Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Pixel 8 Pro: The Android Wars
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Intro
Looking for the best Android phone out there? Well, look no further: the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Google Pixel 8 Pro are the top contenders in 2024.
But what are the differences between the two and which one should you go for?
The S24 Ultra is the first phone in the US with the highly anticipated new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, and Samsung bets heavy on new AI tricks. The company also makes big changes to the camera system with a new zoom camera and different image processing. Let's see how all of this compares to the Pixel 8 Pro.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Pixel 8 Pro specs differences:
| Galaxy S24 Ultra | Pixel 8 Pro |
|---|---|
| Slightly larger and heavier phone: 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm Weighs 233 g | Size of: 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm Weighs 213 g |
| 6.8-inch screen size | Slightly smaller 6.7-inch display |
| Peak brightness of 2,600 nits | Slightly lower peak brightness of 2,400 nits |
| New Gorilla Glass Armor material | Older Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip | Slower Tensor G3 chip by Google |
| 12GB RAM for all models 256GB / 512GB / 1TB configurations | 12GB RAM for all models 128GB / 256GB / 512GB configurations |
| 200MP main camera 12MP ultra-wide 10MP 3X zoom 50MP 5X zoom 12MP front cam | 50MP main camera 48MP ultra-wide - 48MP 5X zoom 10.5MP front cam |
| Galaxy AI features | Advanced AI camera feats like Video Boost |
| Same-ish 5,000mAh battery size | 5,050mAh battery |
| Faster 45W charging speed Slower 15W wireless charging | 30W wired charging 20W wireless charging |
| Comes with S Pen | No stylus included |
| Ultrasonic fingerprint reader | Optical fingerprint scanner |
| $1,300 starting price | Cheaper with starting price of $1,000 |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Slightly bigger size on the Galaxy and it also has the S Pen
We are looking at two big phones here! But out of the two, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the bigger one.
It has a larger 6.8-inch screen (vs a 6.7-inch one on the Pixel), it has a wider stance, and it weighs noticeably more at 233 grams vs 213 grams on the Pixel.
The Galaxy also has a different shape with sharp corners (it looks like a passport), while the Pixel has rounded corners and a more traditional phone look. In terms of materials, the Samsung phone features a titanium frame, while the Pixel bets on aluminum.
The Galaxy also has the S Pen, which many people love, and which you don't have on the Pixel.
The rest seems to be quite familiar - power and volume buttons are on the right side on both phones, there are no new buttons, and on the bottom you have a USB-C charging port. Both also get IP68 water and dust protection, which has been the standard on all flagships in the past few years.
The Pixel 8 Pro is available in three color choices: Porcelain, Obsidian, and Bay Blue.
As for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, we have the following:
- Titanium Black
- Titanium Gray
- Titanium Violet
- Titanium Yellow
- Orange - Samsung online exclusive
- Light blue - Samsung online exclusive
- Light green - Samsung online exclusive
Be warned that if you buy one of these, you will NOT find a charger in the box. That's the unfortunate case for many flagships these days, you have to purchase the charger separately (you do have a charging cable included though).
Display Differences
We already mentioned the screen sizes: the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 6.8-inch screen, while the Pixel 8 Pro goes with a 6.7-inch display.
We have our own lab test measurements for both screens and here is what they show.
The Galaxy supports higher peak brightness of 2,600 nits, while the Pixel goes to 2,400 nits. However, those are the official numbers measured using a tiny white spot on an all-black background. Our measurements above are based on an all-white screen and in that test, the Pixel comes out on top, scoring 1,449 nits of brightness vs 1,280 nits on the Galaxy.
These numbers suggest the Pixel would be brighter and better for outdoor use, but it's not quite like that. The screen on the Galaxy is incredibly good at fighting off reflections, it's almost as if it was a matte screen (all thanks to the new Gorilla Glass Armor on it), while the Pixel uses the slightly older Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and it catches way more reflections. So for outdoor use, the Galaxy is the better phone.
And it also drops to just 1.1 nits at night which is much easier on the eyes than the 1.9 nits minimum reading of the Pixel (at night, the lower the brightness can get, the better).
Both also use LTPO panels with adaptive refresh rate that can modulate between 1Hz for static content and up to 120Hz for buttery smooth scrolling.
The S24 Ultra has also transitioned to a flat screen. There is a very tiny curve on the glass, but nothing like in previous years, and the Pixel 8 Pro is also using a flat display. It seems that the time of curved screens is going away.
As for biometrics, both rely on a fingerprint scanner built inside the screen, but the Galaxy features an ultrasonic one, while the Pixel uses an optical fingerprint reader, which might blind you at night and is generally just a tiny bit slower.
Performance and Software
Snapdragon vs Tensor, and a battle of AI
Both these phones have AI at their cores. Samsung bets on Galaxy AI features all around the system. The Pixel, however, also has plenty of that with features like its Magic Editor and other "magic" editing tricks like Video Boost.
Under the hood, the Galaxy S24 Ultra sports Qualcomm's latest and greatest creation, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, while Google relies on its own Tensor G3 chip.
As far as performance is concerned, the Snapdragon chip is much more powerful, but both are well optimized for AI.
Performance Benchmarks:
When it comes to the actual configurations, we have the following: the Galaxy and Pixel both come with 12GB of RAM, but the Pixel has a 12/128GB base version, while the Galaxy starts at 12/256GB. The Galaxy is also available in a 1TB model too, an option missing on the Google phone.
The other big difference between these two is the software.
Google made a splash by announcing seven years of software update support for the Pixel 8 series, and now Samsung also promises the same with the S24 series. That is great news for Android users who have been mistreated in that regard in the past.
As for the looks and styling, the Pixel goes with a clean Android style with no bloatware, but also some Google elements that you cannot remove from your home screen, while Samsung goes for its own styling with the new One UI 6.1 and it has a few more power user features and customization options. Among them are the AI innovations: features like Live Translate in the native phone app, transcribing voice notes, and even suggestions for full text messages.
Camera
Battle for best camera phone gets heated
The Galaxy S24 Ultra sports four cameras on its back, compared to three cameras on the Pixel 8 Pro.
Main Camera
The main camera will be the one you use the most, and it is an updated 200MP shooter on the Galaxy, while the Pixel goes with a 50MP main sensor. In reality, you will get 12MP default photo size on both phones, with high-res photos as an option.
In low light, the Galaxy captures more vivid colors and a striking, inky-blue color for the sky, which is definitely not realistic. Colors on the above image also are just a bit washed out on the Galaxy, and we would prefer the Pixel photo here. We can see some trends from a few photos, but remember to not draw big conclusions and to see a lot more photo samples, find the video below.
Ultra-wide Camera
Interestingly, the Pixel 8 Pro has the more powerful ultra-wide camera with a larger 48MP sensor compared to a 12MP ultra-wide camera on the Galaxy. That is one technical advantage, but practice shows it's better to look at the actual photos. The Pixel does a good job, but colors are a bit washed out. The Galaxy captures more impressive colors, but it has some issues with color banding.
At night, you can see a lot of noise on the Galaxy picture (top left corner, in the skies), while the Pixel is able to deal with that in a better way. Colors on the Pixel at night appear more toned down and realistic.
Zoom Quality
The area where Samsung makes bigger changes is the zoom camera. Gone is the 10X zoom lens Samsung used in the past and instead we get a new 5X zoom lens with a 50MP sensor coupled with a second 10MP 3X zoom camera. So you have two zoom cameras on the Galaxy at 3X and 5X, while on the Pixel you only have one 5X zoom lens.
What this means is that Galaxy will have a big advantage in the 3X to 4.9X zoom range.
For selfies, the Galaxy does not support as wide a field of view as the Pixel and you can notice that. But it nails the colors and exposure better in our opinion.
Samsung also has an answer for the Magic Editor feature on the Pixel 8 Pro, and you can resize and move objects easily and do some other cool photo edits.
Video Quality
In the above video, you can see the difference in both photo and video quality in various conditions.
Audio Quality and Haptics
Both the Galaxy and Pixel come with a dual-speaker system with a bottom-firing main loudspeaker and a helper speaker in the earpiece at the top.
Samsung uses a new design for the speaker on the bottom, using one pill-shaped cutout instead of multiple holes like it used to do before, and that might indicate that some other improvements to sound quality have been made, but we have not yet tested this in detail.
As for haptics, the Pixel 8 Pro has been really impressive with tight and well-adjusted vibration motor, and we hope Samsung can match its quality.
Battery Life and Charging
Same-ish battery size, slightly faster charging on the Galaxy
The Galaxy runs on a 5,000mAh battery, same as in previous years, and the Pixel 8 Pro comes equipped with about the same size at 5,050mAh.
In reality, both last around a day and a half.
We have tested both of them and here are the results.
PhoneArena Battery Test Results:
Interestingly, the Galaxy outlasts the Pixel in the web browsing test and by a solid, roughly 25% margin too.
However, when it comes to YouTube video streaming, the cards reverse and it is the Pixel which scores two hours longer play time.
As for charging, you have 45W wired charging on the Galaxy which should take around an hour to top up the battery and 30W charging speeds on the Pixel 8 Pro which takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes for a full charge. Not the fastest phones around, but not terrible either.
PhoneArena Charging Test Results:
Both also support wireless charging. For the Pixel, you need Google's own charger to achieve the advertized 23W charging speeds, while the Galaxy reaches 15W with any standard Qi wireless charger. Neither of these phones supports the newer Qi2 wireless standard.
Specs Comparison
Below, you will find an overview of the Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Pixel 8 Pro specs differences:
| Galaxy S24 Ultra | Pixel 8 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Size, weight | 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm 233 g | 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm 213 g |
| Screen | 6.8" OLED 120Hz dynamic 2,500 nits peak | 6.7" OLED 120Hz dynamic 2,400 nits peak |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy | Google Tensor G3 |
| RAM, Storage | 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB LPDDR5X | 12/128GB 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras | 200MP main 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 10MP 3X telephoto 50MP 5X zoom, f/3.4 12MP front | 50MP main, f/1.7 48MP ultra-wide, f/2.0 48MP 5X zoom, f/2.8 - 10.5MP front |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 5050 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired 15W wireless | 30W wired 23W wireless |
Summary
Samsung raises the bar with all of the new Galaxy AI features that usher in the era of a new kind of a smartphone. Add to that the powerful new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a refined camera system, and some design tweaks, and you have one very solid 2024 flagship. And for those who want the S Pen.... well, the S24 Ultra is the obvious and only choice.
But Google has improved quite a lot on its own: the Pixel 8 Pro feels very smooth in daily use and the camera performance is great.
That is one tough choice to make between these two, but that only means these companies are competing.
Which one are you more excited about, the Galaxy or the Pixel? And why?
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