Which phone has better performance, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max or the Google Pixel 9a?

In this performance comparison, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max with its A18 Pro (3nm) performs better than the Google Pixel 9a with the Tensor G4 (4nm), thanks to superior chipset efficiency.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 9a – Price, Specs & Features

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max alternatives

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Google Pixel 9a alternatives

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iQOO 13

Vivo V40 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

Honor 200 Pro

OnePlus 13s

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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

A18 Pro
3 nm
4676 mAh
45W
6.9"
1320 x 2868 pixels
48 MP
4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps
Specs

Google Pixel 9a

Tensor G4
4 nm
5100 mAh
23W
6.3"
1080 x 2424 pixels
48 MP
4K@30/60fps
Specs

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Comparison & Specs

Google Pixel 9a

General

Launch Date

September 09, 2024

March 19, 2025

Availability

Available Now

iOS 18

Android 15

OS Updates

7 Years

Security Updates

7 Years

AI Features

Apple Intelligence

Gemini Integration, Magic Editor, Best Take, Magic Eraser, Audio Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Add Me, Call Assist Suite, Circle to Search, Live Translate, Pixel Studio and more

Body

Dimensions

163 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm

154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm

Thickness

8.3 mm

8.9 mm

Weight

227 g

186 g

Back Material

Gorilla Glass

Build Details

Titanium Frame (grade 5)

Aluminum Frame, Plastic Back

IP Rating

IP68 (up to 6m for 30 min)

IP68 (dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min))

Display

Size

6.9 inches

6.3 inches

Type

LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Always-On display

P-OLED, HDR, Always-on display

Refresh Rate

120 Hz

Peak Brightness

2000 nits

2700 nits

Resolution

1320 x 2868 pixels

1080 x 2424 pixels

Pixel Density

460 ppi

422 ppi

Aspect Ratio

19.5:9

20:9

Screen to Body Ratio

91.4 %

83.5 %

Protection

Gorilla Glass

Gorilla Glass 3

Performance

Chipset¹

Apple A18 Pro

Google Tensor G4

Process Size

3 nm

4 nm

CPU

Hexa-core

Octa-core
1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4
3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720
4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A520

GPU

Apple GPU (6-core graphics)

Mali-G715 MP7

RAM & Storage

8GB 256GB (NVMe)
8GB 512GB (NVMe)
8GB 1024GB (NVMe)

8GB 128GB (UFS 3.1)
8GB 256GB (UFS 3.1)

RAM Type

LPDDR5X

Expandable Memory

Camera

Main Camera

48 MP
f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS

12 MP
f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 5x optical zoom

48 MP
f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 0.7µm, PDAF
TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)

48 MP
f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

13 MP
f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm

OIS

Yes

Features

Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)

Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra HDR, panorama, Best Take

Video Recording

4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps
1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps

4K@30/60fps
1080p@30/60/120/240fps

Video Recording Features

10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, 3D (spatial) video/audio, stereo sound rec.

Selfie Camera

12 MP
f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS
SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)

13 MP
f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm

Selfie Features

HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec.

HDR, panorama

Selfie Video Recording

4K@24/25/30/60fps
1080p@25/30/60/120fps

4K@30fps
1080p@30fps

Connectivity

SIM

Dual SIM, GSM+GSM
SIM1: Nano, SIM2: eSIM

Dual SIM
SIM1: Nano, SIM2: eSIM

SIM 1

26 5G Bands

FDD: N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N12, N14, N20, N25, N26, N28, N30, N66
TDD: N38, N40, N41, N48, N53, N70, N71, N75, N76, N77, N78, N79

18 5G Bands

FDD: N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N12, N20, N26, N28
TDD: N38, N40, N41, N66, N75, N77, N78, N79

SIM 2

26 5G Bands

FDD: N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N12, N14, N20, N25, N26, N28, N30, N66
TDD: N38, N40, N41, N48, N53, N70, N71, N75, N76, N77, N78, N79

18 5G Bands

FDD: N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N12, N20, N26, N28
TDD: N38, N40, N41, N66, N75, N77, N78, N79

VoLTE

Yes

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi Details

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/be/ax 5GHz 6GHz, MIMO

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 5GHz 6GHz, MIMO

Wi-Fi Features

Mobile Hotspot

USB

USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort

USB Type-C 3.2

Bluetooth

5.3

NFC

Yes

GPS

Yes with A-GPS, Glonass

Infrared

Yes

UWB (Ultra Wideband)

Yes

Battery

Capacity

4676 mAh

5100 mAh

Type

Li-Ion

Li-Po

Removable

Wired charging

45W

23W

Charging Speed

50% in 30 min

Wireless Charging

25W

Reverse Wireless Charging

Charger in the Box

Sound

Stereo Speakers

Yes

3.5mm Headphone Jack

FM Radio

Extra Features

Sensors

Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Under-display optical fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer

Others

Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite

Colors and Pricing

Colors

Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium

Iris, Porcelain, Obsidian

Price in India

₹134900

₹49999

FAQs

Which phone has better performance?

In this performance comparison, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max with its Apple A18 Pro (3nm) performs better than the Google Pixel 9a with the Google Tensor G4 (4nm), thanks to superior chipset efficiency.

Which phone offers longer software support?

Both Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9a offer the same software support — 7 years of OS updates and 7 years of security updates.

Which phone has a better display?

Both Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9a feature AMOLED displays, offering vibrant colors and deeper blacks. Both smartphones offer the same 120 Hz refresh rate. Google Pixel 9a also boasts a brighter screen with 2700 nits of peak brightness, enhancing outdoor visibility. Notably, Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max offers a higher screen resolution, resulting in sharper visuals and more detailed content.

Which phone has a bigger battery and faster charging?

Google Pixel 9a features a larger 5100 mAh battery, potentially delivering better battery life. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max also supports faster wired charging at 45W, compared to 23W on Google Pixel 9a. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max offers faster wireless charging at 25W, while Google Pixel 9a supports 5W.

Which phone has better water and dust resistance?

Both phones feature the same IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

Can I buy these phones on Amazon?

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max – Check price here

¹ Scores can vary even with the same chipset due to RAM, thermals, and software optimization.