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Google Pixel 9a vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes out ahead on 8 counts and the Google Pixel 9a on 4.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Google Pixel 9a for

  • Lighter: 187.1 g vs 233 g (45.9 g less)
  • More compact: 7.4 mm shorter
  • OS updates for longer, until Apr 2032
  • Newer: launched April 2025

Pick the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for

  • Faster wired charging: 45 W vs 23 W
  • Faster wireless charging: 15 W vs 7.5 W
  • Thinner: 8.6 mm vs 8.9 mm
  • Bigger screen: 6.8" vs 6.3"
  • Higher-resolution main camera: 200 MP vs 48 MP
  • Optical zoom (5×), which the other lacks
  • More RAM: up to 12 GB vs 8 GB
  • More storage: up to 1 TB vs 256 GB

Size comparison

The Google Pixel 9a is 7.4 mm shorter, 5.3 mm narrower, 0.3 mm thicker and 45.9 g lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Its screen is 0.5" smaller.

  • Google Pixel 9a154.9 × 73.7 × 8.9 mm
  • Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra162.3 × 79 × 8.6 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
AnnouncedMarch 19, 2025January 17, 20241
ReleasedApril 10, 2025January 31, 20241
Launch price$499—
BodyGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Size154.9 × 73.7 × 8.9 mm162.3 × 79 × 8.6 mm
Thickness8.9 mm?8.6 mm (better)
Weight187.1 g (better)233 g
FrameSatin metal—
BackComposite matte—
Water resistanceIP68IP68
ColoursObsidian, Porcelain, Iris, PeonyTitanium Black, Titanium Grey, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange1
DisplayGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Size6.3"6.8"
TypepOLEDDynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution1080 × 24241440 × 3120 (better)
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness2,700 nits2,600 nits
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3Corning Gorilla Glass Armor1
Performance and softwareGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
ChipsetGoogle Tensor G4Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
CPU—Octa-core (1x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 5x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520)
Process—4 nm
Ships withAndroid 15Android 14 (One UI 6.1)
OS updates7 years (to Apr 2032) (better)7 years (to Jan 2031)1
Security updates7 years (to Apr 2032) (better)7 years (to Jan 2031)1
MemoryGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
RAM8 GB12 GB (better)
Storage128 GB / 256 GB256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB (better)
Card slotNo1—
CamerasGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Rear48 MP Main, OIS 13 MP Ultrawide200 MP Main, OIS 50 MP Periscope telephoto (5× optical), OIS 10 MP Telephoto (3× optical), OIS 12 MP Ultrawide
Main camera48 MP200 MP (better)
Optical zoomNone5× (better)
Front13 MP12 MP
Video4K at 60 FPS8K@24/30fps1
BatteryGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Capacity5,100 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired charging23 W45 W1 (better)
Wireless charging7.5 W15 W1 (better)
Reverse wireless—Yes1
ConnectivityGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 71
Bluetooth5.35.3
NFCYesYes1
USBUSB Type-C 3.2USB-C 3.2 (5Gbps)
Headphone jackNo1No1
eSIMYesYes
FeaturesGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
FingerprintUnder displayUltrasonic under-display1
Stereo speakersYesYes
Stylus—Yes1

Highlighted: the better value where one is clearly better. Sources for each phone are listed on the Google Pixel 9a and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra pages.

Quick answers

Is the Google Pixel 9a bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
The Google Pixel 9a is 7.4 mm shorter, 5.3 mm narrower, 0.3 mm thicker and 45.9 g lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Its screen is 0.5" smaller.
Which has the bigger battery, the Google Pixel 9a or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
The Google Pixel 9a has the bigger battery: 5,100 mAh against 5,000 mAh. Real battery life also depends on the chip and screen.
Which gets software updates for longer?
The Google Pixel 9a: its maker promises OS updates until around April 2032, against January 2031 for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

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