I used the Pixel 11 Pro XL and Galaxy S26 Ultra for a week. This is the one I'd keep

I have this habit of constantly comparing phones, even when I’m perfectly happy with the one I’m using. And when you have some of the best Android phones on the market sitting on your desk, it’s pretty hard to resist switching between them.

So, instead of just comparing specs and calling it a day, I spent a week alternating between the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to see which one I actually enjoyed using more. And after going back and forth between the two, I think I’ve finally found my favorite.

If you’re also struggling to choose between these two Android flagships, here’s what my experience taught me.

The beauty is in the details (and fingerprints)

The first thing I noticed when I started switching between these two phones was how similar they felt in size and overall build quality. Both are big, premium-looking phones, and you can tell you’re holding something expensive the moment you pick either of them up. After carrying them around every day, I didn’t really prefer one over the other in terms of how they felt in my hand.

However, they do look quite different, especially from the back. Samsung went with a vertical camera setup that looks clean and sleek, while Google stuck with its massive horizontal camera bar. It’s much more noticeable, and whether you like it or not really comes down to personal preference. I don’t mind either, though I think Samsung’s approach looks a little cleaner.

One thing I particularly like about the Pixel 11 Pro XL, though, is its HiLight feature. It’s basically a modern take on the notification LEDs we used to have on older Android phones, except this one sits right beside the cameras. You can set it to flash in different colors for certain contacts, and I had quite a bit of fun setting it up for my friends and family.

I actually used it throughout the week, but I barely noticed it myself. That’s because I almost never keep my phone face-down, so more often than not, someone sitting next to me would point out that my phone was flashing. I still think it’s a pretty cool feature, and I appreciate Google bringing it back. But I just wish I had more opportunities to actually see it in action. Either way, you won’t find it on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

And I think that’s where my preferences started becoming clearer. The Pixel has some interesting ideas, but I was beginning to realize that having a cool feature and actually finding it useful every day are two very different things.

While I enjoyed playing around with HiLight on the Pixel, I wasn’t particularly happy with another aspect of the design. Both phones have matte glass backs, although the Pixel 11 Pro XL has a silky-matte finish. I noticed the Pixel picks up fingerprints and dirt much more easily. I could wipe the back clean, use the phone for a little while, and somehow, it would already be covered in smudges again. I just couldn’t ignore them.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra isn’t completely immune to fingerprints either, but they’re nowhere near as noticeable, and I don’t find myself cleaning it nearly as often. Now, I know this might sound like a silly thing to complain about, but I like keeping my phones squeaky clean. So, having to constantly wipe down the Pixel’s back gets annoying pretty quickly.

Neither of these things would be enough to make me reject a phone, of course. But when you’re switching between two devices every day, you start noticing little inconveniences that might otherwise go unnoticed. And for me, Samsung was already making a slightly better impression.

Both are brilliant, but one feels more like home

When it comes to actually using these phones, I think Samsung and Google have slightly different priorities. The Galaxy S26 Ultra feels like a phone built to handle pretty much anything you throw at it, while the Pixel 11 Pro XL puts more emphasis on the overall software experience. That’s not to say the Pixel struggles with performance, because it really doesn’t. However, I found myself enjoying the Ultra a little more, especially because I could do so much with it without a second thought.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and after nearly six months, I’ve reached a point where I don’t really worry about how it’ll perform. Whether I’m at the gym listening to music, using Android Auto while driving, taking photos, or recording 4K videos, it handles everything without giving me a reason to complain.

I’ve also dropped it a few times, completely by accident, of course. And knowing how clumsy I can be, I was expecting at least a scratch or two. Surprisingly, though, my unit still has no visible scratches or dents, despite me using it without a case. I wouldn’t recommend testing your luck as I have, but it’s definitely reassuring to see how well it’s held up.

Even after spending half a year with it, including this past week of switching between the two phones, I haven’t run into any major issues that have made me question my experience. The battery life has been excellent, the cameras have rarely disappointed me, and performance has been consistently good. It’s the kind of phone I can pick up in the morning and get on with my day without worrying too much about anything.

But surprisingly, one of my favorite features has nothing to do with performance — it’s Samsung’s new Privacy Display. I’m quite particular about people looking at my screen in public, especially when I’m replying to messages or doing something personal. So, having a feature that makes it harder for someone sitting beside me to see what’s on my screen has been incredibly useful. I’ve even had a few good laughs watching people try to sneak a peek, only to realize they can’t really see much.

Then there’s the S Pen, which is another reason I keep coming back to the Ultra. I love taking handwritten notes, and I’m constantly writing something down, sketching, or just doodling when I’m bored. I’ve used it so often that it’s become a regular part of how I use the phone, and I definitely miss it whenever I switch to another device.

You might look at the S Pen and wonder how often you’d actually use it, but for someone who enjoys writing things down by hand, having a stylus built right into the phone is incredibly convenient. I don’t need to carry anything extra, and whenever I feel like jotting something down, it’s right there.

On the contrary, the Pixel 11 Pro XL has been a pleasant surprise in its own way. It runs on Google’s Tensor G6, and so far, I haven’t had any performance issues worth complaining about. However, I’ll admit I’m still a little cautious about trusting Google’s chips. I’ve used Pixels in the past that struggled with overheating, battery drain, and slow charging, so those experiences are still somewhere in the back of my mind.

Thankfully, I haven’t faced any of those problems with the Pixel 11 Pro XL yet, and that’s already a pretty big improvement in my books. I’m not ready to say all my concerns are gone after just a week, but I’m happy with how things have been going so far.

I also appreciate Google’s approach to Android. The Pixel experience is relatively simple, and there’s something nice about having a phone that doesn’t overwhelm you with features and customization options. Samsung gives you plenty of ways to make your phone your own, but I can understand why someone would prefer Google’s more straightforward approach.

What really won me over, though, is the Pixel’s camera processing. I’ve always preferred photos that look close to what I’m actually seeing rather than ones that make every color look brighter or more dramatic. And the Pixel 11 Pro XL does that particularly well.

Whether I’m photographing something colorful or taking a quick picture on the go, the results tend to look natural without much editing. Even colors like bright reds and yellows, which can sometimes look a little too punchy on smartphones, remain nicely controlled. I like being able to take a photo and know that it won’t look wildly different from what I saw with my own eyes.

In fact, if I were choosing purely based on my preference for photo processing, I’d have a much harder time picking the Samsung. I really enjoy the way the Pixel handles colors, and it’s one of the few things that makes me want to switch back. But a phone is obviously much more than its cameras, and that’s where the Galaxy starts making a stronger case for itself.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the one I’m sticking with

After spending seven days switching between these two phones, I think I’ve finally figured out which one I prefer. And it came down to which one I enjoyed using more and, more importantly, which one I wanted to pick up every day.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot I like about the Pixel 11 Pro XL, and I could happily use it as my everyday phone, and I don’t think I’d miss much. But every time I switched back to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, I felt a little more at home. I’ve become so used to pulling out the S Pen whenever I want to jot something down, and the Privacy Display has been useful when I’m out in public. These aren’t features I necessarily thought I’d care about, but after using the Ultra for nearly six months, they’ve become part of my routine.

So, as much as I’ve enjoyed using the Pixel 11 Pro XL, I’m sticking with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. You can spend hours comparing two phones, but sometimes, all it takes is switching between them for a few days to realize which one you don’t want to give up.