The Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro are the best devices in their respective segments, but which one is right for you? We find out.
The Pixel 9 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro is no longer an Apples-to-Oranges style comparison. Both devices have extremely powerful chipsets under the hood, excellent camera setups, and features unique to their own ecosystems.
While the iPhone 15 Pro was released almost a year ago, the Pixel 9 Pro has just been unveiled. So, if you’re on the fence about getting one of these phones, we break down everything you need to know.
Price
| Variant | Pixel 9 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro |
| 128GB | $999 | $999 |
| 256GB | $1099 | $1099 |
| 512GB | $1319 | $1299 |
| 1TB | $1519 | $1499 |
The Pixel 9 Pro is available for pre-order at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google Store. For a limited time, you can get the phone with a $200 voucher; however, the retail price will remain at $999 going forward.
The iPhone 15 Pro also launched at a starting price of $999. It is, however, available at a cheaper price thanks to promotional discounts.
That said, while the 128GB and 256GB versions of both devices are priced identically, the 512GB and 1TB variants of the iPhone 15 Pro are slightly cheaper than the Pixel 9 Pro. So, when it comes to overall value, both devices are neck-and-neck. But, you might just find a deal on an iPhone 15 Pro.
Design
Both devices have a unique design that makes them stand out from other devices. It is great to see that the Pixel devices have settled into a mature design. While the Pixel 8 Pro’s camera bar stretches to the corners, the 9 Pro has a horizontal bar-shaped island.
While the notch is finally gone, the iPhone 15 Pro has a settled design on the front and rear panels. The now iconic camera island, which keeps getting bigger with each iteration and subtle and minimal branding, lend the device a premium look and feel.
The Pixel 9 Pro comes in four colorways -Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose Quartz. The iPhone 15 Pro has Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium to choose from.
The Pixel 9 Pro has a punch-hole cutout at the front to house the camera, while the iPhone 15 Pro has a dynamic island. Apple has smartly put the dynamic island to more practical use.
In terms of pure design, the Google Pixel 9 lineup is one of their best efforts in years, and much nicer than a boring-looking iPhone.
Display
The Pixel 9 Pro sports a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate. This panel boasts a 1280 x 2856 resolution and a peak brightness of 3000 nits.
The iPhone 15 Pro has a slightly smaller Pro-motion OLED display, measuring 6.1 inches, which supports a 120 Hz refresh rate. This display offers a 2,556 x 1,179 resolution and 2000 nits peak brightness.
Though both devices have similar displays, the Pixel 9 Pro has a bigger and brighter display. It also has a higher resolution compared to the iPhone 15 Pro display.
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Cameras
Both devices have a triple rear camera setup and a selfie camera at the front. The Pixel 9 Pro has a 50 MP camera with a wide-angle lens, a 48 MP sensor with an ultrawide lens, and a 48 MP telephoto camera. It has a 42 MP camera at the front for selfies.
The iPhone 15 Pro’s camera module has a 48MP primary camera with a 12MP ultra-wide and a 12MP camera with 3X optical zoom capabilities. On the front is a 12MP selfie snapper.
The camera module of the Pixel 9 Pro seems to be more powerful; however, as both devices are known for their software processing and AI algorithms to fine-tune both videos and still images, we will have to wait for real-world comparisons to draw from. So, we’ll call this one a tie for now.
Specs
| Specs | Pixel 9 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro |
| Processor | Tensor G4 | A17 Pro |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| RAM | 16GB | 8GB |
| Display | 6.3-inch LTPO OLED 120 Hz, 3000 nits | 6.1-inch LTPO OLED 120 Hz, 2000 nits |
| Battery | 4700 mAh | 3290 mAh |
| Camera | 50MP+48MP+48MP, 42MP | 48MP+12MP+12MP, 12MP |
In terms of specs, only a little separates the two devices. The Pixel 9 Pro has a Tensor G4 SoC coupled with 16GB of RAM, ideally handling most tasks without breaking a sweat. It has an ample amount of storage options to choose from.
The iPhone 15 Pro has an A17 Pro chipset under the hood and is one of the most powerful smartphone chipsets. While it has only 8GB of RAM onboard, it doesn’t matter, as the optimized operating system plays a major role in the performance and experience. This device can also handle any task thrown at it without stuttering.
The 4700 mAh battery on the Pixel 9 Pro is considerably bigger than the 3290 mAh battery on the iPhone 15 Pro. However, Apple never advertises the size of iPhones’ batteries; instead, it claims that the battery pack can offer 24 hours of run time.
In an ideal scenario, the bigger battery on the Pixel 9 Pro should offer more juice, but we will reserve judgment as the Pixel devices are known for their middling battery performance.
Which one should you get?
There’s hardly anything that separates the two devices on the hardware level. In such cases, software and ecosystems can play an important role.
The Pixel 9 Pro ships with Android 14 out of the box and will be upgraded to Android 15 in about a month. It also has a ton of fancy AI-powered features going for it, which play a crucial part in shooting videos or capturing still images and improving the user experience.
Google’s Gemini Live is also taking center stage on the Pixel devices, and the company says that it is better at understanding user behavior and will eventually replace the Google Assistant.
The iPhone 15 Pro also has a lot to say regarding software performance. While Apple did fall behind in this AI race, it is fast catching up. Its all-new iOS 18, and Apple Intelligence will pack several surprises when it officially launches. Siri is also getting a lot of attention and upgrades.
With things almost even at the price and software front, it boils down to individual preference and the ecosystem you’re a part of. Each device has pros and cons; however, when it comes to ecosystem products and devices talking to each other, Apple’s iPhone 15 ecosystem has a definite edge over Google’s Pixel lineup.
