iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Pixel 9 Pro XL

This year, Google’s top-tier flagship, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, is positioned to compete directly with Apple’s latest, the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Both devices are loaded with state-of-the-art features, creating one of the most intense battles in the smartphone industry.

Google gained an early advantage by introducing the Pixel 9 Pro XL before Apple’s release, showcasing an array of impressive enhancements. Key features include a 42MP front-facing camera, which has performed exceptionally well in our PhoneArena Camera Score evaluations, the next-generation Gemini Nano AI assistant, and a refined design with a hint of resemblance to the iPhone.

On the other hand, Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max introduces some impressive upgrades of its own. It features a new image sensor for the ultrawide camera, promising a noticeable boost in quality, along with faster wireless charging, a gorgeous 6.9-inch display, a new Camera Control button, and the capability to record 4K video at 120fps, showing Apple’s commitment to innovation.

In terms of pricing, the Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,099 for 128GB of storage, slightly undercutting the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s starting price of $1,199, although Apple’s model begins with 256GB of storage.

Apple has adopted titanium for the frames of its Pro iPhones, including the iPhone 16 Pro Max. In contrast, Google continues to use aluminum for its devices. This gives the iPhone a potential edge in damage resistance, even though Google claims the new Pixel 9 Pro XL is now twice as durable as previous models.

In terms of size, there’s minimal difference between the two phones, and both felt very similar in hand during testing. The iPhone measures 163 x 77.6 x 8.25 mm (6.42 x 3.06 x 0.33 in), while the Pixel 9 Pro XL comes in at 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm (6.41 x 3.02 x 0.33 in). Despite the iPhone's titanium frame, it weighs slightly more at 227g compared to the Pixel’s 221g, though the difference isn’t very noticeable.

This year, Google updated the Pixel’s design. While it sports a new camera module, the rest of the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s shape closely resembles that of Apple's iPhones. However, the distinctive camera modules make it easy to tell them apart, and they also provide a convenient resting spot for a more secure grip.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max includes two extra buttons beyond the volume and power controls. It features the customizable Action Button, first introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, along with a new Camera Control capacitive key, offering new ways to operate the camera.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a large 6.8-inch display with peak brightness up to 3000 nits and a minimum of 2 nits. It has a resolution of 2992 x 1344 pixels and supports a variable refresh rate of 1-120Hz.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a slightly larger 6.9-inch display with ultra-thin bezels, a resolution of 2868 x 1320 pixels, and a 1-120Hz variable refresh rate. However, its peak brightness reaches only 2000 nits, though it can dim lower to just 1 nit.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL also includes an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor embedded in the display, which we found convenient in testing. Meanwhile, the iPhone relies on FaceID as its biometric system, and there’s some disappointment that Apple didn’t integrate TouchID into the new Camera Control button.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is powered by Apple’s A18 Pro chipset (3nm), offering a 15% faster CPU and a 20% improved GPU over its predecessor, plus a 16-core neural engine for better efficiency with Apple Intelligence. Apple has also enhanced its thermal design, promising 20% better heat management and performance.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s Tensor G4 felt somewhat slow with AI functions during our tests, though future software updates may enhance performance. Google is transitioning the Pixel 9 series from Google Assistant to Gemini, which now supports multimodal input, interpreting text, images, audio, and speech.

Apple introduced its first Apple Intelligence features to the iPhone 16 Pro Max with iOS 18.1 on October 28. This update includes a redesigned Siri capable of more natural conversations, enhanced writing and summary tools, improved Photos app, and voice transcription for Notes and Phone apps.

On the camera front, the Pixel 9 Pro XL retains the rear camera system from last year’s Pixel 8 Pro, but the selfie camera has been upgraded to 42MP, significantly enhancing image quality compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max's 12MP front camera.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, meanwhile, features a new 48MP sensor for the ultrawide camera, matching the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s resolution in this category. However, Apple chose to keep the ultrawide camera's default resolution at 12MP, similar to the Pixel, so image quality between the two remains similar.

For telephoto shots, the Pixel 9 Pro XL leads with superior resolution and improved image processing, delivering clearer zoomed-in images than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

For video recording, the iPhone 16 Pro Max now supports 4K video at 120FPS, and this feature is available across Dolby Vision, ProRes, and LOG formats. Users can even adjust the frame rate after recording, making this a standout feature for the Pro Max.

The 16 Pro Max also includes a new capacitive Camera Control button, which is pressure-sensitive—allowing for actions like half-pressing to focus and pressing fully to capture a shot. This button also works with third-party apps and offers additional functions, like adjusting Photographic Style or aperture in Portrait Mode by swiping.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL doesn’t support 4K at 120FPS, but it includes Google’s Video Boost feature, which upscales 4K footage to 8K. Nonetheless, the iPhone’s 4K high-frame-rate video may be more versatile.

Apple has upgraded its four microphones for “studio quality” sound and added a new Audio Mix feature for video recording. This lets users apply different sound profiles, including Studio, Cinematic, and In-Frame, and also improves noise reduction, especially for wind sounds.

Check out Exoticase for new cases for iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL.