iPhone 16 vs Pixel 9 Comparison

Hi and welcome to Orbit. This is iPhone 16 and this is Pixel 9 and they are so similar that it's almost like both companies tried to build the same device but one of them is actually way better than the other. This is my comparison. The two devices are very similar. Both have a boxy frame with rounded corners. Both are made out of matte aluminium as if they are from the same factory honestly and they both feel very similar. I do prefer the matte glass on the iPhone to the glossy glass on the Pixel because it feels nicer and it's more resistant to scratches and dirt. It's also a bit shorter, almost 1mm thinner and at least 30g lighter. The biggest difference however is the camera element. On the iPhone there are two lenses in a pill below each other. On the Pixel there is a pill across the entire width of the back with two lenses as well. The Pixel design has the advantage of not wobbling on tables and the lenses are better protected when dropped. Both are waterproof and can withstand faults relatively well and they are fairly easy to repair. According to iFixit the iPhone is slightly better in that case but it's more expensive. So with the design I would give this slight edge to the iPhone even though I do like the camera element on the Pixel a little bit more so both of them will get an equal point. The similarities continue with the display. The Pixel has a 6.3 inch display and the iPhone 6.1 inch, but both have round corners, no curve and perfectly symmetrical bezels. The biggest difference seems to be that the Pixel has only a small hole at the top and the iPhone has a large one. This is because Apple uses Face ID, a 3D facial recognition, and Google uses a 2D facial recognition and a 3D fingerprint sensor. But the biggest difference is not that the Pixel has a smaller hole or it gets a tad brighter. or that the iPhone is a touch sharper. The biggest difference is the refresh rate. Nowadays, all smartphones have either 90 or 120 Hz because it simply looks faster and smoother. Words cannot express how disappointed I am in Apple in making this decision. It is no good reason to give this phone a 60 Hz display. 90 and 120 Hz have been around for years at this point. and there is no benefit in having a 60Hz display. Make that clear. It is just a thing they did to have a little bit higher profit margin. And I think this is hurting the consumer and that's why the Pixel will win in this category. The topic of software is always a bit subjective, but I do think that these are the two most beautiful operating systems and the difference between them is not as big as some people might think. Both do have a lock screen that you can customize. and the messages arrive here. With both, you can directly reply to messages. With both, you can place apps wherever you like, and there are widgets. Both do have quick settings. Both have all the popular apps, and all the apps look pretty much similar. Both smartphones run very fast, and loading times are super short. Even though the iPhone's processor is way stronger, it is not that valid in day-to-day use, because both of them feel fast, And the Pixel will get 7 years of Android updates, so the longevity is great. And the iPhone will get 5 years at a minimum. I do think though that it will get 7 years as well. But we have to keep in mind that the iPhone 15 will not get any of the Apple intelligence, so Apple dropped their consumers once, maybe they will do it again. Although Apple technically has a processor with twice the performance, the Pixel feels faster because of that 120Hz display. But games will run on the iPhone more stable. So honestly, both operating systems might be different here and there, and they have their exclusive features, but switching from one system to the other is not as bad as you might think, or as it might have been in the past. I do prefer Android because it is faster and more intuitive nowadays, but I do think that having an iPhone is great when you have a Mac. an iPad, even the Apple Vision Pro, they work together very well. For the first time ever in a comparison I will include artificial intelligence because it is very important nowadays and both companies proudly said that both of these phones are developed for AI first. So I mean I have to compare them now. The only difference being that Google already has all of the AI features built in and Apple will start slowly shipping those features. With Germany for example not being able to have Apple intelligence until mid 2025, maybe even until the iPhone 17. So Google automatically wins in this category but let's compare it anyway. GenMI is the voice assistant on the Pixel and it can control everything and answer everything. It can summarize emails and enter. The new Siri can also do complex things but it can't give you answers to general questions. questions it has to switch to ChatGPT or Genomi for that. The Pixel does have circle to search so you can always circle in something on the display and you will see what it is. The iPhone does not have that feature. The iPhone can proofread mails and texts and make them sound more professional or funny. With both phones you can remove stuff from pictures. With the Pixel you can even move it, resize it and expand the whole image. You can replace the sky and do completely crazy things. At this point in time, if you buy the Pixel, you will get AI, and if you buy the iPhone, you won't get AI. And for many regions around the world, this situation will stay like it is. So I think that Google, even if Apple Intelligence comes out one day, is still ahead because they are the pioneers in that regard. And Apple has to catch up. quite a bit. The battery of the Pixel 9 is 30% larger but that does not mean anything because the Apple processor is more efficient. In my experience both made it through a whole day relaxed. With the Pixel I had an average of 15% more battery left at the evening but there are also days where the gap is wider or narrower. Android 15 is supposed to improve the battery life. I didn't test that but it was the case with my Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Both charge with USB-C, both are super slow, about 30 minutes to 50%. Both do have wireless charging. The Pixel even reverse wireless charging so it can charge other smartphones or headphones on its back. The iPhone can't do that but it does have G2 with MagSafe and therefore is compatible with a huge range of accessories. With the Pixel you have to buy a MagSafe compatible case if you want that. Even though the Pixel has a slight advantage I do think that they are too similar. to give one the edge over the other so both are equal in this regard. Both smartphones have two cameras, one regular and one ultra wide angle. You can see right away that the Pixel has higher resolution sensors and wider apertures, but you can't tell that from the photos right away. With both you can just point and shoot and can be sure that everything will be perfectly exposed. Both try to capture natural beautiful colors with accurate skin tones. I like that the Pixel has more contrast, generally looks crispier and therefore sharper. In direct comparison the pictures are a little bit more exciting. Neither of them have a third telephoto camera so they both crop into the sensor without significant loss in sharpness. Anything above 2x though is pixelated. If you want a good zoom you should go for the pro models. The ultra wide angle from the iPhone is now the same sensor that was used in the iPhone 15 pro which is a nice improvement. But the pixel has even higher resolution and a better aperture. and therefore takes better pictures, especially in low light. Both have a macro mode, and I do think that both look very nice. Even here, the Pixel looks a tad sharper though. The iPhone 16 now has a camera button. When you press it, the camera opens. On the Pixel, you can double press the power button to do the same thing. On the iPhone, you can swipe on this button to zoom and change settings. I have to say, it doesn't offer me any value. I tap it by accident far too often. The iPhone 16 cannot record ProRes or Log or 4K 120. Only the iPhone 16 Pro can do this. So it only has a regular video mode. And in that sense, it is very similar to Pixel 9. The video mode on both phones is very similar. Sometimes I do prefer the Pixel. Sometimes I do prefer the iPhone. But I think that the iPhone is generally speaking more consistent and therefore is a little bit better. The selfie camera on the Pixel looks way sharper to my eye. especially in lower light scenarios. Usually comparisons like this are very close and then the price maybe is a little bit lower but in this case the Pixel 9 already won and it is cheaper as well. It's 50 euros right now but I think it will grow even in the future that distance to 200 or even 300 euros so Pixel 9 clearly is the better choice because everything with this phone is similar to the iPhone or better. Only small reasons speak for the iPhone this year. If you're used to iOS and you really don't want to change your whole entire life, you sure should get this phone because you will get used to it quite fast. But I do think that if Apple would have included 120 Hertz and I think it's 5 euros more in production, not more, this phone would actually be quite good and quite compelling, even more compelling. than the Pro model last year. So it really is a shame and I hope that next year this comparison will be a little bit closer together.

The two devices are very similar. Both have a boxy frame with rounded corners. Both are made out of matte aluminium as if they are from the same factory honestly and they both feel very similar. I do prefer the matte glass on the iPhone to the glossy glass on the Pixel because it feels nicer and it's more resistant to scratches and dirt.

It's also a bit shorter, almost 1mm thinner and at least 30g lighter. The biggest difference however is the camera element. On the iPhone there are two lenses in a pill below each other.

On the Pixel there is a pill across the entire width of the back with two lenses as well. The Pixel design has the advantage of not wobbling on tables and the lenses are better protected when dropped. Both are waterproof and can withstand faults relatively well and they are fairly easy to repair.

According to iFixit the iPhone is slightly better in that case but it's more expensive. So with the design I would give this slight edge to the iPhone even though I do like the camera element on the Pixel a little bit more so both of them will get an equal point. The similarities continue with the display.

The Pixel has a 6.3 inch display and the iPhone 6.1 inch, but both have round corners, no curve and perfectly symmetrical bezels. The biggest difference seems to be that the Pixel has only a small hole at the top and the iPhone has a large one. This is because Apple uses Face ID, a 3D facial recognition, and Google uses a 2D facial recognition and a 3D fingerprint sensor. But the biggest difference is not that the Pixel has a smaller hole or it gets a tad brighter.

or that the iPhone is a touch sharper. The biggest difference is the refresh rate. Nowadays, all smartphones have either 90 or 120 Hz because it simply looks faster and smoother. Words cannot express how disappointed I am in Apple in making this decision. It is no good reason to give this phone a 60 Hz display.

90 and 120 Hz have been around for years at this point. and there is no benefit in having a 60Hz display. Make that clear.

It is just a thing they did to have a little bit higher profit margin. And I think this is hurting the consumer and that's why the Pixel will win in this category. The topic of software is always a bit subjective, but I do think that these are the two most beautiful operating systems and the difference between them is not as big as some people might think.

Both do have a lock screen that you can customize. and the messages arrive here. With both, you can directly reply to messages.

With both, you can place apps wherever you like, and there are widgets. Both do have quick settings. Both have all the popular apps, and all the apps look pretty much similar.

Both smartphones run very fast, and loading times are super short. Even though the iPhone's processor is way stronger, it is not that valid in day-to-day use, because both of them feel fast, And the Pixel will get 7 years of Android updates, so the longevity is great. And the iPhone will get 5 years at a minimum. I do think though that it will get 7 years as well. But we have to keep in mind that the iPhone 15 will not get any of the Apple intelligence, so Apple dropped their consumers once, maybe they will do it again.

Although Apple technically has a processor with twice the performance, the Pixel feels faster because of that 120Hz display. But games will run on the iPhone more stable. So honestly, both operating systems might be different here and there, and they have their exclusive features, but switching from one system to the other is not as bad as you might think, or as it might have been in the past.

I do prefer Android because it is faster and more intuitive nowadays, but I do think that having an iPhone is great when you have a Mac. an iPad, even the Apple Vision Pro, they work together very well. For the first time ever in a comparison I will include artificial intelligence because it is very important nowadays and both companies proudly said that both of these phones are developed for AI first. So I mean I have to compare them now.

The only difference being that Google already has all of the AI features built in and Apple will start slowly shipping those features. With Germany for example not being able to have Apple intelligence until mid 2025, maybe even until the iPhone 17. So Google automatically wins in this category but let's compare it anyway. GenMI is the voice assistant on the Pixel and it can control everything and answer everything.

It can summarize emails and enter. The new Siri can also do complex things but it can't give you answers to general questions. questions it has to switch to ChatGPT or Genomi for that.

The Pixel does have circle to search so you can always circle in something on the display and you will see what it is. The iPhone does not have that feature. The iPhone can proofread mails and texts and make them sound more professional or funny.

With both phones you can remove stuff from pictures. With the Pixel you can even move it, resize it and expand the whole image. You can replace the sky and do completely crazy things. At this point in time, if you buy the Pixel, you will get AI, and if you buy the iPhone, you won't get AI.

And for many regions around the world, this situation will stay like it is. So I think that Google, even if Apple Intelligence comes out one day, is still ahead because they are the pioneers in that regard. And Apple has to catch up. quite a bit. The battery of the Pixel 9 is 30% larger but that does not mean anything because the Apple processor is more efficient.

In my experience both made it through a whole day relaxed. With the Pixel I had an average of 15% more battery left at the evening but there are also days where the gap is wider or narrower. Android 15 is supposed to improve the battery life.

I didn't test that but it was the case with my Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Both charge with USB-C, both are super slow, about 30 minutes to 50%. Both do have wireless charging. The Pixel even reverse wireless charging so it can charge other smartphones or headphones on its back. The iPhone can't do that but it does have G2 with MagSafe and therefore is compatible with a huge range of accessories.

With the Pixel you have to buy a MagSafe compatible case if you want that. Even though the Pixel has a slight advantage I do think that they are too similar. to give one the edge over the other so both are equal in this regard.

Both smartphones have two cameras, one regular and one ultra wide angle. You can see right away that the Pixel has higher resolution sensors and wider apertures, but you can't tell that from the photos right away. With both you can just point and shoot and can be sure that everything will be perfectly exposed.

Both try to capture natural beautiful colors with accurate skin tones. I like that the Pixel has more contrast, generally looks crispier and therefore sharper. In direct comparison the pictures are a little bit more exciting. Neither of them have a third telephoto camera so they both crop into the sensor without significant loss in sharpness. Anything above 2x though is pixelated.

If you want a good zoom you should go for the pro models. The ultra wide angle from the iPhone is now the same sensor that was used in the iPhone 15 pro which is a nice improvement. But the pixel has even higher resolution and a better aperture. and therefore takes better pictures, especially in low light.

Both have a macro mode, and I do think that both look very nice. Even here, the Pixel looks a tad sharper though. The iPhone 16 now has a camera button. When you press it, the camera opens.

On the Pixel, you can double press the power button to do the same thing. On the iPhone, you can swipe on this button to zoom and change settings. I have to say, it doesn't offer me any value.

I tap it by accident far too often. The iPhone 16 cannot record ProRes or Log or 4K 120. Only the iPhone 16 Pro can do this. So it only has a regular video mode.

And in that sense, it is very similar to Pixel 9. The video mode on both phones is very similar. Sometimes I do prefer the Pixel. Sometimes I do prefer the iPhone. But I think that the iPhone is generally speaking more consistent and therefore is a little bit better. The selfie camera on the Pixel looks way sharper to my eye.

especially in lower light scenarios. Usually comparisons like this are very close and then the price maybe is a little bit lower but in this case the Pixel 9 already won and it is cheaper as well. It's 50 euros right now but I think it will grow even in the future that distance to 200 or even 300 euros so Pixel 9 clearly is the better choice because everything with this phone is similar to the iPhone or better. Only small reasons speak for the iPhone this year.

If you're used to iOS and you really don't want to change your whole entire life, you sure should get this phone because you will get used to it quite fast. But I do think that if Apple would have included 120 Hertz and I think it's 5 euros more in production, not more, this phone would actually be quite good and quite compelling, even more compelling. than the Pro model last year. So it really is a shame and I hope that next year this comparison will be a little bit closer together.

Transcript for:iPhone 16 vs Pixel 9 Comparison

Transcript for:
iPhone 16 vs Pixel 9 Comparison