Should you buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra or wait for the Pixel 10 Pro XL?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is official, and while in many ways it’s not a massive update, it still brings a few important changes to the design, camera, and more. We’ve already given you our thoughts on the Galaxy S25 Ultra vs the Pixel 9 Pro, but how does it compare to the upcoming Pixel 10 series? We take a closer look at what to expect from the Pixel 10 Pro XL based on rumors, as well as whether it’s worth waiting or if you should stick with Samsung’s latest flagship.

The Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy families have a lot in common when it comes to the core OS and experience, but there’s a pretty big difference in the company’s philosophies.

In a move that essentially mirrors Apple, Google built the Pixel series with minimalism and functionality in mind. There’s tight OS and hardware integration, a cutting-edge AI processor, and plenty of other little refinements that stand out with the Pixel series. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S line always packs the latest processors, higher amounts of RAM, and other features that tend to appeal to power user types.

Samsung continues its traditional approach with the Galaxy S25, bringing a phone that’s all about refinement. What about the Pixel 10 Pro XL? Let’s take a closer look at a few key differences we expect.

With its unique camera bar, there’s no mistaking a Pixel for anything else. The Pixel 9 Pro XL also has a slightly smaller display at 6.8 inches versus the 6.9-inch display on the Ultra. It’s possible the Pixel 10 Pro XL could match this, though.

The pricing structures are also a bit different here, as the Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $1,299 versus a starting price of just $1,099 for the Pixel 9 Pro XL. You also have the option of saving even more by going with the Pixel 9 Pro, though you’ll get a smaller 6.3-inch display instead.

Now to be fair, the Pixel 9 Pro base model only has 128GB of storage versus the 256GB you’ll get with a base Galaxy S25 Ultra. Even so, the 256GB Pixel 9 Pro XL is still about $100 less.  Just like with screen size, it is possible this could change with the Pixel 10 series, though we wouldn’t be too surprised if pricing stays the same. After all, you expect to pay less for a Tensor-equipped phone than a Snapdragon-powered device.

As you can imagine, the Galaxy S25 Ultra stands out in terms of raw performance in several ways. Let’s start with the chipsets used. As you’d expect, the latest Galaxy has a significantly more powerful chipset. The Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is significantly more advanced than Google’s Tensor series, even if it’s known to suffer from some overheating issues.

The good news is the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a larger vapor chamber and some other changes that should address those heat concerns. Beyond that, you’ll find 12GB of RAM across all models and storage configurations ranging from 256GB to 1TB. Meanwhile, the Pixel 10 is expected to pack the Tensor G5, which will once again prioritize AI smarts and photography over raw power.

The latest Tensor is expected to feature the same single Arm-A4 primary core as the Tensor G4, but this time alongside five ARM Cortex-A725 cores and two ARM Cortex-A520 cores. The new SoC is also expected to feature a newer, faster TPU with an almost 40% larger trillions of operations per second (TOPS) value, as well as new features like a small embedded RISC-V core and support for on-device AI training.

While the Tensor G5 is looking to be a notable upgrade from its predecessor, the Pixel’s chip is significantly behind those made by Qualcomm. In truth, just about any high-end Snapdragon chip from the last few years will outperform the Tensor in most tasks.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t a dramatic upgrade from its predecessor on the camera front, packing the same 200MP primary sensor and the same 50MP 5x/10MP 3x zoom lens pairing. You do get a new 50MP ultrawide shooter, which is said to offer 4x more detail in macro shots than the S24 Ultra.

The S25 Ultra also introduces LOG video support, which is a professional format that makes the S25 Ultra a much better choice for videographers than ever before. Overall, it’s a great camera, even if it doesn’t change the formula dramatically.

As for what to expect from the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s camera? We honestly don’t have any solid rumors on the camera beyond that it will support 4K 50fps HDR, which is an upgrade from the Pixel 9’s 4K 30fps HDR support.

We might not have any official details, but we can speculate on a few things based on how the Galaxy S24 compared to the Pixel 9. You can check out our Galaxy S24 vs Pixel 9 comparison for a deeper dive, but essentially the two phones had different approaches to lighting, contrast, and other aspects. Ultimately, both are great performers, so it’s down to personal tastes.

Samsung and Google both utilize Android, but with their own software tweaks that are designed for two very different crowds. Google’s skin is typically much more barebones in nature, though it’s added plenty of extra features around AI and more in recent years. Samsung typically takes the kitchen sink approach to software and hardware, and so that really hasn’t changed.

The Galaxy S25 series’ biggest standout is its new Galaxy AI features, including the user agent for handling tasks like changing settings across apps and more. There’s also Now Brief, which summarizes your to-do list, health metrics, traffic, and more. Samsung even introduced a new Audio Eraser for videos, Gen AI stickers, and an Object Eraser for photos.

Of course, some of these Galaxy AI features come straight from Google via partnership, like Google Circle to Search. In fact, Samsung is utilizing Gemini as its default assistant for the Galaxy S25 series, pushing Bixby to the backburner.

Ultimately, Google currently leads over Samsung here, as it has equivalents to nearly everything listed above. Even in the few areas where Samsung might be marginally ahead in AI, Google can easily upstage all of these additions with the Pixel 10 since Google has deeper resources invested here and plenty of time before the next Pixel’s launch.

Ultimately, if you are interested in the Galaxy S25 Ultra and need a new phone sooner rather than later, there’s probably no reason to wait, especially when considering that the Pixel 10 series won’t make its debut for at least six months. Of course, if the Galaxy S25 Ultra didn’t impress you, you could also consider getting the Pixel 9 Pro XL ($1099 at Amazon) instead. It’s not quite as powerful, but it’s still a solid flagship.

That said, we still have a lot left to learn about the Pixel 10. If you don’t need a new phone now and if you aren’t sold on the Galaxy S25 series, it might not hurt to wait it out until we learn more. At the very least, you might be able to get a discount on the Galaxy S25 Ultra or Pixel 9 Pro XL if you wait until the Pixel 10 Pro XL arrives.