Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Verdict
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is not clearly ahead in any section, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads in performance, battery and camera; they are even on display, design & durability and connectivity & features.
The biggest difference is performance: 71 vs 100 points.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the newer model, announced 28 months after the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
- Pixel 8 Pro leads in 2 fields
- Galaxy S26 Ultra leads in 12 fields
- 25 ties
39 scored fields compared
Score by section
| Section scores | Pixel 8 Pro | Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Performance | 71 | 100 |
| Camera | 92 | 96 |
| Battery | 74 | 84 |
| Display | 94 | 95 |
| Design & durability | 82 | 83 |
| Connectivity & features | 79 | 81 |
Full specifications
Performance
- Chipset performance index
- Pixel 8 Pro: 62/100
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 100/100(Better)
- Chipset
- Pixel 8 Pro: Google Tensor G3
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- RAM (max)
- Pixel 8 Pro: 12 GB
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 16 GB(Better)
- Storage (max)
- Pixel 8 Pro: 1 TB
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 1 TB
- Process node
- Pixel 8 Pro: 4 nm
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 3 nm
Camera
- Main camera resolution
- Pixel 8 Pro: 50 MP
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 200 MP(Better)
- Main sensor size
- Pixel 8 Pro: 1/1.31″
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 1/1.3″(Better)
- Optical stabilization (OIS)
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Ultra-wide camera
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Telephoto camera
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Periscope lens
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Optical zoom
- Pixel 8 Pro: 5×
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 5×
- Video recording
- Pixel 8 Pro: 4K 60 fps
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 8K(Better)
- Front camera
- Pixel 8 Pro: 10.5 MP
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 12 MP(Better)
- Front camera 4K video
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
Battery
- Battery capacity
- Pixel 8 Pro: 5050 mAh(Better)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 5000 mAh
- Battery endurance (EU label)
- Pixel 8 Pro: Unknown
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 55:00 h
- EU label cycles
- Pixel 8 Pro: Unknown
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 1200
- Wired charging
- Pixel 8 Pro: 30 W
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 60 W(Better)
- Wireless charging
- Pixel 8 Pro: 23 W
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 25 W(Better)
- Reverse charging
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Reverse charging type
- Pixel 8 Pro: Wireless
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Wireless
Display
- Screen size
- Pixel 8 Pro: 6.7″
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 6.9″
- Panel type
- Pixel 8 Pro: LTPO OLED
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: LTPO OLED
- Refresh rate
- Pixel 8 Pro: 120 Hz
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 120 Hz
- Pixel density
- Pixel 8 Pro: 489 ppi
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 500 ppi
- Peak brightness
- Pixel 8 Pro: 2400 nits
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 2600 nits(Better)
- Resolution
- Pixel 8 Pro: 1344x2992
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 1440x3120
- Screen protection
- Pixel 8 Pro: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Corning Gorilla Armor 2
Design & durability
- Weight
- Pixel 8 Pro: 213 g(Better)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 214 g
- Thickness
- Pixel 8 Pro: 8.8 mm
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 7.9 mm(Better)
- Dust & water resistance
- Pixel 8 Pro: IP68
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: IP68
- Back material
- Pixel 8 Pro: Glass
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Glass
- Frame material
- Pixel 8 Pro: Aluminum
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Aluminum
- EU repairability class
- Pixel 8 Pro: Unknown
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: C
- EU drop resistance class
- Pixel 8 Pro: Unknown
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: A
- EU energy class
- Pixel 8 Pro: Unknown
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: A
Connectivity & features
- 5G
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Wi-Fi
- Pixel 8 Pro: Wi-Fi 7
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- Pixel 8 Pro: 5.3
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 6.0(Better)
- USB speed
- Pixel 8 Pro: USB 3.x
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: USB 3.x
- USB port
- Pixel 8 Pro: USB-C 3.2
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: USB-C 3.2
- DisplayPort output
- Pixel 8 Pro: No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- NFC
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- eSIM
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Ultra-wideband (UWB)
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Satellite connectivity
- Pixel 8 Pro: No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- Stereo speakers
- Pixel 8 Pro: Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Pixel 8 Pro: No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- Fingerprint reader
- Pixel 8 Pro: Under display (optical)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Under display (ultrasonic)(Better)
- 3D face unlock
- Pixel 8 Pro: No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- Infrared blaster
- Pixel 8 Pro: No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- FM radio
- Pixel 8 Pro: No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- microSD slot
- Pixel 8 Pro: No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- Card slot
- Pixel 8 Pro: No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
General
- Operating system
- Pixel 8 Pro: Android 14
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Android 16
- OS updates (major versions)
- Pixel 8 Pro: 7
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 7
- Launch price
- Pixel 8 Pro: $ 324.44
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: $ 898.99
- Year
- Pixel 8 Pro: 2023
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 2026
Show raw spec textHide raw spec text
Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.
| — | Pixel 8 Pro | Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Network | ||
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - G1MNW 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GC3VE | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA unlocked |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - G1MNW 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GC3VE | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA unlocked |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2023, October 04 | 2026, February 25 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, October 12 | Available. Released 2026, March 06 |
| Body | ||
| Dimensions | 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm (6.40 x 3.01 x 0.35 in) | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 213 g (7.51 oz) | 214 g (7.55 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) | · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus Armor Aluminum 2 |
| Display | ||
| Type | LTPO OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1600 nits (HBM), 2400 nits (peak) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.7 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches, 115.9 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1344 x 2992 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~489 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 DX anti-reflective coating Privacy Display |
| Platform | ||
| OS | Android 14, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates | Android 16, upgradable to Android 17, One UI 9, up to 7 major OS updates |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G3 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) |
| CPU | Nona-core (1x2.91 GHz Cortex-X3 & 4x2.37 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4x1.70 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) |
| GPU | Mali-G715 MP7 | Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) |
| Memory | ||
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM UFS 3.1 | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM UFS 4.X |
| Main Camera | ||
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/2.8, 113mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.0, 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF | – |
| Features | Multi-zone Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra-HDR, panorama, Best Take, Zoom Enhance | Laser AF, Best Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Quad | – | 200 MP, f/1.4, 23mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Selfie camera | ||
| Single | 10.5 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.22µm, PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No High-bitrate audio support |
| Comms | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 6.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
| Features | ||
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, thermometer (skin temperature) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
| Battery | ||
| Type | Li-Ion 5050 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min 23W wireless Reverse wireless Bypass charging | 60W wired, PD3.0, 75% in 30 min 25W wireless (Qi2.2) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Misc | ||
| Colors | Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Mint | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold |
| Models | GC3VE, G1MNW | SM-S948B, SM-S948B/DS, SM-S948U, SM-S948U1, SM-S948W, SM-S948N, SM-S9480, SM-S948E, SM-S948E/DS |
| Price | $ 324.44 / € 380.00 / £ 300.00 | $ 898.99 / € 979.00 / £ 802.99 / ₹ 139,999 |
| SAR | – | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | – | 1.28 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) |
| EU LABEL | ||
| Energy | – | Class A |
| Battery | – | 55:00h endurance, 1200 cycles |
| Free fall | – | Class A (270 falls) |
| Repairability | – | Class C |