Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Which should you buy?

Apple and Google are America’s largest tech giants, but the two companies occupy opposite ends of the smartphone market share. Apple consistently dominates the premium market and its latest iPhone 16 series brings more than just hardware improvements to cement its lead. Luckily, competition is not far off. Google’s reputation in the smartphone space has been steadily improving and its latest Pixel 9 Pro XL looks more competitive than ever. With both companies gunning for the top spot, which phone stands out as the better choice? Let’s find out in this Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 16 Pro Max comparison.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is Google’s first foray into the ultra premium segment, with a price tag that nearly matches the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Luckily, you get quite a bit for your money. Google has steadily improved the internals of its Pro phones over the years to match the industry’s best and the Pixel 9 Pro XL exceeds even that bar at times.

For starters, you get a display that’s rated for 3,000 nits of peak brightness on the Pixel 9 Pro XL. By contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro Max only goes up to 2,000 nits. It’s worth noting that you won’t notice a 50% improvement between the two phones’ displays because brightness is measured logarithmically. Still, it remains a clear advantage for Google’s flagship and it should deliver better visibility outdoors.

However, the pendulum swings back in the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s favor elsewhere. Apple’s A18 Pro chip, for instance, is built on a newer semiconductor process node than any other smartphone chip. This translates to better performance and efficiency. Google’s Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9 series is performant enough for day-to-day and AI tasks but it doesn’t quite hold up in more demanding usage scenarios. The iPhone 16 Pro Max then has a distinct advantage, so choose between the two phones wisely if you game or edit videos on the go.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s rear camera bump houses a temperature sensor that can read body temperature in North America and Europe. The iPhone lacks this feature, although in my year of owning the Pixel 8 Pro with the same temperature sensor, I can’t say it proved very useful. Apple has added a new physical Camera Control button to the latest iPhone but more on that below.

The iPhone 16 series will only receive its advertised Apple Intelligence features via future software updates, while the Pixel 9’s Gemini and other AI features are available right away. This includes the system wide ChatGPT integration, revamped Siri, and a new AI image generator app. This includes new apps like Pixel Screenshots and Pixel Studio and features like Call Assist. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has twice as much RAM as the iPhone 16 Pro Max to support these AI models.

On the subject of software, we won’t touch on the Android vs iOS debate but Google promises to deliver seven years of software updates and security patches to all of its phones. Apple, meanwhile, doesn’t offer a similar commitment but it has done an admirable job of supporting its older devices. And with the specs on offer, you can expect updates for a similar time frame. Both smartphones include satellite connectivity for emergency SOS. This was once a win for Apple, but Google is now the only other smartphone maker to offer it.

Moving on to security, Apple’s Face ID is still the only way you can unlock the iPhone. Google has supported both facial and fingerprint recognition since the Pixel 8 series, but it has also improved the latter this year. The Pixel 9 Pro XL gets a faster and more accurate ultrasonic sensor. We like the inclusion of two unlock methods, but keep in mind that the Pixel can’t see your face in the dark while Face ID works in all lighting conditions.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL and iPhone 16 Pro Max are both very large devices, as their names suggest. But the similarities don’t end there — they also share design features like flat sides, round corners, and matte glass panels on the rear that resist fingerprints. However, you get a titanium frame with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which has a slight durability edge over the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s aluminum. Otherwise, both phones are similar in terms of dimensions and weight.

If you’re looking for a fashionable smartphone to flaunt, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the better choice. Even ignoring the new camera island design, Google’s flagship dares to stray beyond the utilitarian and serious color palette of the iPhone 16 Pro series. I’m personally partial to the Porcelain, but the Rose Quartz is a great option if you’re looking to make a statement. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is available in a new Desert Titanium color this generation but it’s still a relatively muted shade.

Apple and Google have contested the camera crown for nearly the past decade, but now that both companies are pushing the limits of computational photography, the differences are much more subtle. Having said that, Google’s camera system has two technical advantages in the form of higher-resolution selfie and telephoto shooters.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max still has a capable camera system, but the 5x telelphoto’s 12MP sensor won’t capture as much detail as the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s 48MP shooter. Google’s flagship can crop into the middle of the 48MP shot to deliver optical-like 10x zoom. At this zoom range, you will get an inferior result from the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The same goes for the selfie shooter, which Google has improved this generation. Specifically, it’s a 42MP sensor with a wide field of view. This will yield sharper shots than Apple’s flagship, which reuses last year’s 12MP shooter. The wide-angle also helps accommodate more people into the shot. Here are some samples of the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera system, stay tuned as we’re still testing the latest iPhone.

The iPhone 16 series houses a new physical Camera Control button that emulates the shutter on traditional cameras. You can press it down lightly to adjust various options within the camera app or click firmly to capture a shot. It also supports capacitive input so swiping will zoom in and out. Sony is the only other smartphone maker to offer this feature.

In 2024, AI has also made its way to your smartphone’s camera app. The Pixel 9 Pro XL includes a cloud processing feature called Video Boost that can vastly improve the quality of low-light captures. Likewise, Magic Editor can remove distracting subjects from your shots and a new Add Me shooting mode can stitch the photographer into a shot. Having said that, none of these features are essential. Apple has also added a Clean Up tool to its Photos app in iOS 18.1 to offer AI object removal, so we don’t expect the iPhone to lag behind forever.

Thanks to their large form factors, both the Pixel 9 Pro XL and iPhone 16 Pro Max have plenty of capacity to last an entire day of use with some juice still left in the tank. While we’re still testing Apple’s flagship, the A18 Pro chip’s efficiency advantage we mentioned earlier should help it last a bit longer. The same goes for iOS’ excellent standby optimization, which could allow you to stretch the iPhone to two full days of light use.

Apple and Google moved to faster charging speeds at a glacial pace, even as competitors like OnePlus pushed past the 100W mark. The tide is finally changing, though — the Pixel 9 Pro XL now supports wired charging power levels of up to 37W. You’ll need a 45W USB PD PPS adapter or higher. Unfortunately, Apple continues to recommend a 30W charger for the iPhone 16 Pro Max so we don’t expect any improvement over prior generations.

In the real world, you can expect the Pixel 9 Pro XL to reach 70% charge from empty within just half an hour and a full charge will take just over an hour.

The iPhone 16 series includes MagSafe for wireless charging at up to 25W, up from a maximum of 15W last generation. The magnetic coupling improves the efficiency of wireless power transfer, enabling this spec bump. Disappointingly, the Pixel 9 Pro XL lacks the magnets necessary for full Qi2 wireless charging support. This means you’re limited to 15W via the original Qi standard or 23W if you buy Google’s aging Pixel Stand 2 accessory.

Besides the reduced convenience of magnetic alignment, the Pixel also misses out on MagSafe’s wide accessory ecosystem. Having said that, you can add unofficial support with a third-party MagSafe adapter or case on any Android phone, including the Pixel.

Google’s price increase this generation makes the Pixel 9 Pro XL less of a bargain than its predecessors. Still, it’s $100 cheaper than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199. However, you get twice as much storage on the base model iPhone because the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s starting configuration includes a paltry 128GB. Given the displays and video recording capabilities of the two phones, you may want at least 256GB, eliminating the price difference.

Having said that, the Pixel 9 Pro XL launched a month prior to the iPhone 16 Pro Max and will eventually go on sale. Meanwhile, Apple doesn’t typically discount its flagship for the entire year of its shelf life. The iPhone 16 series will hit store shelves starting September 20.

For the past few years, the Pixel series delivered solid specifications at a competitive price tag that few other manufacturers could match. That’s no longer true and the largest Pixel now costs nearly as much as the top-end iPhone. Luckily, Google can justify the four-digit price tag with premium touches like cutting-edge display and camera hardware, an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, exclusive AI software features, satellite connectivity, and copious amounts of RAM.

The iPhone didn’t get a price increase, but it also received a much smaller update. The increased processing power will go unnoticed by most, the AI features are still a work-in-progress, and the camera system remains largely unchanged. However, all of the historical reasons to buy an iPhone remain true even today, including solid performance and battery life as well as bonuses like MagSafe support.

At full price, I would find myself veering towards the iPhone for Apple’s ecosystem benefits, resale value, and iOS’ cohesiveness. But as a Pixel 8 Pro owner, I know that waiting a few months for a discounted Pixel 9 Pro XL will give me the best value for my money. Which 2024 flagship would you rather buy?