Phone Comparisons: Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Google Pixel 9 Pro

Both Apple and Google released compact flagship smartphones recently. Apple’s arrived earlier this month, while Google’s landed in mid-August. We’re here to

those two phones, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Google Pixel 9 Pro. Not only are both of them compact phones, but they actually have the same display sizes. To make things even more similar, they also have flat sides, and so on. There are a lot of differences between them, though, so there’s plenty to talk about here.

As per usual, we will first list their specifications and will take it from there. Following that, we’ll be comparing their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. These two phones are just as powerful as their larger siblings. Neither company decided to cut corners with the smaller flagships this year, which is always nice to see. So… let’s get to it, shall we?

Specs

Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Google Pixel 9 Pro, respectively

– Screen size:
6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED ( flat, 120Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits max brightness)
6.3-inch QHD+ OLED (120Hz, HDR, 3,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
2622 x 1206
2856 x 1280
– SoC:
Apple A18 Pro (3nm)
Google Tensor G4
– RAM:
8GB
16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.28-inch sensor, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF), 12MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 1/3.06-inch sensor, 1.12um pixel size, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 5x optical zoom)
50MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, OIS, EIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/1.7 aperture, 123-degree FoV), 48MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, OIS, EIS, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, 1/3.6-inch sensor size, OIS)
42MP (f/2.2 aperture)
– Battery:
3,582mAh
4,700mAh
– Charging:
38W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 5W reverse wired
27W wired, 21W wireless (Pixel Stand), 12W Qi wireless, 5W reverse wireless (no charger)
– Dimensions:
149.6 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm
152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm
– Weight:
199 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Face ID (3D facial scanning)
Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner
– OS:
iOS 18
Android 14
– Price:
$999+
$999+
– Buy:
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Google Pixel 9 Pro (Best Buy, Google Store)

Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Google Pixel 9 Pro: Design

Both of these phones are made out of metal and glass. The thing is, the iPhone 16 Pro has a frame made out of titanium, with some aluminum in the mix. The Pixel 9 Pro’s is made out of aluminum. Titanium is the stronger material, but aluminum is better when it comes to heat dissipation. Both phones have flat sides all around, though they do curve a bit towards the very edges, for comfort’s sake. You’ll also notice rounded corners on both smartphones.

The front and back sides on both devices are flat too. The iPhone 16 Pro includes a pill-shaped cutout at…