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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: This one's seriously close
Between Samsung and Google's best phones to start 2026, here's how to pick the right one for yourself.
Tech
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Tech
Smartphones
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: This one's seriously close
Between Samsung and Google's best phones to start 2026, here's how to pick the right one for yourself.
Written by
Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief
Editor in Chief
Feb. 28, 2026 at 2:28 p.m. PT
[Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Google Pixel 10 Pro XL]
Kerry Wan and Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET*
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It's Samsung Unpacked season, which means antsy phone buyers are getting several new models to seriously consider. If you're a power user in particular, you may be weighing the new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra against the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, both of which can be argued to offer the best of Android phones in the first half of 2026.
Also: Samsung Unpacked 2026 recap: Galaxy S26 Ultra specs, Buds 4 Pro, preorder deals, more
Since Unpacked, the ZDNET team has spent time with both phones to get a sense of their unique strengths and weaknesses. If you're split between the two, here are the key buying reasons for each, along with our choice if we had to pick one.
You should buy the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if...
###
[Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra in hand.]
Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET*
[[Privacy Display turned on on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.]
Preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
View now at Samsung](https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=IokOf8qagZo&mid=47773&u1=subid_value&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samsung.com%2Fus%2Fsmartphones%2Fthe-next-galaxy%2Freserve%2F)
1. You prefer Samsung's kitchen sink approach to software
While Samsung's software experience has become less buggy and chaotic since the old TouchWiz days, OneUI, now on version 8.5, remains one of the most feature-rich versions of Android on the market. The native launcher lets you customize elements such as wallpaper shade, widget styles, swipe animations, and more.
On a device like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, you'll get additional note-taking features to make the most of the built-in S Pen stylus -- though you can no longer use Bluetooth gestures like you could with older models. There are several new Galaxy AI features as well, including context-based Now Nudge, similar to Google's Magic Cue, and an upgraded scam detection tool.
Samsung also continues to match Google's promise of at least seven years of software updates for its Galaxy S models. That is to say, you'll feel like you got your money's worth when splurging on Samsung's flagship phone.
2. You want the superior smartphone display, in multiple ways
I've tested almost every major phone release in the past year, including a big-screen foldable, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra has the best display I've seen. It's a 6.8-inch AMOLED LTPO panel that refreshes between 1Hz and 120Hz and gets plenty bright during the daytime. By the way, those specs are nearly identical to the Pixel 10 Pro XL. What sets the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra apart is its glare-free coating, which significantly reduces light reflections, and its new Privacy Display.
Also: Every Samsung Galaxy S26 model compared: Should you buy the base, Plus, or Ultra?
Privacy Display is a hardware upgrade that alters how the S26 Ultra's pixels disperse light, making the screen appear off when viewed at an off-angle. This feature behaves similarly to a privacy screen protector, tinting your screen when important notifications or content appear so passersby or eavesdropping strangers can't see what you can.
3. You want a better-performing smartphone
The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite chipset has already set benchmark records compared with previous versions, and we expect it to outperform Google's Tensor G5 in general performance and power management. This goes hand in hand with Samsung's upgraded 60W wired charging rate, which lets the S26 Ultra top up from 0 to 75% in half an hour.
You should buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL if...
[EMBARGO - Google Pixel 10 Pro]
Kerry Wan/ZDNET*
[[EMBARGOED - Google Pixel 10 Pro]
Buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
View now at Google](https://store.google.com/magazine/google_pixel_10?hl=en-US)
1. You prefer Google's cleaner approach to software
One of the biggest distinctions between the Google Pixel and just about every other Android model is the software experience. I wouldn't categorize the latest Pixel launcher, on Android 16, as bare-bones, but it's certainly less intrusive and feature-packed than Samsung's OneUI. There's a handful of customization tools for the home and lock screens, but don't expect to tweak every little aspect of what you see.
Also: I compared two of the best Android camera phones right now - there's a surprise winner
Naturally, the cleaner aesthetic of the Pixel launcher and the use of an in-house Tensor G5 chipset allow Google to distribute the latest Android features and security updates. Like Samsung, the company promises up to seven years of operating system updates, but Google also packages frequent Pixel Feature Drops and security patches to keep its phones relevant until at least 2032.
[...]