Is Galaxy S24 Ultra or Pixel 8 Pro better Android flagship?

Pricing and storage options

1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: $1,299 for 256GB; $1,419 for 512GB; $1,659 for 1TB
2. Google Pixel 8 Pro: $999 for 128GB; $1,059 for 256GB; $1,179 for 512GB; $1,399 for 1TB

There is a big difference in the price of Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Even though both are flagship phones from their respective companies, Google's phone is $300 cheaper than the S24 Ultra. Although the Pixel 8 Pro starts with 128GB of base storage, it only costs $59 more to upgrade to the 256GB model.

At $1,299, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the most expensive flagship Android phones available. But for that price, you get a phone with a titanium frame, a big and bright display, great battery life, and advanced camera hardware.

Both Samsung and Google are offering steep discounts on their phones. You can usually get a $150 rebate if you buy the S24 Ultra on Amazon, bringing the actual price down to $1,150. On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro is listed on Amazon for $950 for the 128GB variant.

Quality design and construction

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1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm; 233 grams; IP68 water and dust resistant
2. Google Pixel 8 Pro: 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm; 213 grams; IP68 water and dust resistant

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a boxy design and has minor improvements compared to its predecessor. One significant change in build quality is the move to titanium edges for the chassis, similar to what Apple did with the iPhone 15 Pro series. You may not notice this change right away, but the new material will be more durable than the old Armor Aluminum frame.

The S24 Ultra comes with an S Pen, which you can use to take notes on the screen, doodle on images, etc. The flat screen means more space for you to scribble and stylus won't slide off the glass when you're near the edge of the screen.

On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro has a more rounded design, with a prominent camera cluster at the back. However, it uses aluminum construction instead of titanium. While the Pixel 8 Pro feels premium, the S24 Ultra feels well put together and above Google's offering in terms of build quality.

If you find the S24 Ultra too big or bulky, you'll love the Pixel 8 Pro's design with its rounded edges. This allows the phone to rest comfortably in the palm of your hand, making for better use over long periods of time.

Screen

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1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Dynamic AMOLED 2x 6.8 inches; Refresh rate varies from 1Hz–120Hz; resolution 1440 x 3088; Maximum brightness 2,600 nits
2. Google Pixel 8 Pro: 6.7-inch Super Actua OLED display; Refresh rate varies from 1Hz–120Hz; resolution 1344 x 2992; Maximum brightness 2,400 nits

You don't have to worry about display quality on either of these devices. The Pixel 8 Pro has a 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED panel with a dynamic refresh rate of 1-120Hz and a maximum brightness rated at 2,400 nits. You get a similar display with the S24 Ultra, but it's slightly larger at 6.8 inches and delivers a peak brightness of 2,600 nits.

While both displays are impressive, the S24 Ultra has a big advantage thanks to Corning's Gorilla Glass Armor. Besides being more scratch-resistant, Samsung claims this glass reduces reflections by about 75%. This difference can be easily noticed during daily use, especially when you use it outdoors.

Performance and efficiency

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1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy; RAM 12GB LPDDR5X; UFS 4.0 storage
2. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Google Tensor G3; RAM LPDDR5X 12GB; UFS 3.1 storage

Galaxy S24 Ultra uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip for Galaxy. This is Qualcomm's flagship mobile processor for 2024, known for its power and efficiency. Samsung has paired this powerful chip with 12GB RAM and UFS 4.0 storage.

The Pixel 8 Pro is powered by Google's third-generation Tensor G3 chip, known for its AI and ML capabilities. Compared to Tensor G1, Google claims the Pixel 8 Pro with Tensor G3 can run more than twice as many Machine Learning models on the device.

While Tensor G3 is impressive, it is not as efficient as Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Tensor G3 is built on Samsung's 4nm node, while Qualcomm uses TSMC's enhanced 4nm node, which is much more efficient. Google also uses slower UFS 3.1 NAND storage on the Pixel 8.

Both companies promise seven years of operating system upgrades and security updates for their flagship products. So you can use them for years without worrying about software updates. The Galaxy AI features on the S24 Ultra are similar to those on the Pixel 8 Pro, so you don't have to decide between the two phones based on their AI features.

Camera configuration and quality

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1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 200MP f/1.7 primary, OIS, Laser AF, 8K video at 30FPS; 50 MP f/3.4 periscope lens with 5x optical zoom, OIS; 10MP f/2.4 telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, OIS; 12MP f/2.2 super wide, macro photography; Front cam: 12MP, f/2.2, 4K video at 60FPS
2. Google Pixel 8 Pro: 50MP f/1.68 primary, OIS, Laser AF, 4K video at 60FPS; 48MP f/1.95 super wide (FoV 125.5 degrees), macro photography; 48MP f/2.8 telephoto lens, OIS, 5x optical zoom; Front cam: 10.5MP f/2.2, 4K video at 60FPS

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has 4 cameras, while the Pixel 8 Pro has 3 cameras. The main difference is that the Pixel has a 50MP main camera, while the S24 Ultra has a 200MP main camera.

Both phones are equipped with 5x optical and ultra-wide cameras, although the Pixel uses a higher resolution sensor for the rear camera. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a dedicated 3x 10MP telephoto lens, allowing it to take better photos at that zoom level than the Pixel.

Despite the huge difference in resolution of the main camera, the S24 Ultra fails to take significantly better photos than the Pixel 8 Pro. That's because Google's software processing capabilities are superior to Samsung's. Additionally, the Pixel 8 Pro is better at capturing moving subjects, which is an area where Samsung struggles.

The Pixel 8 Pro is the better point-and-shoot camera, but you can get better photos from the S24 Ultra via Pro mode or Samsung's Expert RAW app. Additionally, as noted in the Galaxy S24 Ultra review, camera performance is inconsistent, especially in low-light situations.

On the plus side, the Galaxy S24 Ultra can record better quality videos at up to 8K resolution. However, the Pixel 8 Pro has an AI-powered Video Boost feature, which can help improve the quality of your videos. However, for this feature to work, you must use Google Photos to upload all the media files you capture.

Battery life and charging capabilities

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1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 5,000mAh; 45W corded, 65% for 30 minutes; 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless
2. Google Pixel 8 Pro: 5,050mAh battery; 30W wired charging and 23W wireless charging; reverse wireless charging

The Galaxy S24 Ultra should be your top choice if battery life is a top priority. Thanks to the 5,000mAh battery combined with the increased performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, the S24 Ultra can deliver all-day battery life. You can easily get 6 to 7 hours of screen-on time regardless of whether you're connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.

While the Pixel 8 Pro is also equipped with a powerful 5,050mAh battery, it delivers inconsistent battery life. It should last you a day, but if you use your phone a lot for gaming or recording videos, you'll need to charge it in the evening.

Worse still, the Pixel 8 Pro's Exynos modem is less efficient than the Snapdragon modem inside the S24 Ultra. As a result, the battery will drain significantly faster when using mobile data.

Both phones fail to impress when it comes to charging speeds, although the premium Galaxy fares better. The Pixel 8 Pro reaches speeds of up to 30W (wired), while the S24 Ultra reaches speeds of up to 45W. Google's phone takes about 80 minutes to charge from 0 to 100%. For comparison, the S24 Ultra can reach 100% in 60 – 65 minutes.

The Pixel supports faster 23W wireless charging speeds, but you only get that with the Pixel Stand (2nd generation). Samsung's phone can draw 15W of wireless power via a Qi charger. Unfortunately, both phones lack support for the newer Qi2 wireless charging standard, which may prove difficult for some.

All in all, you won't regret choosing either of these phones. If you have to choose between two devices, decide which is more important to you. If you want a device with all-day battery life, great performance, and a good camera, the S24 Ultra is enough. And if you need the best camera performance, the Pixel 8 Pro has a slight edge.

Lesley Montoya

Update 15 March 2024