Google Pixel (1st Gen) vs Samsung Galaxy S7
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Google Pixel (1st Gen) and the Samsung Galaxy S7, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| Price | $45 | $53 |
| Our rating | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 2,770 mAh | 3,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 18W | 15W |
| RAM (max) | — | 4 GB |
| Storage (max) | 128 GB | 256 GB |
| Screen size | 5 in | 5.1 in |
| Main camera | 12.3 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 143 g | 152 g |
| Released | Oct 2016 | Mar 2016 |
Summary: Google Pixel (1st Gen) is ahead on wired charging, main camera, weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S7 is ahead on our rating, battery, storage (max), screen size.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S7 is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Google Pixel (1st Gen) is the cheaper option.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| Type | AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 5.0 inches, 68.9 cm2 (~69.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.1 inches, 71.1 cm2 (~70.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~441 ppi density) | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~577 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Features | — | Always-on display |
Platform
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821 (14 nm) | Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 (US/China) or Exynos 8890 Octa (EMEA) |
| CPU | Quad-core (2x2.15 GHz Kryo & 2x1.6 GHz Kryo) | Quad-core (2x2.15 GHz Kryo & 2x1.6 GHz Kryo) - Snapdragon 820; Octa-core (4x2.3 GHz Mongoose & 4x1.6 GHz Cortex-A53) - Exynos 8890 |
| GPU | Adreno 530 | Adreno 530 - Snapdragon 820; Mali-T880 MP12 - Exynos 8890 |
| OS | — | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, upgradable to Android 8.0 Oreo, TouchWiz UI (later Samsung Experience) |
Memory
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 RAM | — |
| Internal Storage | 32GB or 128GB UFS 2.0 | — |
| Card Slot | No | — |
| Card slot | — | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only; microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot) - single SIM model |
| Internal | — | 32GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM |
Main Camera
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| Single | 12.3 MP, f/2.0, 1/2.3", 1.55µm, PDAF | 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.5", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60/120fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@240fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, dual-video rec. |
Selfie Camera
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.4, 1/3.2", 1.4µm | 5 MP, f/1.7, 22mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.34µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
| Features | — | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
Battery
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 2770 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 18W wired (PD), Fast charging (7h talk time in 15min) | 15W wired, QC2; Fast wireless charging (Qi/PMA) |
Body
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.5 mm (5.66 x 2.74 x 0.33 in) | 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm (5.61 x 2.74 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 143 g (5.04 oz) | 152 g (5.36 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), aluminum/glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), glass back (Gorilla Glass 4), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Other | Water-repellent coating (not official IP rating), 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C 3.0 | — |
| Protection | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE, aptX | 4.2, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0 | microUSB 2.0, OTG |
Launch
| Google Pixel (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|
| Announced | 2016, October 04 | February 2016 |
| Released | 2016, October 20 | — |
| Original OS | Android 7.1 (Nougat) | — |
| Last OS Update | Android 10 | — |
| Status | — | Available. Released 2016, March 11 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Google Pixel (1st Gen) or Samsung Galaxy S7?
Samsung Galaxy S7 — 2,770 mAh for the Google Pixel (1st Gen) versus 3,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S7.
Which is lighter, Google Pixel (1st Gen) or Samsung Galaxy S7?
Google Pixel (1st Gen) — 143 g for the Google Pixel (1st Gen) versus 152 g for the Samsung Galaxy S7.
Which is newer, Google Pixel (1st Gen) or Samsung Galaxy S7?
Google Pixel (1st Gen) — Oct 2016 for the Google Pixel (1st Gen) versus Mar 2016 for the Samsung Galaxy S7.
Is the Google Pixel (1st Gen) or the Samsung Galaxy S7 rated higher?
We rate the Google Pixel (1st Gen) 5/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 8/10.
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