We ’re at the bum end of the year , which mean that pretty much all the flagship smartphones have now been released . This include Google’sPixel 9 Proand Apple’siPhone 16 Pro .
Both of these Pro flagships have beautiful designs , knock-down processors , and great triplex - genus Lens camera system . But which one takes better photos ? Let ’s find out .
iPhone 16 Pro vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro: camera specs
Before we depend at how the photos from each phone turned out , permit ’s see how the spec stack up against each other .
f/1.78
f/1.68
f/2.2
120 - degree FOV
f/1.7
123 - degree FOV
f/2.8
5x optical zoom
f/1.9
Autofocus
Although both phones have triple - crystalline lens setup , the Google Pixel 9 has some key advantage — at least on newspaper . It has slimly more megapixels for its primary camera , a wider theater of eyeshot for the ultrawide photographic camera , and gamy megapixel tally for the telephoto and selfie cameras .
Does all of that translate to upright photos ? Let ’s take a look .
iPhone 16 Pro vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro: primary camera
The chief camera is the default alternative whenever you found the camera , so this is the one that will get the most usage . Although Apple uses a fancy novel name ( Fusion ) , it ’s still the same chief television camera as before .
Let ’s start by look at the back of the Pixar Pier sign at Disney California Adventure . Just with a straightaway coup d’oeil , you may tell there ’s a stark difference in the range ’s overall vividness — the Pixel 9 Pro version is more vibrant with the signage and the sky , while the iPhone 16 Pro range of a function is a bit darker with more shadow . However , Apple retains some finer details in the grain , such as the pocket-size imperfection on the rightmost large star , which is barely visible on the Pixel . Still , the Pixel 9 Pro produced an overall more pleasing and vibrant photo .
Here ’s a view of the Port of San Fransokyo arena at Disney California Adventure . Again , the iPhone image is very heavy on the shadows , making it impossible to see the the great unwashed under the umbrella behind the “ Port of San Fransokyo ” planetary house . Meanwhile , the Pixel image have you make out the people there , and with the overall extra brightness , you may see almost everything better . However , the finer detail in the bridge pillars appear a shade washed - out due to the want of direct contrast with vestige , which the iPhone handle better . The H2O is also more realistic in the iPhone version , as the Pixel made it seem more green than it is in genuine lifespan .
One of the in force thing about Disney parks is the beautiful flora you may find . Here are some purple prickly pear cactus plant I remark in Cars Land . The iPhone range of a function come out much better this metre around , as the empurpled colour on the cactus is deeper and rich than in the Pixel version . It also did a better job with the grain in the filth , and even the pink blooms around it seem more focussed and vindicated than the Pixel , which face a snatch dim in equivalence .
Who does n’t wish a undecomposed burrito ? This is one of the raw food offerings at Disney California Adventure : a Brobdingnagian carnitas burrito with both violent and unripened sauce . For this one , the iPhone image did good at sustain the home base in focus , as the Pixel image seemed to plow the burrito as the foreground and the chip as the background since they ’re blurry . The iPhone has a bit of distortion with the dark-green sauce , but the overall colors are more lawful to life than with the Pixel .
This is a bright and beautifulCocodisplay on the back of a stagecoach area . The iPhone and Pixel handled the colors attractively , but there ’s a insidious difference in flavour between them . The iPhone leans a bit warmer , while the Pixel is a tad coolheaded . But you ca n’t really notice the difference unless you closely take stock them . Some of the sword lily on the right side of the banner do seem a niggling dampen - out in the iPhone adaptation , but are more vivid with the Pixel . Overall though , both phones handled this scene pretty well , and they ’re very tight to each other .
Finally , here ’s a photo of a car that becharm my attention at a monthly gondola show in my area . In this scene , the iPhone did a well problem of conquer the plangency of the flushed - and - white paint on these two cars . With the Pixel , it ’s still a vivacious red , but it await a bit too saturate in the centre of the punk , almost like it ’s pinkish . The white car also has a smidgen of grayish tint compared to the iPhone persona . Details in the decoration tree bequeath in the distance also look better in the iPhone photo , as they are more crisp and clear , while the Pixel appear soft . The same can also be apply to the hood vent grills , which look more focused on the iPhone than the Pixel .
achiever : iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro: ultrawide camera
The ultrawide tv camera is great for squeeze more of a picture into the frame . This can be especially helpful for group pic when you have to go many people into a humble scene . The ultrawide photographic camera is also used for macro photos , so we ’ll look at how the phones do there , too . This year , Apple improved the ultrawide camera to 48MP from 12MP , so let ’s see how much of a deviation it fix .
You ’ll come across this decor when hold off in the queue at Mater ’s Jamboree ride in Cars Land . As you could see , there ’s quite a difference in the images here . The Pixel picture has brighter colors in full term of the various decorations attach to the rampart , but the merchant vessels container - like rampart appears wash - out , and there ’s a lack of texture compare to the iPhone persona . With the iPhone , the paries appears fat with more contrast , and you may see the hard put look on the banners better . The blues and reds also have more contrast , and the wood toward the bottom has more texture .
Here ’s another cool cable car that I saw at the railcar show . There ’s a bit of overall tonal difference between the images , as the iPhone image has a warm tone , while the Pixel is a minuscule ice chest . But it ’s very evident that the iPhone version does a much better line of work of keeping particular in the image , as you’re able to see from the grain of the ground , as well as the reflection on the side of the railcar and even the engine and tires . The Pixel seems to muddle these fine detail , making it appear softer .
Now , let ’s take a aspect at a macro photo . I snapped this macro of a flower ’s pistil . The iPhone image is much brighter and clearer , and you may see that the stigmas at the top are focused , though the 1 around the edges have a bit of distortion . With the Pixel range of a function , it ’s much darker , and the stigma are blurry and not in focus . portion of the style ( the electron tube that the stigma is bind to ) are a lilliputian clear , but overall , the image has a destiny of distortion . The iPhone shot is decidedly the success here .
Another dear macro opportunity is whenever there are water drop on blades of supergrass . Here , the iPhone 16 Pro has a more wash - out look to the color of the sens , but the image is still in focus with slight distortion and blurriness . The water drops are clear and even let you see the texture of the blade of grass it ’s on . Regarding the Pixel 9 Pro shot , I prefer the dour colour of the grass since it ’s more realistic , but the water drops in the front are blurry , and there ’s more distortion .
iPhone 16 Pro vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro: telephoto camera
This year , Apple bump up the telephotograph television camera on the smaller iPhone 16 Pro to include 5x telephoto , which was missing on last class ’s iPhone 15 Pro . This bring it up to equivalence with most of the challenger , megapixels away .
allow ’s take a feel at this watershed rock formation in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure . Despite the fact that the iPhone 16 Pro only has a 12MP telephotograph crystalline lens , it does a much good line of work of capturing the grain and hunky-dory details in the rock compared to the Pixel 9 Pro , which has a 48MP telephotograph television camera . The Pixel image is a fleck diffuse and tranquil in texture , as there is some loss of lines when you probe the John Rock closely . The iPhone effigy just has more overall clarity .
Here ’s a 5x shot of a palm tree outside my house . With this one , the Pixel image is a morsel brighter , so it ’s comfortable to see the leaves and the orangish bits at the bottom . The iPhone icon have more contrast and shadows , and the coloring material is more realistic . It ’s also sharp , so you may see more of the individual leaves . Though both are exchangeable , I prefer the iPhone image due to the better contrast — the clouded sky looks more washed - out than it really was with the Pixel .
iPhone 16 Pro vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro: lowlight scenes
Smartphones have come up a long mode in terms of lowlight photography . With feature like Night Mode and Night Sight , as well as expectant detector that can fascinate more unaccented , exposure in dim environments can follow out beautifully .
Halloween sentence at Disney parks is always such a treat with all the decor . One of my favourite is the Oogie Boogie greeting you at the entry of Disney California Adventure , as it but look unbelievable at Nox . Here , the iPhone emphatically come well with this picture . Everything is in focus , there ’s a courteous contrast between the signage and the lights , and noise and grain are minimal . The Pixel image does n’t look bang-up in comparison with all the disturbance in the night sky , blown - out lighter , deficiency of contrast , and puddle inside information .
You ca n’t go to Disneyland and not take a photo of the castle — that ’s just fact . I took this exposure at dark from my favorite side survey . This is where things get interesting . The iPhone image makes the castle appear very strong , like a golden tone , while the Pixel is a much cooler and almost gentle in tone . In fact , the Pixel version looks more like what you would see during the day , and with the night sky dismount up , it feels like that the Pixel tried to make it by artificial means daytime ; it ’s decidedly not true to life . The iPhone adaptation also does n’t lose details and grain on the palace itself , unlike the Pixel .
Though we love Halloween , we do n’t go all out on the decor like other people , but we do have a few small light out in our front yard . I flick this photo of our grim cat and ghost lights in front of our sign . Again , the iPhone image is warmer than the Pixel , and the overall figure appear shiny and sharp . The orangish twinkle on the mordant cat also do n’t appear foul up out like in the Pixel reading . I do , however , favour how the Pixel do by the livid color for the ghost lights , as that feel more appropriate than the more yellow appearing in the iPhone one .
iPhone 16 Pro vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro: portraits and selfies
These day , people take oodles of selfies and portrait to post on societal media . Naturally , you require to make certain that those follow out good , ripe ? Let ’s take a smell at how these phones compare in that wish .
This is a portrait of my husband and our qat . The iPhone 16 Pro mental image has an overall warm tone and gets his peel look accurately , while he appears a morsel more red in the Pixel reading . The iPhone also does a better job fascinate the texture in the hoodie , which seems to have vanished in the Pixel pic . With the iPhone , the colors of the article of clothing is more dead on target to life , and the edge detection is a wad better . With the Pixel 9 Pro injection , you’re able to see it blurred a bit of my hubby ’s hair on the right side , and even blurred a snatch of the edge of the hoodie . These issues with edge detection do n’t come about on the iPhone version .
I had my married man snap a quick portrait of me , too . Again , the Pixel 9 Pro made my peel a bit redder than it really is , and parts of my shoulder appears foggy and out of focal point . color are more accurate on the iPhone 16 Pro image , and it seems to handle edge spotting better again . The Pixel 9 Pro also give my peel an airbrushed effect , which looks false to my eyes .
last , I snapped a spry selfie here . The Pixel 9 Pro definitely designate the welfare of a slightly big field of view . For this one , I prefer how the Pixel deal my skin colour , as I look more red in the iPhone 16 Pro shot . The colors of my shirt also seem more vivid with the Pixel . They ’re similar , but due to the food color , I ’m going to have to go with the Pixel here .
iPhone 16 Pro vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro: verdict
There you have it . The iPhone 16 Pro circumvent the Pixel 9 Pro in all five category , create this a clear and decisive win for the iPhone . Though the Pixel 9 Pro has been one of myfavorite phone releasesthis year , Apple once again is the honorable option if you require splendid photos . Though the Pixel 9 Pro has some effective specs for the cameras , it ’s not always about the numbers .
While I still have somesecond thoughts about getting an iPhone 16 Pro , the good photo I ’ve been getting make me glad I went with the Pro rather than the al-Qa’ida modeliPhone 16 . The 5x telephoto lens is a nice advance , and with thenew contemporaries of Photographic Styles , you could take your iPhone photo to a whole other level . For this camera comparing , though , I preserve my style to Standard .
The Pixel 9 Pro does n’t takebadphotos , it ’s just the iPhone 16 Pro takesbetterones .
