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This Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max face-off will assist you to perceive how Google’s new addition to the Pixel sequence compares to Apple’s most premium flagship telephone.
The Pixel sequence is now extra just like the iPhone sequence than ever. As an alternative of getting a dual-phone household, Google added a 3rd mannequin this era. (One may even argue that the Pixel sequence has a four-phone household if the launch of the brand new Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold counts.)
Whether or not you are caught in iPhone vs. Android evaluation paralysis, otherwise you’re simply curious in regards to the variations between the Pixel 9 Professional XL and iPhone 15 Professional Max, you have come to the precise place.
I examined Apple Intelligence on my iPhone 15 Professional Max: 3 methods it spoiled me rotten
Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max worth and specs
The Pixel 9 Professional XL begins at $1,099 and comes with the next specs:
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Google Tensor G4 processor and Titan M2 safety coprocessor
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16GB of RAM
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128GB of storage
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6.8-inch, 2992 x 1344-pixel OLED show
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Android 14 (Android 15 coming quickly)
You can too improve the Pixel 9 Professional XL to 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage variants. In my expertise as a telephone reviewer, 128GB turns into full in just below two years, so I would go for 256GB for worry-free utilization (when you have the cash to blow, after all).
The iPhone 15 Professional Max, then again, has a beginning price ticket that’s $100 pricier than the Pixel 9 Professional at $1,119 through Apple (or $33 per 30 days for 36 months through Verizon or AT&T through Greatest Purchase) and it comes with the next specs:
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A17 Professional chip
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8GB of RAM
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256GB of storage
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6.7-inch, 2796 x 1290-pixel show
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iOS 17 (iOS 18 coming quickly)
Proper off the bat, the largest distinction is the RAM. As a rule, extra reminiscence implies that app juggling can be smoother and extra seamless. Nonetheless, in my expertise, regardless of having much less reminiscence, the iPhone 15 Professional Max would not have any points with balancing a number of apps. That is probably do to its optimized working system (iOS manages assets fairly successfully without having an excessive amount of RAM).
Up to now, in terms of pricing, the Pixel 9 Professional XL and iPhone 15 Professional Max are tied. The previous could also be cheaper, however affords much less storage.
TLDR: The Pixel Professional XL could have extra RAM (internals that profit app juggling), however the iPhone 15 Professional Max runs on iOS, which recognized to be fairly environment friendly at app administration, even when a number of apps are working within the background. The Pixel 9 Professional XL’s beginning worth could also be $100 cheaper, but it surely affords much less storage.
Winner: Draw
Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max design
Each the iPhone and Pixel sequence have a signature look, however Google barely tweaked the design of its new-generation line. For instance, the Pixel sequence’ design language as soon as featured a digicam bar that extends to the chassis’ edges.
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Nonetheless, Google has made the digicam bar on the again of the Pixel 9 Professional XL, and the opposite new Pixels, extra island-like.
The Pixel 9 Professional XL, made out of recycled aluminum. comes within the following colours: Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose Quartz.
The Pixel 9 Professional XL has a top of 6.4 inches and is 0.3 inches thick. In the event you’re questioning about how heavy it’s, it weighs 7.8 ounces.
The iPhone 15 Professional Max, packed inside a titanium body, continues to have its triple-camera array on the top-right nook. It is available in 4 colorways: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Pure Titanium.
Credit score: Apple
The iPhone 15 Professional Max is somewhat shorter than the Pixel 9 Professional XL at 6.3 inches. It is also barely thicker (0.33 inches).
Each have an IP68 water resistance score, which implies they’ll deal with water submergence of as much as about 5 ft.
TLDR: The Pixel 9 Professional XL has an island-style digicam bar on the again whereas the iPhone 15 Professional Max continues its upper-left digicam array signature design language. The Pixel 9 Professional XL is taller and thinner than the iPhone 15 Professional Max.
Winner: Pixel 9 Professional XL
Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max show
The Pixel 9 Professional XL has a 6.8-inch, 2992 x 1344-pixel show. The iPhone 15 Professional Max, then again, has a 6.7-inch, 2796 x 1290-pixel panel. Based mostly on these specs, the Pixel 9 Professional XL has a barely bigger show and better decision.
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
The iPhone 15 Professional Max has a Ceramic Defend panel, which Apple claims is harder than different telephone shows. The Pixel 9 Professional XL has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which might be discovered throughout your complete non-foldable Pixel 9 line.
The Pixel 9 Professional XL has much less of a distracting show with a hole-punch selfie digicam within the high middle. In the identical spot, the iPhone 15 Professional Max sports activities the pill-shaped Dynamic Island, which delivers animated info like Apple Pay transactions, low battery warnings, AirDrop transfers, and extra.
iPhone 15 Professional Max
Credit score: Apple
In my expertise, each have a zippy panel. In spite of everything, they each assist a variable refresh price of as much as 120Hz. Now, let’s check out brightness:
Pixel 9 Professional XL: As much as 2,000 hits (HDR)
iPhone 15 Professional Max: As much as 1,600 nits (HDR)
Relating to excessive dynamic vary (HDR) content material, the Pixel 9 Professional XL can reportedly climb to 2,000 nits in comparison with the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s 1,600 nits.
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
So far as peak brightness is worried, the Pixel 9 Professional XL can leap to three,000 nits. Examine this to the two,000-nit peak brightness of the iPhone 15 Professional Max.
Mashable Gentle Velocity
TLDR: The Pixel 9 Professional XL, in comparison with the iPhone 15 Professional Max, has a brighter show in addition to a better decision panel.
Winner: Pixel 9 Professional XL
Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max cameras
Let’s check out the selfie digicam first:
Pixel 9 Professional XL – 42MP, f/2.2 aperture
iPhone 15 Professional Max – 12MP, f/1.9 aperture
On paper, it seems that the Pixel 9 Professional XL has an fringe of the iPhone 15 Professional Max with its selfie digicam delivering a better megapixel depend, which ought to supply higher element and higher-resolution photos.
Pixel 9 Professional XL with a slight glimpse of the Pixel 9 Professional on the left
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Nonetheless, the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s selfie digicam ought to carry out higher in dim environments and supply superior bokeh (that cool blurry background impact) on account of its wider aperture.
Subsequent, let’s try the large digicam:
Pixel 9 Professional XL – 50MP, f/1.68 aperture
iPhone 15 Professional Max – 48MP, f/1.8 aperture
Right here, the Pixel 9 Professional XL, simply based mostly on specs alone, seems to have a tiny edge over the iPhone 15 Professional Max in terms of the primary digicam with a barely larger megapixel depend and a doable benefit in low-light situations.
Thirdly, let us take a look at the ultrawide digicam, which is useful for capturing as a lot background as doable. (You will need to select this lens for any sweeping panorama pictures.)
Pixel 9 Professional XL – 48MP, f/1.7 aperture, 123-degree area of view
iPhone 15 Professional Max – 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree field-of-view
Based mostly on the data we’ve, the Pixel 9 Professional XL ought to supply a wider area of view in comparison with the iPhone 15 Professional Max. It might additionally supply extra visually pleasing pictures in low-light situations.
iPhone 15 Professional Max
Credit score: Apple
Based mostly on the megapixel depend, the Pixel 9 Professional XL could ship higher particulars.
Lastly, let’s try the telephoto lens, which is good for portraits and zoomed-in pictures.
Pixel 9 Professional XL – 48MP, f/2.8, aperture, 5x optical zoom
iPhone 15 Professional Max – 12MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom
The similarities listed below are that the Pixel 9 Professional XL and the iPhone 15 Professional Max each depend on the telephoto lens to ship 5x optical zoom. When you zoom in past 5x, the software program kicks in.
On the Pixel 9 Professional XL, it could actually climb as much as 30x digital zoom. I’ve experimented with it myself, and it is fairly darn unimaginable. From two miles away inside a constructing in Manhattan’s Pier 57, I may zoom in on sightseers visiting The Edge, the tallest statement deck in New York Metropolis.
Zooming in on The Edge with the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s Tremendous Res Zoom at 30x
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
The iPhone 15 Professional Max’s digital zoom can climb as much as 25X. Each have glorious telephoto in my expertise, however the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s Tremendous Res Zoom can hone in on objects only a little bit extra.
On paper, it could appear to be the Pixel 9 Professional XL has the win. Nonetheless, there are many different elements at play in terms of cameras, together with picture processing, software program algorithms, and extra.
TLDR: The Pixel 9 Professional XL can zoom in nearer on objects in comparison with the iPhone 15 Professional Max. Pixel 9 Professional XL’s cameras seem to outperform the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s lenses, however there are different elements to contemplate. We’ll have to check them each first to know for certain.
Winner: Pixel 9 Professional XL
Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max AI options
Apple performs it somewhat secure in terms of AI. For customers who’re very privateness centered and anxious in regards to the accountable use of AI, the iPhone 15 Professional Max is the one for you. Earlier this 12 months, the Cupertino-based tech big debuted Apple Intelligence, Apple’s new suite of AI options.
Utilizing Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Professional Max
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Apple Intelligence, which at the moment has some options accessible to attempt on the beta model of iOS 18, affords perks like Name Recording and Writing Instruments, in addition to AI-powered Siri, Mail, Messages, and Safari.
Apple is taking a really delicate strategy with AI. Among the extra complicated options, like Genmoji (AI-generated emojis) and Picture Playground (AI-generated pictures through prompts) aren’t even accessible but for testing. That is probably as a result of Apple needs to take its time with a tough area like AI.
Google, then again, goes all out. Try a number of the following AI options you should use on the Pixel 9 Professional XL:
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AI-powered climate app – AI-generated summaries of the climate with suggestions on easy methods to gown
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Screenshot search – Discover screenshots in your screenshot album with pure language search
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Pixel Studio – Create AI-generated pictures
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Reimagine – Choose an object in any picture and remodel it into one thing else
Under, watch Reimagine remodel a street into raging rapids. And people do not even scratch the floor of what Google has to supply when it comes to AI.
Left:
Earlier than utilizing Reimagine
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Proper:
After utilizing Reimagine
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
These options can be found now on the Pixel 9 Professional XL. Apple Intelligence can be accessible a while later this 12 months when iOS 18 formally drops, however some options could also be delayed.
TLDR: Apple Intelligence is greatest for privacy-focused customers who do not thoughts that Apple performs it secure in terms of AI. For many who need to dive head first into AI, the Pixel 9 Professional XL is your greatest guess.
Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max battery
Apple claims that, based on its video playback battery check, the iPhone 15 Professional Max can last as long as 29 hours. Google, then again, studies that the Pixel 9 Professional XL can final over 24 hours based mostly on a combined utilization profile of speak, knowledge, standby and different options.
Pixel 9 Professional XL
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
As a result of Google’s check is barely extra intensive than Apple’s investigation, it is troublesome to check each runtimes. As such, you will have to attend till we check each telephones in-house to find out which really has the higher energy effectivity.
Based mostly on previous expertise, the A-series chip contained in the iPhones are typically extra power environment friendly in comparison with the Google Tensor processors contained in the Pixels. As such, if I used to be a betting girl, I would put my cash on the iPhone 15 Professional Max for greatest battery life. We’ll have to check them each to know for certain.
Winner: iPhone 15 Professional Max
TLDR: We have no assessments carried out but, however based mostly on previous expertise, the iPhone 15 Professional Max could beat the Pixel 9 Professional XL.
Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max: Which is greatest?
With out having the chance to do any in-depth testing, on paper, it seems to be just like the Pixel 9 Professional XL has the sting — for now.
We’ll replace this web page as soon as we have our arms on the Pixel 9 Professional XL and we evaluation it completely.