Google Pixel 11 vs. Galaxy S26: 6 reasons I'm buying Pixel this year

The year 2026 is turning out to be quite a dull one for smartphones (thanks in large part to brands dealing with skyrocketing RAM prices), and perhaps the best examples of that are the new Google Pixel 11 and the Samsung Galaxy S26.

Neither phone brings a massive upgrade over its predecessor. However, if you’re choosing between the Pixel 11 and Galaxy S26 as your next Android phone, there are plenty of smaller differences that could ultimately sway your decision.

After comparing both phones closely, there are a few reasons I’d actually pick the Google Pixel 11 over the Samsung Galaxy S26 this time around — and I think you should, too.

The Pixel 11 has the battery advantage

The Samsung Galaxy S26 is probably one of the lightest flagship smartphones you can buy right now. But that slim and lightweight design also comes with one major downside: a smaller battery. And that’s probably my biggest reason for picking the Pixel 11 over the Galaxy S26.

The Galaxy S26 ships with just a 4,300mAh battery, which, in my opinion, is extremely small for an Android flagship in 2026. That’s also something we noticed in our Galaxy S26 review.

It’s good enough to get through a day of normal use, but push the phone harder with gaming, navigation, or lots of camera use, and you’ll probably be looking for a charger before the day is over.

The Pixel 11, on the other hand, packs a much larger 4,840mAh battery. That’s actually larger than the battery in the Galaxy S26 Plus, despite the Pixel 11 being closer in overall and screen size to the regular Galaxy S26.

Samsung has started improving battery capacity with its latest Galaxy Z Fold series, but that treatment hasn’t made its way to the Galaxy S series just yet. While we haven’t tested the Pixel 11’s battery life extensively, the sheer difference in battery capacities makes us believe it should comfortably outlast the Galaxy S26.

Google has the better wireless charging setup

It’s 2026, and believe it or not, Google’s Pixel lineup remains one of the only flagship Android smartphone series to offer full Qi2 support out of the box. Thankfully, the Pixel 11 continues that trend.

Just like the Pixel 10 series last year, the Pixel 11 comes with Qi2 magnets built directly into the phone. That means you don’t need a third-party case or accessory to use MagSafe and Qi2 accessories. Instead, they simply attach magnetically to the back of the phone.

Not only that, but the Pixel 11 also supports Qi 2.2, which means it can now charge wirelessly at up to 25W. That’s considerably faster than the Galaxy S26, which tops out at 15W wireless charging.

The Galaxy S26, like previous Galaxy phones, is only Qi2 Ready. It supports the underlying Qi2 wireless charging technology but doesn’t have the Magnetic Power Profile built in. So if you want to use magnetic Qi2 accessories, you’ll still need a compatible Samsung or third-party case.

The Pixel 11 has the more exciting camera upgrade

My biggest complaint with the Galaxy S26 is that Samsung increased the price by $100 while leaving the camera hardware exactly the same as the Galaxy S25. You’re essentially getting the same camera setup as last year, even though you’re paying more for the phone.

The Pixel 11 also costs $100 more than its predecessor, but at least Google has made some meaningful camera upgrades. The phone now features a new 48MP primary sensor that Google claims can capture up to 56% more light than before.

The 10.8MP telephoto and 13MP ultrawide cameras haven’t changed, but Google has upgraded the zoom capabilities, with the telephoto camera now supporting up to 30x maximum zoom — previously limited to 20x on the Pixel 10.

And even without that, I prefer the Pixel 11’s telephoto setup. It offers 5x optical zoom out of the box, while the Galaxy S26’s telephoto camera tops out at just 3x. We still need to properly test the Pixel 11’s cameras, of course, but on hardware alone, Google has made the more meaningful upgrades this year.

Google might have fixed the most annoying issue with Pixel phones

One of the easiest reasons to pick a Samsung Galaxy phone over a Pixel has always been performance. Samsung usually ships its Galaxy S series with Qualcomm’s latest flagship Snapdragon chipset, and the two companies often work together to fine-tune the chip specifically for Galaxy devices.

But the Pixel 11 might have finally addressed some of the biggest problems we’ve had with Tensor over the years. The new Tensor G6 is built on TSMC’s 2nm process, which is more advanced than the 3nm process used by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 inside the Galaxy S26.

I’m not expecting the Pixel 11 to suddenly beat the Galaxy S26 in raw performance, but honestly, it doesn’t need to. What I’m more interested in is whether the move to 2nm finally fixes two of my biggest complaints with Pixel phones: overheating and poor efficiency.

Of course, we’ll be putting the Tensor G6 through full testing over the coming days and comparing it directly against the Galaxy S26. But based on the hardware alone, I’m much less concerned about Pixel performance this year.

Nobody beats Pixel on updates

One of the biggest benefits of owning a Google Pixel has always been getting Android updates faster than everyone else. And if you’re buying an Android phone in 2026, there’s a good chance you want access to the latest Android features as soon as they’re available.

Samsung has done a great job improving its update policy and speeding up major Android releases for Galaxy devices over the past few years, but it still hasn’t quite matched Google.

More often than not, new Android versions and Feature Drops arrive on Pixel phones first before eventually making their way to other manufacturers. So, if you’re someone who likes trying new Android features as soon as they launch, or simply wants to stay on the latest software, the Pixel 11 remains the obvious choice.

You want a phone with some personality

Finally, one of my biggest complaints with Samsung’s Galaxy S series is that the company doesn’t seem to be doing much with the design anymore. We’ve reached a point where differentiating one Galaxy S generation from another is becoming increasingly difficult.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with the Galaxy S26’s design, but it just doesn’t feel particularly unique or instantly recognizable. The overall design language has become a little too bland for my liking.

The Pixel lineup, on the other hand, has built an identity of its own over the past few generations, especially with the distinctive camera visor on the back. You can usually spot a Pixel from across the room without even seeing the logo.

So, if you want a phone with a little more personality and something that’s immediately distinguishable from everything else on the market, I’d pick the Pixel 11 over the Galaxy S26.

All things considered, I’d pick the Google Pixel 11 over the Galaxy S26. But that doesn’t mean the Galaxy S26 is a bad phone by any means.

If you’re looking for a more feature-rich Android experience, the Galaxy S26 with One UI will probably still be the better choice. Samsung simply gives you more features to play around with, along with the proven performance of the Snapdragon chipset.

But for everything else that matters to me, including the bigger battery, built-in Qi2 support, upgraded cameras, and faster Android updates, I’d personally go with the Pixel 11 this time around.