Between the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 9, the Galaxy S26 comes out ahead in antutu and wired charging, while the Pixel 9 wins on battery capacity and 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 isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's 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 don't 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 tells you 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
More from the same brands
vsMars is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.