Google Pixel 9 Pro vs. Apple iPhone 16 Pro: The best compact flagships
by Gaurav Shukla · Android PoliceOne of the best Pixels yet
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Google's Pixel 9 Pro is a compact flagship with the Tensor G4 chip, an LTPO OLED display, and a 4,700mAh battery. It runs on Android 14 out of the box but will receive the Android 15 update later this year.
Pros
- A more open and customizable OS
- Impressive design and display
- Don't have to wait for most AI features
Cons
- AI features don't offer a cohesive experience
Apple's new compact flagship
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
The iPhone 16 Pro, Apple's Pro-grade compact flagship, features the powerful A18 Pro chip, an excellent display, and 25W MagSafe charging. Later, it will receive the Apple Intelligence update, which will bring a ton of AI features.
Pros
- Powerful A18 Pro chip
- Compact and more durable design
- Physical camera control button
Cons
- Apple Intelligence missing in action for now
The Pixel 9 Pro is one of the best Pixel phones to grace Google's portfolio in recent years. It has many likable features, such as its much-improved Tensor chip, a refined design, and an excellent display. Its much more pocketable size is also a significant advantage. However, it faces competition from Apple's brand-new iPhone 16 Pro, which has its own improvements over the previous generation, such as a slightly bigger display, a new camera control button, an improved telephoto shooter, and an upgraded chip. So, how does the Pixel 9 Pro stack up against the iPhone 16 Pro? Let's find out.
Read our ranking
Best small phones in 2024
Small phones are more powerful than ever
Price, availability, and specs
The Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro have the same $999 starting price tag for the base 128GB model. The two phones also come in three more storage sizes. Both phones' 256GB model carries the same price tag of $1,099. However, the 512GB and 1TB models of the Pixel 9 Pro are cheaper at $1,219 and $1,449, respectively. You'll have to shell out $1,299 and $1,499 for the 512GB and 1TB iPhone 16 Pro, respectively.
The smartphones are also widely available from all major retailers and carriers. Additionally, you can pick from four color options each.
Here's a look at the raw specifications of these two flagship smartphones.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Apple iPhone 16 Pro SoC Google Tensor G4 Apple A18 Pro Display type LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz Display dimensions 6.3" 6.3" Display resolution 1280 x 2856 2622 x 1206 Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB Charge speed 27W wired, 21W wireless Unknown wired, 25W wireless Charge options USB-C wired, Qi wireless USB-C wired, MagSafe/ Qi2 wireless Ports USB-C USB-C SIM support Nano-SIM and eSIM eSIM Operating System Android 14 iOS 18 Front camera 42MP, f/2.2 12MP, f/1.9 Rear camera 50MP, f/1.7, OIS main; 48MP, f/1.7 ultrawide; 48MP, f/2.8, 5x telephoto 48MP, f/1.78, OIS main; 48MP, f/2.2 ultrawide; 12MP, f/2.8 5x telephoto Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 7 Wi-FI 7 Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 Dimensions 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25mm Weight 199g 199g IP Rating IP68 IP68 Colors Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, Rose Quartz Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium Price From $999 From $999
Read our review
Review: The Pixel 9 Pro is Google's Goldilocks flagship
Not too big, not too small; just right
Design and display
Similar but still different
As Google's updated design for the Pixel 9 Pro has flat sides and rounded corners, it looks a bit like the iPhone 16 Pro. Still, several significant differences set the two phones apart. For example, the Pixel 9 Pro has a unique oval-shaped rear camera module that spans horizontally and a hole-punch-style selfie camera. Both are very different on the iPhone 16 Pro, which has a square rear camera system with rounded corners and a pill-shaped selfie camera system. Moreover, the iPhone 16 Pro has a more durable titanium frame and a smaller size. The Pixel 9 Pro looks visibly bigger and has an aluminum frame.
The iPhone 16 Pro has two extra buttons: the action button and the camera control button. While you can customize the action button to perform one of a dozen tasks, the camera control button is limited to camera tasks. Think of it as a more feature-rich camera button that used to be found on earlier Android phones. There are no such buttons on the Pixel 9 Pro.
Apple claims that the iPhone 16 Pro's Corning-made Ceramic Shield glass is the strongest on any phone. The Pixel also features Corning-made Gorilla Glass Victus 2. So, the durability difference between the two glasses will be minute at best. Additionally, both flagships are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.
The two phones are pretty evenly stacked on the display front as both use 6.3-inch LTPO OLED panels with a 120Hz refresh rate and a full-HD+ resolution. The Pixel 9 Pro has a slightly better PPI, but it's hard to notice the difference with the naked eye. Otherwise, both displays deliver vibrant and punchy visuals.
So, in terms of design and display, the titanium frame, the smaller chassis, and the two extra physical buttons are three notable details from the iPhone 16 Pro that some folks will find preferable. Otherwise, the phones look premium, have excellent build quality, and feature fantastic displays.
Software
Android or iOS — which do you prefer?
Source: Apple
Software is the biggest differentiating factor between the Pixel and the iPhone. The Pixel 9 Pro has Android 14, whereas the iPhone 16 Pro runs on iOS 18. The operating systems go big on artificial intelligence and machine learning. However, the implementation leaves a lot to be desired in both cases. While Google has the positive of shipping many of its promised AI features, the whole experience is still not as cohesive as it should be. Still, you get several helpful AI features from day one. On the other hand, Apple has yet to include its "Apple Intelligence" in the iOS version you get with the iPhone 16 Pro. Most of the AI features are expected to arrive in the coming months.
Otherwise, both operating systems are pretty refined and more similar than ever. Still, some features are better implemented on one OS than the other. For example, the iOS 18 control center is much better than Android 14's quick settings; iOS's Continuity features are amazing, and you can limit how many contacts you allow an app to access. On the other hand, the Pixel 9 Pro, and Android in general, offers unique features like an expandable volume panel, a desktop mode that transforms your phone into a mini-computer when connected to a monitor, and a split-screen mode that allows you to use two apps simultaneously.
Apple has gradually added many features to iOS that have been available in Android for years, and Google has also picked up some good things from iOS. Sure, iOS is slightly more privacy-oriented and secure than Android because of its locked ecosystem, but Android is still far more open and has made strides on the security front.
Google also promises to update the Pixel 9 Pro for seven years. In comparison, Apple is said to offer software updates for at least five years, but it typically updates phones for six years.
Performance and battery life
The A18 Pro outshines Tensor G4
Apple and Google use in-house silicon to power their smartphones. While the Pixel 9 Pro has the Tensor G4 chip, the iPhone 16 Pro has the A18 Pro. Although Apple's silicon has traditionally had an advantage over the processors in Android smartphones, the mobile chips are so powerful these days that even if the A18 Pro has more raw power over the Tensor G4, you'll be hard-pressed to notice it in regular usage.
But the same can't be said about gaming performance. Tensor chips still fall behind Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 series, so they have quite a way to compete with Apple Silicon. That said, in regular usage, the Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro are responsive and snappy. You are unlikely to encounter any slow-downs on either phone.
Thermal performance and better battery efficiency are two more areas in which the A18 Pro clearly has the upper hand. Although Google has improved quite a bit in Tensor G4, the Pixel 9 Pro still warms up occasionally, but it's not as problematic as previous Pixel phones.
Speaking of battery, the Pixel 9 Pro packs a 4,700mAh battery that hits the company's "all-day" promise despite the usage. More importantly, the battery performance is consistent. While Apple doesn't share the exact battery capacity, the iPhone 16 Pro also has no trouble offering all-day battery life.
Apple also doesn't share the phone's wired charging speed, but it's likely in line with the 27W fast charging supported by the Pixel 9 Pro. Notably, the Pixel needs a wired charger supporting both USB-PD and PPS for charging at top speed, but you only need a USB-PD power brick to do the same with the iPhone.
The iPhone 16 Pro does have a slight advantage when it comes to wireless charging. Apple has included Qi2 charging support and has also beefed up MagSafe charging to reach 25W. Although only the official MagSafe charger currently offers 25W charging, we expect some third-party MagSafe chargers to provide the same capability in the coming days. On the other hand, the Pixel 9 Pro supports 21W wireless charging, but only when you use the second-gen Pixel Stand. With other wireless chargers, you'll only get 12W or 5W charging, depending on whether EPP support is available.
These smartphones also have Wi-Fi 7 support, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, dual-frequency GPS, UWB chip, and a USB Type-C port. While the Pixel relies on an under-display fingerprint sensor for secure biometric authentication, the iPhone 16 Pro has Face ID.
Camera
Apple is still the video king
Source: Apple
Apple and Google have long been the kings of camera performance, mainly because of their impressive image processing and computational photography chops. That doesn't change with the Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro.
Google has largely kept the camera system on the Pixel 9 Pro the same as the Pixel 8 Pro. So, you get a 50MP primary camera and a 48MP telephoto shooter. However, the 48MP ultrawide camera is slightly upgraded from last year and has a bigger aperture to capture more light. You can take great shots with little to no tweaks from all three shooters. But as there is a lot of post-processing, pictures can sometimes turn out a little too bright.
The company has also improved Video Boost , which enhances the video quality. But it isn't very impressive. So, Apple's advantage on the video front isn't going away. The iPhone 16 Pro, like its predecessor, is a superior video recorder to the Pixel 9 Pro. One of its highlights is the ability to shoot 4K 120fps video, a feature not available on the Pixel. Apple has also added some cool new features, such as spatial audio recording in different modes and "mood" styles.
In terms of specifics, the iPhone 16 Pro also has pretty much the same camera setup as the 15 Pro. It houses a 48MP primary shooter, a 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto. However, unlike the iPhone 15 Pro, the 16 Pro comes with 5x optical zoom.
Besides the fantastic video recording, these cameras are also excellent at still captures. You'll only notice minor stylistic or tonal differences between what you get with the Pixel and the iPhone.
The one notable feature Apple has included is tone control, which essentially allows you to dial down on the post-processing, which can sometimes make photos flatter and devoid of their natural look. So, if you don't love too much processing, you can use tone control. You can choose different tones while framing the shot or after capturing it. The iPhone captures extra metadata to make the tweaks possible after the capture.
Finally, the 42MP and 12MP selfie shooters in the Pixel and the iPhone, respectively, are also good and can take solid selfies.
Which should you buy?
The Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro are fantastic smartphones with a reasonable physical size. You can choose either and not be disappointed. Deciding between them will depend on which features are more important to you. For example, if you prefer Android with its relatively open and customizable nature and want Google's AI features, the Pixel 9 Pro is an easy decision. It's also among the best Android phones you can buy this year. Moreover, thanks to Google's superb update promise, it'll last you for a long time.
Editor's choice
Google Pixel 9 Pro
One of the best Android phones
Google's Pixel 9 Pro offers flagship features in a compact and updated design. It also packs several helpful AI features and delivers a solid performance all around.
$999 at Amazon $999 at Best Buy $999 at Google Store
But the iPhone 16 Pro is a fantastic alternative if you want a powerful chip with impressive gaming performance, the privacy and security of iOS, a more compact design, solid video recording performance, and the convenience of MagSafe. It also makes sense if you're already a part of the Apple ecosystem or don't harbor any specific affinity to Android. It delivers excellent performance, features a physical camera button, and the option to control the image processing for a more realistic look.
An equally impressive alternative
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Best Pro-iPhone for most people
The iPhone 16 Pro has a lot to like, from its powerful A18 Pro chip that shines at everything to improved iOS 18 and faster 25W MagSafe charging.