We’re on the tail finish of the yr, this means that that just about the entire flagship smartphones have now been launched. This contains Google’s Pixel 9 Professional and Apple’s iPhone 16 Professional.
Either one of those Professional flagships have stunning designs, tough processors, and nice triple-lens digital camera techniques. However which one takes higher pictures? Let’s to find out.
iPhone 16 Professional vs. Google Pixel 9 Professional: digital camera specifications
Christine Romero-Chan / Virtual Tendencies
Earlier than we take a look at how the pictures from each and every telephone became out, let’s see how the specifications stack up towards each and every different.
iPhone 16 Professional
Google Pixel 9 Professional
Number one digital camera
48MP
f/1.78
50MP
f/1.68
Ultrawide digital camera
48MP
f/2.2
120-degree FOV
48MP
f/1.7
123-degree FOV
Telephoto digital camera
12MP
f/2.8
5x optical zoom
48MP
f/2.8
5x optical zoom
Selfie digital camera
12MP
f/1.9
Autofocus
42MP
f/2.2
Autofocus
Despite the fact that each telephones have triple-lens setups, the Google Pixel 9 has some key benefits — no less than on paper. It has relatively extra megapixels for its number one digital camera, a much wider box of view for the ultrawide digital camera, and better megapixel counts for the telephoto and selfie cameras.
Does all of that translate to higher pictures? Let’s have a look.
iPhone 16 Professional vs. Google Pixel 9 Professional: number one digital camera
The principle digital camera is the default possibility each time you release the digital camera, so that is the person who gets essentially the most use. Despite the fact that Apple makes use of a posh new title (Fusion), it’s nonetheless the similar number one digital camera as earlier than.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Let’s get started by way of taking a look behind the Pixar Pier signal at Disney California Journey. Simply with a handy guide a rough look, you’ll inform there’s a stark distinction within the symbol’s total colour — the Pixel 9 Professional model is extra colourful with the signage and the sky, whilst the iPhone 16 Professional symbol is a bit of darker with extra shadows. Alternatively, Apple keeps some finer main points within the texture, such because the minor imperfection at the rightmost huge celebrity, which is only visual at the Pixel. Nonetheless, the Pixel 9 Professional produced an total extra fulfilling and colourful picture.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Right here’s a view of the Port of San Fransokyo house at Disney California Journey. Once more, the iPhone symbol could be very heavy at the shadows, making it not possible to look the folks underneath the umbrellas at the back of the “Port of San Fransokyo” signal. In the meantime, the Pixel symbol means that you can make out the folks there, and with the entire further brightness, you’ll see virtually the whole thing higher. Alternatively, the finer main points within the bridge pillars seem a tad washed-out because of the loss of distinction with shadows, which the iPhone treated higher. The water may be extra reasonable within the iPhone model, because the Pixel made it seem extra inexperienced than it’s in actual lifestyles.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Some of the absolute best issues about Disney parks is the gorgeous plant life you’ll to find. Listed below are some red prickly pear cactus crops I spotted in Vehicles Land. The iPhone symbol got here out significantly better this time round, because the red colour at the cactus is deeper and richer than within the Pixel model. It additionally did a greater process with the feel within the soil, or even the purple blooms round it seem extra centered and transparent than the Pixel, which appears a bit of boring when put next.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Who doesn’t like a just right burrito? This is without doubt one of the new meals choices at Disney California Journey: an enormous carnitas burrito with each purple and inexperienced sauce. For this one, the iPhone symbol did higher at maintaining the plate in center of attention, because the Pixel symbol appeared to deal with the burrito because the foreground and the chips because the background since they’re blurry. The iPhone has a bit of of distortion with the golf green sauce, however the total colours are truer to lifestyles than with the Pixel.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
It is a vibrant and wonderful Coco show at the again of a degree house. The iPhone and Pixel treated the colours superbly, however there’s a refined distinction in tone between them. The iPhone leans a bit of hotter, whilst the Pixel is a tad cooler. However you’ll’t actually realize the adaptation until you intently scrutinize them. Probably the most flags at the proper aspect of the banner do seem slightly washed-out within the iPhone model, however are extra shiny with the Pixel. Total regardless that, each telephones treated this scene lovely neatly, and so they’re very shut to one another.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
After all, right here’s a photograph of a automobile that stuck my consideration at a per 30 days automobile display in my house. On this scene, the iPhone did a greater process of taking pictures the vibrancy of the red-and-white paint on those two vehicles. With the Pixel, it’s nonetheless a colourful purple, however it appears a bit of overly saturated in the midst of the hood, virtually find it irresistible’s purple. The white automobile additionally has a smidge of grey tint in comparison to the iPhone symbol. Main points within the palm tree leaves within the distance additionally glance higher within the iPhone picture, as they’re extra crisp and transparent, whilst the Pixel seems comfortable. The similar will also be implemented to the hood vent grills, which glance extra centered at the iPhone than the Pixel.
Winner: iPhone 16 Professional
iPhone 16 Professional vs. Google Pixel 9 Professional: ultrawide digital camera
The ultrawide digital camera is superb for squeezing extra of a scene into the body. This may also be specifically useful for team pictures when it’s important to are compatible many of us right into a small scene. The ultrawide digital camera may be used for macro pictures, so we’ll take a look at how the telephones carried out there, too. This yr, Apple advanced the ultrawide digital camera to 48MP from 12MP, so let’s see how a lot of a distinction it makes.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
You’ll come throughout this decor when ready within the queue at Mater’s Jamboree trip in Vehicles Land. As you’ll see, there’s slightly a distinction within the pictures right here. The Pixel picture has brighter colours with regards to the more than a few decorations connected to the wall, however the transport container-like wall seems washed-out, and there’s a loss of texture in comparison to the iPhone symbol. With the iPhone, the wall seems richer with extra distinction, and you’ll see the distressed glance at the banners higher. The blues and reds even have extra distinction, and the wooden towards the ground has extra texture.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Right here’s every other cool automobile that I noticed on the automobile display. There’s a bit of of total tonal distinction between the pictures, because the iPhone symbol has a hotter tone, whilst the Pixel is slightly cooler. However it’s very obvious that the iPhone model does a significantly better process of maintaining element within the symbol, as you’ll see from the feel of the bottom, in addition to the mirrored image at the aspect of the automobile or even the engine and tires. The Pixel turns out to litter those finer main points, making it seem softer.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Now, let’s check out a macro picture. I snapped this macro of a flower’s pistil. The iPhone symbol is far brighter and clearer, and you’ll see that the stigmas on the most sensible are centered, regardless that those across the edges have a bit of of distortion. With the Pixel symbol, it’s a lot darker, and the stigmas are blurry and now not in center of attention. Portions of the manner (the tube that the stigma is hooked up to) are slightly clearer, however total, the picture has a large number of distortion. The iPhone shot is unquestionably the winner right here.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Any other just right macro alternative is each time there are water drops on blades of grass. Right here, the iPhone 16 Professional has a extra washed-out glance to the colour of the grass, however the symbol continues to be in center of attention with little distortion and blurriness. The water drops are transparent or even mean you can see the feel of the blade of grass it’s on. In regards to the Pixel 9 Professional shot, I desire the darker colour of the grass because it’s extra reasonable, however the water drops within the entrance are blurry, and there’s extra distortion.
Winner: iPhone 16 Professional
iPhone 16 Professional vs. Google Pixel 9 Professional: telephoto digital camera
This yr, Apple bumped up the telephoto digital camera at the smaller iPhone 16 Professional to incorporate 5x telephoto, which was once lacking on remaining yr’s iPhone 15 Professional. This brings it as much as par with many of the pageant, megapixels apart.
Let’s check out this landmark rock formation in Vehicles Land at Disney California Journey. Even though the iPhone 16 Professional best has a 12MP telephoto lens, it does a significantly better process of taking pictures the feel and bits and bobs within the rocks in comparison to the Pixel 9 Professional, which has a 48MP telephoto digital camera. The Pixel symbol is a bit of softer and smoother in texture, as there’s some lack of traces whilst you read about the rock intently. The iPhone symbol simply has extra total readability.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Right here’s a 5x shot of a palm tree out of doors my space. With this one, the Pixel symbol is a bit of brighter, so it’s more straightforward to look the leaves and the orange bits on the backside. The iPhone symbol options extra distinction and shadows, and the colour is extra reasonable. It’s additionally sharper, so you’ll see extra of the person leaves. Despite the fact that each are an identical, I desire the iPhone symbol because of the easier distinction — the overcast sky appears extra washed-out than it actually was once with the Pixel.
Winner: iPhone 16 Professional
iPhone 16 Professional vs. Google Pixel 9 Professional: lowlight scenes
Smartphones have come some distance with regards to lowlight images. With options like Evening Mode and Evening Sight, in addition to better sensors that may seize extra gentle, pictures in dim environments can pop out superbly.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Halloween time at Disney parks is at all times any such deal with with the entire decor. One in all my favorites is the Oogie Boogie greeting you on the front of Disney California Journey, because it merely appears fantastic at night time. Right here, the iPhone unquestionably fared higher with this scene. The entirety is in center of attention, there’s a pleasing distinction between the signage and the lighting fixtures, and noise and grain are minimum. The Pixel symbol doesn’t glance nice compared to the entire noise within the night time sky, blown-out lighting fixtures, loss of distinction, and muddled main points.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
You’ll’t pass to Disneyland and now not take a photograph of the fortress — that’s simply details. I took this picture at night time from my favourite aspect view. That is the place issues get attention-grabbing. The iPhone symbol makes the fortress seem very hot, like a golden tone, whilst the Pixel is a far cooler and virtually blue in tone. If truth be told, the Pixel model appears extra like what you possibly can see all the way through the day, and with the night time sky lit up, it seems like that the Pixel attempted to make it artificially sunlight hours; it’s unquestionably now not true to lifestyles. The iPhone model additionally doesn’t lose main points and texture at the fortress itself, in contrast to the Pixel.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Despite the fact that we adore Halloween, we don’t pass all out at the decor like folks, however we do have a couple of small lighting fixtures out in our entrance backyard. I snapped this picture of our black cat and ghost lighting fixtures in entrance of our space. Once more, the iPhone symbol is hotter than the Pixel, and the entire symbol seems brighter and sharper. The orange lighting fixtures at the black cat additionally don’t seem blown out like within the Pixel model. I do, alternatively, desire how the Pixel treated the white colour for the ghost lighting fixtures, as that feels extra suitable than the extra yellow look within the iPhone one.
Winner: iPhone 16 Professional
iPhone 16 Professional vs. Google Pixel 9 Professional: portraits and selfies
In this day and age, other people take heaps of selfies and portraits to put up on social media. Naturally, you need to ensure that the ones pop out just right, proper? Let’s check out how those telephones evaluate in that regard.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
It is a portrait of my husband and our cat. The iPhone 16 Professional symbol has an total hotter tone and will get his pores and skin tone as it should be, whilst he seems a bit of extra purple within the Pixel model. The iPhone additionally does a greater process taking pictures the feel within the hoodie, which turns out to have vanished within the Pixel picture. With the iPhone, the colours of the clothes is truer to lifestyles, and the brink detection is significantly better. With the Pixel 9 Professional shot, you’ll see it blurred a bit of of my husband’s hair at the proper aspect, or even blurred a bit of of the brink of the hoodie. Those problems with edge detection don’t happen at the iPhone model.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
I had my husband snap a handy guide a rough portrait of me, too. Once more, the Pixel 9 Professional made my pores and skin a bit of redder than it actually is, and portions of my shoulder seems blurry and out of center of attention. Colours are extra correct at the iPhone 16 Professional symbol, and it sort of feels to maintain edge detection higher once more. The Pixel 9 Professional additionally offers my pores and skin an airbrushed impact, which appears faux to my eyes.
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iPhone 16 Professional
2.
Pixel 9 Professional
Finally, I snapped a handy guide a rough selfie right here. The Pixel 9 Professional unquestionably displays the good thing about a relatively better box of view. For this one, I desire how the Pixel treated my pores and skin colour, as I glance extra purple within the iPhone 16 Professional shot. The colours of my blouse additionally glance extra shiny with the Pixel. They’re an identical, however because of the coloring, I’m going to have to move with the Pixel right here.
Winner: iPhone 16 Professional
iPhone 16 Professional vs. Google Pixel 9 Professional: verdict
Joe Maring / Virtual Tendencies
There you’ve gotten it. The iPhone 16 Professional beats the Pixel 9 Professional in all 5 classes, making this a transparent and decisive win for the iPhone. Despite the fact that the Pixel 9 Professional has been one in all my favourite telephone releases this yr, Apple as soon as once more is the easier possibility if you need very good pictures. Despite the fact that the Pixel 9 Professional has some higher specifications for the cameras, it’s now not at all times concerning the numbers.
Whilst I nonetheless have some 2d ideas about getting an iPhone 16 Professional, the easier pictures I’ve been getting make me satisfied I went with the Professional slightly than the bottom type iPhone 16. The 5x telephoto lens is a pleasing growth, and with the brand new era of Photographic Types, you’ll take your iPhone pictures to a complete different degree. For this digital camera comparability, regardless that, I stored my taste to Usual.
The Pixel 9 Professional doesn’t take dangerous pictures, it’s simply the iPhone 16 Professional takes higher ones.
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