Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Which flagship phone is best?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has been announced, and with it a new option for anyone hankering after a super-sized flagship phone.

Samsung’s Ultra used to be the de facto Android champion, representing everything that the platform could be in one chunky piece of premium metal. These days, however, it has some competition.

The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is perhaps the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main rival for the crown. Probably not in terms of raw sales, but undoubtedly in terms of status, availability and quality.

So how do these hefty flagship phones compare? More to the point, which is the best buy for you?

Our Galaxy S26 Ultra review isn’t ready as yet, although we do have first thoughts from our hands-on time with the device. But from the specs and impressions we have so far, here’s how it stacks up to the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL.

And, if you’re wondering if a Galaxy S26 Edge will be joining the line-up, we have some theories after speaking to one of Samsung’s product team.

Do you care about getting close to your subject?

Samsung always goes the extra mile in getting you closer to your subject. As with previous entries, the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with two separate telephoto lenses – a 50Mp 10x periscope telephoto and a 10Mp 3x telephoto.

This duo offers far more zoom range than the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, which only gives you the one 48Mp 5x periscope telephoto camera.

Don’t get us wrong, the Pixel 10 Pro XL takes fabulous photos. Its 48Mp main camera produces some of the best-balanced snaps in the business, while its 42Mp front camera produces selfies that are right near the top of the pile.

But the Samsung has the clear edge if you like to shoot from afar.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

What about convenient wireless charging?

One of the biggest disappointments with the entire Samsung Galaxy S26 range has been its lack of Qi2 wireless charging support.

Throughout much of 2025, rumour had it that Samsung was looking to implement this convenient magnetised charging system into its next flagship smartphone range. As it turns out, the company has done no such thing, and you’ll need to buy a special case if you want fuss-free wireless charging for your Galaxy S26 Ultra.

That’s not the case with the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Google was the first mainstream Android manufacturer to implement Qi2 (under its PixelSnap branding), with the Pixel 10 series.

If you haven’t experienced the joy of snapping a charging puck, ring stand, or case to the back of phone using magnets, you really haven’t lived.

Winner: Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

And avoiding pesky shoulder snoopers?

Easily the biggest hardware and software innovation of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is its Privacy Display. This handy little feature blocks anyone from being able to see sensitive screen content from over your shoulder.

It works by making specific OLED display pixels light up only in a single direction, essentially appearing black from any position other than your own.

You can apply this to any content you like, from incoming notification bubbles to that spicy e-book you’re reading on the underground (Samsung has used this exact scenario to promote the feature).

Pulling up the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL for lacking such a feature would be silly – Samsung is genuinely innovating here – but the fact remains, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the better pick for privacy-conscious people who often use their phone in public.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

How important is a clean UI?

To many people, Samsung’s bespoke user interface is Android, and any other take feels like an aberration. We’re not judging. We’re just saying that such people are wrong.

It’s Google that makes Android, and thus its own Pixel phones present the purest, cleanest, and most feature-complete take on the world’s most popular mobile OS.

Samsung’s One UI has its own charms, and is arguably the more customisable operating system of the two. If you like fiddling with settings and making everything just so, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s software is as good as it gets.

But if you’re after a visually cohesive, finely honed, bloatware-free UI where smart AI features are intrinsically woven in rather than clumsily welded on (a problem with every other Android manufacturer, to be fair), the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is a better bet.

Winner: Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

Or is it all about the ultimate performance?

Are you a committed mobile gamer? Or do you simply demand the absolute best performance possible for your £1,200-plus investment?

Either way, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a much better prospect than the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. Google insists on using its own custom Tensor processors with its phones, which are optimised for AI tasks, but pretty underwhelming for everything else.

The Tensor G5 chip that powers the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL will happily fly through tasks and run high-end games, and you’re unlikely to notice any serious instances of lag. But the benchmark results and gaming frame rates place it well down the flagship pecking order.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, it runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip – and a slightly faster ‘for Galaxy’ variant at that. It’s still an off-the-shelf component, for sure, but it’s also the fastest mobile processor available, along with the A19 Pro found in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Is the most important thing value for money?

This might not be such a huge factor if you’re already willing to pay four figures for your next phone, but the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will cost you more money than the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL.

With a starting price of £1,279, Samsung’s phone will cost you £80 more than the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL – at the very least. That gap only gets bigger as you expand your storage, with the 512GB models £130 apart, again in Google’s favour.

The 1TB model of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is £150 more expensive than its Pixel equivalent. That’s a pretty major difference, and it likely comes down to the spike in RAM prices owning to the current AI craze.

What’s more, with the Pixel 10 Pro XL now having been on the market for several months, you’re far more likely to find a good deal on one than you are on the brand new Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Winner: Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Conclusion

We’re not quite ready to render a verdict on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra just yet, but even at this early stage we can see where its major strengths are likely to lie, and how those will mark it out against the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Samsung hasn’t ripped up the playbook since last year’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, so its latest flagship phone is likely to be extremely powerful and excellent at zoomed-in camera snaps. It’ll also come with the unique ability to thwart shoulder snoopers, and is simply more powerful than its rival. All of these elements give it a clear edge over the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Google’s flagship, for its part, has cleaner software and blissfully convenient Qi2 magnetic charging. It’ll also cost you less money.

Ultimately, it looks to be a clear split between power-user features (Samsung) and sheer, easy-life convenience (Google). Place your order accordingly.