With the Pixel 9 Pro, Google has finally launched a true competitor to Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro. While both phones offer a similar form factor, you’d be surprised to know that the Pixel beats the iPhone in not 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 is available from $999 for the baseline variant with 128GB of storage. You can purchase the phone via retail stores starting August 22, 2024.
The iPhone 15 Pro (released in September 2023) is available from $999 for the base variant with 128GB of storage. However, with some digging, you can get the phone at a discounted price.
Pixel 9 Pro Is Slightly Bigger Than The iPhone 15 Pro
When it comes to design, the Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro have a couple of similarities. For instance, the flat metal frame with rounded corners and a matte glass finish on the Pixel 9 Pro increase its resemblance with the iPhone 15 Pro. However, Google uses aluminum for the frame, while Apple flaunts a Grade 5 titanium casing on the regular-sized Pro model. For protection against nicks and scratches, the Pixel features Corning Gorilla Glass 2 (front and back), while the iPhone has Ceramic Shield on the front.
The key differentiators, in terms of design, are the front/rear camera housings, the placement of buttons, and, of course, the colors. On the front, the Pixel phone has a punch-hole camera, whereas the iPhone sports the Dynamic Island, which houses the TrueDepth camera for Face ID and the front camera. This year, Google has redesigned the horizontal camera visor, which, instead of merging in the frame, has a circular boundary on both sides. The iPhone 15 Pro, however, sticks with a square-shaped camera island toward the top left of the rear panel.
The Pixel 9 Pro houses the power and volume buttons on the right frame, while the iPhone 15 Pro has the wake/sleep button on the right frame; the volume rockers, along with the Action Button, are situated on the left frame. The Pixel 9 Pro measures 152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm, making it slightly taller, wider, and thicker than the iPhone 15 Pro, which measures 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25 mm. Even though 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).
Regarding colors, the Pixel 9 Pro is available in four options: Porcelain, Obsidian, Hazel, and Rose Quartz. On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro is also available in four finishes: White Titanium, Black Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Blue Titanium. And yes, both phones feature an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
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 495 ppi and 2,000 nits HDR brightness, the iPhone 15 Pro has a slightly smaller 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with 460 ppi and 1,600 nis HDR brightness. Both phones support a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz (called Smooth Display by Google and ProMotion Display by Apple). Even though a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and HDR support are common on the handsets, the iPhone supports True Tone technology for adjusting the screen’s temperature according to 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 over a black background, while on iOS, the feature dims 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 gamut. All things considered, the Pixel 9 Pro offers a bigger and brighter screen, which also features an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.
However, if you like Dynamic Island and the way it provides fun ways to interact with the pill-shaped notch, you’d love the iPhone 15 Pro.
The Tensor G4 Is No Match for Apple’s A17 Pro Chip
The Pixel 9 Pro sports Google’s latest chipset: the Tensor G4. It features an eight-core CPU with a 3.1GHz prime core, Mali-G715 GPU (940MHz), and the Exynos 5400 modem. The chipset is paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a vapor chamber that sustains peak performance for longer.
Unlike the Pixel 9 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro has a hexa-core A17 Pro chip with two performance cores clocked at 3.78GHz. The system-on-chip also has 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 Tensor G4 on the Pixel 9 Pro XL scores 33% less than the A17 Pro in the GeekBench 6 tests, and the Pixel 9 Pro should be no different. Even so, early reviews suggest that the smartphone performs better than its predecessors, and users shouldn’t face any problems with day-to-day multitasking or casual gaming. However, if you’re a professional gamer or someone who edits videos on your phone, the iPhone 15 Pro would do better.
Google Has Nailed It With the Cameras
While the Pixel 9 Pro doesn’t quite catch up with the iPhone 15 Pro’s beastly performance, it does have a more versatile camera system. Google’s latest flagship features a 50MP (f/1.68) primary camera and a 48MP (f/1.7, 123° field of view) ultrawide camera. To kick things up a notch, it comes with a 48MP (f/2.8) telephoto camera that provides 5x optical zoom and Super Res Zoom up to 30x. On the front, you get a 42MP (f/2.2, 103° field of view) selfie shooter that provides a broader field of view.
Besides the capable hardware, the Pixel 9 Pro offers a slew of photography features, such as Pro Controls, Add Me, Macro Focus, and Night Sight, along with 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. Moreover, the Pixel offers more room to express your creativity while capturing and editing pictures.
Like the Pixel 9 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro also features a triple-camera setup, headlined by a 48MP (f/1.78) primary camera with sensor-shift stabilization. Further, there’s a 12MP (f/2.2, 120° field of view) ultrawide camera and a 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto sensor that maxes out at 3x zoom. Besides, the phone provides digital zoom up to 15x. Last but not least, there’s a 12MP (f/1.9) selfie camera with autofocus.
To assist you while shooting pictures, the handset ships with Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, and Smart HDR 5. Additionally, there’s Night Mode, Photographic Styles, and Macro photography support. Regarding videos, the phone can record 4K videos at up to 60 fps. It also has features like Cinematic Mode (up to 4K HDR at 30 fps) and Action Mode (up to 2.8K at 60 fps). However, the iPhone lacks all the AI-based editing features one gets on the Pixel 9 Pro, which, by the way, also offers better zoom.
Pixel 9 Pro Outlasts the iPhone 15 Pro’s Battery
The Pixel 9 Pro sports a 4,700 mAh battery that supports up to 27W wired charging (with Google’s 45W USB-C charger) and up to 15W wireless charging. Although the phone supports Qi wireless charging, Google missed a huge opportunity by not including support for Qi2 wireless charging. Anyway, the phone can provide more than 24 hours of battery life with moderate usage and up to 100 hours of battery life with Extreme Battery Saver. In his review of the Pixel 9 Pro, How-To Geek’s Justin Duino mentions the phone getting him through most days with at least 30% battery left.
The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, features a 3,274 mAh battery that supports 27W wired charging. Further, it features MagSafe charging (15W) and Qi2 wireless charging (15W). In its own fashion, Apple says the iPhone 15 Pro lasts up to 23 hours and 20 hours of offline and online video playback, respectively. However, folks at Tom’s Guide have found out that the Pixel 9 Pro offers a better battery life than the iPhone 15 Pro. In their test, the Pixel lasts for over 13 and a half hours, while the iPhone shies away from 11 hours.
Are You on Team Android or Team iOS?
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Out of the box, the Pixel 9 Pro runs on Android 14, making it the first Pixel phone to launch without a new operating system. Nonetheless, Google will push the Android 15 upgrade soon, and the Pixel phones will be among the first smartphones to get it. What’s great is Google’s promise of providing seven years of operating system upgrades, security fixes, and quarterly Pixel Drops. If you get a Pixel 9 Pro today, it should receive software updates till 2031.
Regarding the software experience, Pixels are known to provide the most refined and secure Android experience. Those looking for some fancy AI-based features won’t be disappointed, as the phone comes with Google AI, a suite of advanced capabilities like Add Me and Pixel Screenshots. The Pixel 9 Pro also has Gemini integrated into its core experience.
The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, ships with iOS 17 and will be among the only iPhones to support Apple Intelligence when it arrives with an iOS 18 upgrade later this year. Usually, Apple provides around five to six years of software updates before. Hence, the 2023 flagship should easily get new iOS versions until 2028 or 2029. While the Android versus iOS debate is beyond the scope of this article, iOS is getting better in terms of customization. Further, several Apple apps, such as Music, Messages, and Siri, will get better with the arrival of AI-infused features.
Which Is Right for You?
One could approach the answer in three different ways. If you’ve been an Android user for years and don’t wish to switch to iOS, the Pixel 9 Pro offers everything that a 2024 flagship should. On the flip side, long-time iPhone users should go with the iPhone 15 Pro.
However, if you’re confused between the two smartphones, here are a few things to consider. The Pixel 9 Pro offers a slightly bigger screen, more AI-based features integrated into the Android operating system, and a better telephoto camera. It even lasts longer than the iPhone 15 Pro on a single charge.
The iPhone 15 Pro would be ideal for users who already have a couple of Apple devices, like an iPad, a MacBook, or AirPods. It features a more compact display, a titanium frame, and, most importantly, the raw performance needed for intensive tasks.
