The Pixel 10 and the Galaxy S25 FE sit in the same price bracket (around €799 for the former, just above for the latter) and compete for the same audience: people who want the best of Android without paying flagship prices. The paths they take to get there, though, are opposite.
Display
The Galaxy S25 FE has a 6.7” Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 120Hz, with Vision Booster technology that keeps it readable even under direct sunlight. The Pixel 10 tops out at 6.3” OLED, also at 120Hz, but with a declared peak brightness of up to 3000 nits and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. On paper the Pixel can go brighter at its peak, but the Samsung remains more comfortable for anyone watching a lot of media thanks to its larger size.
Camera
This is where the two phones differ the most. The Galaxy S25 FE has a triple 50+12+8 MP camera, including a telephoto lens the Pixel 10 simply doesn’t have: the latter sticks to a dual main + ultra-wide camera, betting everything on software processing instead of lens count. It’s a deliberate choice by Google, which has historically gotten excellent results even with more modest hardware — but anyone who frequently shoots distant subjects will find the Samsung objectively more versatile.
Performance
The Pixel 10 uses Google’s proprietary Tensor G5 chip (4nm) with 12 GB of RAM, optimized more for on-device AI features than raw benchmarks. The Galaxy S25 FE relies on the Exynos 2400 (S5E9945) with 8 GB of RAM and hardware ray tracing, built to handle demanding gaming well too. In daily use the perceived difference is minimal; heavy gamers will find an edge with the Samsung in the most demanding titles.
Battery and charging
The Galaxy S25 FE has a 4900 mAh battery with 45W fast charging and reverse wireless charging. The Pixel 10 packs 4970 mAh but is limited to 30W wired and 15W wireless — slower on both fronts, though it’s the only one of the two offering fast video-out over USB-C 3.2, handy for connecting the phone to an external monitor.
Note: sources on the Galaxy S25 FE’s water resistance remain conflicting — the marketing description claims IP68, while the spec sheet lists it as not certified. The Pixel 10, by contrast, has an unambiguously confirmed IP68 rating.
Software and updates
Both run Android, but with different approaches: the Pixel 10 offers the experience closest to “pure” Android, with Google’s AI features deeply integrated into the system from day one. The Galaxy S25 FE uses Samsung’s One UI, more customizable but with a bit more software layered on top. A historical weak point for Google remains the modem, improved over time but still not fully on par with the competition.
Bottom line
If your main criterion is photo quality straight out of the camera in your hand — without thinking about lenses and megapixels — the Pixel 10 remains a very solid choice, with the added benefit of a cleaner software experience. If instead you want a real telephoto lens, a bigger display, and faster charging, the Galaxy S25 FE offers more room to work with, as long as you double-check the water resistance claim before treating it as a deciding factor.