Samsung Galaxy S26 / Google Pixel 9

Samsung varies the processor by market: the US, China and Japan versions use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. This entry covers the Exynos 2600 SM-S942B version.

The viewable area is smaller than the rectangular measurement because of the corners and camera hole.

According to Google it reaches up to 1,800 nits in HDR and up to 2,700 nits peak, with contrast above 2,000,000:1. Smooth Display varies the refresh rate between 60 and 120 Hz with the content.

The panel lowers its rate to match the content, slowing down on static images to save power and rising to 120 Hz for scrolling and games.

This is Samsung's peak figure, not a brightness held across the full screen.

Samsung says this GPU supports hardware ray tracing and is up to 50% faster at it than its predecessor.

Samsung states up to 29% better heat dissipation for the S26; this is a figure from the maker's own testing.

Usable space is lower than the total because of preloaded software. Options vary by country and carrier.

The 2x optical-quality zoom uses the centre of the main camera's Adaptive Pixel sensor; it is not a separate lens.

Samsung quotes up to 30 hours of video playback; the typical figure was measured by a third-party lab to IEC 61960.

The figure was measured from 0% with a 25 W Samsung adapter and 3 A USB-C cable, screen off. The adapter and cable are sold separately.

PowerShare works only with certain Qi-compatible phones and wearables and may not work below 30% battery.

Wi-Fi 7 speeds need a Wi-Fi 7 router; 6 GHz use varies by country.

USB 3.2 Gen 1 carries up to 5 Gbit/s of data, which speeds up wired transfers of large video files to a computer.

Band support varies by market.

Weight may vary by country and configuration.

Water and dust resistance can decline over time with normal wear.

IP68 is a dust and water resistance rating; Google notes it is not permanent and that liquid damage is not covered by the warranty.

There is no memory card slot; storage options may vary by region.

There is no telephoto camera; Google lists optical-quality zoom at 0.5x, 1x and 2x. The ultrawide camera also handles Macro Focus; a laser autofocus (LDAF) sensor is fitted.

Video offers optical stabilisation, fused stabilisation, Cinematic Pan and Audio Magic Eraser; digital video zoom goes up to 7x.

Google measures 27 W and 55% in 30 minutes with its separately sold 45 W charger; the box contains only a 1 m USB-C cable (USB 2.0). Battery Share lets the back of the phone wirelessly charge other Qi devices.

The seven years count from when the device first went on sale on the US Google Store.

The Indian model has Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 + 5 GHz). Dual-band GNSS receives two frequencies from positioning satellites for more accurate location in cities.

There is no 3.5 mm headphone jack; unlocking uses fingerprint and face recognition.