Three methods the Pixel 10 beats the Galaxy S25 – and 3 ways it doesn’t

Google has announced its newest Pixel 10 telephones with up to date Android 16 software program, new colors, new processor and tweaks that improve them in contrast to last yr’s Pixel 9 sequence.

If you need to learn up on the particulars, test out our information protection of the Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL here, while we also coated the launch of the high-end foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold here. Google also unveiled a new Pixel Watch 4.

We’re here to resolve if the Pixel 10 is the new sub-£1,000 Android flagship cellphone for you, or if the Samsung Galaxy S25 is the higher option.

The common Pixel 10 prices £799, the same as the Galaxy S25. The two telephones seem comparatively related on paper with screens practically the same sizes, triple cameras on the back, enjoyable color choices and, of course, Android.

But look nearer and there are several variations between the two telephones. I’ve discovered 3 ways I believe the newer Pixel 10 beats the Galaxy S25, which has been on cabinets since February, and they might be causes for you to contemplate shopping for Google’s cellphone instead of Samsung’s.

Despite that, there are also 3 ways the Galaxy S25 beats the Pixel 10 – on paper at least – and could imply that Samsung’s cellphone is the one for you.

Since the iPhone 12 in 2020, the iPhone has had MagSafe, a easy but efficient magnetic connection system constructed into the units that permits for simple wi-fi charging and the use of equipment such as circumstances, stands and wallets. It’s baffling that Android producers have taken so long to copy something this good, but it’s finally here with the Pixel 10, and it’s identified as Pixelsnap (though shout out to the HMD Skyline, which was the first and only Android cellphone with a related system until now).

Google can’t call it MagSafe as that’s Apple’s branding. But the Pixel 10 has the Qi2 charging commonplace constructed into it, which contains the same round magnetic tech as MagSafe, that means you should be in a position to use present MagSafe equipment on Google’s new cellphone.

Google sells Pixelsnap circumstances, stands and a charging stand to begin with, but expect the market of equipment to grow. Samsung’s S25 is Qi2 appropriate, but the magnets aren’t constructed into the cellphone – only the company’s official circumstances. Not the best resolution, and a win for Google.

How long a cellphone’s battery last relies upon on many issues. How much you use it during the day, how vivid the show is and what you’re doing on it being some of the fundamental components. But science is science, and bigger batteries imply longer battery life – and the Pixel 10 has a considerably bigger battery than the S25.

The Pixel 10 has a 4,970mAh battery, an impressively giant cell that is in reality practically the same measurement as the £1,249 Galaxy S25 Ultra. Not unhealthy for a £799 system.

The common S25 is caught with a considerably pokier 4,000mAh. That means the Pixel 10 has very practically 25 p.c more battery than the Galaxy, which could very properly consequence in longer battery life. I’ve examined the S25, and while it does make it through a day with my utilization, it tipped towards the purple more usually than I’d like it to. These specs counsel the Pixel is the higher choose if you need a comparatively small flagship cellphone with stable longevity.

OK, this one is a little more subjective but I believe the Pixel 10’s AI to be higher built-in and more interesting than what Samsung is offering. Where the S25 presents Galaxy AI instruments such as reside translation, e mail summaries and choices to rewrite your emails in a totally different tone of voice, Google presents easier high quality of life AI such as Call Screen, which makes use of an AI voice to screen calls from unknown numbers.

If you are put on maintain when calling a business or service, you can faucet Hold For Me, and the Pixel 10 will do just that, letting you get on with your day until someone is prepared to speak to you.

The Pixel 10 also introduces a new characteristic called Magic Cue, which says it’ll anticipate what you need in Google apps and counsel them on the screen. An instance is a good friend texting you asking for an Airbnb tackle – Google says the Pixel will be in a position to search your Gmail and pop the tackle up on the screen in the Messages app as a prompt reply, saving you diving into your emails to dig out the data.

Sure, this is my opinion rather than cold onerous specs, but the Pixel 10’s AI seems more helpful to tackle each day tech annoyances in contrast to the S25’s headline AI options.

But that’s not to say the Pixel 10 is the best cellphone for you out of the two.

Synthetic benchmarks only inform half of the story, but the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite in the Galaxy S25 is, on paper, more highly effective than the Tensor G5 chip in the Pixel 10. It’s value noting that the majority of people won’t discover a distinction, but it relies upon what you need to use your cellphone for. If you’re contemplating one of the ese telephones to have a smaller but highly effective system to play high-end cell video games on, the S25 will be the higher choose.

The 8 Elite is a supremely well-specced processor, and the model inside the S25 is a ‘For Galaxy’ model that’s overclocked and technically even more highly effective than the model you will discover in other telephones with the common 8 Elite.

Tensor G5 is Google’s newest chip, and is geared towards the smoother perform of on-device AI. It relies upon what you need your cellphone to do – and you actually may not care which chip your cellphone has – but if you need as much energy on paper as attainable for the price, the Galaxy wins this spherical.

Both the Galaxy S25 and the Pixel 10 have pin-sharp 6.2-inch and 6.3-inch OLED shows respectively, and both are succesful of 120Hz refresh charges. This helps apps and texts to scroll smoother than on shows with only 60Hz (such as the iPhone 16), but working this tech eats up battery life.

To counteract this and to save on juice, both telephones can cleverly scale down the refresh fee relying on what you’re doing on your cellphone. If you’re studying textual content on a web site, you don’t need 120Hz, so the cellphone will routinely crank the refresh fee proper down. Where the Galaxy beats the Pixel here is that the S25 has an LTPO screen succesful of scaling proper down to 1Hz, whereas the Pixel can only scale down to 60Hz.

It’s a minor factor, but it could truly be half of the cause the S25 manages to last a day on a charge despite its HD screen and comparatively small battery. If you are a spec aficionado, it’s notable that the Pixel lacks an LTPO screen, something you’ll only discover on the pricier Pixel 10 Pro fashions.

Over in the US, the Pixel 10 is the first Pixel to not embrace a bodily SIM slot, as Google follows Apple’s lead in ditching it. Thankfully there’s no such nonsense in the UK, where the Pixel 10 has a regular nano SIM card slot – but only one slot. The Galaxy S25 has a twin SIM card slot so you can simply swap out SIMs, whether it’s for personal, business or roaming use.

The Pixel does have eSIM functionality, so you can run your UK SIM card as regular and still grab a low cost eSIM for roaming overseas with information when on vacation, but you might have two bodily SIMs at the moment and favor to run your cellphone that method. If that’s the case, the Pixel won’t work for you, but the S25 will.

Samsung and Google have both long since got rid of {hardware} perks such as headphone jacks or microSD card slots on their flagship telephones, and a cautious look across the pond suggests it might not be long until our telephones in the UK have no SIM card slots either. But if you are loath to give up your SIMs, the Galaxy S25 has room for two, beating the Pixel 10’s one.