With the Pixel 9 Pro, Google has finally launched a real competitor to Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro. Although both phones offer a similar form factor, you’ll be surprised to know that the Pixel beats the iPhone in not just one but many aspects. To give you a better idea, here’s a detailed comparison between the two flagships.

Availability and price

The Pixel 9 Pro starts at $999 for the base variant with 128GB of storage. You can buy the phone in retail stores starting August 22, 2024.

The iPhone 15 Pro (coming September 2023) starts at $999 for the base variant with 128GB of storage, but if you shop around, you can get the phone at a discounted price.

Pixel 9 Pro is slightly larger than the iPhone 15 Pro

In terms of design, the Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro have a few similarities. For example, the Pixel 9 Pro’s flat metal frame with rounded corners and matte glass finish reinforces the similarity to the iPhone 15 Pro. However, Google uses aluminum for the frame, while Apple flaunts a grade 5 titanium body on the regular-size Pro model. To protect against nicks and scratches, the Pixel has Corning Gorilla Glass 2 (front and back), while the iPhone has Ceramic Shield on the front.

The main design differences are the housings of the front and rear cameras, the placement of the buttons and of course the colors. On the front, the Pixel phone has a punch-hole camera while the iPhone has the Dynamic Island that houses the TrueDepth camera for Face ID and the front camera. This year, Google redesigned the horizontal camera visor, which doesn’t blend into the frame but is circularly bordered on either side. The iPhone 15 Pro, however, sticks with a square camera island at the top left of the back.

On the Pixel 9 Pro, the power and volume buttons are on the right frame, while on the iPhone 15 Pro, the wake/sleep button is on the right frame; the volume rockers and action button are on the left frame. The Pixel 9 Pro measures 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm, making it slightly taller, wider, and thicker than the iPhone 15 Pro, which measures 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25mm. Although the Pixel uses aluminum, which is lighter than titanium, it weighs 199 grams, making it 12 grams heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro (187 grams).

As for the colors, the Pixel 9 Pro comes in four options: Porcelain, Obsidian, Hazelnut, and Rose Quartz. On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro also comes in four finishes: White Titanium, Black Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Blue Titanium. And yes, both phones come with IP68 dust and water resistance ratings.

Looking for a brighter and sharper display? Get the Pixel 9 Pro

While the Pixel 9 Pro has a 6.3-inch Super Actua LTPO display with a pixel density of 495ppi and 2,000 nits of HDR brightness, the iPhone 15 Pro has a slightly smaller 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with 460ppi and 1,600 nits of HDR brightness. Both phones support a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz (called Smooth Display by Google and ProMotion Display by Apple). Although a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and HDR support are common across the handsets, the iPhone supports True Tone technology to adjust the screen temperature based on the ambient light.

You get an always-on display on both phones, but the way Android and iOS implement the feature is slightly different. On Android, you’ll see the clock and a few other details on a black background, while on iOS, the feature darkens the entire lock screen wallpaper. The Google Pixel 9 Pro supports 24-bit depth for 16 million colors, while the iPhone 15 Pro supports the P3 color space. All in all, the Pixel 9 Pro offers a larger and brighter screen that also has an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

However, if you like Dynamic Island and the fun ways to interact with the pill-shaped notch, you’ll love the iPhone 15 Pro.

The Tensor G4 is no match for Apple’s A17 Pro chip

The Pixel 9 Pro is equipped with Google’s latest chipset: the Tensor G4. It features an eight-core CPU with a 3.1 GHz Prime Core, a Mali-G715 GPU (940 MHz), and the Exynos 5400 modem. The chipset is paired with 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1 TB of storage, and a Vapor Chamber that maintains peak performance for longer.

Unlike the Pixel 9 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro features a hexa-core A17 Pro chip with two performance cores clocked at 3.78GHz. The system-on-chip also features a six-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and the Snapdragon X70 5G modem. However, the phone doesn’t have a vapor chamber.

According to a test by Android Authority, the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s Tensor G4 performs 33% worse than the A17 Pro in GeekBench 6 tests, and the Pixel 9 Pro should be no different. Despite this, early tests suggest that the smartphone performs better than its predecessors and users should have no problems with everyday multitasking or casual gaming. However, if you’re a professional gamer or someone who edits videos on your phone, the iPhone 15 Pro is a better fit.

Google has hit the jackpot with its cameras

While the Pixel 9 Pro doesn’t quite match the iPhone 15 Pro’s superior performance, it does have a more versatile camera system. Google’s latest flagship features a 50MP main camera (f/1.68) and a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera (f/1.7, 123° field of view). To take things up a notch, it has a 48MP telephoto camera (f/2.8) that offers 5x optical zoom and super-res zoom up to 30x. On the front, there’s a 42MP selfie camera (f/2.2, 103° field of view) that offers a wider field of view.

In addition to the powerful hardware, the Pixel 9 Pro offers a range of photography features like Pro Controls, Add Me, Macro Focus, and Night Sight, as well as several AI-based features like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Best Take, and Photo Unblur. For the first time, the smartphone can record 8K videos at 30 fps. You also get video recording features like Video Boost, Night Sight Video, Super Res Zoom Video, and Audio Magic Eraser. In addition, the Pixel offers more room to express your creativity when shooting and editing images.

Like the Pixel 9 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro also has a triple camera setup, led by a 48MP main camera (f/1.78) with sensor-shift stabilization. In addition, there is a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera (f/2.2, 120° field of view) and a 12MP telephoto sensor (f/2.8) that offers a maximum of 3x zoom. The phone also offers up to 15x digital zoom. Last but not least, there is a 12MP selfie camera (f/1.9) with autofocus.

To help you capture images, the handset comes with Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, and Smart HDR 5. Additionally, there’s a Night mode, photographic styles, and macro photography support. As for videos, the phone can shoot 4K videos at up to 60fps. It also has features like Cinematic mode (up to 4K HDR at 30fps) and Action mode (up to 2.8K at 60fps). However, the iPhone lacks all the AI-based editing features that you get on the Pixel 9 Pro, which incidentally also offers better zoom.

Pixel 9 Pro lasts longer than the iPhone 15 Pro battery

The Pixel 9 Pro packs a 4,700mAh battery that supports wired charging up to 27W (with Google’s 45W USB-C charger) and wireless charging up to 15W. Although the phone supports Qi wireless charging, Google missed a huge opportunity by not offering support for Qi2 wireless charging. Be that as it may, the phone offers more than 24 hours of battery life with moderate usage and up to 100 hours of battery life with Extreme Battery Saver. In his Pixel 9 Pro review, How-To Geek’s Justin Duino mentions that the phone gets him through most days with at least 30% battery remaining.

The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, has a 3,274mAh battery that supports 27W wired charging. Additionally, it has MagSafe charging (15W) and Qi2 wireless charging (15W). Apple claims that the iPhone 15 Pro can last up to 23 hours and 20 hours of offline and online video playback, respectively. However, the folks at Tom’s Guide found that the Pixel 9 Pro offers better battery life than the iPhone 15 Pro. In their test, the Pixel lasts over 13.5 hours, while the iPhone shies away from 11 hours.

Are you on Team Android or Team iOS?

Link Image

The Pixel 9 Pro runs Android 14 out of the box, making it the first Pixel phone to launch without a new operating system. Still, Google will soon push the upgrade to Android 15, and Pixel phones will be among the first smartphones to get it. The great thing is Google’s promise of seven years of OS upgrades, security fixes, and quarterly Pixel Drops. If you get a Pixel 9 Pro today, it should get software updates until 2031.

As for the software experience, Pixels are known for offering the most mature and secure Android experience. Those looking for some fancy AI-based features won’t be disappointed as the phone comes with Google AI, a number of advanced features like Add Me and Pixel Screenshots. The Pixel 9 Pro also has Gemini built into its core experience.

The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, ships with iOS 17 and will be among the few iPhones to support Apple Intelligence when it launches with an iOS 18 upgrade later this year. Typically, Apple provides software updates for about five to six years, so the 2023 flagship should easily receive new iOS versions until 2028 or 2029. While the Android versus iOS debate is beyond the scope of this article, iOS is getting better and better in terms of customization. Moreover, several Apple apps like Music, Messages, and Siri are getting better with the introduction of AI-powered features.

Which one is right for you?

There are three ways to approach the answer. If you’ve been an Android user for years and don’t want to switch to iOS, the Pixel 9 Pro offers everything a 2024 flagship should. On the other hand, long-time iPhone users should go for the iPhone 15 Pro.

However, if you can’t decide between the two smartphones, here’s what to consider. The Pixel 9 Pro offers a slightly larger screen, more AI-based features built into the Android operating system, and a better telephoto camera. It even lasts longer on a single charge than the iPhone 15 Pro.

The iPhone 15 Pro would be ideal for users who already own some Apple devices, such as an iPad, MacBook, or AirPods. It has a more compact display, a titanium frame, and most importantly, the raw power needed for intensive tasks.