00:01So far, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has proven to be a champ at taking photos with its refresh cameras,
00:07showing off its much improved macro and low-light performance.
00:11In my iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra photo shootout,
00:15Apple's flagship easily cruises to the finish line,
00:17but what I'm much more excited about is how an iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Pixel 9 Pro XL turns
00:23out.
00:23That's because I spent nearly a year with the Pixel 8 Pro,
00:26which I think was one of the most underrated phones released in 2024.
00:31With its spiritual successor, the Pixel 9 Pro XL,
00:34Google gives us a main 50 megapixel camera, 48 megapixel ultrawide, 48 megapixel telephoto,
00:40with 5x optical zoom, and a 42 megapixel selfie 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
00:51with its new generative features and intuitive photo editing tools.
00:54Apple's obviously not looking to sit quietly, so the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to extend its lead
01:00in our best camera phones list.
01:02Given how our Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max photo shootout turned out,
01:07this might yet be another easy victory for Apple.
01:10The iPhone 16 Pro Max is armed with a 48 megapixel main shooter, 48 megapixel ultrawide,
01:1512 megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 12 megapixel selfie camera.
01:20Soon after Apple's glow time event in Cupertino, I brought along both phones to nearby Half Moon Bay
01:26to shoot some photos with them, then proceeded to view what I captured on the monitor later on
01:32for a proper side-by-side comparison.
01:34This is photo shootout.
01:36Starting off by the beach, the iPhone's main camera does a much better job at capturing the scene.
01:41But I will say, the Pixel 9 Pro XL does an excellent job as well.
01:45Both manage to capture the textures of the Adirondack chairs in the foreground,
01:49but the iPhone 16 Pro Max's image gets more of my attention due to its warmer color temperature and brighter
01:55exposure.
01:56The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a smidge underexposed, and the colors are oversaturated.
02:01For their dynamic range performance, I pointed the two towards the beer taps at the bar because of the strong
02:08light source coming from the outside.
02:09The first thing I noticed is that the Pixel 9 Pro XL doesn't tone down the highlights as good as
02:15the iPhone 16 Pro Max
02:16because the bright areas outside are overblown.
02:19Meanwhile, the iPhone manages to balance out the exposure between the shadows and highlights better.
02:24This mosaic in downtown Half Moon Bay has a ton of color, and when I look quickly, they look identical
02:31to me.
02:31But when I zoom into different parts of the photo, like the orange pumpkin in the lower bottom,
02:37the iPhone's brighter exposure gives it the extra pop that gets my attention.
02:41Even though it's not as apparent here, I notice that the Pixel 9 Pro XL tends to produce the most
02:46saturated colors between the two.
02:48I know it might be hard to see it, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL's ultrawide camera has a wider
02:54123 degree field of view,
02:55so you'll get more of the shot in frame versus the iPhone's 120 degree one.
03:00For this one, I like the Pixel more partly for how the colors pop and its stronger contrast.
03:05Both capture a lot of detail with the stained glass windows, but the iPhone's a tad softer with the details.
03:11Just look at the edges of the window frame and the siding of the church.
03:14These macro photos of this flower are dramatic.
03:17I can't believe how close I'm able to get with the respective macro modes, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max
03:23pulls up the better capture.
03:25I'm astounded by the amount of detail, including all the pollen around the petals and even the hidden spider right
03:32smack in the middle.
03:33The Pixel 9 Pro XL also captures a superb shot that's rich in detail, but it doesn't achieve the same
03:38level of definition.
03:39Plus, it's really heavy with the color saturation.
03:41The Pixel 9 Pro XL's Meteor 42 megapixel selfie is the clear winner in these selfie shots I captured of
03:48myself.
03:49Not only does this new autofocus camera have a wider 103 degree field of view that lets me fill out
03:55more of the scene,
03:55but it captures sharper details around my face, like my hairline, and yes, my wrinkles.
04:01The iPhone 16 Pro Max's 12 megapixel selfie camera isn't too shabby either, but the Pixel wins this one.
04:08One thing to note about taking portrait photos with the Pixel 9 Pro XL is that the minimum zoom is
04:131.5 times,
04:15while the iPhone 16 Pro Max can shoot them at one-time zoom.
04:18Both phones managed to capture my colleague Kate with plenty of crisp details, like the Apple Watch Series X on
04:24her wrist,
04:25but when I look around the edges of her face, I like how the iPhone casts the soft blur around
04:30the edges,
04:31whereas the Pixel doesn't have as much consistency, like how some parts of the edges are in focus and others
04:37are not.
04:37In true flagship form, they both feature dedicated telephoto cameras with 5x optical zooms.
04:43You'll be able to get closer to faraway objects than their main cameras without losing much 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,
04:57like the textures of the giant eye and the letters around it.
05:00I really love how these panoramas turned out.
05:02Most importantly, they managed to have a consistent exposure throughout the shot.
05:06Plus, they contain a lot of detail.
05:08There are ripples in the far background overlooking Half Moon Bay Beach,
05:12as well as the license plates of the cars on the left.
05:15The biggest difference for me, however, is how the iPhone 16 Pro Max's shots look brighter and more vivid.
05:21Since the bar at Half Moon Bay Brewery was already dark, I tried out the respective night modes on my
05:26lonely beer.
05:27They're mostly the same, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL's tendency for saturating the colors is pronounced here again,
05:33and there's this odd green tint to the reflecting area in the back.
05:37Switching it up, take a look at the shots from my backyard.
05:40The area around the tree and closed-off patio are just about pitch black,
05:44with my neighbor's floodlight in the far background being the strongest source of light.
05:49The iPhone shot is superior, not only for its brighter picture and vibrant colors,
05:53but also for the amount of detail captures with the tree and its branches.
05:57Look, there's just no stopping the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
06:01After cruising to the finish line against the Galaxy S24 Ultra,
06:05it also pushed ahead against the Pixel 9 Pro XL in this photo shootout.
06:09While the iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera performance is the clear winner here,
06:13I wouldn't count out on the Pixel just yet because I prefer how it has a richer camera experience,
06:18meaning it offers the manual controls I create for photography,
06:21along with the ability to auto-track subjects when I record video.
06:25There's also the AI-assisted tools that make it helpful, like Magic Editor and AdMe.
06:30Apple's still getting its feet wet with Apple Intelligence,
06:33so there's a long way to go before it can match the Pixel,
06:36but when it comes to purely camera performance, it can't be beat.
06:40Who do you think won this photo shootout?
06:42Let me know your thoughts and reasons in the comments below.
06:44Don't forget to watch the rest of our iPhone 16 coverage,
06:47including our full review from Mark as well as Kate's Apple Watch Series 10 review.
06:52Make sure to follow us on social at Tom's Guide,
06:54and as always, I'm John V, and I'll see you soon.
06:57We'll see you soon.
06:57.
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