It’s face-off time, and what which means. Two smartphones go in, and one comes out the victor with loads of bragging rights. This time round, we’re taking a look at a pair of entry-level smartphones: the iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9. The gateway to their respective premium flagship brethren, these gadgets could be misplaced within the chase for snazzy new options. That may be a mistake, nonetheless, as each telephones are nice in their very own proper. However just one could be the perfect.
So, let’s meet our fighters. In a single nook, you’ve the iPhone 16. As a substitute of rocking final 12 months’s processor just like the iPhone 15, Apple outfitted the iPhone 16 with its new A18 Bionic chip, which, in response to Apple, is noticeably extra highly effective than its predecessor. The cellphone additionally will get two new buttons which have confirmed to be fairly helpful. Plus, with the rollout of iOS 18, we’re getting our first style of Apple Intelligence, which is able to absolutely be a sport changer for Apple followers.
Within the reverse nook is the Pixel 9. With a beautiful design that mimics the iPhone, the Pixel 9 is reasonably priced and has a protracted battery life. Utilizing the identical Tensor G4 chip as its costlier siblings, the Pixel 9 isn’t an outright powerhouse however will get the job performed. The twin rear cameras have gotten a noticeable improve, permitting the smartphone to seize beautiful photos and video. And as we proceed to discover AI’s potentialities, Google is on the forefront with the feature-rich Google Gemini.
So, in a battle of normal smartphones, will or not it’s the Pixel 9 or the iPhone 16? Let’s discover out.
Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Worth
A wealth of selection
Each the iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 begin at $799 sans trade-ins. That’s downright reasonably priced in comparison with their extra premium brethren with their fancy foldable hinges and high-powered cameras. However let’s see what $800 buys you today. For the iPhone 16, you get a smartphone with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. Doubling the storage will value you $899, whereas the 512GB model tops at $1,099.
There are solely two variations of the Pixel 9 accessible. The $799 base mannequin has a whopping 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, whereas the 256GB mannequin raises the value to $899. Usually, this spherical would have gone to the Pixel merely due to the RAM. Nevertheless, Apple takes this spherical for the reason that iPhone 16 has three completely different fashions on faucet.
Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Design
A cellphone of a special colour
Let’s get one factor straight: each the Pixel 9 and the iPhone 16 are stunning telephones. The Pixel 9 sports activities an aluminum body with a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 rear panel and show. The smartphone is available in 4 colours: Peony, Wintergreen, Porcelain, and Obsidian. Like its bigger siblings, the Pixel 9 has frosted strips alongside the perimeters. It appears eerily acquainted to an iPhone.
Nevertheless, the perimeters are one of many greatest variations between the 2 telephones. The Pixel 9 has the facility button and quantity rocker on the correct aspect with a slot that appears like a microSD slot however is annoyingly solely a speaker. There’s additionally a USB-C port and a nano-SIM slot. In the meantime, the iPhone 16 has the facility and digital camera buttons on the correct, the configurable Motion button, and quantity management on the left. A pair of audio system on the cellphone’s backside sandwich the USB-C charging port.
For as soon as, the iPhone is the extra colourful possibility, providing 5 colours (Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, Black, and White. Just like the Pixel, the iPhone 16 has an aluminum body and siding with a glass rear panel. As a substitute of Gorilla Glass, Apple makes use of the newest model of Ceramic Defend, which the corporate says is 4 occasions stronger than glass in earlier generations of iPhones.
Whereas the iPhone 16 (6 ounces, 5.8 x 2.8 x 0.31 inches) isn’t as small because the final iPhone SE (5.1 ounces, 5.5 x 2.7 x 0.29 inches), it’s not that far off. That can make people with smaller fingers or similar to a smaller cellphone blissful. However as a lover of huge telephones, I’m firmly within the Pixel 9 camp. At 7 ounces, it’s not a lot heavier than the iPhone 16. Nevertheless, with its 6 x 2.8 x 0.3-inch dimensions, the Pixel 9 is taller and has extra show actual property than its Apple competitor.
As a lot as I like an enormous smartphone, I’m giving this spherical to the iPhone 16 because it affords extra colour decisions.
Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Efficiency
There’s no contest
These days, the one factor that may beat an iPhone is one other iPhone. With the brand new A18 Bionic chip, Apple says the iPhone 16 is 30% quicker than its predecessor. Contemplating that the iPhone 15 runs on the A16 Bionic chipset, which is 2 years outdated at this level, it’s a straightforward dunk. Though the bottom mannequin of the A18 isn’t as highly effective because the A18 Professional chip within the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max, it nonetheless ranks as one of many strongest cell CPUs accessible.
That said, I had a tough time taxing the iPhone 16. Even after launching various apps, together with Adobe Photoshop Categorical, Fb, Instagram, and Spotify, together with 30 Safari tabs, I didn’t see any slowdown. I acquired a little bit of a stutter once I performed Resident Evil 4 Remake, however it was simply that – a stutter. Aside from the preliminary launch, the sport ran easily. Did it have a console or PC-level graphics? No, however the truth that the sport runs in any respect remains to be a contemporary miracle in my guide.
Apple just isn’t the one firm that may make its personal silicon, as Google has been making its Tensor processors for some time now. The Pixel 9’s Tensor G4 processor had no issues with my multitasking, permitting me to run the identical apps I used on the iPhone plus 30 open Google Chrome tabs. As a substitute of Resident Evil 4 Remake, I used Alien: Isolation and acquired easy gameplay. Once more, the gameplay wasn’t as fairly because the PC or console variations, however it’s a testomony to how far we’ve are available cell know-how.
I ran a number of rounds of Geekbench 6 on each telephones to get concrete efficiency numbers, and it was no contest. The iPhone 16 left the Pixel 9 within the mud on each the only and multi-thread exams, scoring 3,412 and eight,416 in comparison with 1,699 and 4,241. With out query, this spherical goes to the iPhone 16. However I’m curious how the winner would fare in opposition to the Galaxy S24, OnePlus 12, and extra premium telephones.
Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: AI
The battle really begins
Lastly, iOS 18 is right here, so I can get somewhat style of what Apple Intelligence affords. Presently accessible as a public beta, you possibly can take a few of Apple Intelligence’s extra intriguing options for a check drive, with the remainder debuting later this 12 months. Like most AI software program, there’s an enormous give attention to creating summaries and streamlining a few of your extra tedious duties, reminiscent of taking pictures off a response to an electronic mail in a protracted multiperson string. A giant Summarize button in my Mail app shortly diminished a 20-entry thread to a few scannable paragraphs in lower than 4 seconds.
The generative AI additionally got here in useful when taking notes, offering choices to proofread my textual content. Apple Intelligence may rewrite, summarize, or break your notes down into key factors or create a listing. It might even write for tone, together with skilled, concise, or pleasant. However the options don’t simply reside in electronic mail or note-taking apps. Notifications can now be summarized into simply scannable bites. And like Gemini, Apple Intelligence can report calls, create transcripts, and summarize every part.
I jumped into the Images app to take a few of the AI options for a spin. The Pure Language Search labored like a attraction, shortly pulling collectively pics of my puppies once I requested for “canines taking part in.” I did somewhat on-the-fly photograph modifying with the Clear Up characteristic, highlighting a fairly massive digital camera from a shot of my boyfriend. Not solely did the offending tech disappear, however Clear Up additionally did an amazing job filling within the grain of the wooden within the newly empty house.
I chatted with Siri whereas it appeared up fancy spots for my birthday dinner. Regardless of fumbling my phrases, the digital assistant managed to tug up a listing of French eating places in a 20-mile radius. It’s a cool characteristic for these of us whose mouths generally transfer quicker than our brains. And whereas Siri isn’t new, it’s nonetheless coming with new methods, reminiscent of letting you proceed to scroll or navigate across the cellphone whereas utilizing Siri. In the event you don’t like speaking to Siri, you possibly can sort your request utilizing the brand new Siri keyboard. You understand, for the inquiries that require a little bit of discretion.
Nevertheless, because it’s nonetheless in beta, not each Apple AI characteristic is at the moment accessible, so we’re nonetheless ready to create AI-generated photos by way of Picture Playground and Genmojis, Apple’s cutesy name-generative AI emojis.
Google’s Gemini AI is likely one of the main AI platforms up to now and has a bunch of options that vary from useful to enjoyable. And whereas Gemini can do a myriad of issues, I believe it shines the brightest on the subject of pictures. The redesigned Magic Editor is an absolute power because it has options like Reimagine that permits you to modify footage by merely typing a phrase. Or you possibly can increase your group photographs with Add Me to make sure everyone seems to be within the image. In the meantime, you’ve Zoom Improve, which makes use of generative AI to fill within the gaps once you zoom in on footage, so that you all the time have crisp element. Google additionally has some AI sauce for video, bringing the flexibility to upscale to 8K and lowering or enhancing audio as you see match.
In the event you’re not a shutterbug, I can introduce you to Gemini Superior. Right here, you’ve AI abstract instruments and a conversational digital assistant that may set up and summarize your screenshots with Pixel Screenshots. Google Hold may create lists. And if it’s essential report and transcribe a name, Gemini and Apple Intelligence can get the job performed.
Proper now, each AI options are free. However that received’t final for lengthy, a minimum of not with Google. The corporate desires shoppers to pay $20/month to entry a few of Gemini’s deeper characteristic units. No phrase but on whether or not Apple plans to observe go well with with a paid subscription mannequin.
For now, I’m going to offer this spherical to Google because it has a fuller characteristic set to discover. Nevertheless, Apple Intelligence appears like it’ll give Google and Microsoft a run for his or her cash on the AI entrance.
Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Digital camera
An in depth battle
Neither the Pixel 9 nor the iPhone 16 have the flowery cameras of their extra premium brethren. Nevertheless, each smartphones can snap a reasonably image. Traditionally, iPhones have delivered beautiful stills and video, and the iPhone 16 is not any completely different. Similar to its predecessor, the iPhone 16 has a twin digital camera setup. The primary digital camera is a 48 megapixel with a ƒ/1.6 aperture and a 12 MP ultrawide ƒ/2.2 sensor. The cellphone additionally retained last-gen’s 10x zoom. Flip the cellphone over to its entrance digital camera, and you’ve got a 12 MP ƒ/1.9 aperture.
Now, onto the Pixel 9, which additionally has twin rear cameras. Final gen’s 50 MP huge ƒ/1.68 sensor returns, however the ultrawide digital camera has gotten an enormous increase, leaping from 12 MP to 48 MP. When it’s essential seize a long-distance shot, there’s Tremendous Res Zoom that extends to 8x. The entrance sensor has 10.5 MP with a ƒ/2.2.
One factor I observed throughout the shootout is colour. Though the stills on each cameras look nice, most of the time, the iPhone had extra vivid colours whereas the Pixel delivered extra pure hues.
A fast observe. The primary footage in every sliders are photos shot with the Pixel 9 whereas the second come from the iPhone 16.
Extensive
I took each telephones for a stroll round my neighborhood, snapping photographs. Certainly one of my favorites is an image of a child blue Lincoln Capri. For as soon as, the Pixel 9 result’s extra oversaturated, displaying a deeper blue than the precise colour. So far as element is anxious, the iPhone was the winner with cleaner components. Zoom in on the white wall tires, and you can also make out the finer etching on the hubcaps in addition to the cracks within the sidewalk.
It was tougher to choose a winner on the subsequent shot – a colourful poster of a person with a fascinating gaze. I spent about 20 minutes looking for fault with both digital camera; I even had my boyfriend, an expert photographer, look. And out of doors of tiny variations reminiscent of positive creases within the poster, as displayed by the Pixel 9, this was a digital lifeless warmth.
As anticipated, the Pixel had barely deeper colours in a shot of a charcuterie board. Nevertheless, from the random sample on the tabletop to the seeds within the sliced tomatoes, I used to be stunned to see that the iPhone additionally displayed sharper particulars.
Ultrawide
Whereas some folks want extra pure colours, I don’t significantly thoughts somewhat oversaturation, particularly on this shot of pattern doughnuts on faucet at an area store. Whereas each photos look completely delectable, the brighter sheen on the chocolate-dipped pastry from the iPhone was extra interesting than the Pixel. Zooming in on each photographs, the telephones have been nearly even detail-wise. Nevertheless, the Pixel’s outcomes have been barely crisper than these of its competitor.
It was the identical story in an image of a shelf of flowers outdoors the native grocery retailer. As soon as once more, the iPhone had the extra vibrant hues, with the Pixel 9 delivering higher element. A fast zoom-in on the grate on the backside of the shot enables you to see a clearer view of the design. In the meantime, the marigold petals have been fuzzier on the iPhone 16.
A shot of a brownstone produced a lifeless warmth when it comes to colour and particulars. I pored over each photos aspect by aspect, and out of doors of extraordinarily minor particulars, the extent of sharpness was practically equal.
Low gentle
For this check, I took two photographs with every cellphone, one with the lights dimmed so far as my dimmer swap may go and the opposite with the lights turned out. The Pixel produced a extra correct colour within the low-light shot, as my Hulk and Sully collectible figurines appeared darker on the iPhone. Wanting on the lettering on the Yamaha soundbar and the outdated digital camera, the Pixel’s shot has cleaner outcomes.
Within the no-light photos, the iPhone had richer colour, significantly on the golden dragon statue, the pink tin, and the Hulk. Whilst you can’t make out any of the lettering on the soundbar, the Pixel gave higher particulars on the digital camera lettering.
Selfie
This isn’t a contest. The Pixel did a a lot better job capturing my pores and skin tone, make-up, and hair colour than the iPhone. If not for the way properly it captured how badly my eyebrows want threading and the smaller pores on my face, I’d have thought I by accident enabled a magnificence filter.
Digital Zoom
Google has performed an amazing job on zoom, however Apple’s not too far behind. I took a shot of a memorial plaque. The cameras are evenly matched when it comes to colour, and when you can completely learn the names in each photographs.
Nevertheless, the Pixel was extra legible and had cleaner traces in an evening shot of New York Metropolis visitors from a rooftop. The Pixel excelled with clearer photographs of the taillights and surprisingly higher colour.
I captured some NYC fauna munching on an errant hen bone. You may see particular person rat hairs within the Pixel shot, whereas the critter appeared lots blurrier on the iPhone. Nevertheless, you might see the critter’s little ft higher on the iPhone.
Neither of my evening photographs of the Chrysler constructing got here out the perfect. The Pixel’s model had a lot of visible noise, whereas the iPhone’s was blurry.
Panorama
On the subject of taking panos, I want the Pixel because it has extra correct pointers to provide a extra even seize. On the iPhone, it’s extra of a freestyle deal. My hand dropped somewhat, and the iPhone threw up a immediate so I may course-correct it, however the injury was already performed. By way of colour and element, the telephones produced practically similar outcomes.
This spherical was robust, with each telephones notching wins in particular classes. However the spherical goes to the Pixel for its constant colour accuracy and crisp element.
Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Battery
A marathon run
They’ll maintain going and going and going. I ran the Gizmodo battery check on each telephones side-by-side, with the brightness set to 200 nits and streaming a 24-hour YouTube video. The Pixel 9’s 4,575 mAh battery lasted 22 hours and 32 minutes, which isn’t too shabby. The iPhone’s 3,561 mAh battery tapped out at 23:29.
I don’t know the way Apple does it with all that efficiency, however it continues to come out with highly effective merchandise with out sacrificing longevity.
Apple iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: Verdict
When a brand new smartphone line comes out, it’s straightforward to get caught up within the hype of the costlier variations. However spare a look on the entry-level gadgets that supply an reasonably priced possibility, which could trump all the flowery bells and whistles of the extra premium variations at the moment.
The iPhone finally wins this face-off in a hard-fought battle between the iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9. Not solely does Apple provide extra configurations and colours of the iPhone 16, however it’s additionally extra highly effective and lasts longer on a cost. However earlier than you write the Pixel 9 off, keep in mind it has some critical pictures chops. And relying on how the complete model of Apple Intelligence performs out, it might need the perfect smartphone AI. Plus, it didn’t do too badly on the battery check, and it’s a reasonably cellphone in its personal proper, because it’s doing its greatest iPhone impersonation.
However if you’d like the perfect entry-level smartphone, the iPhone 16 is it.
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