Google’s new flagship smartphones have been launched not too long ago. Google has actually announced four smartphones, including the Pixel 9 Pro XL, the company’s large (non-foldable) flagship. Well, we’re here to compare it with the very best that Apple has to offer. We’re comparing the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL with the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 series is just around the corner, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max is still very relevant, so… let’s see how it fares.

Both phones are big, bold, and very good-looking. Many would say that the overall shape of the Pixel 9 Pro XL was actually inspired by the iPhone 15 Pro Max. That said, the two smartphones are quite different overall. We’ll start by listing their specs, and then compare them in a number of other categories. We’ll compare their design, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output.

Technical data

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

– Screen size:
6.8-inch QHD+ OLED (120 Hz, HDR, 3,000 nits)
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (flat, 120 Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
– Screen resolution:
2992×1344
2796×1290
– SoC:
Google TensorG4
Apple A17 Pro
– R.A.M.:
16GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB
– storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)
256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear view cameras:
50 MP (wide angle, f/1.7 aperture, 1.2 µm pixel size, OIS, EIS), 48 MP (ultra wide angle, f/1.7 aperture, 123-degree field of view), 48 MP (periscope telephoto lens, f/2.8 aperture, OIS, EIS, 5x optical zoom)
48 MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-generation sensor-shift OIS), 12 MP (ultra-wide angle, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree field of view, macro photography), 12 MP (telephoto lens, f/2.8 aperture, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
42 MP (f/2.2 aperture)
12 MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
– battery:
5,060mAh
4,441mAh
– Load:
37W wired, 23W wireless (Pixel Stand), 12W Qi wireless, 5W reverse wireless (no charger)
20W wired, 15W wireless (MagSafe and Qi2), 7.5W wireless (Qi), reverse wired charging (charger not included)
– Mass:
162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm
159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm
– Weight:
221 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, WiFi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner and face scan in the display
3D facial scan
– Operating system:
Android14
iOS17
– Price:
From 1,099 USD
$1,199
– Buy:
Pixel 9 Pro XL (Best Buy, Google Store)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Apple)

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design

Both smartphones are made of metal and glass. Google’s phone is made of aluminum, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max uses titanium for the frame. Speaking of which, the frame on both smartphones is flat all around. Their corners are rounded in a similar way. The frame on both smartphones is slightly curved towards the very edge. You definitely don’t get that close to the hand feel between a Pixel and an iPhone. They even have the same weight, 221 grams.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a slightly larger display and is slightly taller. They are basically the same width and are almost the same in terms of thickness as well. On the front of both smartphones, you will find a flat display. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a display camera hole there, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a pill-shaped cutout. The bezels are uniform around both panels and are also quite thin.

The back of both smartphones is also flat. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a pill-shaped camera island with three cameras. This camera island is aligned horizontally at the top. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a camera island in the upper left corner, on the inside of which there are three cameras. Both smartphones are quite slippery in the hand. Using a case makes sense. Both also offer IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL features a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display with 2992 x 1344 pixels. This display is flat and also supports HDR10+ content. It has an adaptive refresh rate between 1 and 120 Hz and the peak brightness is 3,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is around 88% while the display aspect ratio is 20:9. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this panel and is also found on the back.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, features a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. This display is also flat and supports HDR content as well. The refresh rate ranges from 1 to 120 Hz and offers Dolby Vision support. The peak brightness here is 2,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is around 89%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The Ceramic Shield glass protects this display.

Both displays look great. They’re vibrant, have great viewing angles, and are more than sharp enough. Blacks are deep, as you’d expect. The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s panel is a bit brighter in comparison, but both are bright enough for virtually any occasion. The touch response is also really good on both displays. There’s really not much to complain about here, you’ll be fine with either of these two panels.

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

Google’s flagship phone is powered by the Google Tensor G4 processor. This is a 4nm chip and it’s not as powerful as the one in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but it’s well optimized for Pixel phones and AI features. Google has also packed 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage here. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is powered by the Apple A17 Pro, a 3nm processor that’s pretty powerful. The phone also packs 8GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage.

Both phones are pretty snappy in normal, everyday use. They launch apps really quickly, switch between them easily, and so on. Browsing the web is no problem, the same goes for using multimedia, taking pictures, and anything else you can think of. Both phones also offer really good animations. There are differences when it comes to gaming, however, and here Apple’s phone is more powerful.

If you’re buying a smartphone for gaming, the Pixel 9 Pro XL isn’t the best choice. It can play games, even demanding ones, but if you really tweak the graphics, you’ll find that it struggles a bit. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, can play basically anything on the highest settings. Both phones get pretty warm when gaming, though, so keep that in mind. This is especially true for graphically demanding titles.

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

The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 5,060mAh battery inside. Apple’s flagship has a 4,441mAh unit. Note that iPhones usually have smaller batteries, which isn’t always an indicator of lesser battery life. In fact, that’s the case here, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers great battery life, we managed to squeeze a little more juice out of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Note, however, that both offer great battery life.

Over 7 hours of screen time is not possible on either phone, but over 8 hours of screen time was also doable, though keep in mind that your runtime may of course vary. Also note that we didn’t really play games on these days, but we did use them for a range of other tasks. Both smartphones currently offer excellent battery life and can easily last a day on a single charge.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL supports 37W wired, 23W wireless (with Pixel Stand), 12W Qi wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless charging, 15W Qi2 wireless charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Pixel 9 Pro XL can charge faster than the iPhone 15 Pro Max with the right charger, but note that neither phone comes with a charger.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras

Both phones have three cameras on the back. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle unit (123-degree field of view), and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle unit (120-degree field of view), and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom).

These two phones produce significantly different images. While both do an excellent job during the day and deliver plenty of detail, the Pixel 9 Pro XL handles HDR situations a little better. Its images also look more contrasty in comparison. At night, both phones do a good job and lighten the scene pretty well, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max tends toward warmer tones while the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the exact opposite of that.

The ultra-wide and telephoto cameras on both smartphones do a good job of maintaining the color profile of the main camera. Both phones do a good job with these cameras, albeit differently. They are neck and neck, it all depends on the scene, although we mostly liked the results from the Pixel 9 Pro XL better. The front camera on the Pixel 9 Pro XL is better, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can’t keep up in that regard. Video recording, on the other hand, is better on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Audio

Both phones come with stereo speakers. These speakers offer similar volume levels, although the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a slight advantage in this regard. Both offer a nice, balanced audio output.

If you were hoping to get an audio jack on either of these devices, you won’t find it. Both have a Type-C port that you can use to connect your wired headphones. However, if you prefer wireless audio, both phones offer Bluetooth 5.3 support.