Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battle of the Flagship Smartphones

Ah , I love a well grimace - off , and we ’ve got a doozy for you this prison term . In one corner , you ’ve got theiPhone 15 Pro Max . A proven prizefighter , the 15 Pro Max sits atop many a respectable smartphone inclination while we await the reaching of its successor , theiPhone 16 . Armed with Apple ’s A17 Pro chip , the phone is agile and powerful enough to go console - quality graphics , which is no small effort .

The Titanium form turn what would usually be a heavy brick into a lightweight wonder . Plus , you get all - day bombardment sprightliness and the cameras , which at this point have been brag as some of the best on the securities industry . And we ca n’t forget that this marks the first time the iPhone ditched Lightning in party favor of USB - vitamin C charging .

The gravid complaint the headphone has received are about the Leontyne Price . But we are steadfastly rooted in the era of over-$1,000 phones , and there is no sign of stopping . The Action Button is polarize as many have reported not using the nascent button much . Finally , the filmdom , where Apple triumph about the new Ceramic Shield , definitely show wear and binge after calendar month of use .

Side-by-shot of Google Pixel 9 Pro Xl Vs Iphone 15 Pro Max

© Artem Golub / Gizmodo

See iPhone 15 Pro Max at Best Buy

And then you have theGoogle Pixel 9 Pro XL . Although it ’s the underdog in this fight , you ’d be foolish to reckon it out – – peculiarly since Google is leaning heavily into its AI grip to level the playing airfield . Google Gemini is a marvel , particularly on the photo front , where it effortlessly do Photoshop - esque edits in bare seconds . And Google ’s Pixel line has become renowned for its fantabulous photographic camera .

However , the more Google embrace artificial intelligence , the more it asks consumer to bank it with tender info , which is a big ask .

Google Pixel 9 Pro Xl and iPhone 15 Pro Max held in hands

Photo: Artem Golub/Gizmodo

Beyond AI and picture taking , the Pixel 9 Pro XL is receive overwhelming congratulations for its new design , which has the feel and finger of a flagship smartphone . The display is also freehanded and more pictorial than its forerunner . And you get a whopping seven yr of OS rise . The phone also supports dissolute charging through a 45W battery charger , which it does n’t include . It feel like a rip - off that Google ca n’t save a courser after you ’ve plump down over $ 1,000 for their smartphone .

Like its Apple vis-a-vis , the big complaint is pricing . Then , there is the ever - present phantasma of nefarious AI and the indigence to pay for the pleasure down the line of work .

See Google Pixel 9 Pro XL at Best Buy

Side shot of Pixel 9 Pro Xl and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Photo: Artem Golub/Gizmodo

So there you have it . This is form into an exciting couple , but who will emerge on top in this conflict of bounty smartphones ?

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Price

What do you get with each pricey phone?

get ’s just rend the striation - aid off here . I feel your pain as someone who ’s purchase their fair share of $ 1,000 + smartphones . The base model of the iPhone costs $ 1,199 sans any trade - ins or carrier special . That get you 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of onboard warehousing . The 512 GB example be $ 1,399 , while the 1 TB variation will place you back $ 1,599 .

Onto the Google side of thing . The Pixel 9 XL Pro ’s base model comes in at $ 1,099 . However , that manikin only gives you 128 GB of onboard storage . However , every Pixel framework come with a gaga 16 GB of RAM . The 256 GB model quickly come to parity at $ 1,199 , while the 512 GB unit is more or less cheaper than its iPhone counterpart at $ 1,319 . Finally , the 1 TB model of the Pixel 9 Pro XL cost $ 1,549 , which is $ 50 more low-priced than the iPhone 15 Pro Max .

Overall , dollar - to - buck , the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the good option . Not only does it give you four simulation alternative , except for the 512 GB model , the Pixel is cheaper than the iPhone .

Google Pixel 9 Pro Xl showing Google Gemini next to iPhone 15 Pro Max showing Apple Intelligence

Photo: Artem Golub/Gizmodo

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design

Will the real iPhone please stand up?

Yes , as many reviewers noted , including our own Florence Ion , thePixel 9 Pro XLlooks like the iPhone 15 Pro Max . If caricature is indeed the earnest frame of flattery , Google like Apple a lot . You could easily err one for the other , from the rounded street corner on the shining metal turnout to the matte glass finish up on the rear panels with the glossy logo in the pith . I intend , even the flatness line along the sides are standardised .

There are some clear differences , however . Namely , the Pixel lacks an Action push on the side that holds the power and loudness buttons , which , accord to some reviewers , is something they , too , can do without . There are also the rear modules that put up the phone ’s various tv camera sensors . The iPhone ’s faculty is a rounded public square in the upper left corner of the rearward panel . Meanwhile , the Pixel ’s detector is ovular and run across the majority of the top of the rear board .

If you look at the Pixel ’s bottom , you ’ll see a USB - C porthole , a nano - SIM slot , and a speaker , which , at a glance , look frustratingly like a microSD slot . I finger gossamer dashing hopes at the realization . Aside from its USB - C porthole at the bottom , the Pro Max has a pair of speakers at the bottom with nothing on the top .

Google Pixel 9 Pro Xl and iPhone 15 Pro Max rear cameras

Photo: Artem Golub/Gizmodo

When it amount to color outline , Google is the clean-cut success here . The caller is n’t afraid to act with color , offering hues of Porcelain , Rose Quartz , Hazel , and Obsidian . Apple has taken a more stage business casual approach with Black Titanium , White Titanium , Blue Titanium , and Natural Titanium . Geez , Apple , we get it . You incorporated titanium into the pattern ; you do n’t have to beat up us over the head with it .

Or not . Because titanium is a big mess , it allows Apple to plane some free weight off the Pro while total durability . At 7.81 ounces , the 6.3 x 3 x 0.32 - column inch slab sense almost unsubstantial compared to its 8.47 - apothecaries' ounce herald . But not so tight ! Not to be outdone , the Pro XL is a scooch easy at 7.8 ounces and thinner ( 6.4 x 3 x 0.3 inches ) .

Beauty , and aim , by procurator , is in the eye of the observer . And it might be controversial , but I ’m pop off to give this round to Google . It ’s thin and unaccented , and hey , I wish pink .

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL© Sherri L. Smith

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance

A slobberknocker if I’ve ever seen one

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the most herculean smartphone on the market until the iPhone 16 Pro Max launch in a few week . Then , all wager are off . But for now , the iPhone 15 is dusting all rival thanks to that A17 Pro chip , which is an rank beast . Honestly , it makes me yearn for the day of lap dock where you could stop up a phone into a laptop racing shell and have a run laptop computer , using the speech sound as the trackpad . But I digress .

It ’s hard to put a dent in the iPhone ’s performance , and I could n’t establish any existent chugging despite open an excessive number of apps and World Wide Web web web browser tabs . I even started act through Resident Evil 4 Remake , which , if you told me I ’d be type that sentence even a year ago , I ’d forestall with an crack for a gently used bridge for cut-rate sale in Brooklyn . But outside of a few dropped frame , here and there ran without any issues , and the telephone set did n’t turn into a blaze slab of metallic element .

The Pixel 9 Pro XL and its Google Tensor G4 processor performed just as with the multiple apps and WWW browsers . I even did lightheaded photo editing in Adobe Photoshop Express and Google Photos with no sick effect . Unfortunately , Resident Evil 4 Remake is n’t on Android , so I fall back to getting my thrills with Alien Isolation . And despite being savagely dispatch by the Xenomorph several time , the plot play pretty smoothly and did n’t get uncomfortably hot .

iPhone 15 Pro Max Vines Wide shot

iPhone 15 Pro Max © Sherri L. Smith

We ran Geekbench 6 on both devices and as expected , the iPhone 15 Pro Max gas it out of the frame with scores of 2,975 and 7,438 on the single and multithread tests , compared to the Pixel 9 Pro XL ’s scores of 1,932 and 4,631 . But keep in mind that the iPhone has beaten every smartphone debuted this yr by a enceinte margin . Still , regarding performance , the iPhone 15 Pro Max is king .

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: AI

Cool features, but at what cost?

Then you ’ve puzzle features like Add Me that literally lets you add yourself to a group shot after the initial photo ’s been taken . Zoom Enhance is that feature article you always see in crime appearance on your smartphone . Instead of lose image quality when you zoom in , the magic of reproductive AI will fill in the missing pixels for sharp-worded image . Best of all , the feature can be used before or after taking the shot . Google also has some AI sauce for telecasting , bringing the ability to upscale to 8 K and reducing or enhancing audio as you see primed .

And that ’s before we get to Gemini right , or should I say , Gemini Advanced . You ’ll get your usual AI sum-up tools and “ Her”-inspired digital assistance , complete with a soothe voice . Gemini can also organize and summarise your screenshots with Pixel Screenshots . talk of system , Google Keep can now make lists for you . The Call Notes characteristic admit Gemini to read your call , summarize , and create a conversation transcript . Just be sure to inform the other party on the call . severely . Recording someone without their cognition is illegal in a hatful of places . Do n’t get caught out there . This wreak us to a major point of arguing for a tidy sum of likely Gemini exploiter . Do you entrust Google to record your calls and live conversations with Gemini ?

While you ponder that , allow ’s move on to Apple Intelligence . Currently , in Preview , there ’s not much I can say about it outside of the features revealed on Apple Newsroom . Like Gemini , you ’ll be get a heaping serving of productive AI that will be there to indite and summarize text , make AI - generate images via Image Playground , and even create Genmojis – generative AI emojis . Get it ? Genmojis !

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL© Sherri L. Smith

Moving on , Siri will also become more conversationalist and will be able to chat realistically . You ’ll also see your notification summarized into easy scannable bites . electronic mail will be floated to the top of your inbox by antecedence , while farsighted ones will go through the sum-up machine . The new Focus fashion will do something similar , prioritizing important apprisal and saving the rest for by and by . Like Gemini , Apple Intelligence can record telephone call , create transcripts , and summarize everything .

bumpy sketches can be transformed into something more professional - look with Image Wand . you could create usance memory motion-picture show from your stills and videos . Apple Intelligence will even find appropriate music . And speak of photos , Apple Intelligence will avail you sort through your ever - growing compendium of image by simply typing what you ’re looking for . I ca n’t hold back to see how faint or exact you must be with that one . And in the end , you ’ll be able-bodied to hit unwanted photo element similar to Magic Erase with the new Clean Up feature .

orchard apple tree , like Google , need you to trust them with your calls , notes , and searches , stressing a rigorous privacy policy . Again , we ’ll have to hold back and see once this goes live .

iPhone 15 Pro Max Rain Wide shot

iPhone 15 Pro Max © Sherri L. Smith

Both AI solutions are presently loose . And while Apple has yet to announce plans to charge consumers , Google desire folks to pay $ 20 / month for the exclusive right .

For now , Google takes this round . But stay tuned for when Apple Intelligence fully plunge .

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Camera

The best shooters in the game duke it out

Now , this is a battle for the historic period . What Google lacks in whip CPU operation , it ’s historically made up for in its photograph capability , particularly in low - Light Within preferences . And this is before all the AI razzle . But Apple has no slouch in this section either , win over some that they may not require to invest in an expensive DSLR .

Apple comes out box swing , equip the Pro Max with a 48 - megapixel main sensing element with a ƒ/1.78 aperture . Both the ultrawide and telephoto have 12 - MP detector . The former has a ƒ/2.2 aperture while the latter has a ƒ/2.8 . As for the telephoto , you ’ve got a 5x digital rapid climb and a 25x digital zoom .

The Pro XL slightly improved the camera , start with the 50 - MP broad sensing element , which has been enlarged ever so slightly to capture more swooning . The primary photographic camera lens has an f/1.68 , which comes in handy for Nox mode and depth effects . The ultrawide camera sensor commence the biggest bump , startle up to a full 48 - MP detector compared to its forerunner ’s 12 - military policeman . The telephotograph camera is untouched at 48 - MP , with last year ’s 5x optic rapid growth and 30x Super Res Zoom .

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL© Sherri L. Smith

Wide

I took both phones with me to walk my dogs and took some shooting around the neighbourhood . Looking at the results , it now became clear that the iPhone is juicing its photos as the colors produced in my test shots were much more vibrant than the actual subject field . For instance , in a scene of a brownstone with a frontal cover in vines , the actual building looked more brownish , while the vine looked lifeless . However , in the Pixel photo , the vines looked alive and well . I accidentally hit a filter , but this was the last solution after retaking it several times on the iPhone .

I had right results when on a flower shot . While the iPhone ’s image had deeper colour ( which I prefer ) , the Pixel was once again the more accurate of the two . Looking at the leaves in both shots , the iPhone gave a better look at the ticklish mineral vein hunt through the leaf and stems . I also had a unclouded horizon of the heyday ’s stamen on the Pro Max .

In a shot of some particularly downlike clouds take at 0.5 exaggeration , the Pixel Pro render me a wider snapshot than the iPhone . The Pro Max ’s image had a blue tint that emphasize the detail in the cloud and just wee for a more somber dig . However , it also washes out the color of the building in the crack while the Pixel displays its true coloration . The red graffito running down the side also pops more on the Pro XL . And zooming in on the twist in the scope , the Pixel had sharper detail .

Iphone 15 Pro Max Flower Wide shot

iPhone 15 Pro Max © Sherri L. Smith

Ultrawide

The Pixel continued its wins on the color accuracy and edge fronts . While the iPhone continued serving up delicious color . A view of the Manhattan horizon at 7.5x yielded a lovely shot on both phones . However , you’re able to see the raindrops dripping from the alloy railing on the building next door exculpated as day on the Pixel , whereas you have to whizz along in to see it on the iPhone . The Pro XL also showed off more windows . The construction on the far left looked very muddy on the iPhone .

In term of setting , the iPhone won this second shootout as it simply captured more subject area than the Pixel . The sorry shadows make the sign fend out more than on the Pro XL . However , as much as I love the iPhone ’s vividness , it wait like I took the picture at unlike times of the day , which is far from the case . While the iPhone produced the more artistic exposure , it ’s nowhere about as accurate .

Low light

For the low luminousness test , I arranged a quarrel of tchotchkes on my amusement gist on the 2nd trading floor of my apartment as my test subjects . I dimmed the brightness level as blue as they would go in the first shot and took several shots . The Pro XL arrive through with superscript color and minutia . You understand the inscription on the pink tin . And looking at my Michonne Funko Pop , Hulk , and Sully figurine , they had better color on the Pixel . There were more shadows in the iPhone trial image , which led to quiet colors and obfuscate feature film in the figure . For instance , you could scantily see Hulk ’s dentition .

I wrench the light off during the next test , leaving the television on and a nearby gaming desktop with some blue-blooded RGB lighting pulsating . Looking at the Pro Mox exposure , you may clearly see the golden dragon at the bottom of the entertainment cabinet . However , the Michonne Funko is almost completely submerged in shadow . you could scarcely see any detail on the game ornament next to Hulk . While the Pixel offer deep colour , as evidenced by Sully ’s bright blue hide , Hulk ’s form was almost all hidden in the shadow .

Selfie

And now for some on-key parity . The iPhone ’s 12MP front sensor with its f/1.9 - aperture lens gave as good as it engender against the Pixel ’s 42MP front shooter and its f/2.2 - aperture lens of the eye . In a guesswork taken at the cad park , both phones captured the exact yellowness of my wearing apparel , the pink of my fellow ’s shirt , and the cavalcade of semblance in my locs . Taking a skinny look at both images , I had to give it to the Pixel as it ’s easy to see the individual grey in my boyfriend ’s beard .

One affair the iPhone is go to do is give you some overnice bokeh . In this rooftop selfie , the buildings in the background are almost perfectly dim , allowing you to focus on the folks in the shot . My hoodie looks more orange in the Pro Max image , and our hide tones look darker . That is all right , but that bokeh is a short aggressive , blurring some of my locs out . However , the phone also demonstrate my boyfriend ’s byssus best .

Panorama

This go to the Pixel simply because the phone can capture a 360 - stage bird’s-eye photo . I really like how the television camera give you guide points to encounter as you lento turn to capture the photograph . The result was a full gibe of the area around my rooftop . That ’s not to say the iPhone take shabby images ; it does n’t . The guideline are n’t as accurate on the iPhone ; you could only enchant 180 degrees .

Digital Zoom

This is plainly no contest . Although the iPhone ’s 25x digital zoom is great in most portion , it ’s no match for the Pixel ’s 30 Super Res Zoom or digital zoom . In my first set of shots , I enamour the top of a Manhattan skyscraper Admiralty mile off from my rooftop . The iPhone did an admirable job for the aloofness , but it ’s somewhat blurry . And while you’re able to see some windows , even the get down ones look like shapeless blob . The Pixel ’s photo is smoother and has more detail , allowing you to see the most window out of both snap , dismount or not .

I desire something more colorful for my second shot , so I looked down into my G and focused on the massive chain reactor of dog toys on the mesa . Once again , the iPhone ’s digital zoom produce an image with seriously fuzzy detail . The table ’s fussy - dream up is barely visible , and you ca n’t see the ridges on the stuffed pumpkin or the individual pelt on the duck’s egg . It ’s the opposite of the Pixel , with crispy point and more precise color .

Overall , I ’m giving this round of golf to the Pixel ; whether it ’s low - light , panoramic , wide , or ultrawide shot or even a selfie , the Pixel 9 Pro XL consistently delivers color - accurate shots with light , clear line .

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery

A serious marathon

Nothing is worse than a smartphone whose battery pass in the middle of the sidereal day . You wo n’t have that problem with the Pro XL or the Pro Max . With its 4,441mAh barrage fire , the iPhone 15 lasted 25 hour on our electric battery examination ( play through a 24 - hr YouTube video with the cleverness set to 200 nits . The Pixel ’s 5,060mAh battery tapped out 22:58 , which is n’t spoiled , but I expected more with the larger battery .

Both smartphones have tight accuse capabilities . The Pixel can be charged 70 % in 30 minutes , and the iPhone 15 can be excite 50 % in 30 minute of arc . Both machine support wireless charging .

With a longer two - hour runtime , this round goes to the iPhone 15 Pro Max .

Iphone 15 Pro Max Charles Wide shot

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Verdict

We ’ve run low through six grueling round with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and iPhone 15 Pro Max . Each smartphone has displayed its military strength and weaknesses to great impression , and when the smoke is cleared , it could go either way . Regarding performance and survival , no one does it better than the iPhone . Honestly , at this head , the only thing that can beat an iPhone is another iPhone ( I ’m looking at you , 16 Pro Max ) . But those are just some things that make a flagship phone great .

So , rent ’s blab about the Pixel 9 Pro XL . It copy Apple ’s homework on the aim patch . However , it managed to do it a little better with a slenderly thinner , lighter frame . And a popping of pastel never suffer anyone . Until we see what Apple Intelligence offers , Google will be the male monarch of fluid AI . Hell , it ’s the AI to beat when it comes to consumer - level artificial intelligence .

Finally , there ’s the tv camera . Google go on to create some of the best smartphone cameras in the business , and coupled with its AI characteristic , it will be hard to knock the Pixel off its stand . For those grounds , the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the undisputed winner of this side - off .

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