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 battery capacity and front camera. Overall, the Galaxy S26 scores 64.6 and the Pixel 9a scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (64.6 vs 63.2). 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 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 battery capacity, front camera, screen size.
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: 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
- ▲Wireless charging — 100.00% more. 15 W vs 7.5 W.
- ▲Wired charging — 95.65% more. 45 W vs 23 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 73.39% more. 2150000 vs 1240000.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Weight — 18.00 g less. 168 vs 186.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Pixel density — 0.71% more. 425 ppi vs 422 ppi.
Why Google - Pixel 9a wins
- ▲Battery capacity — 27.50% more. 5100 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
- ▲Front camera — 8.33% more. 13 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 1.61% more. 6.3 " vs 6.2 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 168 glead | 186 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mmlead | 8.9 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| 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 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 | 4000 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 27.5% more battery — 4000 mAh vs 5100 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 or Pixel 9a?+
Galaxy S26 is 18g lighter — 168g 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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