Samsung announced the Galaxy S26 at its Unpacked event in February. It gave the base model a battery boost but hiked its starting price by $100 over the Galaxy S25. This comes at a time when Samsung's closest Android rival, Google, is bridging the gap between its base and Pro models. The company added a dedicated telephoto camera to its latest-generation Pixel 10, which helps the Pixel 10 reach the Galaxy S26's camera versatility.

Both phones have a 6.3-inch screen, three cameras on the back and exclusive software features -- all while sharing the latest Android perks, like Quick Share's new ability to send photos and files over AirDrop to Apple devices. However, the Google Pixel 10 undercuts its Samsung rival by $100, but it comes with half the storage, starting with 128GB. Is it worth saving $100, or does the new Galaxy S26 deserve its new price tag? I compared both phones to find out. Here's how the Samsung Galaxy S26 compares to the Google Pixel 10.

Design and build

Both Samsung and Google phones have the same display size but offer a different experience. The Galaxy S26 feels more immersive due to its thinner bezels, whereas the Pixel 10 gets brighter in direct sunlight. Both phones are IP68-rated for dust and water resistance, and they both have Gorilla Glass 2 Victus cover glass. So, durability shouldn't be a concern on either device.

Samsung's $899 flagship phone has a 6.3-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels (at 411ppi), while the Pixel 10 packs a 6.3-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,424 by 1,080 pixels (at 422ppi). The latter has a higher pixel density but the difference is negligible, and you'll have trouble noticing it in day-to-day use. However, you'll notice the Pixel 10 being more legible outdoors, thanks to its 3,000 nits peak brightness as compared to the S26's 2,600 nits of brightness.

I'm disappointed with the fact that Samsung is limiting its new Privacy Display feature to the top-of-the-line Galaxy S26 Ultra. The S26 could've been a stronger value with this capability, but it being a hardware-related improvement, that likely would have added to the price. 

Both phones support a 120Hz high refresh rate. However, the S26 automatically dials that down to 1Hz to be more efficient during mundane activity. The Google Pixel 10, in comparison, can only go down to 60Hz, which isn't a deal-breaker, but its screen is less battery efficient than Samsung's.

Both the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10 are compact phones by today's standards. However, the S26 is more pleasing to hold and comfortable to use, thanks to its lightweight design. At 167 grams, it weighs considerably less than the 204-gram Pixel 10. For context, Samsung's big S26 Ultra is just 10 grams more than Google's small phone. The Korean company did a fantastic job when designing its new models to keep the weight in check. Google's Pixel 10 does include built-in magnets for attaching to wireless chargers and wallet accessories, while a case with magnets is needed to do the same with the Galaxy S26.

The cameras

Both the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10 have three cameras on the back, accompanied by a plethora of AI tricks in the software.

Samsung's new model has a 50-megapixel wide, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto. The Pixel 10, on the other hand, comes with a 48-megapixel wide, 13-megapixel ultrawide and a 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto camera.

You can expect reliable performance from both devices. In daylight, the shots are sharp with plenty of details and a good dynamic range. CNET's David Lumb put it best in his S26 review: "For no apparent hardware improvements, the shots I took were still pretty stellar."

The Pixel 10's 5x telephoto camera lacks details in comparison, but its camera system delivers a solid performance overall. In her review, CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti noted, "The Pixel preserved details like the ombre pink petals of roses and the ridges of hydrangea leaves. The focus was nice and sharp."

This year, Samsung added gimbal-like stabilization with Horizontal Lock on its Galaxy S26 series. This is a unique feature that's like autostabilization on steroids. Once turned on, you get remarkably steady videos in hectic environments. Other AI features include the ability to edit via prompts, tools for object removal and the ability to change your outfit in a photo, among other things.

The Pixel 10 has a similar suite of AI features. However, I've noticed most of them to be fun party tricks, apart from the AI-assisted Magic Eraser for removing unwanted objects. I, otherwise, never use these features in daily life.

Battery and performance

Samsung and Google gave their small flagship models a battery boost on their latest iterations. The Galaxy S26 has a 4,300-mAh battery (versus 4,000-mAh on the S25), while the Pixel 10 packs a 4,970-mAh cell (versus 4,700-mAh on the Pixel 9).

Both of them will last you an entire day on moderate use. The S26 performs slightly better due to a more efficient chipset. This was reflected in CNET's 3-hour YouTube streaming test, in which the Pixel 10 depleted from 100% to 82% while the S26 depleted to 85%.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (a "for Galaxy" version optimized for Galaxy AI), whereas the Pixel 10 has Google's in-house Tensor G5 chipset. The S26 scores higher on the Geekbench 6.0 and 3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark apps, but both phones are powerful enough for most day to day tasks. That said, the Galaxy S26 will likely be a better choice if you regularly use your phone for 3D gaming.

The $100 difference between these two phones is apparent when you look at the storage variants. While the Pixel 10 is more affordable than Samsung's base model, that's only if you are OK with 128GB of storage. Increasing to 256GB will cost you the same $899 that the Galaxy S26 starts with while already including that amount of base storage. In my opinion, 256GB of storage is a nonnegotiable in 2026, especially when you consider how these phones can take higher-quality photos and videos, which could quickly clog up 128GB.

One UI or Pixel UI?

Both Samsung and Google have a similar software policy, and their phones come with Android 16. You get support for seven years of OS and security updates. The Galaxy S26 runs a highly customizable One UI, whereas the Pixel 10 will give you the core Android experience with negligible third-party preloaded apps.

I prefer Samsung's One UI for a few reasons. And first among many is installing the Good Lock app. It allows for additional functionalities.

For instance, I installed One Hand Operation+, which lets me add up to six shortcuts with Short swipe and Long swipe gestures (including Straight, Diagonal up, and Diagonal down swipes) on Android's back gesture. So, instead of swiping back, I can swipe diagonally downwards to access Quick Tools like Scanner and Bluetooth connections, among other functions. These shortcuts improved my day-to-day experience.

The second reason I love One UI is Samsung's transparent widgets. It might seem like a nitpick, but most Android phones treat widgets like an afterthought. I like having a full calendar on the home screen because I need that information at a glance for scheduling without the screen looking overwhelming.

But most phones, including the Pixel 10, don't offer fully transparent widgets (albeit a couple). It can be translucent or color-matched with the system UI colors, which isn't the same thing.

On the other hand, I love the Pixel 10's Magic Cue feature, which shows contextual information when I need it. For example, I called a hotel to check for my booking, and it surfaced my booking details on the screen. Samsung has a similar feature (Now Nudge) on its Galaxy S26 series, but it hasn't worked for me yet.

While I like One UI's fluidity better, the Pixel UI has its own vanilla look and feel. However, the Pixel UI has always felt a bit slower than One UI to me. It is not a janky experience, but those party trick AI features take more time to process on the Pixel 10 than my Galaxy S26. The Samsung phone is faster overall.

If you want the vanilla Android experience without a ton of preinstalled Microsoft apps and other bloatware, you'll feel right at home with the Pixel 10. If you like personalizing your experience with additional functionalities, the Galaxy S26 is a better buy; while the S26 does come with bloatware, it can be uninstalled.

Both phones come with Android 16 and support seven years of OS and security updates. I like One UI better than Pixel UI for its customizations and apps like Good Lock and Expert RAW. (I like getting more out of my device.) But some might prefer the straightforward user interface of the Pixel UI.

Watch this: The Galaxy S26 Has a Bigger Screen, Battery and Price

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Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. Google Pixel 10: Specs

Editors' note: The author's travel costs related to the launch of the Galaxy S26 were covered by Samsung. The judgments and opinions of CNET are our own.