Google Pixel 9 / Apple iPhone 12

Google Pixel 9: Pixel 9 (GUR25 global model, G2YBB US, G1B60 Japan); 12 GB RAM with 128 or 256 GB; Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen and Peony. The Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9a are separate models.

Apple iPhone 12: iPhone 12; 64, 128 and 256 GB. Apple’s UK spec page lists model A2403; bands depend on the model number. The iPhone 12 mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are separate models.

SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9Apple iPhone 12
Release year20242020
Display160 mm (6.3-inch) Actua OLED; 1080 × 2424 at 422 ppi; Smooth Display (60–120 Hz); 20:9

According to Google it reaches up to 1,800 nits in HDR and up to 2,700 nits peak, with contrast above 2,000,000:1. Smooth Display varies the refresh rate between 60 and 120 Hz with the content.

Google		6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2532 × 1170 at 460 ppi; HDR display, True Tone, Wide colour (P3), Haptic Touch

The display is 60 Hz; Apple does not list ProMotion for this model. Because of the rounded corners the rectangle measures 6.06 inches and the actual viewable area is slightly less. True Tone adjusts white balance to ambient light.

Apple
Glass and buildCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back; polished back with satin metal frame; IP68

IP68 is a dust and water resistance rating; Google notes it is not permanent and that liquid damage is not covered by the warranty.

Google		—
ChipGoogle Tensor G4; Titan M2 security coprocessor GoogleA14 Bionic chip; 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

The Neural Engine speeds up photo processing such as Deep Fusion and Night mode and other on-device machine-learning tasks.

Apple
Memory and storage12 GB RAM; 128 GB or 256 GB

There is no memory card slot; storage options may vary by region.

Google		—
Rear cameras50 MP wide (Octa PD, ƒ/1.68, 82°, 1/1.31-inch sensor, optical + electronic stabilisation) and 48 MP ultrawide (Quad PD, autofocus, ƒ/1.7, 123°, 1/2.55-inch); Super Res Zoom up to 8x

There is no telephoto camera; Google lists optical-quality zoom at 0.5x, 1x and 2x. The ultrawide camera also handles Macro Focus; a laser autofocus (LDAF) sensor is fitted.

Google		Dual 12MP: Main (ƒ/1.6, OIS, seven-element lens, 100% Focus Pixels) and Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.4, 120°); 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x

There is no telephoto camera; 2x optical zoom out means switching to the ultrawide. Night mode and Deep Fusion merge several frames in low light to reduce noise. Smart HDR 3 and Portrait mode with six Portrait Lighting effects are supported.

Apple
Front camera and video10.5 MP front camera (autofocus, ƒ/2.2, 95°); rear 4K at 24/30/60 fps, front 4K at 30/60 fps; 10-bit HDR video; slow motion up to 240 fps

Video offers optical stabilisation, fused stabilisation, Cinematic Pan and Audio Magic Eraser; digital video zoom goes up to 7x.

Google		—
Battery and chargingTypical 4,700 mAh (minimum 4,558 mAh); 24+ hours; up to 27 W wired, about 55% in roughly 30 minutes; 15 W wireless with Pixel Stand, 12 W with Qi EPP; Battery Share

Google measures 27 W and 55% in 30 minutes with its separately sold 45 W charger; the box contains only a 1 m USB-C cable (USB 2.0). Battery Share lets the back of the phone wirelessly charge other Qi devices.

Google		Up to 17 hours video, 11 hours streamed, 65 hours audio; built-in rechargeable lithium-ion; up to 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter; MagSafe up to 15W, Qi up to 7.5W

No power adapter is included; the box contains only a USB-C to Lightning cable and documentation. MagSafe uses a magnet array on the back to align chargers and accessories.

Apple
Operating system and updatesLaunched with Android 14; seven years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates

The seven years count from when the device first went on sale on the US Google Store.

Google		—
Connectivity5G sub-6 GHz (the US model adds mmWave); Wi-Fi 7 (2.4/5/6 GHz); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; dual-band GNSS

The Indian model has Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 + 5 GHz). Dual-band GNSS receives two frequencies from positioning satellites for more accurate location in cities.

Google		—
SIM, port and audioSingle nano SIM + eSIM; USB Type-C 3.2; stereo speakers, three microphones

There is no 3.5 mm headphone jack; unlocking uses fingerprint and face recognition.

Google		—
Size and weight152.8 × 72.0 × 8.5 mm; 198 g Google146.7 × 71.5 × 7.4 mm; 162 g Apple
Brightness and contrast—625 nits max brightness (typical); 1,200 nits max brightness (HDR); 2,000,000:1 contrast

1,200 nits applies only to HDR video and photos; the normal interface tops out at 625 nits. The 2,000-nit outdoor mode of newer iPhones is not on this model.

Apple
Design and materials—Ceramic Shield front, glass back and aluminium design; fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Apple
Storage—64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB

There is no memory card slot; formatted capacity is lower.

Apple
Video—HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 30 fps; 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p slo-mo at 120/240 fps; cinematic stabilisation; HEVC and H.264

Dolby Vision recording is limited to 30 fps at 4K; 4K at 60 fps does not use Dolby Vision HDR. 8 MP stills can be taken while recording 4K.

Apple
Front camera and Face ID—12MP TrueDepth (ƒ/2.2); Dolby Vision HDR up to 4K at 30 fps; Face ID Apple
Wireless—5G (sub-6 GHz) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.0; Ultra Wideband chip; NFC with reader mode

The UK page lists model A2403; bands depend on the model number and this page has no mmWave. Express Cards with Power Reserve keep some transit cards usable for a few hours after the battery runs out.

Apple
Port—Lightning connector

It is not USB-C. Wired video out through the Lightning Digital AV Adapter is limited to 1080p; AirPlay to Apple TV mirrors up to 4K HDR.

Apple
SIM—Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)

eSIM use depends on carrier support.

Apple
Durability—IP68 (maximum depth of 6 metres up to 30 minutes, IEC 60529) Apple
Operating conditions—Ambient temperature 0–35 °C; relative humidity 5–95% non-condensing; tested up to 3,000 m altitude Apple
Colours—Black, White, (PRODUCT)RED, Green, Blue, Purple Apple
Service programme—Free service programme for receiver (earpiece) no-sound issues; iPhone 12 and 12 Pro made between October 2020 and April 2021

Apple says a very small percentage of devices may have a failing component in the receiver module, so no sound is heard on calls. The programme covered units for 3 years after first retail sale and does not extend the warranty; other damage such as a cracked screen may need fixing first. The iPhone 12 mini and 12 Pro Max are not included.

Apple