This is a $399 question. The Samsung Galaxy S25 costs $699.99 for the 128GB unlocked model in Navy, and the Google Pixel 10 Pro costs $1,099.00 for the 256GB unlocked model in Porcelain, both at Best Buy, both checked on 3 November 2026. They are the same size on paper — 6.2 inches against 6.3 inches — and they are aimed at the same buyer: someone who wants a flagship phone that fits in one hand. The difference is what each phone spends its money on, and $399 is a lot of money to spend on the differences.
This comparison uses only the published US specifications and the verified US prices. CompareIdea has not carried either phone for a week, and nothing here comes from using them. The verdict comes from the published figures and the verified prices, not from hands-on testing.
The prices, and what ‘Activate Today’ means
Start with the money, because it frames everything else. The Galaxy S25 is $699.99 for the 128GB unlocked model in Navy at Best Buy, and the Pixel 10 Pro is $1,099.00 for the 256GB unlocked model in Porcelain. The gap is $399.00. Both product pages also show monthly Activate Today prices — from $3.61 a month for the Galaxy S25 and from $30.56 a month for the Pixel 10 Pro, both with AT&T activation. Those are carrier activation prices, paid monthly through a carrier plan, and they are not the same as the unlocked prices. They should never be ranked against the unlocked prices as if they were equal, and they do not change the $399 gap between the two phones.
Cameras: where the $399 goes
The cameras are the clearest reason to pay more. The Galaxy S25 has a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, plus a 12MP front camera. The Pixel 10 Pro has a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, plus a 42MP front camera. On the published figures, the Pixel reaches further, resolves more in the ultrawide, and takes far more detailed selfies. If you shoot at distance or crop into your photos, the Pixel 10 Pro is the better camera. If you mostly shoot in good light and share straight from the phone, the S25’s camera covers the everyday bases without excess, and for most buyers that is enough.
Displays and chips: close, with one clear gap
The displays tell a similar story. The Galaxy S25 has a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display at 120Hz. The Pixel 10 Pro has a 6.3-inch Super Actua LTPO display that runs from 1 to 120Hz and reaches up to 3,300 nits, with IP68 dust and water resistance on the listed figures. The Pixel’s screen is brighter and more flexible, dropping to 1Hz when nothing is moving to save power. In daily use both screens are excellent, and the Pixel’s advantage shows up outdoors in bright sun rather than on the sofa. Underneath, the S25 runs the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy and the Pixel 10 Pro runs Google’s Tensor G5, and both phones pair their chips with generous memory — 12GB in the S25 and 16GB in the Pixel 10 Pro.
Battery and charging: neither phone wins
Neither phone wins on stamina or charging speed, and that matters for the $399 question. The Galaxy S25 has a 4,000mAh battery and 25W wired charging. The Pixel 10 Pro has a 4,870mAh battery and 30W wired charging, with 15W wireless charging over Qi2 and Pixelsnap. The Pixel’s battery is the larger of the two, but its wired charging is only 5W faster, and neither phone charges quickly by 2026 standards. Both are phones you charge every night, and the Pixel’s extra capacity is worth a few hours, not a second day.
CompareIdea verdict: the S25 for most buyers, the Pixel 10 Pro for photographers
Our pick is the Samsung Galaxy S25. At $699.99 for the 128GB unlocked model in Navy at Best Buy, checked on 3 November 2026, it gives most buyers everything they need in a flagship — a compact 6.2-inch 120Hz screen, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, and a 50MP camera with a 3x telephoto — for $399 less than the Pixel 10 Pro. The Pixel 10 Pro is the better phone for one kind of buyer: the keen photographer who will use the 5x telephoto, the 48MP ultrawide and the 42MP front camera, and who will notice the brighter 3,300-nit screen outdoors. For that buyer, the $1,099.00 price is justified. For everyone else, the $399 buys a case, a charger and a holiday — and the S25 still takes very good photos.
What to check before you buy
Check the variant first: the $699.99 Galaxy S25 price is for the 128GB unlocked model in Navy, and the $1,099.00 Pixel 10 Pro price is for the 256GB unlocked model in Porcelain. A different storage size or finish can cost more on either phone. Check both Best Buy listings before you buy, because the prices were checked on 3 November 2026 and can change. And try the size in your hand if you can — the S25 is the smaller phone, and for a phone you carry every day, that matters as much as any camera figure.
Sources
Sources: Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 10 Pro on CompareIdea US, with the Best Buy US listing for the Galaxy S25 at $699.99 and the Best Buy US listing for the Pixel 10 Pro at $1,099.00, both checked 3 November 2026. You can also compare them side by side in the US compare tool. More US comparisons are on the US comparisons page.
Last updated: 5 November 2026
