- 15/04/2025
Comparing the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e across camera, battery, performance, etc. Grab the Ace Pro 2 now - 10% off + a FREE All-in Tripod! Only 30 units available for this exclusive offer until 4/15! https://bit.ly/Mrwhosetheboss-AcePro2
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TechTranscript
00:00This is the new $499 Google Pixel 9a.
00:03This is the $599 iPhone 16e.
00:06And this is one of the most fascinating head-to-head battles of this generation.
00:10Because it's not just Android versus iPhone.
00:12This is Google's 2025 vision for what the software and hardware of Android should be
00:16versus Apple's 2025 vision at their mid-range price points.
00:20So which of these two companies actually gives you more?
00:23I'm going to rate the phones based on how good I think they are in each category out of 10.
00:26And then at the end we're going to factor in the price and choose one as the definitive winner.
00:30So as far as what you get with the phones,
00:32both Google and Apple these days offer you the ultimate in environment conservation.
00:37Basically nothing.
00:38With the Pixel you get no case, no screen protector, no charger,
00:41just the cable, the phone and vibes.
00:44Except not really any vibes.
00:46And then over in Apple's corner it's exactly the same story.
00:49Cable at the bottom and the phone.
00:51So, a very mediocre start.
00:55But also a very similar start.
00:57I'd give both of these phones four points for box contents.
01:00And the similarities, they only ramp up.
01:02I mean, the thing that actually convinced me to make this video comparing these two phones is
01:06look at the designs.
01:07From the frosted backs, to the logo placements, to the flash being just to the right of the camera.
01:12Even the texture and the curve of the aluminium on the side rails.
01:15It very much feels like we're looking at Google and Apple's take on the exact same phone concept.
01:20Two devices that feel designed to go head to head.
01:23And while I have to say, I do like the fact that Apple's has a glass back,
01:26as opposed to Google's plastic.
01:27I guess Apple decided after the iPhone 5C back in the day totally bombed that
01:31materials were one thing that they couldn't flex on.
01:34But then in other ways, very much flex on.
01:36It's just that the way that Google has finished their plastic,
01:39doesn't really feel any different.
01:40This doesn't feel like a cheaper phone than this.
01:43They both feel like fancy phones.
01:45They both have IP68 ratings now.
01:48I'm quite impressed.
01:48Also, this is like the tiniest camera bump that I've seen in the last five years.
01:53Apart from Red Magic, who's managed to go completely flush.
01:56Now, I do have a pretty major problem with this, but aesthetically speaking, I like it.
02:00So for design, I'm going to go eight points to Pixel, eight to the iPhone.
02:04Completely neck and neck so far.
02:06So, what about the displays?
02:09Well, the second that you turn these two phones on,
02:11one thing becomes quite clear.
02:12That if we're considering the full spectrum of phone displays out there,
02:16neither of these guys is winning any awards.
02:17I mean, the Pixel is surrounded by a border that's at least 20%
02:21thicker than you'd want it to be at this price.
02:22And the iPhone has a notch.
02:24I thought we were done with notches.
02:25I was so happy to be done with notches.
02:27I guess this is Apple's way of making something mid-range.
02:30Giving you tech that's one step back from the current seamless dynamic island,
02:34while sitting clearly one step forward from the straight-up black bars
02:37that you'd get across the cheaper iPhone SEs.
02:40Either way, not a huge fan.
02:41And I'd actually side towards the Pixel just generally with display.
02:45The 9a is a lot brighter than last year's 8a,
02:47and so definitively outclasses the iPhone if you go outdoors.
02:51You know, if you're into that.
02:53Plus, Google's managed to get a 120Hz refresh rate onto here.
02:56Actually, let me rephrase.
02:57Apple hasn't managed to get a 120Hz refresh rate onto here.
03:01That feels like the bigger headline.
03:02So almost everything feels quite a bit smoother over at Team Google.
03:05Although weirdly, this is one of the very few phones I've seen
03:08with which you get a high refresh rate display,
03:10but it's turned off by default, so most people won't end up using it.
03:14Bear in mind, the iPhone is slightly higher resolution,
03:16so videos might look a little crisper,
03:18and it uses stronger glass on the front.
03:20So when you factor in everything,
03:22it's not a massive display lead for Google,
03:24but it is a lead nonetheless.
03:25So Pixel gets 7, iPhone gets 6.
03:28And while we're watching content on the phones,
03:31how's the audio quality?
03:32This is Pixel.
03:39Now this is iPhone.
03:46Okay, the iPhone sounds very good.
03:48Like, as good as its flagship counterparts.
03:50You feel like you're hearing the full range of your music,
03:53right down to the bass.
03:54The Pixel is still very much acceptable for an audio,
03:57but just noticeably more compressed sounding.
04:00But then the other side to the audio coin,
04:01which is every bit as important,
04:03is how clear are your phone calls?
04:05So right now I'm calling Drisha on the Google Pixel.
04:08Drish, how clear or unclear would you say I sound to you?
04:11It's okay, it does the job.
04:12I can hear you.
04:14To me, your voice is actually peaking a little bit.
04:16It's cracking at the high end.
04:17It's got a bit of a walkie-talkie vibe, I think.
04:19It's 6.5.
04:21I'm interested to see if that changes.
04:23I'm going to call you from the iPhone now.
04:24Okay.
04:24Okay, okay, that's immediately clearer.
04:31Yeah, way clearer.
04:32If Pixel is a 6.5, this is an 8.
04:34Yeah.
04:35Bear in mind as well, both phones have the same eSIM.
04:37They're connected to the same Wi-Fi network,
04:39but still like a large difference in both how I sound
04:43and how the other person sounds.
04:44I'd go for nine points.
04:45Pixel isn't bad, but it's pretty middle of the line.
04:48Six points.
04:50So both phones are still quite closely tied.
04:53And the thing that you have to give to both Google and Apple
04:56is that their more affordable phones both use the same chipsets
04:59as their higher-end phones, the Tensor G4 and the A18.
05:03It's one of those things where,
05:04because both companies have their own custom chips made
05:06specifically for their flagships,
05:08then it's actually cheaper for them to just reuse those chips
05:11in their more affordable phones
05:12than it would be to create some sort of separate manufacturing branch
05:16just to specifically make weaker chips.
05:18Now, there is one slight catch with the iPhone.
05:21See, when you're manufacturing chipsets,
05:23you don't always get a perfect result.
05:24Sometimes one of your cores isn't performing up to scratch.
05:27And so what Apple does in these instances is something called binning.
05:31And I don't mean just, you know, throwing it in the trash.
05:34It's kind of the opposite.
05:35They'll manufacture the top-end chipsets first.
05:38And in doing so, they will just naturally find a bunch
05:40that have at least one defective core.
05:42But then instead of just, you know,
05:44yeeting the chips entirely,
05:45they'll instead just purposefully disable those funky cores completely
05:49and then use what's left of the chip for their non-flagship phones.
05:52So while it sounds like you get the same A18 chip on the 16e that you would actually get
05:57in the more expensive iPhone 16,
05:58it actually has just four graphics cores instead of the normal five.
06:02But then on the other hand,
06:03Apple's A18 is so much more powerful than Google's Tensor to begin with that
06:08even with this slight nerf,
06:09the iPhone does completely destroy Google in real-world gaming environments.
06:12We're talking like a 40% plus lead.
06:15So six points to Pixel, nine points to the iPhone.
06:19When it comes to software though,
06:20we're at the stage now where it's not like either Android
06:23nor iOS is particularly missing any of the key features.
06:26They can both basically do everything.
06:28But what I would say is cool is that what you're getting on these two mid-range phones
06:32is still the best versions of those softwares.
06:34Like Google's promised seven years of Android updates to this phone.
06:38And Apple's promised five for their phone,
06:39just like they do on their flagships.
06:41And they do usually end up delivering more than that.
06:43Google Pixel phones are completely free from bloatware.
06:46Same goes for the iPhone.
06:47This is the definitive Android experience
06:50with pretty much every software feature still intact
06:52from the flagship Google Pixel 9s.
06:54You get all the Gemini smart assistant stuff,
06:56which is now a lot cleverer than it used to be.
06:59It feels kind of crazy to have this power at the press of a button now.
07:02You get the editing features like add me
07:04to be able to take two group shots and combine the results
07:07so everyone makes the cut.
07:08And the really rather impressive magic editor
07:10that lets you erase things,
07:11but also completely change up existing shots that you've already taken.
07:15And then on the other hand, this is the definitive iOS experience
07:18with not really any software feature missing that the top end phones have,
07:22unless you count dynamic island and camera control.
07:24But as software features, I'd consider those highly optional.
07:28Now that said, I actually personally think right now that Android,
07:31just generally as a platform, is in a better place than iOS is.
07:35You know, there's way more AI features while Apple's AI is floundering.
07:38It feels like it's getting more stable, which I can't say for iOS.
07:41And some of iOS's recent design changes, like the photos gallery,
07:45I just find them baffling.
07:47So personally, I would say for software, Pixel gets a 9, iPhone gets a 7.
07:51And you might be sitting there wondering now,
07:53well, Aaron, you just gave Android more points than iOS,
07:56but your main phone is still an iPhone.
07:59Make it make sense.
08:00Well, that's where the next category comes in.
08:02Because where I think Apple pulls ahead is ecosystem.
08:05Most of you are likely already in and fairly locked into either the Apple or the Android ecosystem.
08:10But if you assume for a minute that you are neutral,
08:12you are deciding between these two phones,
08:15and we're completely open to fully adopting all of the products built around
08:19whichever one of these two you pick,
08:20then I think Apple wins by a landslide.
08:22Firstly, because even on their own,
08:24Apple's ecosystem products are largely class leading.
08:27Like the iPad, for example, completely destroys Google's Pixel tablet,
08:30which at this point is quite dated and very underpowered.
08:34Apple TV is, from my experience, a better TV box than the Google TV streamer.
08:38It feels more premium to use and it just like never lags.
08:42Watches and earphones are a little more debatable
08:44because while I do think the Apple Watch and the AirPods are great,
08:47I also think the Pixel Watch 3 is by far the best watch Google has ever made.
08:51And the Pixel Buds Pro 2 as well feel top of the line.
08:53But then again, I think the MacBook is the best consumer-grade laptop you can buy,
08:58unless you're a gamer or you need like a specific app that only works on Windows.
09:01And I don't even think it's a competition compared to like a Google-made Chromebook.
09:06Now, bear in mind, the upside with Android is that
09:08you don't need to specifically buy in-house Google-made stuff.
09:11You could buy a Samsung tablet and a Dell laptop.
09:14But then the downside is that the integration you get isn't as deep
09:17because those products,
09:18they're not designed completely around each other like Apple's are.
09:22There's a second part to this ecosystem equation too,
09:24that iPhones generally integrate slightly smoother into the wider world.
09:29Like, you'll just have an easier time doing stuff.
09:31Like for example, Apple's Face ID.
09:33It's not just for logging into your phone.
09:35You can also use it to like authenticate bank transactions within third-party banking apps,
09:40much more so than you can with Google Pixel's fingerprint scanner, for example.
09:43You'll have more variety when it comes to accessories and cases.
09:46Because it is far easier for a company to design something around
09:49one of the five or so iPhones released in a year versus the thousand Android devices.
09:54But it's also just that there's a lot of developers who specifically prioritize
09:57a smooth app experience for iPhone users over Android users.
10:01Even like the leisure center that I used to go to,
10:03if you had an iPhone, you could install your membership card digitally.
10:06It would show up automatically in your Apple Watch.
10:08So easy.
10:09Whereas if you had an Android, well, you just still had to carry around a physical card
10:13like you were in the previous era.
10:15Or like our gym equipment in this house, it syncs perfectly with Apple Health,
10:19could not get it to work with Android.
10:20So it's this kind of stuff that has meant that even though I do think that Android in isolation
10:25is a better software platform right now, I've still personally decided to use an iPhone.
10:29So I've got Pixel 8 points, iPhone 10 points, which does mean Apple is starting to take the lead here.
10:35Cameras, though, is a bit of a sorry case on both phones, to be honest.
10:39Because, I mean, like the Pixel 9a, for example, actually seems to have had a camera downgrade from the 8a.
10:44The main camera has a smaller sensor and it's 48 megapixels compared to the 64 that we got last time around.
10:50I'm assuming they've had to do this to be able to create this nearly flat design,
10:53but it's not a great look prioritizing form over function.
10:57But even then, Google's actually looking pretty great compared to Apple,
11:00who's literally just given you a 48 megapixel main camera and no ultrawide.
11:04It actually feels really strange using a phone without one because of how fundamental of a feature
11:08ultrawide has become these days, especially for a $600 device.
11:12As for how good the main cameras are, they're both fine.
11:16They're mid-range phones and they feel like mid-range phones.
11:19They take very similar quality shots with two just slightly different styles.
11:23They're both fairly fast to capture and they have reliable autofocus,
11:26but then equally they both completely suck when it comes to zooming in.
11:29Like this shot here was taken at 8x zoom.
11:31But when you look at the quality, you might have thought it was 80.
11:34And then, of course, the iPhone's video is a little bit cleaner,
11:36especially since one of the few Google Pixel features that this more affordable A-series phone
11:41does miss out on is video boost, which would have helped.
11:44So I'd say the iPhone's main camera is very slightly better than the Pixel's main camera.
11:48But then the Pixel has a large advantage having this whole extra second camera.
11:52And then for selfies, I absolutely love that the Pixel can go ultrawide for group shots,
11:56but also just selfies that capture your surroundings.
11:59But then I absolutely hate the fact that it doesn't have autofocus.
12:02So unless you hold your hand out and specifically go wide,
12:05your face will actually be very slightly out of focus.
12:08Both phones do also have optical image stabilization.
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12:59And now the final pillar for these phones is the battery.
13:02And just to give you an idea, I ran a two-hour battery test simulation
13:05doing a combination of social media scrolling,
13:07YouTube watching and general app use with the Pixel on its smooth 120 Hz mode
13:12and the iPhone just being an iPhone at 60 Hz.
13:16And the Pixel finished that test with 86% left, the iPhone had 91.
13:20Now, I could have kept the Pixel on 60 Hz and gotten longer battery life.
13:24But given that 120 Hz is one of the key selling points,
13:27and because we've already given this phone extra points in the display category for having it,
13:31I think it makes sense to also keep that mode on for battery testing.
13:34And assuming you do that day to day, the iPhone will consistently last longer.
13:38But even the Pixel is easily enough to get you through the day,
13:41thanks to a 5,100 mAh cell on the inside.
13:44So they both have pretty great batteries.
13:46They both have very underwhelming charging.
13:48As you've seen, both phones come without a charger,
13:50and they also have some pretty mediocre wired charging speeds.
13:54And while they do support wireless charging, it's nothing particularly fast or exciting,
13:58with neither utilizing magnets to make it any faster or more efficient.
14:02Leading to battery scores of 6 to Pixel and 7 to iPhone.
14:07So that actually makes it very close in the end.
14:10But we do have a winner.
14:12And it's not the iPhone.
14:13Because yes, Apple is ahead.
14:15It's got 8% more points overall.
14:17But when you factor in that you have to pay 20% more to get that,
14:20being $599 instead of $499,
14:23plus the fact that these Pixels are practically guaranteed to be on sale in a few months,
14:27while iPhones are like the opposite,
14:30I would actually say Google is more likely to be the better value overall package in 2025.
14:34But wait for a sale.
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