I tested the Galaxy S25 Plus and Pixel 9 Pro cameras, it’s no contest
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13 Feb 2025 02:49:04 am.
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If you’re looking for a new flagship Android phone and want something that’s pocket-friendly, you’ve probably been considering Google’s flagship, thePixel 9 Pro. However, you may also be considering Samsung’s latest middle flagship, theGalaxy S25 Plus.
Both phones have very similar features, with each company equipping its flagship with a flagship processor, good battery life, and an excellent display. However, while both phones feature a triple camera setup, each company has taken a different approach.
Google has followed Apple’s model and equipped the Pixel 9 Pro with the same camera as the Pixel 9 Pro XL, while Samsung treats the Galaxy S25 Plus as a combination of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25. The result is interesting but doesn’t meet overall expectations, as I covered in our Galaxy S25 Plus review.
>>>Replacement battery for Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs Google Pixel 9 Pro camera specs
Before we dig into showing the real-world performance differences, let’s take a quick look at the camera specs of each phone:
| Galaxy S25 Plus | Google Pixel 9 Pro | |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy | Tensor G4 |
| Main Camera | 50MP, f/1.8, 24mm 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS | 50MP, f/1.7, 25mm 1.2µm, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Ultrawide Camera | 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120° 1.4µm, Super steady Video | 48MP, f/1.7, 15mm, 123° dual-pixel PDAF |
| Telephoto Camera | 10MP, f/2.4, 67mm Telephoto, 3x optical zoom 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS | 48MP, f/2.8, 113mm Periscope telephoto, 5x optical zoom Dual-pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Selfie Camera | 10MP, f/2.4, 67mm Telephoto, 3x optical zoom 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS | 42MP, f/2.2 17mm (ultrawide), PDAF |
As we can see, Google opted for a similar resolution across all three cameras combined with pixel binning for a larger pixel size and better light capture, whereas Samsung has gone for three sensors with different resolutions and specifications. This likely means that the Pixel 9 Pro should have more consistency when switching between lenses, especially in video, but does it deliver?
>>>Replacement battery for Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Galaxy S25 Plus vs Pixel 9 Pro: Zoom Tests
Both companies have adopted a similar strategy to their phone cameras — with one telephoto camera doing all the heavy lifting for zoom photos, combined with a lot of AI — but take fundamentally different approaches. Samsung suggests that a telephoto with 3x optical zoom that uses AI at higher zoom levels is the right way, whilst Google opted for a periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom.
The Galaxy S25 Plus displays 3x and 5x telephoto options in the viewfinder, so for consistency, I also forced 3x samples from the Pixel 9 Pro so we can directly compare them. With that in mind, let’s look at how each phone performed.
Galaxy S25 Plus Ultrawide
Galaxy S25 Plus 1x
Galaxy S25 Plus 2x
Galaxy S25 Plus 3x
Galaxy S25 Plus 5x
Galaxy S25 Plus 10x
Galaxy S25 Plus 30x
Pixel 9 Pro Ultrawide
Pixel 9 Pro 1x
Pixel 9 Pro 2x
Pixel 9 Pro 3x
Pixel 9 Pro 5x
Pixel 9 Pro 10x
Pixel 9 Pro 30x
This first test is rather revealing as it shows both sides of the comparison in one. In the ultrawide and wide angle (1x) shots, the Pixel 9 Pro struggles to differentiate between the bright sun and the rest of the photo, whereas the Galaxy S25 Plus keeps a muted hue across all the photos. Once the sun drops out of the photo, the Pixel 9 Pro proves to be slightly better and then considerably better than the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Galaxy S25 Plus
Pixel 9 Pro
Here the details are lacking in the Galaxy S25 Plus zoom again, especially at the higher zoom lengths, but I do like the color reproduction in the water slightly more than the Pixel 9 Pro. There’s little difference in this, but a lot of difference in the zoom quality.
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Galaxy S25 Plus ultrawide
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Galaxy S25 Plus 1x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 2x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 3x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 5x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 10x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 30x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 30x
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Pixel 9 Pro ultrawide
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Pixel 9 Pro 1x
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Pixel 9 Pro 2x
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Pixel 9 Pro 3x
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Pixel 9 Pro 5x
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Pixel 9 Pro 10x
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Pixel 9 Pro 30x
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Pixel 9 Pro 30x
Given the results of the previous two tests, the Galaxy S25 Plus mostly outperformed my expectations, although the Pixel 9 Pro is still considerably better overall. However, in the viewfinder, both appeared to be fairly similar, so I think Google’s processing and use of AI delivers better overall results.
Each company has also focused on delivering improved lowlight performance, but what if you’re in Dubai and can see Steve Aoki performing in the near distance? Could either of these phones take good enough photos to be worth using? Let’s take a look.
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Galaxy S25 Plus Ultrawide
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Galaxy S25 Plus 1x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 2x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 3x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 5x
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Galaxy S25 Plus 30x
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Pixel 9 pro Ultrawide
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Pixel 9 pro 1x
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Pixel 9 pro 2x
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Pixel 9 pro 3x
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Pixel 9 pro 5x
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Pixel 9 pro 30x
At the higher zoom levels, both phones are fairly similar and mostly usable although I wouldn’t post these. However, there’s no contest at the lower zoom levels: the vibrancy and overall nature of the ultrawide and wide photos captured by the Pixel 9 Pro are Instagram-worthy as they are, with no filter needed. Overall, there’s no real contest as — aside from a few specific shots at specific zoom lengths — the Pixel 9 Pro easily outperforms the Galaxy S25 Plus.
>>>Replacement battery for Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus 5G
Who did it better? The Pixel 9 Pro or Galaxy S25 Plus?
Both of these phones may cost $1,000, but there’s a significant difference overall in the quality of their cameras. The Pixel 9 Pro proves to be far more capable when zooming in for both video and photos and in low light, there’s no contest as well. In particular, the low-light zoom test showed that the Pixel 9 Pro can capture low-light photos that are Instagram-ready, whereas the Galaxy S25 Plus would likely need considerable edits and filters to achieve the same.
However, the Galaxy S25 Plus is definitely better at portraits, and having separately tested both phones with food photography — although not at the same time hence why they’re not in this comparison — I also prefer Samsung’s approach.
Which phone wins? For the zoom test, which was the primary goal of this comparison, the Pixel 9 Pro won by a considerable margin. However, for subjects that are closer or more complicated, the Galaxy S25 Plus is arguably better overall.
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