Google has recently unveiled its Pixel 9 series smartphones in the global market, a couple of months ahead of its usual fall schedule. The standard Pixel 9 is priced at Rs. 79,999 in India, marking a slight price increase compared to its predecessor and positioning it directly against the Samsung Galaxy S24. Let’s compare how the Pixel 9 stacks up against the Galaxy S24.
1. Design & display
Starting with the design, the Galaxy S24 is 7.6 mm thick and weighs 167 grams. The Pixel 9 on the other hand thicker and heavier, measuring 8.5 mm and weighing 198 grams. Both phones use an aluminum frame and come with IP68 water and dust resistance.
As for the display, both smartphones use FHD+ OLED panels with 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The Pixel 9 sports a 6.3-inch screen, while the S24 is slightly smaller at 6.2 inches. Both displays support HDR10+ and offer peak brightness levels of 2700 nits for the Pixel 9 and 2600 nits for the Galaxy S24, accessible only when playing HDR content. In high brightness mode, they can reach up to 1800 nits and 1500 nits, respectively, under direct sunlight.
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2. Performance, battery & software support
It’s well-known that Pixel’s Tensor cores lag behind in raw performance, and this is evident with the Tensor G4 chip in the Pixel 9. In benchmarks like Geekbench, the Pixel 9 scores 1590 points in the single-core test and 3821 in the multi-core test. In contrast, the Galaxy S24, powered by the Exynos 2400, significantly outperforms it, scoring over 2100 points in the single-core test and 6600 points in the multi-core test on Geekbench 6.
The story is the same with other benchmarks like AnTuTu, so it’s safe to say that the Pixel 9 isn’t that great when it comes to tasks like gaming. That being said, thanks to its optimization, you won’t notice any hiccups while multi-tasking and day-to-day operations.
Moving over to the battery department, the Pixel 9 boasts a bigger 4,700mAh battery paired with 27W wired and 15W wireless charging. In contrast, the Galaxy S24 has a 4,000mAh battery supported by 25W wired and 15W wireless charging.
Both devices are promised to receive 7 years of major OS updates and protection from vulnerabilities through security patches.
3. Camera
In terms of optics, the Pixel 9 features a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 50MP Samsung GKN primary sensor with OIS, the same as in the Pixel 8, paired with a 48MP Sony IMX858 ultra-wide sensor. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 boasts a triple-camera configuration, including a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN3 primary sensor with OIS, a 10MP Samsung ISOCELL 3K1 telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor. The Pixel 9 offers a 10.5MP front camera for selfies, while the Galaxy S24 has a 12MP front camera. Both devices support 4K video recording at 30 and 60fps with both their front and rear cameras, but the Galaxy S24 also supports 8K recording from its primary camera at 24 or 30fps.
4. AI features
The Pixel 9 and Galaxy S24 leverage AI features to improve the camera performance and experience. The Pixel 9 has a Magic Eraser for removing unwanted objects, Photo Unblur for sharpening blurry images, and Real Tone for accurate skin tone representation. Night Sight and Video Boost optimize low-light photography and video quality, respectively.
The Galaxy S24 on the other hand has Nightography for enhanced low-light photography and Scene Optimizer for automatic image enhancement. Users can also remove unwanted objects from photos using the Object Eraser feature, while Super Resolution Zoom improves digital zoom capabilities. AI is also employed in video stabilization and high-resolution 8K video recording.
The Pixel 9 also includes AI features like Live Translate for real-time language translation, improved dictation accuracy, and Call Screen for better call management. Google Assistant has been upgraded with AI for improved responsiveness and understanding. Additionally, Pixel Studio, an AI-driven image generation and editing tool, offers creative options for users.
The Galaxy S24 includes Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant, which uses AI to enhance its performance. The device also offers a variety of other AI-powered features under the Galaxy AI umbrella.
5. Pricing & verdict
The Pixel 9 has launched in India at Rs 79,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24, with the same 256GB storage, shares the same MRP but is currently available at a much lower price, starting from Rs 67,999. The 128GB storage model of the Galaxy S24 is even more affordable, priced as low as Rs 55,500.
When considering value for money, the Pixel 9 may be harder to recommend, given its higher price compared to the Galaxy S24, which offers a sleeker, more lightweight design, a flagship camera system, and a powerful processor.
However, if budget is not a primary concern and you don’t intend to game much on your smartphone, the Pixel 9 could still be a good choice due to its extensive AI features, larger battery, and capable camera system.
