Size versus resolution?
The display of the Galaxy S25 FE is expected to be a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, resulting in around 385 PPI pixel density. According to the latest rumors the display will have a 120 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2600 nits.
The Pixel 9a, on the other hand, features a smaller 6.3-inch pOLED screen that has a resolution of 1080 x 2424 pixels. While the difference in resolution is not that big as a number, the smaller size of the Pixel 9a's display means more pixels per inch, around 422 of them, to be precise.
| Galaxy S25 FE* | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|
| Size 6.7" | Size 6.3" |
| Brightness 2600 nits (peak) | Brightness 2700 nits (peak) |
Pixel phones occupy the top of our brightness table, with the Pixel 9a managing 2561 nits at 20% APL, one of the highest results of all the phones we've tested. The Galaxy S25 FE is rated at 2600 nits, so we expect similar results, but we need to wait to run all the tests in our lab to give you an objective comparison.
Performance and Software
Exynos vs Tensor
Samsung seems to be keen on keeping the Exynos brand alive, and the Galaxy S25 FE is poised to receive one new addition to that silicon family - the Exynos 2400 chipset. It features quite an interesting design - one 3.2 GHz ARM Cortex-X4 core, 2 x 2.9 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 cores, 3 x 2.6 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 cores, and finally 4 x 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A520 ones. That's a total of 10 cores!
The Pixel 9a is the last Pixel that uses Samsung design and manufacturing process for its Tensor G4 chipset, next generation will switch to TSMC for the Tensor G5. The numbers Pixel 9a was able to score in the aforementioned tests were around 1700 and 4000 in single- and multi-core performance respectively, so it looks like a win for the Galaxy S25 FE at this point.
| Galaxy S25 FE* | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|
| Chip Samsung Exynos 2400 | Chip Tensor G4 |
| Process 4nm | Process 4nm |
| RAM 12GB | RAM 8GB |
In terms of RAM, the Pixel 9a features 8 GB of it, which in 2025 starts to seem low on an Android phone. The Galaxy S25 FE is expected to come with 12GB on board in all storage configurations.
Now, when it comes to software, there's no difference between these two support-wise, but the Pixel 9a launched with Android 15 out of the box, while the Galaxy S25 FE is expected to run Android 16 when it launches, which can lead to a one-generation software difference at the end of the seven-year support cycle both phones feature.
Camera
A telephoto is always a good idea
The camera specs of the Galaxy S25 FE are still under wraps, but according to the rumors, we will most likely get the same camera system as the predecessor. This includes a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
The Pixel 9a is a known entity with its dual camera system. The phone comes equipped with a 48MP main camera with a 1/1.2" sensor and a 13MP ultrawide one. There's no dedicated telephoto, and you only get 2x crops from the main sensor as an optical-like alternative.
The Pixel 9a is a known entity with its dual camera system. The phone comes equipped with a 48MP main camera with a 1/1.2" sensor and a 13MP ultrawide one. There's no dedicated telephoto, and you only get 2x crops from the main sensor as an optical-like alternative.
| Galaxy S25 FE* | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP f/1.8 24mm (wide) 1/1.57" | Main 48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm 1/1.2" |
| Ultrawide 12 MP f/2.2 13mm 123 FOV | Ultrawide 13 MP f/2.2 13 mm (ultrawide) 120 FOV |
| Telephoto 8MP f/2.4 75mm 3x optical zoom | Telephoto - |
The Pixel 9a managed 134 points in our camera benchmark test, which, considering the lack of a dedicated telephoto, is a pretty decent result. We don't know how the Galaxy S25 FE will fare, but the previous generation FE managed 150 points in the same test, so the new one might have an intrinsic advantage here.
Battery Life and Charging
Getting there
One of the upgrades that the Galaxy S25 FE is expected to bring concerns the battery capacity. According to the latest information, the phone will sport a 4,900 mAh battery, which is 200 mAh more than the previous model, but still far from the silicon-carbon "monsters" we've been seeing lately from China, featuring capacities north of 6,000 mAh.
The Pixel 9a has a decent 5,100 mAh battery on board, and it managed 8h 11m in our battery test, placing itself 19th among phones tested in the past 2 years. Not a bad result at all.
Stay tuned for our battery benchmarks, which will show how these 200 mAh have or have not improved the battery life of the FE and if it can be a match for the Pixel 9a.
Stay tuned for our battery benchmarks, which will show how these 200 mAh have or have not improved the battery life of the FE and if it can be a match for the Pixel 9a.
| Galaxy S25 FE* | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|
| Battery capacity 4900 mAh | Battery capacity 5100 mAh |
Charging speeds 45W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C | Charging speeds 23W wired Wireless charging USB-C |
Where the upcoming Galaxy S25 FE could excel, though, is fast charging. According to the rumors, the phone will bump up the charging speed to 45W wired. The Pixel 9a, on the other hand, comes with rather slow 23W wired charging support.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs comparison for all the number nerds out there. You can also check out of full Galaxy S25 FE vs Pixel 9a specs comparison on PhoneArena.
| Galaxy S25 FE* | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 161.4 x 76.6 x 7.4 mm 190 grams | Size, weight 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm 186 grams |
| Screen 6.7" AMOLED 120Hz 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~385 ppi density) | Screen 6.3" pOLED 120Hz 1080 x 2424 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~422 ppi density) |
| Processor Samsung Exynos 2400 4nm | Processor Google Tensor G4 4nm |
| Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5 | Versions: 8/128GB 8/256GB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras: 50MP main 12MP ultrawide 8MP 3X zoom 12MP front | Cameras: 48MP main 13MP ultra 13MP front |
| Battery: 4900 mAh | Battery: 5100 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 45W wired 15W wireless | Charging: USB-C 23W wired 7.5W wireless |
*rumored
Summary
So, which one is better, then? It's too early to tell at this point, as the Galaxy S25 FE is still under wraps. But judging from all the information we have, the old saying "you get what you pay for" seems to apply here as well.
The Pixel 9a is $499, and some corners have been cut to achieve this price tag. There's no telephoto camera, the back is made out of plastic, and the Tensor G4 chipset inside is not the most powerful out there.
The Galaxy S25 FE is expected to cost more (around $700), but these $200 on top will get you a bigger screen, one additional telephoto camera, potentially faster chipset and charging, and better build materials.
We'll update this comparison once we finish the review of the Galaxy S25 FE.
The Pixel 9a is $499, and some corners have been cut to achieve this price tag. There's no telephoto camera, the back is made out of plastic, and the Tensor G4 chipset inside is not the most powerful out there.
The Galaxy S25 FE is expected to cost more (around $700), but these $200 on top will get you a bigger screen, one additional telephoto camera, potentially faster chipset and charging, and better build materials.
We'll update this comparison once we finish the review of the Galaxy S25 FE.
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