Here's How the Pixel 9a Stacks Up Against the iPhone 16e

The most affordable iPhone, or the most affordable Pixel? Which one is right for you? Google's Pixel 9a comes in $100 cheaper than the iPhone 16e, and has many AI features and specs from its flagship big brother, the Pixel 9. And it's a similar story with the iPhone 16e. The Pixel 9a starts shipping in April, while the iPhone 16e is out already (and we've already compared it with Samsung's mid-range lineup).

But, as always, the devil is in the details. Here's how Google's new Pixel 9a compares to the iPhone 16e.

Design

Credit: Apple

Both the iPhone 16e and the Pixel 9a have a similar design language. They have flat sides, flat fronts, and rounded edges. And unlike its flagship counterpart, the Pixel 9a does not feature a camera bump. This is a big departure for the Pixel line, but it does make it look more like an iPhone.

Pixel 8a (left) vs Pixel 9a (right). Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

On the front, the iPhone features a notch-style display instead of the Dynamic Island found on the flagship iPhones. The Pixel 9a, comparatively, has a circular cutout at the top for the front-facing camera.

The Pixel 9a weighs 6.6 ounces, while the iPhone 16e is ever so slightly lighter at 5.9 ounces.

The iPhone 16e only comes in Black or White, but the Pixel 9a comes in four different color options: Porcelain, Obsidian, Peony, and Iris. The Peony color is the light-pink option, while the Iris color looks like a mix of purple and lavender.

Display

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

The Pixel 9a has a 6.3-inch OLED screen (2,424 by 1,080 pixels), supports variable refresh rate (between 60-120Hz), and has a max brightness of 2700 nits (1800 nits typical brightness).

The iPhone 16e on the other hand a smaller 6.1-inch OLED display with a nearly identical resolution (2,532 by 1,170 pixels), and offers a fixed 60Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 1200 nits (800 nits typical brightness).

On paper, it seems like the Pixel is out in the lead here, offering a high-refresh rate display that's slightly bigger, sharper, and much brighter than the iPhone.

Performance

Both the iPhone 16e and Pixel 9a run on chips made by the same company, and are featured in their flagship counterparts. The iPhone 16e features an Apple A18 chip (minus one GPU core) that's found in the iPhone 16 series, while the Pixel 9a uses Google's Tensor G4 chip, same as the Pixel 9. Both devices feature 8GB RAM, which is a downgrade from the flagship.

While the Pixel 9a benchmark scores aren't out yet, we can use the Pixel 9 as a comparison, as both devices share the same chip. In Geekbench, Pixel 9 scored 1,657 in single-core performance and 4,060 in multi-core performance.

The iPhone 16e, on the other hand, score 2,706 in single-core testing and 7,942 in multi-core testing.

Based on raw numbers, it looks like the iPhone 16e's performance is far better than Pixel 9a's. Both devices should be plenty fast for day-to-day use, but the extra headroom from the A18 processor bodes well for iPhone 16e's longevity.

Cameras

The iPhone 16e famously has a single camera setup with a single 48MP lens at the rear, while the Pixel 9a has a 48MP ( f/1.7) wide-angle lens and an additional 13MP ( f/2.2) ultra-wide sensor. Apple's sensor lets in more light, however, which should make low-light photography better.

Both devices capture 4K video at 30 or 60 frames per second. The iPhone also has options for 24 and 25 frames per second.

iPhone and Pixels are generally good at photography, and each have their own slightly different look that largely comes down to computational postprocessing. Both devices also come with their own AI photo editing features, although it's uncertain which will be more useful until the Pixel 9a releases.

Battery Life

Both phones go big on battery life. Google has put in a massive 5,100 mAh battery in the Pixel 9a and is promising over 30 hours of battery life.

The iPhone 16e, meanwhile, features a 4,004 mAh battery, and Apple says it has the largest battery life of any iPhone, promising 26 hours of offline video, or 21 hours of streaming video. In real life testing, PCMag found that the iPhone 16e lasted 21 hours and 39 minutes in a battery benchmark test, although Pixel 9a tests are still a question mark.

Price

With the Pixel 9a, you clearly get more for less. Google's budget phone starts at $499 for 128GB storage, and the upgrade to 256GB only costs $559.

On the other hand, the iPhone 16e starts at $599 for 128GB, and goes up to $699 for 256GB, or $899 for 512GB.

Although, it's worth reiterating that the iPhone 16e is available to purchase right now, while the Pixel 9a will start shipping sometime in April 2025.

Which One Is Right For You?

Your choice starts with the ecosystem. If you want a smartphone to work well with your Mac, the iPhone 16e might be the default choice for you. The same goes for Pixel 9a if you really want an Android phone.

If you want the best AI features, the Pixel 9a might have an edge. It comes with Gemini Nano built-in, and the Gemini app adds support for AI features like Gemini Live, AI photo editing, and more. Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16e also supports AI features like Writing Tools, photo Clean Up, and more, but the AI-enhanced Siri largely isn't out yet.

As for hardware, if you want a phone that will last for a longer time, the iPhone 16e's slightly stronger chip is a better bet. However, the Pixel 9a is the value for money pick. Not only is the base model $100 cheaper, the 256GB version is $140 cheaper than the iPhone 16e.

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