Yesterday Google announced the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, with pre-orders open now and shipments starting August 20. Samsung's Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra have been available since March 11. For the first time in a while, the two flagship Android ranges are close enough on price that a direct comparison is worth making.
It is also the first year in memory where the most interesting phones in both ranges are the ones that launched last year.
What each range costs
All prices are MSRP for the 256GB base configuration. Both makers have now dropped 128GB entirely.
| Google Pixel 11 | MSRP | Samsung Galaxy S26 | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixel 11 | $900 | Galaxy S26 | $899.99 |
| Pixel 11 Pro | $1,100 | Galaxy S26+ | $1,099.99 |
| Pixel 11 Pro XL | $1,300 | Galaxy S26 Ultra | $1,299.99 |
| Pixel 11 Pro Fold | $1,900 | S26 Ultra 1TB | $1,799.99 |
The symmetry is almost comical. Pixel 11 and Galaxy S26 differ by one cent. Pixel 11 Pro and S26+ differ by one cent. Pixel 11 Pro XL and S26 Ultra differ by one cent. Whatever else the memory shortage has done, it has priced two competing flagship ranges into near-perfect alignment.
Why both went up
Neither price rise was a marketing decision. A global shortage of memory chips — driven largely by the same companies buying RAM in bulk for AI data centers — has pushed component costs up across the industry.
Google's Pixel 11 phones are $100 more expensive than their 2025 predecessors across the range. A Google spokesperson called the shortage "severe, supplier-driven", saying the company needed to "adjust Pixel 11 pricing and RAM configurations to mitigate this while delivering maximum value for our customers."
Samsung made the same move in February, raising Galaxy S26 prices and eliminating 128GB storage tiers. It told press that rising semiconductor prices were "a global challenge impacting the broader industry."
That phrase about RAM configurations is the one worth reading twice.
The RAM cut, and why it matters to refurbished buyers
The base 256GB Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL ship with 12GB of RAM, down from 16GB on their Pixel 10 equivalents. To get 16GB on a Pixel 11 Pro you now have to buy the 512GB version at $1,220 or the 1TB at $1,450.
For anyone shopping refurbished, this creates a genuinely odd situation. A refurbished Pixel 10 Pro — already discounted heavily before yesterday's launch, and about to get cheaper as trade-ins flow in — carries more RAM than a brand-new $1,100 Pixel 11 Pro. The Tensor G6 is faster and the cameras are better, so this is not an argument that the old phone wins overall. But the usual assumption that new means better specified is, this year, unreliable.
Google's counter is reasonable: it says its "full stack approach" lets it optimize how on-device AI models load, "keeping our hardware lean, fast, and highly responsive." Whether 12GB holds up across a seven-year update window is a question nobody can answer yet — and seven years is exactly how long Google promises to support these phones.
Where each range wins
Pixel 11's case. The Tensor G6 delivers 25 percent faster web browsing, 15 percent faster app loading and 20 percent better power efficiency, with 50 percent more TPU compute and double the memory bandwidth for on-device Gemini. The Pro models add a rear HiLite indicator, a 50MP main and 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, a 3,600-nit peak display — the brightest Google has shipped — and twice the scratch resistance. Seven years of updates is the strongest long-term support commitment in Android, and it is the most under-rated spec for refurbished buyers because it determines how long a second-hand device stays safe to use.
Galaxy S26's case. The S26 Ultra is the only phone in either range with a built-in privacy display — a first for any smartphone — which darkens off-axis and can be toggled per app. Samsung's carrier relationships and trade-in promotions also run deeper in the US than Google's, which matters more than spec sheets admit when a carrier is willing to knock $800 off with a trade.
The refurbished math
Here is the part launch coverage will not tell you. Both ranges will be worth substantially less in twelve months, and the depreciation curves differ.
Samsung's Ultra line holds value comparatively well, which is good if you are reselling and less good if you are buying refurbished — a refurbished S25 Ultra still commands a solid price. Pixels depreciate faster, which has always made them the better refurbished bargain relative to launch price. The Pixel 10 Pro was already seeing $300 discounts in the weeks before yesterday's launch.
Timing matters. Refurbished stock of an outgoing generation bottoms out roughly two to four months after the replacement lands, once trade-ins have been collected, tested and graded. That means:
Refurbished Galaxy S25 and S25 Ultra are in good supply now — the S26 has been out five months. Refurbished Pixel 10 and 10 Pro will be well supplied and keenly priced from roughly October, as Pixel 11 trade-ins clear processing. If you can wait, wait.
Check any seller's score on the leaderboard before buying. For manufacturer-backed stock, Google Certified Refurbished scores 55 and Samsung Certified Re-Newed scores 81 — both sell their own devices with first-party warranties. Among marketplaces, Back Market leads at 88, with Swappa at 81 and Amazon Renewed at 82.
What to check before buying either, refurbished
Battery health. Ask for the figure in writing. Reputable sellers publish a minimum — typically 80 or 85 percent — and the better ones state the measured percentage per device.
Carrier lock and IMEI status. This is the single biggest US-specific risk. Confirm the device is fully unlocked and that the IMEI is clean, not reported lost, stolen or under an unpaid installment plan. Swappa verifies IMEI before listings go live; not every marketplace does.
Update runway. A refurbished Pixel 10 Pro still has around six years of Google updates left. A Galaxy S25 has a comparable window under Samsung's seven-year commitment. Confirm the specific model rather than assuming.
Grading definitions. "Excellent" and "Good" mean different things at different sellers. Read the seller's own definitions. Our grading guide covers what to look for, and the warranty guide explains what coverage you actually get.
What happens next
IDC expects global smartphone shipments to fall 12.9 percent to 1.12 billion units in 2026, with analyst Francisco Jeronimo describing the memory crunch as "not a temporary squeeze, but a tsunami-like shock originating in the memory supply chain." Memory prices are not expected to return to earlier levels.
Apple is next. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected in September with price increases, alongside a first foldable. Tim Cook said in June that memory and storage costs had "become unsustainable" and that increases were "unavoidable" — and September's event will be the first led by incoming CEO John Ternus. See our iPhone 17 vs 18 analysis for what that means on the Apple side.
Our take: the flagship Android question this year is not really Pixel versus Samsung. The two ranges are priced within a cent of each other at every tier and either will serve most buyers well — pick the software you prefer. The more consequential question is whether to buy 2026 hardware at all. With new prices up across every major maker, a refurbished 2025 flagship delivers most of the experience for 30 to 45 percent less, and in at least one case comes with more RAM than the phone replacing it. That is not a normal year, and it is worth acting on while it lasts.
Sources: Google Pixel 11 launch, August 12, 2026 (US pricing via GSMArena); ACS Information Age, "Google hikes prices, trims RAM on Pixel 11 line," August 13, 2026, and "Samsung hikes Galaxy S26 prices in Australia," February 27, 2026; Samsung Galaxy S26 US MSRP at launch; IDC worldwide smartphone shipment forecast, February 2026; RefurbVerify TrustScore leaderboard, August 2026. Prices are MSRP at time of writing and change frequently. Information only — not purchasing advice.