I can’t remember the last time I was excited by an Apple event. We’re a long way from Steve Jobs captivating an audience only to finish with “one more thing” for good measure. iPhone updates have become predictable: new A-series bionic chip, camera updates, a new color perhaps, and that’s it. Apple was gracious enough to sprinkle in some AI this year, but it’s not a wholesale measure different from what Google offers with Gemini Nano.
The threat of further EU regulations has also eroded Apple’s ecosystem, making the company adopt RCS messaging and eliminating some of the blue bubble mystique. Apple is closer than ever to competing on a level playing field with Android manufacturers, and Google seems ready to take advantage. The Pixel 9 series is excellent, with a refined (read: safe) design, snappy performance, and fantastic cameras — things that appeal to Apple users.
If Google wants to make a dent with the Pixel, now is the time.
Google is ready
Best Pixel in years
The Pixel 9 series is the company’s best effort in years. It’s almost like Google went down a checklist of the issues we’ve had with past Pixel devices and corrected each one.
Its Super Actua display is bright, vibrant, and easily readable outdoors — a far cry from Google’s earlier Pixels. The Tensor G4 at the heart of the Pixel 9 provides performance improvements over its predecessor, but does better with heat management; Google added a vapor chamber to its Pro models, helping even more with heat dissipation and battery efficiency.
Apple devices have been known for excellent battery life since the iPhone 13 Pro. With Tensor improvements over the last two years, Google is able to match it, with my Pixel 9 Pro XL consistently getting over 9 hours of screen on time. The fingerprint sensor — a weakness of older Pixels — is snappy and accurate on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the modem is also improved, giving me reliable signal and speeds.
Gemini Nano and Gemini Live have many of Apple Intelligence’s capabilities in their pipelines, and I don’t see a significant gap in AI functionality swaying your decision between phones. Google’s design language has changed, too, with the Pixel 9 series taking on flat edges — a look and feel that will be familiar to long-time iPhone users.
Let’s not forget the camera. A staple of Pixel phones since the beginning, it’s every bit as detailed and versatile as Apple’s offerings, with many preferring the photographic output of a Pixel. Google positioned the Pixel 9 phones to attract more casual users who walk into carrier stores to purchase their next phone, and I think it has a chance of improving sales.
It takes two
Apple is comfortable
Apple seems content to rest on its laurels. I’m also fairly certain the company doesn’t know what “new” means, as we were told about the new design of the iPhone 16 Pro, which looks eerily similar to the iPhone 15 Pro (and 14 Pro, 13 Pro, and 12 Pro).
Apple Intelligence has some really cool features, though, and I love how iOS 18 prioritizes and summarizes notifications, giving me a better flow of information. I like many of the new health and safety features too; using the Apple Watch to detect heart conditions or turning your AirPods into hearing aids for users who need them.
I know the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max will deliver awesome battery life, and I’m confident its display will be gorgeous. Its performance will be snappy, and it will have plenty of power for AAA mobile games. It’ll also be supported for nearly (or just as) long as my Pixel 9 Pro XL with full iOS version upgrades. All told, I’m not doubting the iPhone 16 will be a superb device, but the gap that once existed has closed.
It’s a matter of time
Google isn’t home yet, though. The company still needs to prove it can release consistent, reliable software updates, and many users will still be hesitant to switch to Android. But I do believe time is on Google’s side.
As for Apple, it desperately needs a paradigm shift to propel itself to the next generation of smartphones. It feels like a team that built up a large lead until halftime, and now hopes to nurse it home to the finish line. It’s too early to judge AI, but I think it will be a draw between Apple and Google, with more people walking into their carrier stores and taking a chance on that (actually) new, friendly-looking Pixel.
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Google Pixel 9
The Pixel 9 is Google’s most affordable 2024 flagship, making a few compromises when compared to the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL while retaining the Google smarts the lineup has become known for. An upgraded 48MP ultra-wide camera is paired with a 50MP main shooter, and the selfie cam added autofocus. All of this comes with new Gemini AI features and a 2,700-nit Actua display for exceptional value at its price point.
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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a new name, but it fills the same slot as 2023’s Pixel 8 Pro, having similar specs with roughly the same footprint. The non-XL Pixel 9 Pro is new to the lineup as a smaller premium flagship offering. With the 9 Pro XL, however, you get Google’s fastest charging, a bigger screen and battery, and all of the camera and Gemini AI smarts you’d get in the smaller 9 Pro.
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Google Pixel 9 Pro
The Pixel 9 Pro is a new addition to Google’s lineup, slotting in as a smaller premium flagship to pair with the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The latter is the direct successor to 2023’s Pixel 8 Pro despite its new XL moniker, whereas the Pixel 9 Pro brings a new form-factor to Google’s high-end offerings, sporting the same dimensions as the standard Pixel 9 model while packing all the AI and camera prowess we’ve grown accustomed to from Google’s Pro lineup.
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