Apple iPhone 16 / Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Apple says the A18, built on second-generation 3 nm technology, is up to 30% faster in CPU and 40% in GPU than the A16 Bionic and supports hardware ray tracing. The A18 Pro in iPhone 16 Pro is a different chip.

Titan M2 is a security chip that handles sensitive operations such as passcode and lock-screen verification separately from the main processor.

Typical brightness is 1000 nits, 1600 nits HDR and 2000 nits peak outdoors, with a 1-nit minimum. 2,000,000:1 contrast, P3 wide colour and True Tone. Apple does not list a refresh rate; ProMotion and always-on display are on the Pro models.

LTPO lets the panel drop as low as 1 Hz with static content to save battery and rise to 120 Hz when scrolling; Google notes 120 Hz is not available in every app. The 2000-nit HDR figure is measured with the whole screen lit, the 3000-nit peak with 5% of the screen lit.

Apple says it is 50% tougher than the first-generation Ceramic Shield. The back is colour-infused glass and the frame is aluminium.

The 2× view comes from the centre of the 48 MP sensor rather than a separate lens. There is a 4× optical zoom range and up to 10× digital zoom; the ultra-wide camera can shoot macro.

Google lists 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x and 10x as optical-quality zoom; the range up to 30x is software-assisted digital zoom. The wide and telephoto cameras have optical + electronic stabilisation, and there is a multi-zone laser autofocus sensor.

Video Boost processes footage on Google’s cloud servers to improve night and 8K recordings, so the processed result is not instant and needs an internet connection.

Apple says Camera Control combines a tactile switch for clicks, a force sensor for light presses and a capacitive sensor for swipes. It opens the camera, takes photos and starts video recording.

Ultra Wideband availability varies by region. Emergency SOS and Roadside Assistance via satellite are supported, with service duration and country coverage set by Apple.

Wi-Fi 7 gives higher speed and lower latency on the 6 GHz band with a compatible router; the Indian version supports only Wi-Fi 6 (2.4/5 GHz). The USB-C port runs at USB 3.2 speed, but the bundled cable is USB 2.0.

SIM layout may vary by country model.

Wired data transfer is limited to USB 2 speed, so moving large video files by cable is slower than on the Pro models.

Reaching 50% in 30 minutes over MagSafe needs a 30 W or higher adapter. There is no adapter in the box, only a USB-C cable.

Measured under Apple’s test conditions; real results vary with use and settings. Apple does not publish the capacity in mAh.

Splash, water and dust resistance is not permanent and may decrease over time; liquid damage is not covered by warranty.

The high-g accelerometer is used for Crash Detection.

IP68 is the dust and water resistance class under IEC 60529; Google notes the protection is not permanent and can weaken with wear, repair or damage.

Storage is chosen at purchase and cannot be expanded; there is no memory card slot.

No charger is included; the box has a USB 2.0 USB-C cable. Google notes Battery Share noticeably reduces the phone’s own battery life.

Dual-band satellite positioning helps reduce errors from signals reflected between tall buildings.

Satellite SOS is offered only in the US and is free for the first two years; Car Crash Detection is not available in every country or language.