Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL are excellent smartphones, sitting neatly into our list of the best smartphones for photographers.
With either model, you’ll find that you can take great pictures across a range of different shooting scenarios, but, if you’re struggling to choose between the two and can’t quite make up your mind – here’s where I come in.
To find out how well these phones work for photographers, I’ve used both at the same time, in the same conditions, to find out how each got on. It’s worth noting at this point that this can also be seen as a comparison between the S25 Ultra and the smaller Pixel 9 Pro, since both it and the XL version share the same camera specifications.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Specs
In the table below, I’ve included the specifications which are most likely to be of interest to photographers – so the cameras/lenses, screen, battery life, storage option and overall device size. I’ve bolded where I think one is better than the other. Looking at this alone, the Pixel doesn’t have an awful lot going for it on paper alone. But we’ll see how things actually stack up in real life soon enough.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra gives you four cameras, while there’s only three for the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The main sensor for the S25 Ultra is 200MP, compared to only 50MP for the 9 Pro XL. They both output at 12MP by default.
Both have a high-resolution ultrawide lens – there’s slightly more pixels for the Galaxy (50MP vs 48MP), plus the Samsung also has a wider f/1.7 aperture. Samsung offers two telephoto options – a 3x and a 5x lens. By contrast, the Pixel has just one 5x telephoto lens.
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Google Pixel 9 Pro XL |
|---|---|
| 200MP f/1.7 main camera, OIS, 12MP output, 24mm | 50MP f/1.68 main camera, OIS, 12MP output, 25mm |
| 50MP f/1.9 ultrawide camera, 12MP output, 13mm | 48MP f/2.8 ultrawide camera, 12MP output, 12mm |
| 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto camera, 67mm | No 3x camera |
| 50MP f/3.4, 5x telephoto camera, 111mm | 48MP f/2.8 5x telephoto camera, 113mm |
| 12MP f/2.2 selfie camera, AF | 42MP f/2.2 selfie camera, AF |
| 8K 30fps | 4K 60fps / 8K “upscaling” via the cloud |
| 6.9-inch 3120 x 1440 pixels, 2600 nits brightness | 6.8-inch Super Actua OLED 2992 x 1344 pixels, 3000 nits brightness |
| Samsung Galaxy AI, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Google Gemini, AI, Google Tensor G4 |
| 31 hour battery life, wireless and Fast (45W) charging available | 24 hour+ battery life, wireless and Fast (45W) charging available |
| 256/512/1TB storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB storage |
| 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm, 218g | 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm, 221g |
Both models are very large in size, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra having a huge 6.9-inch screen. The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s is slightly smaller at 6.8-inches. Personally I find both to be too big for everyday use, and much prefer the 6.3-inches of the smaller Pixel 9 Pro. You can’t get a smaller Samsung Ultra – the smaller Galaxy S25 is available, but you don’t get the same camera specs with that.
There will of course be plenty of people who enjoy a larger screen – and I can’t deny your pictures and videos look great when using them, so if you’re not so bothered about other aspects of usability, it’s less to worry about.
The native camera apps are good, but you arguably get more flexibility with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, including not one, but two pro modes. Google has added some new “Pro” functionality since the 8 series, and you can also shoot in raw format with both models. However, the Pixel 9 Pro XL also has a range of fun and interesting shooting modes which come in quite handy – including the quirky “Add Me” feature for taking group shots without the need for an additional photographer.
Both phones also have a comprehensive suite of AI editing tools, giving you the ability to do things such as remove distracting elements / passers by and straightening horizons.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Image Quality
I took photographs with both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL in a number of different situations to assess the image quality of both.
Note in these sliders, the Samsung is always on the left, and the Pixel is always on the right.
Both models produce a great general landscape scene, with lots of details and lovely colours. However, it’s fair to say that the Samsung’s is brighter and more vibrant, while the Pixel’s remains a little truer to life. Neither one is necessarily “better” per se, as it depends on your preferences. You can use digital filters to adjust the look of photos from either device, too. Interestingly, if you zoom in at 100%, you can just about see more detail in the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s shot, despite it having a lower-resolution sensor. Remember however that both have been output at 12MP.
Here again, the biggest difference between the two models is the colour. Detail wise, they’re roughly even – perhaps a touch more in the Samsung’s version.
Here we can see the S25 Ultra’s 3x lens, which the Pixel 9 Pro XL doesn’t have. Therefore, I’ve compared it against the 2x crop option instead – something which is displayed in the native camera app as a tappable zoom option. I’d be very happy to use either – shooting in bright light like this sees little discernible difference, but it also shows that having a dedicated lens at around this focal length isn’t necessarily worth it.
Both models have a 5x zoom lens, with both quite similar in terms of their specifications – the Pixel’s has a slightly wider aperture, which may come in useful in the low light test lower down. The results here are very closely matched, although this time, it’s the Pixel which has produced a slightly brighter image.
The maximum zoom of the Galaxy S25 Ultra is 100x, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s is 30x – so here I’m looking at the 30x options only. Neither are images that I’d be particularly keen to rush to use for anything, but the Samsung’s result is slightly better for a record shot if you’re desperate. Beyond 30x, the Samsung returns unusable mush – so don’t let the “100x” convince you that it’s necessarily miles better than the Pixel. At 10x digital zoom, both produce good results too.
Neither of these phones excel at macro photography, which is a shame considering the price point, and, considering that there are some seriously impressive other smartphones out there. Macro mode is automatic on both models – get close to the subject, and it will automatically switch to the ultrawide lens and crop. Telephoto macro cameras do a much better job in other devices, such as the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, but you can still get some pretty good results from either model. Here, I’d say both are about even.
Both of these phones are similarly equipped for low light shooting, with both having dedicated low-light modes. Here, the Samsung has done a better job in keeping detail in the shadow areas. We can also see very similar results if we look at images taken with the ultrawide lens. Neither of the cameras produce hugely impressive results with the 5x lens, giving fairly blurry and smudgy results. It should be noted that this scene is extremely dark, so both are quite impressive in their own right, but I would definitely give the edge to Samsung.
Both the S25 Ultra and the 9 Pro XL have a dedicated portrait mode. The S25 Ultra gives you more options to shoot at different focal lengths however, with 1x, 2x, 3x and 5x to choose between. By contrast, the Pixel 9 Pro XL only has 1.5x and 2x to offer, which is a bit of a shame. Both produce good results with nice details and blurred backgrounds, but again we see warmer colours from the Samsung compared to the more realistic results from the Google.
The selfie camera is one of the only areas where the Pixel 9 Pro has a clear spec-sheet advantage, offering 42MP compared to 12MP from the S25 Ultra. It still outputs at 12.5MP though, so don’t expect a huge difference in results. You can shoot in Portrait mode with both models, for a blurred background effect. Both have come out pretty well here, with the Samsung giving slightly warmer tones, and the Pixel more accurate ones.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Price and Value for Money
Neither of these cameras could be considered cheap, so if you’re on a strict budget, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
That said, you can get hold of a Google phone for a significantly lower price than the Samsung. The cheapest Pixel 9 Pro XL can be had for £1099/$1099, for which you’ll get 128GB. There isn’t a handset at this memory point for Samsung, so the cheapest you can get one is £1249/$1299, for 256GB – the same memory for a Pixel is still cheaper though, at $1199/£1199.
At 512GB, you’ll be paying £1349/$1419 for the Samsung, compared to £1319 for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, while at 1TB, the price evens out, at $1549/£1549 for either.
There’s also the fact that you can buy a smaller Pixel 9 Pro – with prices starting at $999/£999 if you want to save even more cash but still get a very well-performing camera.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that all of the above prices are manufacturer RRPs – you may be able to find them for a cheaper price from third-party sellers, or as part of a contract deal – so you should make sure to shop around.
When it comes to resale, the Pixel may be cheaper upfront, but it’ll probably also significantly drop in value compared to the Samsung. That’s not a guarantee, but it can be worth thinking about if you’re on the fence about spending a bit more.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Verdict
Often it can be quite hard to separate out flagship models, with many of them producing fantastic imagery across a range of different scenarios.
Additionally, sometimes, you might find that one excels at macro, while another is better for portraits, so choosing an outright winner can be difficult.
However, in this instance, it seems that Samsung has Google bested in almost every scenario – it’s certainly better for portraits and low light, and with an additional lens, arguably better for general scenes and landscapes too. Macro and selfie they’re about evenly tied.
If we’re talking purely about the camera alone, I’d give Samsung the prize here. However, there are other aspects to consider – of course. Personally I don’t like the huge screen of the 6.9-inch screen Samsung, so the fact that Google gives you a choice of a smaller one makes it more appealing in my view.
Then of course there’s usability and camera shooting modes. On the whole, there’s more fun and quirkiness to be enjoyed from the Google, so that might tip you over the edge.
Lastly, but very importantly, there’s price – the Google is simply more affordable right now.
So – in the end – the results are a bit more even. For camera specs and image quality alone, though, I have to choose the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Read more smartphone comparions:
