https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1ig0p55/moved_from_pixel_8pro_to_s25u/
created by Few-Initiative-2217 on 02/02/2025 at 16:15 UTC
114 upvotes, 17 top-level comments (showing 17)
For anyone who is considering moving. I hope this helps. I recently switched from the Pixel 8 Pro to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and here are my observations:
Display: The S25 Ultra's display is noticeably better in terms of brightness and the anti-reflective coating. It performs exceptionally well under various lighting conditions.
Speakers: The speakers on the S25 Ultra are significantly louder than those on the Pixel 8 Pro. Initially, I thought the Pixel had great audio, but this upgrade proved me wrong.
Performance & Battery: The S25 Ultra outperforms the Pixel 8 Pro in both performance and battery life. As a heavy user who frequently takes pictures and watches videos, I no longer have to worry about running out of charge while out and about—something I often wished was better on the Pixel.
S Pen: This is my first phone with a stylus, so I don’t really miss the Bluetooth functionality that was removed. I’m still getting used to it, but it’s a nice addition.
Design: I wasn’t a fan of the sharp corners on previous Samsung Ultra models, so I appreciate the rounded edges on this one. However, I still prefer the Pixel 8 Pro's Bay Blue color over the Jade Green I ordered for the S25 Ultra. While the Samsung looks premium, the Pixel had a cooler aesthetic in my opinion.
Camera: This is where I have mixed feelings. The S25 Ultra excels in video recording, but for photography, I’ve noticed some noise in darker areas—something the Pixel handled much better. Knowing how powerful Google's image processing is, I’ll likely install a GCam port to see if that improves the results.
Haptics: The haptic feedback on the Pixel is far better than on the S25 Ultra. It feels much more precise, especially when typing with Gboard or other keyboards. I’m also disappointed that Samsung still doesn’t support face recognition for CTS-certified apps like banking applications.
Signal Reception: The S25 Ultra has better signal reception than the Pixel 8 Pro, thanks to the Snapdragon processor.
Final Thoughts: Overall, this has been a solid upgrade, especially considering the trade-in value. With promotional offers, I got around $750 for my year-old Pixel 8 Pro, while its actual trade-in value was closer to $350. The improvements in display, battery life, and performance make it worth it, but I do miss some of the Pixel’s strengths—especially in photography and haptics.
Comment by dr3w80 at 03/02/2025 at 00:47 UTC
13 upvotes, 2 direct replies
How's the camera been with moving subjects? Appreciate the insight!
Comment by hlearning99 at 03/02/2025 at 01:25 UTC
9 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Samsung make great hardware, but their software has driven me off them for life. I won't go back again it's just too irritating and bloated.
Comment by ColoradoCoffee101 at 03/02/2025 at 00:12 UTC
12 upvotes, 1 direct replies
How did you get $750?
Comment by OldBorktonian at 02/02/2025 at 20:29 UTC
17 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Good user review, thanks for this. Shame they dropped bluetooth functions on the S pen but if your first time with a Samsung stylus you will love it.
Comment by BruisedBee at 02/02/2025 at 22:58 UTC
7 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Any reason you went to the 25U and not the Pixel 9 Pro XL?
Comment by gsxdsm at 03/02/2025 at 00:44 UTC
11 upvotes, 2 direct replies
S25 doesn't handle HDR properly
Comment by Responsible-Bad-4631 at 03/02/2025 at 00:45 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Thanks for posting. I have a 9 pro wonder how it compares
Comment by rdd86 at 03/02/2025 at 00:38 UTC
10 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Samsung OS though is full of Samsung crap!
Comment by DrSeussFreak at 03/02/2025 at 01:21 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
How is life under Knox? I can't stand that shit, it's the only reason I can't stand Samsung
Comment by Blair_Beethoven at 03/02/2025 at 00:08 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Interesting regarding signal reception considering the P8P uses a Samsung modem on the Tensor G3.
Comment by pickle_rick813 at 02/02/2025 at 22:06 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
As someone who went from the s4 to the pixel 6? To lazy to look it up but w/e was new with the regular s21 cuz I switch to the 21 after 2 weeks, now went with pixel 9 pro XL and really debating about going with the s25 after 2 weeks..... Why? While I love pixels features which is the only reason I have tried it again. In short, my base 21 performed better than the pixel 9 pro overall and almost every feature is available on s25..... Worst of all, I haven't noticed any difference in battery life.... So 3 yr old base model of the flagship still felt better than the current top pixel... Now I'm just gonna truck thru n see if anything changes because I can switch out with ease with spectrum Plus plan which I only got for the pixel
Comment by sobanz at 03/02/2025 at 02:14 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I know going from P7P to S23 base the battery life gap was huge. I still prefered pixels UI and some pixel features, but that alone was huge. Going from S23 to S25U whenever it arrives, hopefully the camera is significantly better for my uses. I honestly wanted to go to P9P but I missed the first coupon stack and once again Google Fi has significantly better offers for Samsungs phones than their own. It is what it is.
Comment by tabletemcook at 03/02/2025 at 06:23 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
One of my latest discoveries on my pixel device is the circle to search feature. I heavily use this feature everyday. Do you miss that or does S25 have it covered already?
Comment by Dinos_12345 at 02/02/2025 at 22:59 UTC
1 upvotes, 2 direct replies
How can the haptics be worse?
Comment by papadrach at 02/02/2025 at 23:02 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Pretty much me exact same experience. Long time Samsung user. Got into Pixels owning both a P8P, a P8, and then an S24U and P9P. Now with the P9P and S25U and quite literally my same exact observations lol.
Comment by Hurlamania at 03/02/2025 at 01:56 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Everything down to s pen can be said the same going from Pixel 8 Pro to pixel 9 Pro
Comment by jeffery2jr at 03/02/2025 at 01:20 UTC
-11 upvotes, 0 direct replies
No body cares