Pixel 10 Pro vs Galaxy S25: Expected differences
The fierce battle for the compact Android flagship crown is about to get even more intense
Intro
August is fast approaching, and along with the summer heat, we're going to get a new Pixel family—the Pixel 10 series. Google struck a chord with the previous generation and will look to capitalize on the momentum with the next-gen Pixels.
The Pixel 10 Pro is now the compact and powerful offering in the portfolio, after Google switched things around with the introduction of the Pixel 9 Pro XL last year. The new Pro model will fight for the compact Android crown, and its main rival will be the Galaxy S25.
Today we're going to pit these two against each other with all the preliminary information we have about the Pixel 10 Pro.
The Pixel 10 Pro is now the compact and powerful offering in the portfolio, after Google switched things around with the introduction of the Pixel 9 Pro XL last year. The new Pro model will fight for the compact Android crown, and its main rival will be the Galaxy S25.
Pixel 10 Pro vs Galaxy S25 differences:
| Pixel 10 Pro* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Same design as the Pixel 9 Pro, more or less | Flat sides, front and back, separate housings for the camera |
| A tad bigger, potentially heavier | It's more compact and probably lighter |
| 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto camera setup | 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto |
| 1-120Hz AMOLED main display, 3000 nits brightness | 120Hz AMOLED display, slightly lower peak brightness |
| Bigger display at 6.3 inches, same pixel density | 6.2-inch display, 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution |
| Google Tensor G5 chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy probably faster |
| 16GB of RAM | 12GB of RAM here |
| Bigger 4,700 mAh battery, potentially better battery life | 4,000 mAh battery |
| Potentially faster 45W charging speeds | 25W wired, 15W wireless charging |
| More expensive at $999 base price | Cheaper at $799 for the base model |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Flat flagships
It seems that Google won't be making any sudden movements with the Pixel 10 Pro when it comes to design choices. According to the latest leaked renders, the phone is very similar to its predecessor, with the same flat front, back, and sides, and also the same camera bump on the back.
The Galaxy S25 is a known variable in this equation; it sports the conventional Galaxy S series design of the past couple of generations, and it's quite similar to what Pixel introduced last year. The S25 is a tad more compact, though, due to the ever-so-slightly smaller screen and the thinner design.
The Galaxy S25 is a known variable in this equation; it sports the conventional Galaxy S series design of the past couple of generations, and it's quite similar to what Pixel introduced last year. The S25 is a tad more compact, though, due to the ever-so-slightly smaller screen and the thinner design.
| Pixel 10 Pro* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Thickness 8.6 mm | Thickness 7.2 mm |
| Dimensions 152.8 x 72 | Dimensions 146.9 x 70.5 |
| Weight Around 200 grams | Weight 162 grams |
When it comes to building blocks, the same glass and metal sandwich is present on both devices. There were some rumors of a titanium frame for the Pixel 10 Pro, but most of the credible sources point toward the same aluminum used on the previous model.
The Galaxy S25 uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for protection, and we expect similar material on the Pixel 10 Pro, probably Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, which offers slightly better scratch and shatter resistance.
Color-wise, the Galaxy S25 is available in a bunch of hues (some of which are Samsung exclusives), and the Pixel 10 Pro is expected to be a bit more conservative in that regard, matching the hues of the previous generation.
The Galaxy S25 uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for protection, and we expect similar material on the Pixel 10 Pro, probably Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, which offers slightly better scratch and shatter resistance.
| Pixel 10 Pro* colors | Galaxy S25 colors |
|---|---|
| White | Blue Black (Samsung exclusive) |
| Black | Silver Shadow |
| Pink | Navy |
| Hazel | Icy Blue |
| - | Mint |
| - | Pink Gold (Samsung exclusive) |
| - | Coral Red (Samsung exclusive) |
*rumored
Display Differences
Advantage Pixel
In a smartphone world where even midrange phones now have bright and fast displays, it's hard to impress. The Pixels, however, managed to top our display brightness tests with the last generation, so we expect good things from the Pixel 10 Pro.
In terms of screen size and technology, there's nothing groundbreaking compared to the last mode. We're talking about a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 1280 x 2856 pixels resolution, resulting in around 495 PPI pixel density. It's expected to be an LTPO panel with a dynamic 1-120Hz refresh rate.
| Pixel 10 Pro* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Size 6.3" | Size 6.2" |
| Brightness 3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 2600 nits (peak) |
The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, comes with an ever-so-slightly smaller 6.2-inch Super AMOLED screen, and it also has a lower resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. This puts the pixel density at around 416 PPI, and the advertised peak brightness is 2600 nits (compared to the 3000 nits expected on the Pixel 10 Pro).
This will require some lab testing, and we will add a proper display test results once we get the Pixel 10 Pro, but the early signs tell us that the Google phone will potentially have a slight advantage in this department—both in display brightness and also in detail and sharpness.
This will require some lab testing, and we will add a proper display test results once we get the Pixel 10 Pro, but the early signs tell us that the Google phone will potentially have a slight advantage in this department—both in display brightness and also in detail and sharpness.
Performance and Software
A new Tensor on the horizon
The Pixel 10 Pro is expected to get the next-generation Tensor G5 processor. Google's in-house-developed silicon will come with some performance gains compared to the last generation, but we don't expect the chip to be able to challenge the Snapdragon 8 Elite when it comes to raw power.
The Galaxy S25 managed around 3000 and 9000 points in the Geekbench single- and multi-core tests, which is a normal result for a Snapdragon 8 Elite phone.
It will be pretty interesting to see how the new Tensor G5 will fare, especially given that it will be produced by TSMC on a new 3nm node and the architecture will be brand-new, rather than Exynos-based as the previous Tensors were.
| Pixel 10 Pro* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Chip Google Tensor G5 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Process 3nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM 16GB | RAM 12GB |
The Pixel 10 Pro is expected to have the same 16GB of RAM, which puts it slightly ahead of the Galaxy S25 and its 12GB of RAM. It's not a super-important metric nowadays, as 12GB are more than enough, but the Pixel will have a little more wiggle room to accommodate new AI tricks.
The Galaxy S25 was updated to OneUI 8 recently and this UI comes on top of Android 15. The Pixel 10 Pro will most likely launch running Android 16 out of the box, as Google's next OS is expected to reach final release status on June 3. The S25 will eventually get it as well, but there might be a delay.
Camera
Software is king
No hardware changes are expected on the Pixel 10 Pro when it comes to the camera setup. The phone will most likely use the same three sensors and the same lenses on top that can be found on the predecessor. Namely, a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 48MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom.
It's a flexible and powerful system, so there's no real need for an upgrade, but Google might tweak the algorithms and offer more AI magic on top of that.
The Galaxy S25 comes with a similar triple camera setup, but on paper the ultrawide and telephoto cameras seem inferior to what the Pixel 10 Pro will most likely bring. The main camera is very similar, though, sporting a 50MP sensor under an f/1.8 aperture lens.
We will need to test the Pixel 10 Pro in our lab to produce our camera score and also snap side-by-side photos to be able to see what real-life differences these two exhibit.
| Pixel 10 Pro* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP f/1.7 25 mm (wide) 1/1.31" | Main 50 MP f/1.8 24 mm (wide) 1/1.56" |
| Ultrawide 48 MP f/1.7 13 mm (ultrawide) 123 FOV | Ultrawide 12 MP f/2.2 13 mm (ultrawide) 120 FOV |
| Telephoto 48 MP f/2.8 113mm 5x optical zoom | Telephoto 10 MP f/2.4 67mm 3x optical zoom |
Speaking of camera scores, the Galaxy S25 managed an overall score of 147 (out of 158), which is a pretty decent result! The Pixel 9 Pro (which features the same hardware as the one expected on the Pixel 10 Pro) managed 151 (very close to the current best), so we expect good things from Google's next flagship, potentially winning this round as well.
Battery Life and Charging
Another win for the Pixel?
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is expected to sport a 4,700mAh battery, which is pretty good considering the size of the phone. In contrast, the Galaxy S25 comes equipped with a 4,000 mAh cell, which is a bit on the lower side nowadays.
Capacity doesn't always tell the full story, though. Last year, the Pixel 9 Pro suffered low efficiency, probably due to Tensor G4 issues, and ranked #66 overall, having the same 4,700 mAh battery that's expected on the Pixel 10 Pro. The Galaxy S25 scored 7h 6m overall in the same test, which ranks it #60 among all phones tested in the past 2 years.
Now, the Tensor G5 will be built on a different node and by a different manufacturer, so there are potential efficiency gains to be had. On paper, the Pixel 10 Pro should outperform the S25, but we have to wait and test this ourselves.
Capacity doesn't always tell the full story, though. Last year, the Pixel 9 Pro suffered low efficiency, probably due to Tensor G4 issues, and ranked #66 overall, having the same 4,700 mAh battery that's expected on the Pixel 10 Pro. The Galaxy S25 scored 7h 6m overall in the same test, which ranks it #60 among all phones tested in the past 2 years.
| Pixel 10 Pro* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Battery capacity 4,700 mAh | Battery capacity 4,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 27/45W wired 21W wireless charging USB-C | Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C |
*rumored
The charging speeds are pretty low on the Galaxy S25 with 25W wired charging support and 15W wireless. Other manufacturers now offer three-digit charging speeds (Motorola comes to mind), but we don't expect Google to be one of them with the Pixel 10 Pro.
There are rumors about a slight upgrade from 30 to 45W wired charging, but for all intents and purposes, and given the battery of the Pixel 10 Pro is expected to be bigger, these two will probably have close charging times.
There are rumors about a slight upgrade from 30 to 45W wired charging, but for all intents and purposes, and given the battery of the Pixel 10 Pro is expected to be bigger, these two will probably have close charging times.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs comparison between the Pixel 10 Pro and the Galaxy Z Flip 5:
| Pixel 10 Pro* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 152.8 x 72 x 8.6 mm Around 200 g | Size, weight 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm 162 g |
| Screen Main: 6.3" OLED 1-120Hz 3000 nits peak | Screen Main: 6.2" AMOLED 1-120Hz 2600 nits peak |
| Processor Google Tensor G5 3nm | Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm |
| Versions: 16/128GB 16/256GB 16/512GB 16/1TB LPDDR5 | Versions: 12/128GB 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras: 50MP main 48MP ultrawide 48MP periscope telephoto 5x 42MP front | Cameras: 50MP main 12MP ultrawide 10MP telephoto 3x 10MP front |
| Battery: 4,700 mAh | Battery: 4,000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 27/45W wired 21W wireless charging | Charging: USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless charging |
*rumored
Summary
Which one is better, then? The Galaxy S25 or the Pixel 10 Pro? Even at this preliminary stage, it seems that the Google flagship offers a better package. It comes with a bigger and brighter screen, more RAM, a better camera setup, a bigger battery, and potentially faster charging.
Now, all this comes at a price, as the Pixel 10 Pro is expected to launch at $999 for the 16/128GB version. The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, is $200 cheaper, comes with a faster processor, and even though the camera system might not win the pixel race (pun intended), it's a decent and flexible setup nonetheless.
We need more information, and we will get it once the Pixel 10 Pro lands on our test bench. Stay tuned for benchmarks and camera comparisons soon, as well as a final verdict on the fight for the compact Android flagship crown.
Now, all this comes at a price, as the Pixel 10 Pro is expected to launch at $999 for the 16/128GB version. The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, is $200 cheaper, comes with a faster processor, and even though the camera system might not win the pixel race (pun intended), it's a decent and flexible setup nonetheless.
We need more information, and we will get it once the Pixel 10 Pro lands on our test bench. Stay tuned for benchmarks and camera comparisons soon, as well as a final verdict on the fight for the compact Android flagship crown.
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