Google Pixel 8a / Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Google Pixel 8a: 8 GB RAM, 128/256 GB; North America GKV4X, rest of world G6GPR, Japan G576D, mmWave model G8HHN.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: SM-S928B (international, Nano-SIM + eSIM); 12 GB RAM with 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB. The US model is SM-S928U. Titanium Gray, Black, Violet and Yellow; extra online colours. The Galaxy S25 Ultra and S23 Ultra are separate models.

SpecificationGoogle Pixel 8aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Release year20242024
Display6.1-inch Actua OLED; 1080 × 2400, 430 ppi, 20:9; always-on display

The always-on display shows the time, notifications and the song playing nearby (Now Playing) at low power while the phone is locked.

Google		6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 3120 × 1440 (QHD+); 1–120 Hz adaptive; Vision Booster

The refresh rate drops as low as 1 Hz depending on content; Vision Booster adjusts tone and contrast in bright light to keep the screen readable.

Samsung
Refresh rateSmooth Display, up to 120 Hz

The upper limit, 90 Hz on earlier A-series phones, rises to 120 Hz on this model; Google notes it is not available in every app.

Google		—
Brightness and contrastUp to 1,400 nits (HDR) and up to 2,000 nits peak; >1,000,000:1 contrast

HDR brightness is measured with the whole screen lit and peak brightness with only 5% lit.

Google		—
Cover glass and buildCorning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front; matte composite back; matte aluminium frame

The aluminium in the housing and camera bar is 100% recycled; the back cover uses 76% recycled plastic.

Google		—
DurabilityIP67 dust and water resistance (IEC 60529)

IP67 means full dust protection and resistance to brief immersion; it is one step below IP68. Protection can diminish over time.

Google		IP68 (up to 1.5 m in fresh water for 30 minutes); titanium frame

Samsung advises against beach and pool use.

Samsung
ProcessorGoogle Tensor G3; Titan M2 security coprocessor

It is the same chip as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Google		Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy; eight cores, 3.39 / 3.1 / 2.9 / 2.2 GHz Samsung
Memory and storage8 GB LPDDR5X RAM; 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage

There is no card slot; the 256 GB option is not offered in every country.

Google		12 GB RAM; 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB (varies by region) Samsung
Main camera64 MP Quad PD wide; 0.8 μm pixels, f/1.89, 80° field of view, 1/1.73-inch sensor; optical + electronic stabilisation

Super Res Zoom up to 8x is software magnification; there is no telephoto camera.

Google		—
Ultrawide camera13 MP; 1.12 μm pixels, f/2.2, 120° field of view, lens correction Google—
Front camera13 MP; f/2.2, fixed focus, 96.5° ultrawide Google12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 80° Samsung
VideoRear: 4K and 1080p at 30/60 fps, slow motion up to 240 fps, digital zoom up to 5x; front: 4K and 1080p at 30 fps; HEVC and AVC Google—
Battery4,492 mAh typical (minimum 4,404 mAh); 24+ hours, up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver

According to Google, average battery life in testing was at least 31 hours; figures are based on a median user profile.

Google		—
ChargingWired up to 18 W (with the Google 30 W USB-C charger); Qi-certified wireless charging

No charger is included; the box contains a USB-C cable and a Quick Switch adapter for transferring data from an old phone.

Google		—
WirelessWi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz; Wi-Fi 6 in India); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; Google Cast Google—
LocationGPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou (no BeiDou in the US, NavIC added in India) Google—
Cellular and SIM5G Sub-6: North America GKV4X, rest of world G6GPR, Japan G576D (FeliCa); mmWave model G8HHN; single nano-SIM + eSIM Google—
Authentication and sensorsUnder-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock; proximity, ambient light, accelerometer, gyrometer, magnetometer, barometer Google—
USB and audioUSB-C 3.2; stereo speakers, two microphones Google—
Software and updatesLaunched with Android 14; seven years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates

The seven years count from the first sale date on the US Google Store; this was the first A-series phone with the promise.

Google		—
Dimensions and weight152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm; 189 g Google—
Colours and warrantyObsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Aloe; one-year warranty in the US, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and India, two years in Europe and Australia Google—
Model code—SM-S928B (Nano-SIM + eSIM; dual eSIM option) Samsung
Front glass—Corning Gorilla Armor

According to Corning and Samsung it cuts reflection by up to 75% versus typical glass, with improved scratch resistance.

Samsung
Rear cameras—200 MP wide (ƒ/1.7, OIS); 12 MP ultra wide (ƒ/2.2, 120°); 50 MP 5× telephoto (ƒ/3.4, OIS); 10 MP 3× telephoto (ƒ/2.4, OIS)

Two separate telephoto lenses give optical quality at 3× and 5×; values in between are produced by cropping and processing.

Samsung
Battery and charging—5000 mAh (typical); about 65% in 30 minutes with a 45 W adapter; Fast Wireless Charging 2.0; Wireless PowerShare

The 45 W adapter is sold separately. Wireless PowerShare lets the back of the phone wirelessly charge a device such as a watch or earbuds.

Samsung
Connectivity—5G; Wi-Fi 7 (2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz); Bluetooth 5.3; USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)

Wi-Fi 7 speeds need a Wi-Fi 7 router and vary by market. USB 3.2 Gen 1 means 5 Gb/s wired transfer.

Samsung
S Pen—Built-in S Pen Samsung
Operating system—Shipped with Android 14 and One UI 6.1; seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates

Samsung notes that update timing and availability may vary by model and market.

Samsung
Security—Samsung Knox, Knox Vault, Auto Blocker; setting that limits AI processing to the device

With the Advanced Intelligence setting enabled, only the Galaxy AI features that run on the device are used.

Samsung
Size and weight—162.3 × 79 × 8.6 mm; 232 g (sub-6) / 233 g (mmWave) Samsung