iPhone 16 Pro Cameras vs. Pixel 9 Pro XL: Top Flagships Tested

Apple's iPhones have always packed some of the best cameras you can get in a phone. So how does the new iPhone 16 Pro stack up against Google's best Pixel 9 Pro XL? 

I took them both out around the beautiful city of Edinburgh for a faceoff to find out. 

The Pixel has already impressed me in its duel with the iPhone 15 Pro, offering bolder colors and often better quality at high zoom levels. And while the iPhone 16 Pro hasn't had a major overhaul since last year's phone, it's had enough tweaks to warrant a retest. 

All images were taken in JPEG or HEIC unless otherwise stated, and all were taken using the default modes in the regular camera app. 

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iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, main camera

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I immediately found this shot of some lovely fallen leaves displaying their beautiful golden colors. Straight away I can see that those colors are warmer and more vibrant on the Pixel, with the iPhone's shot looking a little drab and cold in comparison.

iPhone 16 Pro, 5x zoom

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, 5x zoom

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The Pixel has warmer tones in this shot that uses the 5x optical zoom on both phones.

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, main camera

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And it's especially noticeable in this image overlooking these allotments. While the Pixel's image is fairly neutral in tone, the iPhone's shot leans quite hard into the blue end of the white balance spectrum, which doesn't look great.

iPhone 16 Pro, 5x zoom

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Pixel 9 Pro, 5x zoom

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iPhone 16 Pro, 5x zoom, 'Amber' Photographic Style

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And the same remains true at 5x zoom, with the Pixel delivering bolder, warmer tones. In the bottom example however I used the iPhone 16's new Photographic Styles to add some warmth back into the scene, While I think the photo looks much better with Photographic Styles applied, I still prefer the richness of color in the Pixel's shot.

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro, main camera

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But things are different in this example taken in Edinburgh's beautiful Dean Village. The iPhone has captured a brighter scene overall, which is especially noticeable on the yellow building on the right and the grass in the foreground. I certainly prefer the iPhone's version here.

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro, main camera

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Diving into the beautiful architecture of the National Museum of Scotland, the iPhone has again produced a much brighter, more vibrant image here. I love the warmer ones in the orange floor in particular, while the Pixel's shot looks pretty dull overall.

iPhone 16 Pro, ultrawide lens

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, ultrawide lens

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It's the same story when I switched to the ultrawide lens, with the iPhone's image looking bright and colorful and the Pixel's looking just pretty flat overall.

iPhone 16 Pro, ultrawide lens

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, ultrawide camera

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A different ultrawide shot, but the same results.

iPhone 16 Pro, panorama mode

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, panorama mode

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I switched up to the panorama modes on both phones to try and capture an even wider view from the top floor of the museum. The Pixel has an updated panorama function, but I generally found it disappointing. It's not just that it's produced a flatter image than the iPhone here, it's also that its method of stitching still images together made it harder for me to center the view. The iPhone's "sweeping" method of capturing the panorama allowed me start and stop the image capture process at exactly the points I needed to get an even view. 

iPhone 16 Pro main camera (left), Pixel 9 Pro XL main camera (right)

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This indoor shot of a delicious flat white is far brighter and more vibrant on the iPhone. 

iPhone 16 Pro main camera (left), Pixel 9 Pro XL main camera (right)

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There's slightly less to separate these two shots taken inside one of Edinburgh's many old pubs. The Pixel has a more even exposure, with less of a highlight on the barrel. However, the tones and contrast look better on the iPhone, especially in the flagstone flooring, which really pops in the iPhone's image.

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, main camera

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A delicious pint. Photographed well by both phones, with a slight magenta shift on the Pixel. There's more background blur -- or bokeh as it's known to photographers -- in the iPhone's shot, which makes it the more pleasing image to my eye. 

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, main camera

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A different pub this time (because why wouldn't I do a pub crawl to test phones), full of patrons enjoying an afternoon of live folk music. The iPhone's shot has better colors overall, but the Pixel just has the edge when it comes to sharpness. 

iPhone 16 Pro main camera (left), Pixel 9 Pro XL main camera (right)

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Zooming in on this beer tap in the dimly-lit pub, the iPhone's image is noticeable brighter and sharper than the Pixel's.

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, main camera

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The Pixel's image overall is slightly brighter than the iPhone's shot, but that's not the whole story here...

iPhone 16 Pro Max main camera (left), Pixel 9 Pro XL main camera (right) detail crop.

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Zooming in, we can also see that the Pixel has totally blown out this neon sign, reducing it to just a blank, white square. The iPhone has done a much better job of balancing its highlights, keeping the sign perfectly under control. But then, the person's hair in the foreground looks a little brighter and sharper on the Pixel.

iPhone 16 Pro Max main camera (left), Pixel 9 Pro XL main camera (right) detail crop.

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Yet zooming in to a different part of the same scene, it's clear that the iPhone has made this person's shirt and hair much sharper than the Pixel was able to do. Overall, it feels like a victory to the iPhone here, but it's a close call.

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, main camera

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This one wasn't a close call for me though. The Pixel's night mode has artificially brightened the shadows so much in this street scene that it makes the whole image look quite unnatural. The iPhone, meanwhile, has maintained much more realistic shadows, along with more subtle tones in the sky, making its shot the clear winner for me. 

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, main camera

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The iPhone takes an easy win here too. The Pixel has pulled back the highlights to a ridiculous extent in its image, making the supposedly bright and vibrant ESF sign -- and the lights in the windows on the left -- look really weird. The iPhone has captured this scene much more evenly. I don't love the lens flare on the iPhone's shot, but that looks like it might be more to do with a slight smear on the lens. 

iPhone 16 Pro, ultrawide lens

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, ultrawide camera

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Switching to the utlrawide lens indoors, the Pixel's shot has the better colors...

iPhone 16 Pro Max main camera (left), Pixel 9 Pro XL main camera (right) detail crop.

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But it's also downright blurry compared to the iPhone's photo. A disappointing performance from the Pixel here. 

iPhone 16 Pro, main camera

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, main camera

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But Google's phone did redeem itself here to an extent. I prefer the warmer glow the Pixel has captured on the window lights, although the iPhone's shot is marginally sharper on the chalkboard sign on the right. Overall, I prefer the Pixel's image. 

iPhone 16 Pro, 5x zoom

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Pixel 9 Pro XL, 5x zoom

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But I definitely prefer the iPhone's image here. It's kept the bright "Pera" sign under control, allowing it to appear as a rich yellow, rather than the washed-out near white of the Pixel's image. 

iPhone 16 Pro Max main camera (left), Pixel 9 Pro XL main camera (right) detail crop.

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The Pixel's shot is sharper though, with finer visible details and more contrast overall.

Which phone takes better photos?

Both the iPhone 16 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL are high-end flagship phones, both at the top of their photography game. So really, it's no surprise that it's an incredibly close match. Some images -- especially inside the museum with the wide lens and panorama mode -- the iPhone was the clear winner. Other times, the Pixel's warmer, more vibrant colors made its shots look better.

Overall I'd have to say I prefer the iPhone's images, which tend to look more natural and therefore give me a better base for my own editing. There is, of course, the matter of the iPhone's Photographic Styles, which provide a lot of room for tweaking your shots before you take them. I've really enjoyed using them -- especially the high contrast black-and-white mode -- and find this sort of aesthetic customization to be a key area that's lacking in the Pixel. 

iPhone 16 Pro Max specs vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.9-inch LTPO OLED; 2,868x1,320 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.8-inch LTPO OLED; 2,992x1,344 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate
Pixel density	460 ppi	486 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.42x3.06x0.32 in.	6.4x3x0.3 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	163x77.6x8.25mm	162.8x76.6x8.5mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	227g (7.99 oz.)	221g (7.8 oz.)
Mobile software	iOS 18	Android 14
Camera	48-megapixel (wide), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (5x telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (5x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	42-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A18 Pro	Google Tensor G4
RAM/storage	8GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	16GB + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery/charging speeds	Undisclosed, Apple claims up to 33 hours video playback	5,060 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	No	None
Special features	Apple Intelligence, Action Button, Camera Control button, 4x audio mics, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance; titanium frame colors: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium	Satellite SOS; 7 years of OS, security and Pixel feature drops; IP68 dust and water resistance, Video Boost with 8K Upscaling, Macro Focus on ultrawide, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass, 3,000-nit peak brightness, 45W fast charging (charger not included), 15W wireless charging with Google Pixel Stand (second gen), 12W wireless Qi-charging, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, dual-SIM (eSIM + Nano SIM), Add Me, Best Take, Magic Eraser, Magic Editor
US starting price	$1,199 (256GB)	$1,099 (128GB)
UK starting price	£1,199 (256GB)	Converts to £860 (128GB)
Australia starting price	AU$2,149 (256GB)	Converts to AU$1,670 (128GB)