Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra Camera Comparison: A High-End Head to Head

Google's Pixel 9 Pro XL is here, ready to give the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra a run for its money -- and between these two premium devices, there's quite a lot of money to be had.

This year, Google split its Pixel Pro tier into two models: the Pixel 9 Pro, which starts at $1,000 (£999, AU$1,699), and the larger 9 Pro XL, which costs $100 more, both arriving with 128GB of storage. Cough up some additional cash, and you can opt for more storage with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB versions. 

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,300 for 256GB of storage, with options for 512GB and 1TB as well. (The Pixel 9 Pro XL's 256GB storage option remains $100 cheaper than the S24 Ultra.)

Apart from flexing novel AI capabilities, both Google and Samsung have touted the camera systems on their respective devices, and for good reason, as these are among the most high-end phones on the market. The Pixel features a 50-megapixel wide, 48-megapixel ultrawide and 48-megapixel telephoto camera, as well as a 42-megapixel front-facing camera. The S24 Ultra sports a 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel telephoto camera, in addition to a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. 

More megapixels doesn't automatically mean better photos, which means we had to put these cameras to the test and see how they performed. 

Favorite Pixel 9 Pro XL photos

Because the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the new kid on the block, I first wanted to share a few of my favorite snapshots from this device, before diving into the comparison.

Notably, the Pixel 9 lineup also has a new feature called Add Me, which uses augmented reality and AI to merge two photos and make it look like everyone is in the same shot. I think just having someone else take the photo seems more practical (and natural), but I suppose it's cool to have the option. 

Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra photo comparisons

Now, let's get into the camera comparison. 

I brought the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Galaxy S24 Ultra on a work outing to the Giants vs. White Sox baseball game in San Francisco, and snapped photos throughout to see how the phones would stack up. 

Right off the bat (pun intended), these shots of our game tickets in the foreground and the baseball field in the background don't depict any glaring differences, but there are some more subtle variations. The sky in the Galaxy S24 Ultra image is a more vivid blue, and the shadows and highlights on our hands are slightly harsher, but not to a very noticeable degree. 

On the other hand, the Pixel 9 Pro XL gives the field a more saturated appearance, and, as a result, some of the detail in the grass is lost. The S24 Ultra does a better job of capturing the color variation throughout the turf. In both photos, though, the text on the tickets is sharp and legible, and you get these bright, vibrant photos that are totally Instagram worthy.

I was eager to check out the upgraded 42-megapixel selfie camera on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and compare it to the 12-megapixel one on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Megapixels aren't everything, and the Pixel sporting that higher number doesn't automatically mean it'll be a better shot. 

But in my test, the Pixel did an impressive job of handling shadows and highlights, and serving up an all-around smoother image. The blue of my jumpsuit and the colors on my hijab aren't as punchy as they are in the S24 Ultra shot, but that overall softening effect means the shadows on our faces are also less harsh, especially in the early-afternoon California sunshine. 

No baseball game is complete without the purchase of overpriced food. I used Portrait mode on both cameras to capture these delicious, buttery crab sandwiches. The biggest immediate difference is that the Pixel 9 Pro XL's Portrait mode offers 1.5x or 2x optical zoom, so your shot is going to be tighter by default. The S24 Ultra, the other hand, has 1x, 2x, 3x and 5x optical zoom options for Portrait mode.

The S24 plays up the warmer colors of the toasted bread, while the Pixel maintains a sharper focus throughout. In fact, the Pixel does a better job of keeping the full wrapping paper, even toward the back of the image, clear and crisp. The S24 Ultra, on the other hand, ends up blurring parts that should be in focus in the foreground. 

Subsequently, no overpriced meal is complete without an overpriced dessert to top it off. This is where the Pixel really showed its prowess. It very easily adjusted for the harsh sunlight in the background of this shot of my sundae by brightening up the whole image, and also making the ice cream in the foreground the star of the show. I didn't use Portrait mode here, but it still seamlessly blurred out the background enough for the dessert to pop.

The S24 Ultra picture has harsher shadows throughout, and didn't blur out the background, even when I tapped on the sundae multiple times to try to put it in sharper focus.

The baseball game also presented a great opportunity to compare the optical (and digital) zoom modes on each phone. The Pixel 9 Pro XL offers .5x, 1x, 2x and 5x optical zoom, and digital zoom up to 30x. The Galaxy S24 Ultra features .6x, 1x, 3x, 5x and 10x optical zoom, and a whopping 100x digital zoom option -- if you're good with a super close-up but grainy shot. Using that digital zoom option on the S24 Ultra, I was able to (creepily) zoom in on folks watching the game from their boat just outside the field -- impressive, but arguably unnecessary. 

Overall, the 5x options on both devices are great for events when you're in the nosebleeds, and the 10x optical zoom on the S24 Ultra is especially impressive for those situations. 

Back at home, I used Portrait mode to take a shot of a bouquet in my living room. This is where some of the key differences between the cameras became most apparent.

Compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offered up sharper images; you can see more detail in the leaves here, and the rose petals stand apart from one another and don't get as muddled in the subdued shadows. The Pixel also does a better job of showing all the delicate vertical lines in the vase.

Colors on the S24 Ultra are richer; the roses are a vibrant pink, and there's a general warmth throughout the image -- especially in the wall in the background, which takes on a more orange-y hue. But some details do get lost in the slightly harsher shadows, and the edges of the vase slowly fade out of focus. I appreciate the vibrancy of the photo, though I prefer the overall sharpness captured by the Pixel.

Portrait mode on both phones does a good job of focusing on the roses and vase in the foreground while blurring the couch in the background, but they each struggled with capturing the baby's breath around the edge of the bouquet. As a result, some of those straggling white flowers appear blurry in both images. 

I took a shot of the same vase and location around 6 a.m., just before sunrise, using each phone's night mode. The Pixel brightened up more of the shot, livening up the colors while softening the shadows. The S24 Ultra, meanwhile, did an impressive job of sharpening the image, despite the lack of light. But the contrast remains a bit harsh, and the S24's image therefore lacks the softness that makes the Pixel's photo pop.

To wrap things up, I took a Portrait mode selfie on each phone in my apartment. The Pixel employed a (rather flattering) smoothing effect on my face, and played up the saturation, compared to the S24 Ultra. Overall, the colors of my jumpsuit and hijab are fairly comparable, but slightly more pigmented on the Pixel. The background in the Pixel image is also a bit more blurred. 

When it comes to video, the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers up impressive 8K video, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL tops out at 4K -- but Google's Video Boost tool can upscale the video to 8K resolution. I shot UHD videos at 60 frames per second on both phones, and they each captured smooth, crisp shots -- even while walking around the office. I preferred the richer colors and overall brightness in the Pixel video, and how it automatically adjusted to brighter lighting as I panned toward the windows, maintaining that even tone. But both will give you quality footage worth capturing and sharing.

Watch this: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: AI Dominates This Phone

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Final thoughts

The Pixel 9 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are among the best phone cameras on the market right now, and each has its strengths. If you want a more punchy, vibrant shot, the S24 Ultra may be the device you reach for. But for a sharper, more even-toned image, especially when it comes to pictures of people, the Pixel 9 Pro XL may be your best bet. The phone tends to do a better job of adjusting to various lighting conditions and relieving harsh shadows, and the improved front camera on this year's model offers up some pretty great quality selfies, too. I do hope a future Pixel phone takes a page out of the S24 Ultra's book and adds 10x optical zoom, but perhaps that's all in good time.