Flagship phones like the Google Pixel 9 Pro (Review) and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro are often considered to be some of the best camera phones in their respective price categories. However, most users often question which camera offers better performance. To determine which one actually offers better overall performance, we compared images taken by these two phones in various photography scenarios. The iPhone 16 Pro won this comparison by a slight margin as it offered better performance in daylight, low light, and ultrawide images. The Pixel 9 Pro performed better when capturing human subjects like portraits and selfie shots.
Our comparison covers everyday situations, including daylight shots, ultrawide images, portraits, selfies, and low-light photos. We evaluated each device based on key factors like color accuracy (how true-to-life the colors are), detail retention, sharpness, skin tone reproduction and texture. By closely analyzing these aspects, we aim to present an objective conclusion as to which smartphone offers a better camera experience for its price.
daylight
Daylight photos look great on both phones, but there are some minor differences. The colors on the Pixel 9 Pro are slightly better than the iPhone 16 Pro, which renders the scene better. Zooming into the darker areas of the Pixel 9 Pro’s image, you’ll also notice that noise is present there, while the iPhone 16 Pro’s image is clean. The latter also has better sharpness, which makes the image more attractive. These advantages make the iPhone 16 Pro win the round.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro
ultrawide
In ultrawide shots, the color science of both phones is in line with the primary cameras, which is worth appreciating. Immediately, you’ll notice that the Pixel 9 Pro image looks much brighter than the iPhone 16 Pro, which doesn’t boost colors as much. The iPhone’s color reproduction is close to reality, and even a little ahead when it comes to the level of detail. The Pixel 9 Pro’s image has low white balance, which affects reflections, as do the cars in front. The iPhone 16 Pro is able to capture trees and greenery well with enough detail.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro
Picture
In portrait shots, the Pixel 9 Pro is ahead with higher levels of details compared to the iPhone 16 Pro. You can easily make out the texture of the clothes in the first image, and the skin tone appears more natural. There is some degree of softness to faces in both images, but the Pixel 9 Pro does a better job here. Somehow, both the phones fail to detect the subject’s frame properly, and there is a lot of blur around the edges. No device’s skin tone is perfect, but the Pixel 9 Pro comes close to reality.
Winner: pixel 9 pro
selfie
When we tested selfies on these devices, there was a clear winner. The iPhone 16 Pro somehow overexposed the image, and although the level of detail is good, colors appear muted, and the image looks unattractive. In comparison, Pixel 9 Pro is much better. It captures facial details well and also enhances skin tones during selfies, making it the winner of this round.
Winner: pixel 9 pro
low light
Capturing pleasing night shots is a challenge even for flagship phones, and both the Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro face their own difficulties. The Pixel 9 Pro’s image isn’t as sharp and has difficulty managing light sources, particularly the café logo, which appears completely white. The iPhone 16 Pro handles light sources better and preserves detail in signage, though it struggles with reds. When it comes to color accuracy, the iPhone 16 Pro does a better job of capturing the scene as it appears in real life. Overall, the iPhone 16 Pro offers a more attractive image in this scenario and thus wins the round.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro
decision
The competition was very close and both the phones performed strongly. However, in the end, the iPhone 16 Pro wins as it manages to capture better photos in daylight and low light. On the other hand, the Pixel 9 Pro performs much better when it comes to human subjects and takes excellent portraits and selfies. If you’re confused between these two flagships, the iPhone 16 Pro is the better choice if you want more versatile cameras.
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