Pixel 11 vs Galaxy S26: Which Is the Better Refurbished Buy in Australia?

Yesterday Google announced the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, with pre-orders open now and stock landing in Australia on 20 August. Samsung's Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra have been here since 11 March. For the first time in a while, the two flagship Android ranges are close enough in 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 came out last year.

What each range costs in Australia

All prices are recommended retail for the 256GB base configuration. Both makers have now dropped 128GB entirely.

The symmetry is close enough to be uncomfortable for both companies. Pixel 11 Pro and Galaxy S26+ are the same A$1,849. The Pro XL undercuts the S26 Ultra by A$100. At the top, a maxed Ultra costs more than Google's folding phone.

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 centres — has pushed component costs up across the industry.

Samsung raised Australian prices between 2 and 10 per cent: the S26 is up 10 per cent on the S25's A$1,399 start, the S26+ up 9 per cent, and the Ultra up 2 per cent. Samsung told Information Age that rising semiconductor prices were "a global challenge impacting the broader industry."

Google raised Pixel 11 prices by roughly 9 to 11 per cent and called the shortage "severe, supplier-driven" in a statement, saying it needed to "adjust Pixel 11 pricing and RAM configurations to mitigate this."

That last phrase is the one worth reading twice.

The RAM cut, and why it matters to refurb 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 A$2,049 or the 1TB at A$2,399.

For anyone shopping refurbished, this produces a genuinely odd situation. A refurbished Pixel 10 Pro — a phone you can already find well under A$1,000 from Australian specialists, and which will get cheaper as Pixel 11 trade-ins flow in — carries more RAM than a brand-new A$1,849 Pixel 11 Pro. The Tensor G6 is faster and the cameras are better, so this isn't an argument that the old phone is superior overall. But it does mean the usual assumption that new equals better specified is, this year, not reliable.

Google's counter-argument is reasonable: it says its "full stack approach" lets it optimise how on-device AI models load, "keeping our hardware lean." Whether 12GB proves sufficient 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 actually wins

Pixel 11's case. The Tensor G6 delivers 25 per cent faster web browsing, 15 per cent faster app loading and 20 per cent better power efficiency, with 50 per cent more TPU compute for on-device Gemini. The Pro models add a new 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 remains the strongest long-term support commitment in Android, and it is the single 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 Australian distribution is also simply deeper: you can walk into JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks or a carrier store and handle one, which matters more than spec sheets admit when you're spending A$2,199.

The refurbished maths

Here is the part the launch coverage will not tell you. Both of these ranges will be worth substantially less in twelve months, and the depreciation curves differ.

Samsung's Ultra line holds value comparatively well in Australia, which is good if you're reselling and less good if you're 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 being discounted heavily in the weeks before yesterday's launch.

Timing matters. Refurbished stock of an outgoing generation is cheapest 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.

Use our savings calculator to compare a specific model against its new price, and check any seller's score on the leaderboard before buying. Australia's highest-scoring refurbished specialists — Reebelo AU at 94 and OzMobiles at 91 — both stock current-generation Pixel and Galaxy hardware, as do Mobile Guru and Phonebot.

What to check before buying either, refurbished

Battery health. Ask for the figure in writing. Reputable Australian sellers publish a minimum — typically 80 or 85 per cent — and the better ones state the actual measured percentage per device.

Update runway. A Pixel 10 Pro bought refurbished 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.

Australian stock and warranty. Grey-import handsets can carry different band support and complicate warranty claims. Under Australian Consumer Law you have guarantees against any business selling here regardless of the seller's own warranty terms — but enforcing them against an offshore seller is materially harder. See our warranty guide.

Grading definitions. A and B mean different things at different sellers. Read the seller's own definitions, not the general convention. Our grading guide covers what to look for.

What happens next

IDC expects global smartphone shipments to fall 12.9 per cent to 1.12 billion units in 2026, and analyst Francisco Jeronimo has described 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. Telsyte's Alvin Lee told Information Age he expects "similar pricing pressure across smartphone manufacturers in 2026."

Apple is next. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected in September with price rises, alongside a first foldable rumoured to land above A$3,000. Tim Cook said in June that memory and storage costs had "become unsustainable" and that increases were "unavoidable."

Our take: the flagship Android question in Australia this year is not really Pixel versus Samsung. The two ranges are close enough on price and capability that either will serve most buyers well, and the honest answer is to 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 — a Pixel 10 Pro or an S25 Ultra — delivers most of the experience for 30 to 45 per cent 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, 12 August 2026 (Australian pricing via Press Start; global pricing via GSMArena); ACS Information Age, "Google hikes prices, trims RAM on Pixel 11 line," 13 August 2026, and "Samsung hikes Galaxy S26 prices in Australia," 27 February 2026; IDC worldwide smartphone shipment forecast, February 2026; Telsyte commentary via Information Age; RefurbVerify TrustScore leaderboard, August 2026. Prices are recommended retail at time of writing and change frequently. Information only — not purchasing advice.