Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: A Base Model Brawl

It ’s face - off prison term , and you know what that means . Two smartphones go in , and one comes out the superior with plenty of bragging rights . This time around , we ’re front at a pair of entry - stratum smartphones : theiPhone 16andGoogle Pixel 9 . The gateway to their several premium flagship brethren , these devices can be lost in the chase for snazzy new features . That would be a mistake , however , as both phones are enceinte in their own right . But only one can be the best .

So , lease ’s meet our hero . In one quoin , you have the iPhone 16 . alternatively of rock last year ’s central processing unit like the iPhone 15 , Apple outfit the iPhone 16 with its unexampled A18 Bionic cow dung , which , according to Apple , is noticeably more powerful than its harbinger . The phone also gets two new buttons that have prove to be somewhat useful . Plus , with the rollout of iOS 18 , we ’re set out our first taste ofApple Intelligence , which will surely be a plot changer for Apple fans .

In the opposite corner is the Pixel 9 . With a gorgeous innovation that mimics the iPhone , the Pixel 9 is low-cost and has a long battery life-time . Using the same Tensor G4 buffalo chip as its more expensive siblings , the Pixel 9 is n’t an outright powerhouse but get the line of work done . The dual rear tv camera have gotten a noticeable rise , allowing the smartphone to capture stunning images and video . And as we continue to explore AI ’s possibilities , Google is at the forefront with the characteristic - rich Google Gemini .

Side-by-side shot of iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 display© Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC

So , in a battle of standard smartphones , will it be the Pixel 9 or the iPhone 16 ? Let ’s ascertain out .

Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Price

A wealth of choice

Both the iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 start at $ 799 sans trade - ins . That ’s downright affordable compare to their more agio brethren with their fancy foldable hinges and high - powered cameras . But allow ’s see what $ 800 buys you these days . For the iPhone 16 , you get a smartphone with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of onboard repositing . Doubling the storage will cost you $ 899 , while the 512 GB variant tops at $ 1,099 .

There are only two versions of the Pixel 9 available . The $ 799 base model has a whopping 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage , while the 256 GB model raises the damage to $ 899 . commonly , this round would have start to the Pixel just because of the RAM . However , Apple take this round since the iPhone 16 has three different models on tap .

Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Design

A phone of a different color

countenance ’s get one affair flat : both the Pixel 9 and the iPhone 16 are beautiful speech sound . The Pixel 9 sport an aluminium frame with a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 rearward board and presentation . The smartphone occur in four colors : Peony , Wintergreen , Porcelain , and Obsidian . Like its larger siblings , the Pixel 9 has frost strip along the side . It looks eerily familiar to an iPhone .

However , the sides are one of the biggest differences between the two phones . The Pixel 9 has the power release and book cradle on the right side with a one-armed bandit that look like a microSD expansion slot but is annoyingly only a speaker unit . There ’s also a USB - C embrasure and a nano - SIM expansion slot . Meanwhile , the iPhone 16 has the great power and photographic camera button on the right , the configurable activity release , and volume mastery on the left . A pair of speakers on the speech sound ’s bottom sandwich the USB - C charging port .

For once , the iPhone is the more colorful option , offering five colors ( Ultramarine , Teal , Pink , Black , and White . Like the Pixel , the iPhone 16 has an aluminum chassis and siding with a glass rear gore . or else of Gorilla Glass , Apple uses the a la mode interpretation of Ceramic Shield , which the company says is four times stronger than field glass in old generations of iPhones .

©Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC

While the iPhone 16 ( 6 snow leopard , 5.8 x 2.8 x 0.31 inch ) is n’t as small as the last iPhone SE ( 5.1 Panthera uncia , 5.5 x 2.7 x 0.29 inch ) , it ’s not that far off . That will make folks with smaller hands or just like a smaller earpiece glad . But as a lover of big phones , I ’m unwaveringly in the Pixel 9 cantonment . At 7 ounces , it ’s not much heavier than the iPhone 16 . However , with its 6 x 2.8 x 0.3 - column inch dimension , the Pixel 9 is improbable and has more presentation material land than its Apple competitor . As much as I love a big smartphone , I ’m give this round to the iPhone 16 as it volunteer more colour choices .

Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Performance

There’s no contest

Nowadays , the only affair that can beat an iPhone is another iPhone . With the new A18 Bionic chip , Apple enjoin the iPhone 16 is 30 % quicker than its forerunner . Considering that the iPhone 15 runs on the A16 Bionic chipset , which is two years erstwhile at this point , it ’s an light dunk . Although the base manikin of the A18 is n’t as herculean as the A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max , it still place as one of the strongest mobile CPUs uncommitted .

That stated , I had a hard time assess the iPhone 16 . Even after launching a phone number of apps , admit Adobe Photoshop Express , Facebook , Instagram , and Spotify , along with 30 Safari tab , I did n’t see any slowdown . I got a turn of a stammer when I play Resident Evil 4 Remake , but it was just that – a stutter . Other than the initial launching , the game ran smoothly . Did it have a console table or PC - degree graphics ? No , but the fact that the secret plan runs at all is still a modern miracle in my book .

Apple is not the only company that can make its own atomic number 14 , as Google has been making its Tensor processors for a while now . The Pixel 9 ’s Tensor G4 central processor had no problems with my multitasking , admit me to prevail the same apps I used on the iPhone plus 30 unresolved Google Chrome chit . alternatively of Resident Evil 4 Remake , I used Alien : Isolation and get legato gameplay . Again , the gameplay was n’t as moderately as the PC or console versions , but it ’s a will to how far we ’ve come in mobile technology .

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I run several rounds of Geekbench 6 on both phones to get concrete carrying into action numbers , and it was no competition . The iPhone 16 depart the Pixel 9 in the dust on both the single and multi - thread tests , rack up 3,412 and 8,416 compared to 1,699 and 4,241 . Without question , this round goes to the iPhone 16 . But I ’m curious how the winner would fare against the Galaxy S24 , OnePlus 12 , and more premium telephone .

Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: AI

The battle truly begins

Finally , iOS 18 is here , so I can get a little taste of what Apple Intelligence offers . Currently available as a public genus Beta , you’re able to take some of Apple Intelligence ’s more challenging features for a test ride , with the rest debuting later this year . Like most AI package , there ’s a self-aggrandizing focus oncreating summariesand streamline some of your more tedious tasks , such as shooting off a response to an email in a long multiperson drawstring . A swelled Summarize button in my Mail app quickly reduced a 20 - entry thread to three scannable paragraph in less than four seconds .

The generative AI also came in handy when taking notes , providing options to proofread my schoolbook . Apple Intelligence can also rewrite , sum up , or break your notes down into key point or produce a list . It can even write for tone , include professional , concise , or friendly . But the features do n’t just rest in electronic mail or note - take apps . Notifications can now be summarized into easily scannable bites . And like Gemini , Apple Intelligence can read call , create transcripts , and summarize everything .

I pass over into the Photos app to take some of the AI feature for a twirl . The Natural Language Search worked like a charm , rapidly displume together movie of my puppy when I asked for “ dog performing . ” I did a little on - the - fly photo editing with the Clean Up feature , highlighting a rather magnanimous camera from a shot of my boyfriend . Not only did the offending technical school disappear , but Clean Up also did a dandy job filling in the caryopsis of the Mrs. Henry Wood in the new empty infinite .

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I natter with Siri while it looked up fancy spot for my birthday dinner party . Despite fumbling my words , the digital help managed to rip up a tilt of French restaurant in a 20 - mile wheel spoke . It ’s a coolheaded feature for those of us whose mouth sometimes move faster than our brains . And while Siri is n’t new , it ’s still coming with new john , such as letting you continue to scroll or navigate around the phone while using Siri . If you do n’t wish blab out to Siri , you may type your request using the new Siri keyboard . You know , for the research that require a bit of prudence .

However , since it ’s still in beta , not every Apple AI lineament is currently uncommitted , so we ’re still waiting to make AI - generated images via Image Playground and Genmojis , Apple ’s cutesy name - procreative AI emojis .

If you ’re not a shutterbug , I can preface you to Gemini Advanced . Here , you have AI sum-up peter and a colloquial digital helper that can organize and summarize your screenshots with Pixel Screenshots . Google Keep can also make leaning . And if you need to record and transcribe a call , Gemini and Apple Intelligence can get the job done .

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mightily now , both AI solutions are costless . But that wo n’t last for long , at least not with Google . The company wants consumers to pay $ 20 / calendar month to access some of Gemini ’s deep characteristic Set . No word yet on whether Apple plans to follow suit of clothes with a make up subscription model .

For now , I ’m going to give this round to Google as it has a fuller lineament set to search . However , Apple Intelligence looks like it will give Google and Microsoft a run for their money on the AI front .

Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Camera

A close battle

Neither the Pixel 9 nor the iPhone 16 have the fancy cameras of their more premium brethren . However , both smartphones can snap a pretty picture . Historically , iPhones have delivered stunning stills and telecasting , and the iPhone 16 is no different . Just like its predecessor , the iPhone 16 has a treble television camera setup . The main camera is a 48 megapixel with a ƒ/1.6 aperture and a 12 MP ultrawide ƒ/2.2 sensor . The earpiece also retained last - gen ’s 10x soar . riff the phone over to its front photographic camera , and you have a 12 MP ƒ/1.9 aperture .

Now , onto the Pixel 9 , which also has dual rearward cameras . Last gen ’s 50 MP wide ƒ/1.68 sensing element yield , but the ultrawide camera has gotten a big boost , jumping from 12 MP to 48 MP . When you need to capture a long - distance snap , there ’s Super Res Zoom that extends to 8x . The front sensor has 10.5 MP with a ƒ/2.2 .

One matter I discover during the shootout is gloss . Although the stills on both cameras look cracking , more often than not , the iPhone had more vivid color while the Pixel delivered more natural hues .

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A quick musical note . The first pictures in each skidder are images shot with the Pixel 9 while the second follow from the iPhone 16 .

Wide

I took both phones for a walk around my locality , snatch up shots . One of my favorites is a picture of a baby blue Lincoln Capri . For once , the Pixel 9 upshot is more oversaturated , exhibit a deep blue angel than the real color . As far as point is concerned , the iPhone was the victor with clean elements . Zoom in on the white wall tires , and you’re able to make out the finer etching on the hubcaps as well as the cracks in the sidewalk .

It was more difficult to break up a achiever on the next barb – a colorful bill poster of a Isle of Man with a catch regard . I pass about 20 minutes trying to ascertain fault with either camera ; I even had my fellow , a professional photographer , look . And out of doors of midget differences such as o.k. creases in the poster , as displayed by the Pixel 9 , this was a virtual all in heating .

As expected , the Pixel had slightly inscrutable colors in a pellet of a charcuterie board . However , from the random rule on the tabletop to the seeds in the sliced tomatoes , I was surprised to see that the iPhone also exhibit sharper detail .

Ultrawide

While some people prefer more natural colors , I do n’t particularly mind a little oversaturation , especially in this shot of sample doughnuts on tap at a local store . While both images look absolutely yummy , the bright sheen on the chocolate - dip pastry from the iPhone was more sympathetic than the Pixel . Zooming in on both shots , the phones were almost even detail - wise . However , the Pixel ’s results were more or less frizzy than those of its competition .

It was the same story in a picture of a shelf of bloom outside the local grocery depot . Once again , the iPhone had the more vivacious chromaticity , with the Pixel 9 delivering well detail . A quick zoom - in on the grating at the bottom of the shot permit you see a clearer aspect of the design . Meanwhile , the marigold petal were fuzzier on the iPhone 16 .

A shot of a brownstone raise a dead heat in term of color and details . I pored over both figure of speech side by side , and outside of extremely pocket-size details , the storey of sharpness was virtually adequate .

Low light

For this test , I call for two shots with each phone , one with the lights dimmed as far as my dimmer switch could go and the other with the lights turned out . The Pixel produce a more accurate color in the low - light shot , as my Hulk and Sully figurines seem darker on the iPhone . depend at the inscription on the Yamaha soundbar and the former camera , the Pixel ’s shot has cleaner event .

In the no - spark images , the iPhone had richer colour , in particular on the golden dragon statue , the pink cannister , and the Hulk . While you ca n’t make out any of the inscription on the soundbar , the Pixel gave secure details on the camera inscription .

Selfie

This is n’t a contest . The Pixel did a much better problem becharm my hide tone , makeup , and hair color than the iPhone . If not for how well it becharm how mischievously my eyebrow want threading and the smaller pore on my grimace , I would have guess I accidentally enabled a sweetheart filter .

Digital Zoom

Google has done a great business on rapid climb , but Apple ’s not too far behind . I took a dig of a memorial plaque . The cameras are evenly matched in terms of color , and while you may totally read the names in both shots .

However , the Pixel was more legible and had clean lines in a night shot of New York City traffic from a rooftop . The Pixel stand out with clearer shots of the taillights and surprisingly honest color .

I captured some NYC fauna munching on an errant crybaby bone . you could see item-by-item rat hair in the Pixel shot , while the critter looked a passel blurrier on the iPhone . However , you could see the critter ’s little feet better on the iPhone .

Neither of my night shots of the Chrysler building came out the right . The Pixel ’s version had lots of optic noise , while the iPhone ’s was blurry .

Panorama

When it comes to taking panos , I favour the Pixel as it has more accurate guidelines to produce a more even capture . On the iPhone , it ’s more of a freestyle deal . My script drop a small , and the iPhone give up a prompt so I could flow - correct it , but the damage was already done . In damage of color and detail , the phones grow intimately identical results .

This round was tough , with both phones notch win in specific categories . But the round move to the Pixel for its uniform color truth and terse item .

Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Battery

A marathon run

They ’ll keep survive and going and going . I ran the Gizmodo assault and battery test on both phones side - by - side , with the brightness level set to 200 nit and stream a 24 - hour YouTube video . The Pixel 9 ’s 4,575 mAh shelling hold out 22 hours and 32 minutes , which is not too shabby . The iPhone ’s 3,561 mAh battery tapped out at 23:29 .

I do n’t jazz how Apple does it with all that functioning , but it go on to belt down out with powerful products without sacrifice seniority .

Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Verdict

When a fresh smartphone melodic phrase comes out , it ’s gentle to get entrance up in the hype of the more expensive versions . But spare a glance at the entree - level devices that offer an low-cost option , which might trump all the fancy bells and whistling of the more premium interpretation in this day and historic period .

The iPhone finally wins this face - off in a severely - fight battle between the iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9 . Not only does Apple tender more conformation and colors of the iPhone 16 , but it ’s also more powerful and lasts longer on a charge . But before you write the Pixel 9 off , call up it has some serious photography chops . And depending on how the full version of Apple Intelligence play out , it might have the best smartphone AI . Plus , it did n’t do too badly on the shelling trial run , and it ’s a pretty telephone set in its own rightfulness , as it ’s doing its secure iPhone impersonation .

But if you want the best entryway - grade smartphone , the iPhone 16 is it .