Pixel 9 vs. iPhone 15: The winner might shock you

Now that Google’s new Pixel 9 is right here, it presents a really attention-grabbing dilemma to platform-agnostic smartphone patrons.

On the one facet, there’s the great ol’ trusty iPhone 15 — “old” is the operative phrase right here as a result of it got here out final September. Plus, a brand new successor, the iPhone 16, is anticipated to hit the market in a few month.

Subsequent, we’ve Google’s new Pixel 9. This isn’t to be confused with the brand new Pixel 9 Professional nor the Pixel 9 Professional XL. The Pixel 9 is not probably the most highly effective new Google smartphone, but it surely nonetheless packs a punch and is greatest immediately in contrast with the iPhone 15 — no less than till the iPhone 16 comes out.

To illustrate you are good with both Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS platform, and also you want a brand new telephone. The query is: Must you get the very new, very fancy Google Pixel 9, or the not-so-new Apple iPhone 15? Or must you watch for the iPhone 16 and then determine? It isn’t a straightforward alternative, however we’ve some ideas on the matter.

Here is the lowdown on the Pixel 9. It is obtained a completely completely different design from its predecessor, with a humongous digicam bump on the again. The show is barely larger, brighter, and higher than earlier than. Plus, it has a much-improved ultrawide digicam and a brand new Google Tensor G4 chip inside. It is a important enchancment over the Pixel 8 and a worthy competitor to the iPhone 15.

Pixel 9 vs. iPhone 15 worth

Each the brand new Pixel 9 and Apple’s iPhone 15 begin at the very same worth: $799. (You should buy the iPhone 15 from Apple’s official web site and the Pixel 9 from Google’s official product web page.)

For the cash, each telephones supply 128GB of storage, so this can be a complete draw — up to now.

Pixel 9 vs. iPhone 15 design

This can clearly depend upon everybody’s preferences. However the comparability will certainly a bit unfair because the Pixel 9 is as new as they arrive, whereas the iPhone 15 has been round for almost a 12 months.

In any case, each telephones have radical redesigns in comparison with their predecessors. The iPhone 15 has the Dynamic Island characteristic (first launched with the iPhone 14 Professional), giving it that attribute black tablet cutout that makes it stand out from most non-Apple telephones. On the again, the 2 cameras simply betray that it’s not, in actual fact, a Professional mannequin as a result of it lacks a 3rd sensor (e.g., telephoto), but it surely nonetheless seems to be fairly contemporary in our opinion. You will get it in Blue, Pink, Yellow, Inexperienced, and Black.

Alternatively, the Pixel 9 is a fairly uninteresting affair on the entrance, with a tiny, round cutout for the selfie digicam and spherical corners, making it look just about the identical as every other Android telephone. On the again, nevertheless, there is a large pill-shaped digicam bump, which is a pleasant departure from the Pixel 8’s dull-ish design. Listed below are the Pixel 9’s coloration choices: Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, and Peony.

Pixel 9 vs. iPhone 15 specs

The iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch OLED show with the Dynamic Island cutout on high and a peak brightness of as much as 2,000 nits. It is powered by Apple’s A16 Bionic chip, begins with 128GB of storage, and has a 48-megapixel digicam on the again, coupled with a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor.

Battery is rated for 20 hours of video playback, and the telephone is dust-and-water-resistant to IP68 specs. Apple-specific options embrace Face ID, MagSafe equipment and charging, Siri digital assistant (about to get higher with iOS 18), automotive crash detection, and sending emergency messages by way of satellite tv for pc when there is no cell connectivity.

The Pixel 9 has a barely bigger, 6.3-inch Actua show with as much as 2,700 nits brightness. It is powered by Google’s Tensor G4 chip, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of beginning storage. Battery is nice for twenty-four+ hours of use per Google’s specs, and the digicam system consists of a 50-megapixel most important digicam and a 48-megapixel ultrawide digicam.

The Google telephone can be dust-and-water proof against IP68 specs. It boasts related security options because the iPhone, together with satellite tv for pc SOS messages and automotive crash detection. Maybe its most necessary traits are Google’s software program and AI smarts, that are sometimes high notch on Pixel telephones, with entry to options that trickle right down to different Android telephones a lot later.

Pixel 9 vs. iPhone 15 battery life

The way in which these two corporations fee battery life for his or her telephones couldn’t be any extra completely different. Google says the Pixel 9 has 24+ hours of battery life, which will be prolonged as much as 100 hours with Excessive Battery Saver. Google additionally revealed that the standard battery capability of the Pixel 9 is 4,700mAh.

Apple doesn’t say how large the iPhone 15’s battery is (we all know that its capability is 3,349mAh from studies). And it doesn’t have a ranking for normal use. As an alternative, the corporate says you will stand up to twenty hours of video playback,16 hours of streamed video playback, and as much as 80 hours of audio playback.

Pixel 9 vs. iPhone 15 digicam

We’ll must hold this one quick, as we’ve not had sufficient time to totally experiment with the Pixel 9’s cameras.

The specs are related: The iPhone 15 has a 48-megapixel most important digicam with 2x optical zoom and a 12-megapixel ultrawide digicam. We have discovered it to be fairly nice, except you really want extra zoom.

The Pixel 9 is barely extra highly effective on paper: a 50-megapixel most important digicam with 2x optical zoom and a 48-megapixel ultrawide digicam with macro mode. The megapixel rely right here is not essentially necessary. Picture processing and software program algorithms can step in to compensate for any {hardware} limitations — and do it effectively. For instance, I’ve reviewed some horrible cameras with a excessive megapixel rely. Nonetheless, the Pixel telephones have a popularity of delivering wonderful images attributable to Google’s AI enhancements.

We’ll must get the Google Pixel 9 and iPhone 15 cameras in for assessment to actually put them to the take a look at.

Pixel 9 vs. iPhone 15: AI

Oh boy. It is a robust one. In broad phrases, Google is forward of Apple in the case of AI, although it has had its share of points. Apple’s obtained large plans for the iPhone, a few of which is coming with iOS 18 (however it will likely be relevant to the iPhone 15 as effectively), and a few of it coming at a later date. To make issues much more sophisticated, Apple reportedly plans to include Google Gemini into Apple Intelligence.

As such, it is tough to say which telephone will find yourself being higher in the case of AI-related options within the long-term. Proper now, although, the iPhone 15 may be very restricted in the case of AI, whereas Google Pixel 9 already has Gemini on board and boasts various AI-enhanced options built-in into Google providers, together with Gmail and Google Maps. Let’s keep within the current and name this one a win for Google, for now.

Google Pixel 9 vs. Apple iPhone 15: Which one must you get?

For the overwhelming majority of customers, it is all concerning the ecosystem. You both want Android or iOS — and that is how you will select your subsequent telephone. (Amongst Android gadgets, although, the Google Pixel 9 is a best choice). For individuals who haven’t got an allegiance to both working system, the Pixel 9 edges out the iPhone 15 by a slender victory.

Certain, it matches the iPhone most often, but it surely’s barely bigger with a brighter show. Plus, it has higher AI integration.

Have in mind, nevertheless, that each one of this would possibly change when the iPhone 16 comes out in a month.