Between the Galaxy S26+ and Pixel 9a, the Galaxy S26+ comes out ahead in wireless charging and wired charging, while the Pixel 9a wins on weight and front camera. Overall, the Galaxy S26+ scores 68.5 and the Pixel 9a scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Galaxy S26+ edges ahead on the Mars Score (68.5 vs 63.2), but the 5.3-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
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 wireless charging, wired charging, antutu, among others.
Pick the Pixel 9a 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 weight, front camera, battery capacity.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Galaxy S26+ is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S26+ wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 100.00% more. 15 W vs 7.5 W.
- ▲Wired charging — 95.65% more. 45 W vs 23 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 77.42% more. 2200000 vs 1240000.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Pixel density — 21.56% more. 513 ppi vs 422 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 6.35% more. 6.7 " vs 6.3 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Why Google - Pixel 9a wins
- ▲Weight — 10.00 g less. 186 vs 196.
- ▲Front camera — 8.33% more. 13 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Battery capacity — 4.08% more. 5100 mAh vs 4900 mAh.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 196 g | 186 glead |
| Thickness | 7.6 mmlead | 8.9 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 "lead | 6.3 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 513 ppilead | 422 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2600 nits | 2700 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 13 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4900 mAh | 5100 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 23 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 7.5 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 years | 7 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26+ or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a has 4.1% more battery — 4900 mAh vs 5100 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26+ or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a is 10g lighter — 196g vs 186g.
Is Galaxy S26+ waterproof?+
Galaxy S26+ has an IP68 rating.
Does Pixel 9a support 5G?+
Yes, Pixel 9a supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy S26+ or Pixel 9a?+
Galaxy S26+ offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26+ or Pixel 9a?+
Galaxy S26+ has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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