Samsung Galaxy S26 / Google Pixel 9 Pro

Samsung varies the processor by market: the US, China and Japan versions use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. This entry covers the Exynos 2600 SM-S942B version.

The viewable area is smaller than the rectangular measurement because of the corners and camera hole.

It is a higher-resolution panel in the same body as the Pixel 9; 495 ppi renders text and photo edges more sharply. Because the corners are rounded, the visible area is slightly smaller than the measured diagonal.

The panel lowers its rate to match the content, slowing down on static images to save power and rising to 120 Hz for scrolling and games.

The LTPO panel drops as low as 1 Hz for static content and the always-on display to save power, and rises to 120 Hz when scrolling. Google notes 120 Hz is not available in every app.

This is Samsung's peak figure, not a brightness held across the full screen.

It is the same chip as the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL; there is no performance difference.

Samsung says this GPU supports hardware ray tracing and is up to 50% faster at it than its predecessor.

Samsung states up to 29% better heat dissipation for the S26; this is a figure from the maker's own testing.

Usable space is lower than the total because of preloaded software. Options vary by country and carrier.

Pro controls allow full 50 MP capture; the Pixel 9 only saves binned 12.5 MP photos. Optical quality is offered at 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x and 10x.

Magnification beyond 5x is done in software; Google says 10x still gives near-optical quality. A multi-zone laser (LDAF) sensor assists focusing.

The 2x optical-quality zoom uses the centre of the main camera's Adaptive Pixel sensor; it is not a separate lens.

Video Boost processes recorded video on Google’s cloud servers to improve colour, lighting and stabilisation, so the result is not available immediately and an internet connection is needed. 8K and Super Res Zoom Video are only available with Video Boost on.

Samsung quotes up to 30 hours of video playback; the typical figure was measured by a third-party lab to IEC 61960.

The battery matches the Pixel 9’s capacity. Figures come from pre-production tests in the US using a median user profile.

The figure was measured from 0% with a 25 W Samsung adapter and 3 A USB-C cable, screen off. The adapter and cable are sold separately.

PowerShare works only with certain Qi-compatible phones and wearables and may not work below 30% battery.

Wi-Fi 7 speeds need a Wi-Fi 7 router; 6 GHz use varies by country.

USB 3.2 Gen 1 carries up to 5 Gbit/s of data, which speeds up wired transfers of large video files to a computer.

Band support varies by market.

The rear temperature sensor measures surface temperatures of objects through the Thermometer app; the standard Pixel 9 lacks it.

Weight may vary by country and configuration.

Water and dust resistance can decline over time with normal wear.

Google notes the protection can diminish with wear, repair or drops and that liquid damage voids the warranty.

HDR brightness is measured with the whole screen lit and peak brightness with only 5% lit; the peak applies to small bright areas in sunlight.

The finishes are the reverse of the Pixel 9, which has a glossy back and a matte frame. The aluminium in the housing is 100% recycled.

There is no card slot; storage and colour options vary by region.

No charger is included. 37 W wired charging is only on the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL.

The UWB chip measures distance and direction to compatible devices and tags with centimetre-level precision; the standard Pixel 9 lacks it.

The period counts from the first sale date on the US Google Store. Satellite SOS works only in the US.

The size matches the Pixel 9; it weighs 1 g more.