00:00So far, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has proven to be a champ at taking photos with its refresher
00:06cameras, showing off its much-improved macro and low-light performance.
00:11In my iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Galaxy S24 Ultra photo shootout, Apple's flagship easily
00:16cruised to the finish line, but what I'm much more excited about is how an iPhone 16
00:21Pro Max vs Pixel 9 Pro XL turns out.
00:24That's because I spent nearly a year with the Pixel 8 Pro, which I think was one of
00:27the most underrated phones released in 2024.
00:31With its spiritual successor, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google gives us a main 50-megapixel
00:36camera, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 48-megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 42-megapixel
00:42selfie camera.
00:43Out of the bunch, the latter is technically new hardware.
00:47In my Pixel 9 Pro XL review, I mentioned how it's still the AI phone to beat with its
00:51new generative features and intuitive photo editing tools.
00:55Apple's obviously not looking to sit quietly, so the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to extend
01:00its lead in our best camera phones list.
01:02Given how our Pixel 9 Pro XL vs iPhone 15 Pro Max photo shootout turned out, this might
01:08yet be another easy victory for Apple.
01:10The iPhone 16 Pro Max is armed with a 48-megapixel main shooter, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel
01:16telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 12-megapixel selfie camera.
01:21Soon after Apple's Glowtime event in Cupertino, I brought along both phones to nearby Half
01:26Moon Bay to shoot some photos with them, then proceeded to view what I captured on a monitor
01:31later on for a proper side-by-side comparison.
01:35This is Photo Shootout.
01:36Starting off by the beach, the iPhone's main camera does a much better job at capturing
01:41the scene, but I will say the Pixel 9 Pro XL does an excellent job as well.
01:46Both managed to capture the textures of the Adirondack chairs in the foreground, but the
01:50iPhone 16 Pro Max's image gets more of my attention due to its warmer color temperature
01:55and brighter exposure.
01:57The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a smidge underexposed, and the colors are oversaturated.
02:02For their dynamic range performance, I pointed the two towards the beer taps at the bar because
02:07of the strong light source coming from the outside.
02:10The first thing I noticed is that the Pixel 9 Pro XL doesn't tone down the highlights
02:14as good as the iPhone 16 Pro Max because the bright areas outside are overblown.
02:19Meanwhile, the iPhone manages to balance out the exposure between the shadows and highlights
02:24better.
02:25This mosaic in downtown Half Moon Bay has a ton of color, and when I look quickly, they
02:30look identical to me.
02:32But when I zoom into different parts of the photo, like the orange pumpkin in the lower
02:36bottom, the iPhone's brighter exposure gives it the extra pop that gets my attention.
02:41Even though it's not as apparent here, I noticed that the Pixel 9 Pro XL tends to produce the
02:46most saturated colors between the two.
02:49I know it might be hard to see it, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL's ultra-wide camera has a wider
02:54123 degree field of view, so you'll get more of the shot in frame versus the iPhone's 120
02:59degree one.
03:00For this one, I like the Pixel more partly for how the colors pop and its stronger contrast.
03:06Both capture a lot of detail with the stained glass windows, but the iPhone's a tad softer
03:10with the details.
03:11Just look at the edges of the window frame and the siding of the church.
03:15These macro photos of this flower are dramatic.
03:18I can't believe how close I'm able to get with their respective macro modes.
03:22But the iPhone 16 Pro Max pulls up the better capture.
03:25I'm astounded by the amount of detail, including all the pollen around the petals and even
03:30the hidden spider right smack in the middle.
03:33The Pixel 9 Pro XL also catches a superb shot that's rich in detail, but it doesn't achieve
03:38the same level of definition.
03:39Plus, it's really heavy with the color saturation.
03:42The Pixel 9 Pro XL's meteor 42 megapixel selfie is the clear winner in these selfie shots
03:47I captured of myself.
03:49Not only does this new autofocus camera have a wider 103 degree field of view that lets
03:54me fill out more of the scene, but it captures sharper details around my face, like my hairline
04:00and yes, my wrinkles.
04:01The iPhone 16 Pro Max's 12 megapixel selfie camera isn't too shabby either, but the Pixel
04:07wins this one.
04:08One thing to note about taking portrait photos with the Pixel 9 Pro XL is that the minimum
04:13zoom is 1.5x, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max can shoot them at 1x zoom.
04:19Both phones managed to capture my colleague Kate with plenty of crisp details, like the
04:23Apple Watch Series 10 on her wrist.
04:26But when I look around the edges of her face, I like how the iPhone casts the soft blur
04:30around the edges, whereas the Pixel doesn't have as much consistency.
04:34Like how some parts of the edges are in focus and others are not.
04:38In true flagship form, they both feature dedicated telephoto cameras with 5x optical
04:43zooms.
04:44You'll be able to get closer to far away objects than their main cameras, without losing
04:48much detail.
04:49But these shots I captured at 5x zoom are tough.
04:52They both managed to match each other in terms of detail and clarity, like the textures of
04:58the giant eye and the letters around it.
05:00I really love how these panoramas turned out.
05:03Most importantly, they managed to have a consistent exposure throughout the shot.
05:07Plus, they contain a lot of detail.
05:09There are ripples in the far background overlooking Half Moon Bay Beach, as well as the license
05:13plates of the cars on the left.
05:15The biggest difference for me, however, is how the iPhone 16 Pro Max's shots look brighter
05:20and more vivid.
05:22Since the bar at Half Moon Bay Brewery was already dark, I tried out the respective night
05:26modes on my lonely beer.
05:28They're mostly the same, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL's tendency for saturating the colors is
05:33pronounced here again.
05:34There's this odd green tint to the reflecting area in the back.
05:37Switching it up, take a look at these shots from my backyard.
05:41The area around the tree and closed-off patio are just about pitch black, with my neighbor's
05:45floodlight in the far background being the strongest source of light.
05:49The iPhone's shot is superior, not only for its brighter picture and vibrant colors, but
05:54also for the amount of detail it captures with the tree and its branches.
05:58Look, there's just no stopping the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
06:01After cruising to the finish line against the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it also pushed ahead
06:06against the Pixel 9 Pro XL in this photo shootout.
06:09While the iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera performance is the clear winner here, I wouldn't count
06:14out on the Pixel just yet because I prefer how it has a richer camera experience, meaning
06:19it offers the manual controls I crave for photography, along with the ability to auto-track
06:23subjects when I record video.
06:25There's also the AI-assisted tools that make it helpful, like Magic Editor and Adme.
06:31Pixel's still getting its feet wet with Apple Intelligence, so there's a long way to go
06:34before it can match the Pixel, but when it comes to purely camera performance, it can't
06:39be beat.
06:40Who do you think won this photo shootout?
06:42Let me know your thoughts and reasons in the comments below.
06:45Don't forget to watch the rest of our iPhone 16 coverage, including our full review from
06:49Mark as well as Kate's Apple Watch Series 10 review.
06:52Make sure to follow us on social at Times Guide, and as always, I'm John V. and I'll
06:56see you soon.
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