Google Pixel 9 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro

Google announced Pixel 9 Pro on 13 August 2024 and had it in US stores on 4 September 2024. Apple answered with iPhone 16 Pro on 9 September 2024. Both have been replaced since: Google’s compact Pro is now Pixel 11 Pro, with Tensor G6 and up to 120x Pro Zoom, and Apple’s is iPhone 18 Pro. Google’s store has moved on from Pixel 9 Pro, and Apple had stopped selling iPhone 16 Pro by 19 September 2026, so the one you find now will be used, refurbished or the last of a retailer’s stock.

Pixel 9 Pro was the first Pixel Pro with a 6.3-inch screen. The 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL is a separate phone that Google says differs only in display size, charging speed and power, so make sure a used listing is for the smaller one.

Side by side

Spec	Google Pixel 9 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro
US launch	$999, 13 August 2024	$999, 9 September 2024
Display	6.3-inch Super Actua, 1280 × 2856, 495 ppi, 1–120Hz	6.3-inch Super Retina XDR, 2622 × 1206, 460 ppi, ProMotion
Brightness	Up to 2000 nits HDR, up to 3000 nits peak	1000 typical, 1600 HDR, 2000 outdoor
Chip	Tensor G4, Titan M2	A18 Pro, 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
RAM	16GB on every storage size	Not published
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Battery	4700 mAh typical, 4558 mAh minimum, 24+ hours	Up to 27 hours video, 22 streamed, 85 audio
Wireless charging	Up to 21W on Pixel Stand (2nd gen); 12W Qi	MagSafe 25W; Qi2 15W; Qi 7.5W
Build	Gorilla Glass Victus 2, metal frame, IP68	Titanium, Ceramic Shield front, IP68
Weight	199 g outside the US; 7.0 oz in the US	199 g
Unlock	Fingerprint or face	Face ID
Updates	7 years from first US Store availability	Not published

Updates and memory favor the Pixel

Google promises Pixel 9 Pro 7 years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates, counted from its first day in the US Google Store, so a used one bought now still has most of that window ahead. It launched on Android 14, runs Tensor G4 with Google’s Titan M2 security chip, and has 16GB of RAM in every storage size.

Apple doesn’t publish RAM, a battery capacity or an update term for iPhone 16 Pro. Its A18 Pro has a 6-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, and Apple’s own spec page for the phone still calls Apple Intelligence a beta, wording that dates from the iOS 18 launch.

Same size, different screens

The Pixel’s Super Actua LTPO panel has more pixels: 1280 × 2856 at 495 pixels per inch in a 20:9 shape, against 2622 × 1206 at 460 on the iPhone. Google rates it up to 2,000 nits for HDR and 3,000 nits peak. Apple gives iPhone 16 Pro 1,000 nits typical, 1,600 for HDR and 2,000 outdoors, and it dims to 1 nit. Google’s peak and Apple’s outdoor figure are different measures, so don’t read them as a 1,000-nit gap. Both quote a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, which Google says its panel exceeds.

The Pixel refreshes at 1–120Hz under Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The iPhone has ProMotion, Always-On and Dynamic Island under Ceramic Shield. Google doesn’t name an always-on mode for the Pixel.

Cameras: one 5x label, two different telephotos

Camera	Google Pixel 9 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro
Main	50MP Octa PD, f/1.68, 82 degrees, 1/1.31-inch sensor	48MP Fusion, 24 mm, f/1.78, second-generation sensor-shift; 12MP 2x crop at 48 mm
Ultrawide	48MP Quad PD, f/1.7, 123 degrees, 1/2.55-inch sensor, macro focus	48MP, 13 mm, f/2.2, 120 degrees
Telephoto	48MP Quad PD, f/2.8, 22 degrees, 1/2.55-inch sensor, 5x optical	12MP tetraprism, 120 mm, f/2.8, 5x optical, 3D sensor-shift
Zoom	Optical quality at 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x and 10x; Super Res Zoom to 30x	5x optical in, 2x out, 10x optical range; digital to 25x
Front	42MP, f/2.2, 103 degrees, autofocus	12MP TrueDepth, f/1.9, autofocus
Video	8K at 30 fps with Video Boost; 4K at 24, 30 or 60; Super Res Zoom Video to 20x; front camera 4K at 30 or 60	4K Dolby Vision at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100 and 120 fps on the Fusion camera

On resolution the Pixel is ahead: its telephoto is 48MP against the iPhone’s 12MP, its selfie camera is 42MP against 12MP, and only the Pixel lists 8K video. Add Me, Magic Eraser, Best Take and Pixel Studio are Google’s editing tools, not extra cameras.

The iPhone is the one for serious video. ProRes runs up to 4K at 120 with external recording, and there’s Log, ACES, Cinematic mode in 4K at 30, Action mode at 2.8K and 60 fps, and spatial video in 1080p at 30. It also has LiDAR, and Camera Control puts exposure, depth, zoom, camera switching, styles and tone on a hardware button.

Battery and charging

Google gives Pixel 9 Pro a 4,700mAh typical capacity (4,558mAh minimum) and rates it for 24+ hours, or up to 100 hours with Extreme Battery Saver. Wired, it reaches 55 percent in about 30 minutes on Google’s 45W USB-C charger, which is sold separately, but the phone itself takes up to 27W, so that charger doesn’t make it a 45W phone. Wireless charging runs up to 21W on the second-generation Pixel Stand and up to 12W on Qi chargers with the Extended Power Profile. Battery Share can charge other devices from the Pixel, and Google warns that it drains the Pixel’s own battery. The box has a 1-meter USB-C cable and a SIM tool.

Apple rates iPhone 16 Pro in playback time instead: up to 27 hours of video, 22 hours streamed and 85 hours of audio. Wired, it reaches 50 percent in around 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher, sold separately. MagSafe runs up to 25W with a 30W adapter or higher, Qi2 up to 15W and Qi up to 7.5W. The USB-C port carries DisplayPort and USB 3 at up to 10Gb/s with a USB 3 cable. Apple’s box holds just the phone and a 1-meter USB-C cable. Because one maker gives a capacity and the other gives hours, neither set of numbers tells you which phone lasts longer.

Build, unlock and radios

Both weigh 199 grams and both are IP68. Pixel 9 Pro measures 152.8 × 72.0 × 8.5 mm (Google’s US figures are 6.0 × 2.8 × 0.3 inches and 7.0 ounces) and comes in Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel and Rose Quartz. Its IP68 rating is under IEC 60529, and Google adds that the phone isn’t permanently water- or dust-proof. iPhone 16 Pro measures 149.6 × 71.5 × 8.25 mm and 7.03 ounces, comes in Black, White, Natural and Desert Titanium, and is rated IP68 to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes.

The Pixel unlocks with your fingerprint or your face; the iPhone uses Face ID. The US Pixel 9 Pro is model GR83Y, with 5G on mmWave and Sub-6 and both nano-SIM and eSIM. In the US, iPhone 16 Pro (models A3083 and A3084) works only with eSIM; Apple shows a SIM tray on phones bought elsewhere.

The radios are close. The Pixel has Wi-Fi 7 in the countries Google lists (Wi-Fi 6 in India), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, ultra-wideband and Thread, with GPS, GLONASS and Galileo in the US and BeiDou, QZSS and NavIC added elsewhere. The iPhone has Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, second-generation ultra-wideband, Thread, NFC and dual-frequency GPS that includes NavIC. The Pixel also has a temperature sensor and offers Satellite SOS in the US at no extra cost for the first two years after activation. The iPhone has Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages and Find My via satellite, plus Crash Detection.

What they cost

Pixel 9 Pro started at $999 when Google announced it on 13 August 2024, with storage from 128GB to 1TB and 16GB of RAM in every size. iPhone 16 Pro started at $999 for 128GB, with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB above it; pre-orders opened on 13 September and it reached stores on 20 September. A year of Gemini Advanced came with Pixel 9 Pro as a 2024 purchase offer, so don’t expect it with a phone bought now. Used and refurbished prices swing with storage and condition, so check before you buy.

On materials, Google says Pixel 9 Pro is at least 18 percent recycled material by weight, with 100 percent recycled aluminum in the housing. Apple’s launch figures for iPhone 16 Pro are more than 25 percent recycled content, 100 percent recycled aluminum in the internal frame and thermal substructure, and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery.