Between the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 9, the Galaxy S26 comes out ahead in antutu / wired charging, while the Pixel 9 wins on battery capacity / screen size. Overall, the Galaxy S26 scores 64.6 and the Pixel 9 scores 63.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (64.6 vs 63.5). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Galaxy S26 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are antutu, wired charging, weight, among others.
Pick the Pixel 9 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery capacity, screen size.
Both ship with comparable ram, main camera, refresh rate, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S26 wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 73.39% more. 2150000 vs 1240000.
- ▲Wired charging — 66.67% more. 45 W vs 27 W.
- ▲Weight — 30.00 g less. 168 vs 198.
- ▲Front camera — 14.29% more. 12 MP vs 10.5 MP.
- ▲Pixel density — 0.71% more. 425 ppi vs 422 ppi.
Why Google - Pixel 9 wins
- ▲Battery capacity — 17.50% more. 4700 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 1.61% more. 6.3 " vs 6.2 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 168 glead | 198 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mmlead | 8.5 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.2 " | 6.3 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 425 ppilead | 422 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2400 nits | 2700 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MPlead | 10.5 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 4700 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 27 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 years | 7 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 or Pixel 9?+
Pixel 9 has 17.5% more battery — 4000 mAh vs 4700 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 or Pixel 9?+
Galaxy S26 is 30g lighter — 168g vs 198g.
Is Galaxy S26 waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 has an IP68 rating.
Does Pixel 9 support 5G?+
Yes, Pixel 9 supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 or Pixel 9?+
Pixel 9 has a 50 MP main camera vs 50 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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