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Head to head

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S24+

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL leads 8 to 5 on the 13 rankable specs, but Samsung Galaxy S24+ costs $100 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
$1,0998 spec wins
Swap
Samsung Galaxy S24+
$9995 spec wins
Swap

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your phone.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 8 to 5

Buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.

  • Leads 8 of 13 rankable overall specs; Samsung Galaxy S24+ takes 5.
  • Size: 6.8 inches vs 6.7 inches
  • RAM: 16GB vs 12 GB
  • Samsung Galaxy S24+ is $100 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
8 Google Pixel 9 Pro XL13 rankable of 48 specsSamsung Galaxy S24+ 5

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

  • row

    No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.

    Trips:Google Pixel 9 Pro XL · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24+ · No
  • row

    Wired headphones need a USB-C dongle.

    Trips:Google Pixel 9 Pro XL · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24+ · No
  • row

    Budget another $20 to $40 for a fast charger.

    Trips:Google Pixel 9 Pro XL · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24+ · No
  • row

    Storage is fixed at what you buy.

    Trips:Google Pixel 9 Pro XL · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24+ · No

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

6 of 6 differ

Weight

Google

221 g (7.8 oz)

Samsung

197 g (6.95 oz)

Size

Google

6.8 inches

Samsung

6.7 inches

Chipset

Google

Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) + Titan M2 security coprocessor

Samsung

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)

RAM

Google

16GB

Samsung

12 GB

Max optical zoom

Google

5x optical (up to 30x Super Res Zoom, 20x Video Boost)

Samsung

3x optical zoom

Capacity

Google

5,060 mAh

Samsung

4,900 mAh

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Google: What to watch for

  • Hidden Cost

    No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.

    Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

Samsung: What to watch for

  • Hidden Cost

    No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.

    Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

Body

leads 1-0
Body specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
Dimensions162.8 × 76.6 × 8.5 mm158.5 × 75.9 × 7.7 mm
Weight221 g (7.8 oz)197 g (6.95 oz) (wins this row: lower)
BuildAerospace aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and backArmor Aluminum 2 frame with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back
Water / dust ratingIP68 water and dust resistanceIP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
ColorsObsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, Rose QuartzOnyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow
StylusNoNo

Display

7 differences
Display specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
TypeSuper Actua LTPO OLEDDynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
Size6.8 inches (wins this row: higher)6.7 inches
Resolution2992 × 13443120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher)
Pixel density486 ppi513 ppi (wins this row: higher)
Refresh rate120 Hz (1–120Hz Smooth Display)120 Hz (1–120Hz LTPO)
Peak brightness3,000 nits peak (2,000 nits HDR) (wins this row: higher)2,600 nits peak
HDRHDR10+, Ultra HDRHDR10+, HLG
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Always-on displayYesYes

Platform

5 differences
Platform specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
Operating systemAndroid 14 (with Gemini Nano)Android 14 (One UI 6.1)
Software support7 years of OS, security, and Pixel Feature Drops7 generations of OS upgrades & 7 years security updates
ChipsetGoogle Tensor G4 (4 nm) + Titan M2 security coprocessorSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)
CPU8-core (1× 3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 + 3× Cortex-A720 + 4× Cortex-A520)8-core (1× Cortex-X4 + 5× Cortex-A720 + 2× Cortex-A520)
GPUMali-G715 MC7Adreno 750

Memory

3 differences
Memory specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
RAM16GB (wins this row: higher)12 GB
Storage128 GB256 GB (wins this row: higher)
Storage options128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB256 GB, 512 GB (UFS 4.0)
microSDNoNo

Rear camera

leads 3-0
Rear camera specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
Main50 MP Octa PD, f/1.68, 1/1.31" sensor, OIS50 MP (f/1.8, 24mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS)
Ultrawide48 MP Quad PD, f/1.7, 123° FOV, Macro Focus (wins this row: higher)12 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120° FOV)
Telephoto48 MP Quad PD, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom, OIS (wins this row: higher)10 MP (f/2.4, 67mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom)
Max optical zoom5x optical (up to 30x Super Res Zoom, 20x Video Boost) (wins this row: higher)3x optical zoom
StabilizationDual OIS on wide and telephoto lensesOIS on main and 3x telephoto cameras
Video4K 24/30/60 fps, 8K 30 fps (via Video Boost cloud processing)8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+

Front camera

leads 1-0
Front camera specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
Selfie camera42 MP Dual PD, f/2.2, 103° ultrawide, autofocus (wins this row: higher)12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF)
Selfie video4K 60 fps4K at 30/60 fps

Battery & charging

4 differences
Battery & charging specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
Capacity5,060 mAh (wins this row: higher)4,900 mAh
Wired chargingNot on the official sheet37 W wired fast charging45W fast wired charging (up to 65% in 30 min) (wins this row: higher)
Wireless chargingFast wireless charging up to 23 W (Pixel Stand), Qi certified15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
Reverse wirelessBattery Share (reverse wireless)4.5W Wireless PowerShare
Charger in boxNoNo

Audio

1 differences
Audio specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
SpeakersStereo speakers, 3 microphones with spatial audio recordingStereo speakers tuned by AKG
Headphone jackNoNo

Connectivity

5 differences
Connectivity specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
Cellular5G (sub-6 + mmWave, region-dependent)5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave)
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax tri-band)
BluetoothBluetooth 5.3Bluetooth 5.3
NFCYes (Google Wallet)Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Pay)
USBUSB-C 3.2USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort out)
SIMDual SIM (Single Nano-SIM and eSIM)Nano-SIM + eSIM (Dual eSIM support)

Features

3 differences
Features specifications. Middle column is Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24+.
BiometricsUltrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor, Face UnlockUltrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock
Extra controlsGemini Live activation, Power button shortcutNone
Standout featuresGemini Live, Add Me, Pixel Studio, Call Screen, Magic Editor, Thermometer sensor, Satellite SOSGalaxy AI suite (Circle to Search, Live Translate, Note Assist), Samsung DeX desktop mode, UWB support
Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Google's 6.8-inch flagship with Tensor G4, Super Actua 3,000-nit display, 5x telephoto, and Gemini Live AI.

  • Bright 6.8-inch Super Actua LTPO display reaching 3,000 nits
  • Class-leading camera pipeline with 5x optical zoom and 8K Video Boost
  • 7 years of OS, security updates, and Pixel Feature Drops

What you give up

  • Tensor G4 gaming graphics benchmarks trail Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  • No charger adapter in the box

Pick this one if

Samsung Galaxy S24+

6.7-inch Galaxy S24+ with QHD+ 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, and 12GB RAM.

  • Sharp QHD+ 120Hz LTPO display
  • 12GB RAM standard and 45W fast charging
  • 7 years of Android OS and security updates

What you give up

  • Camera hardware is mostly unchanged from previous generation
  • No built-in S-Pen stylus like the Ultra

Best for each use

Photos

Camera first: zoom reach, sensors, stabilisation and video

For photos, buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.

  • Leads 4 of 4 rankable photos specs.
  • Max optical zoom: 5x optical vs 3x optical zoom
  • Ultrawide: 48 MP Quad PD, f/1.7, 123° FOV, Macro Focus vs 12 MP
  • Samsung Galaxy S24+ is $100 cheaper. Pay the difference only if max optical zoom matters to you.

Battery & updates

All-day battery, fast top-ups and years of software support

Tied on battery & updates. Samsung Galaxy S24+ is cheaper.

  • The 2 rankable battery & updates specs split 1 to 1.
  • Saves $100 at list price.

Games & video

Games and streaming: chip, refresh rate, brightness, speakers

For games & video, buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.

  • Leads 3 of 3 rankable games & video specs.
  • RAM: 16GB vs 12 GB
  • Size: 6.8 inches vs 6.7 inches
  • Samsung Galaxy S24+ is $100 cheaper. Pay the difference only if ram matters to you.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Manufacturer pages: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL · Samsung Galaxy S24+

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL or the Samsung Galaxy S24+?

Samsung Galaxy S24+ costs $100 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL or Samsung Galaxy S24+?

Both has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.

Which is better for photos, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL or the Samsung Galaxy S24+?

For photos, buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. Leads 4 of 4 rankable photos specs. Max optical zoom: 5x optical vs 3x optical zoom

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 48 specs tracked here, 35 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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