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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 16, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerGoogle Pixel 9 vs Apple iPhone 15
Choosing between Google Pixel 9 and Apple iPhone 15 can be tricky. Both are excellent, but they serve different priorities. This guide highlights what matters for US shoppers.
Ratings: 4.5★ vs 4.8★
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Google Pixel 9
★4.5
(1,044)•Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:7 years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates
Processor:Google Tensor G4
Graphics:Arm Mali-G715 MC7
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Apple iPhone 15
★4.8
(951)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A16 Bionic chip (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A16 Bionic)
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Comparison: Google Pixel 9 vs Apple iPhone 15
Google Pixel 9
★4.5(1,044)Amazon
Apple iPhone 15
★4.8(951)Best Buy
| Criterion | Google Pixel 9 | Apple iPhone 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.5(1,044)Amazon | ★4.8(951)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 7 years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Google Tensor G4 | Apple A16 Bionic chip (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Arm Mali-G715 MC7 | Apple 5-core GPU (A16 Bionic) |
RAM | 12GB LPDDR5X | 6 GB (LPDDR5) |
Storage | 128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.1) | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.3" (measured diagonally; actual viewable area is less) | 6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | Actua OLED Display | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 1080 x 2424 pixels (FHD+), 422 ppi | 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 60–120Hz (Smooth Display) | 60 Hz |
Peak Brightness | 1,800 nits (HDR) / 2,700 nits (Peak) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor) |
Main Camera | 50MP Wide (f/1.68, 82° FOV), Octa PD AF, OIS | 48MP Main (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
Ultra-Wide Camera | 48MP Ultra-Wide (f/1.7, 123° FOV) with Macro Focus | 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.4, 120° field of view) |
Telephoto Camera | N/A (No dedicated telephoto lens) | No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP quad-pixel sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS |
Optical Zoom | 2x Optical Quality (via sensor crop) | 0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 8x Super Res Zoom | Up to 10x |
Video Recording | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60fps; 10-bit HDR | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
Front Camera | 10.5MP Front (f/2.2, 95° FOV), Dual PD AF | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 4,700 mAh (Typical) | 3349 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 20 hours video playback (16 hours streamed) |
Wired Charging | Up to 27W (charges up to 55% in ~30 min with Google 45W USB-C Charger) | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | Up to 15W (Pixel Stand 2nd Gen); up to 12W (Qi certified); Battery Share | MagSafe up to 15W; Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Sub6/mmWave varies by model); Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; Dual Band GNSS | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); NFC with reader mode |
USB | USB Type-C 3.2 | USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP68 (Dust and water resistant); Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front/back); Fingerprint-resistant coating | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front; Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back |
Dimensions | 6.0" x 2.8" x 0.3" (152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5 mm) | 5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm) |
Weight | 7.0 oz (198 g) | 6.02 oz (171 g) |
Biometrics | Ultrasonic Fingerprint Unlock; Face Unlock | Face ID |
Extras | Satellite SOS; Gemini AI integrated; VPN by Google One; Car Crash Detection | Dynamic Island; Ring/Silent switch; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
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Google Pixel 9
Rating:★4.5(1,044)Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:7 years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates
Processor:Google Tensor G4
Graphics:Arm Mali-G715 MC7
RAM:12GB LPDDR5X
Storage:128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.1)
Display Size:6.3" (measured diagonally; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Actua OLED Display
Resolution:1080 x 2424 pixels (FHD+), 422 ppi
Refresh Rate:60–120Hz (Smooth Display)
Peak Brightness:1,800 nits (HDR) / 2,700 nits (Peak)
Main Camera:50MP Wide (f/1.68, 82° FOV), Octa PD AF, OIS
Ultra-Wide Camera:48MP Ultra-Wide (f/1.7, 123° FOV) with Macro Focus
Telephoto Camera:N/A (No dedicated telephoto lens)
Optical Zoom:2x Optical Quality (via sensor crop)
Digital Zoom:Up to 8x Super Res Zoom
Video Recording:4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60fps; 10-bit HDR
Front Camera:10.5MP Front (f/2.2, 95° FOV), Dual PD AF
Battery:4,700 mAh (Typical)
Wired Charging:Up to 27W (charges up to 55% in ~30 min with Google 45W USB-C Charger)
Wireless Charging:Up to 15W (Pixel Stand 2nd Gen); up to 12W (Qi certified); Battery Share
Connectivity:5G (Sub6/mmWave varies by model); Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; Dual Band GNSS
USB:USB Type-C 3.2
Durability:IP68 (Dust and water resistant); Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front/back); Fingerprint-resistant coating
Dimensions:6.0" x 2.8" x 0.3" (152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5 mm)
Weight:7.0 oz (198 g)
Biometrics:Ultrasonic Fingerprint Unlock; Face Unlock
Extras:Satellite SOS; Gemini AI integrated; VPN by Google One; Car Crash Detection
✓ Pros:
- • Compact and premium design with satin metal frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- • Bright Actua display reaches 2,700 nits peak brightness
- • Industry-leading 7-year software update commitment
- • Excellent dual-camera system with Macro Focus on the ultrawide lens
- • Includes useful AI features like Add Me, Best Take, and Gemini integration
✗ Cons:
- • Lacks a dedicated telephoto lens (zoom limited to 8x Super Res Zoom)
- • Charging speed (27W wired) is slower than many competitors
- • Base storage starts at 128GB with UFS 3.1 (slower than UFS 4.0)
- • Tensor G4 performance lags behind Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in raw benchmarks
- • Display refresh rate bottoms out at 60Hz (not LTPO 1–120Hz like Pro models)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Apple iPhone 15
Rating:★4.8(951)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A16 Bionic chip (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A16 Bionic)
RAM:6 GB (LPDDR5)
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor)
Main Camera:48MP Main (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.4, 120° field of view)
Telephoto Camera:No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP quad-pixel sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:3349 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 20 hours video playback (16 hours streamed)
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 15W; Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front; Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back
Dimensions:5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Weight:6.02 oz (171 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Dynamic Island; Ring/Silent switch; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • High-resolution 48MP main camera with useful 2x optical-quality crop
- • Bright, color-accurate OLED display (up to 2000 nits outdoor)
- • Standardized USB-C port for charging and accessories
- • Dynamic Island interface replaces the notch
- • Comfortable, lightweight design with contoured edges
✗ Cons:
- • Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
- • USB-C port limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mb/s)
- • No dedicated telephoto lens (zoom beyond 2x is digital)
- • Always-On display feature is omitted
- • Charging speed is slower compared to competitors
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Which one is better?
Looking at user satisfaction (Google Pixel 9: 4.5★ vs Apple iPhone 15: 4.8★), Google Pixel 9 pulls ahead. The gap is small—choose based on the priorities below.
Who should buy each?
Google Pixel 9 excels at: Compact and premium design with satin metal frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Bright Actua display reaches 2,700 nits peak brightness
Watch for: Lacks a dedicated telephoto lens (zoom limited to 8x Super Res Zoom)
Apple iPhone 15 excels at: High-resolution 48MP main camera with useful 2x optical-quality crop, Bright, color-accurate OLED display (up to 2000 nits outdoor)
Watch for: Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
Conclusion
Google Pixel 9 and Apple iPhone 15 are both solid choices. Match the strengths above to your budget and workflow to make the best call.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Google Pixel 9 excels if you value compact and premium design with satin metal frame and gorilla glass victus 2. Apple iPhone 15 is better if you prioritize high-resolution 48mp main camera with useful 2x optical-quality crop. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
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