Pre-orders for the new iPhone 16 series started Friday last week and this Friday the new Apple phones went on sale. The big question now is should you buy one? And if not, what then? Last week we focused on refurbished iPhones as an alternative. This week we will focus on what the Android world has to offer.
We start with Google. The Pixel 9 has a 6.3” OLED display, not an LTPO, but it does run at 120Hz (making the iPhone 16’s 60Hz display look ancient). The Tensor G4 is no match for the Apple A18 in general performance, but it handles Google’s AI features just fine – and those AI features are already working, while Apple is still playing catch-up. The phone has a 50MP main camera and a 48MP ultra wide, an upgrade that the iPhone 16 missed out on (it got a minor upgrade for its 12MP ultra wide).
The Pixel 9 has Satellite SOS (and so do the other 9-series models), but no general chats over satellite. However, with iOS 18, iPhones 14 and newer will be able to use the Messages app to chat with friends and family even outside of network coverage. This only works in the US and Canada, but we expect to see this feature expand to new regions next year.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro upgrades to a 6.3” LTPO panel with a higher pixel density, making it a better match for iPhone 16 Pro’s new 6.3” LTPO display. It has the 50MP main and 48MP ultra wide of the vanilla model (here matching 16 Pro’s new 48MP ultra wide), in addition to a 48MP 5x (113mm) periscope – giving it a leg up on Apple’s 12MP 5x (120mm) periscope. Also, the Pixel Pros have a new 48MP ultra wide (17mm) selfie camera – an upgrade that iPhones might get next year. Note what we said above about the Tensor G4 and the Satellite SOS.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL goes up against the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a 6.8” display. Accounting for the slightly different aspect ratios, the Pixel display is around 5% smaller by surface area. The rest is the same as the smaller Pro model and the same applies for the iPhone. One thing left to mention is that both Google and Apple boosted wired and wireless charge speeds this year. We have already tested the Pixels, expect results from the iPhones soon.
Apple doesn’t have a foldable yet, we just keep seeing rumors of delays. But Google does and the second generation makes some key usability upgrades. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 6.3” (20:9) cover display and an 8.0” inner display (both 120Hz, the inner one is LTPO). The 48+10+10MP triple camera isn’t as capable as on the other 9 Pros, but that’s a common issue with foldables. Still, like with AI, Google is ahead of the curve compared to Apple when it comes to new mobile form factors.
The Google Pixel 8a offers a relatively affordable alternative to the 9-series. However, a 9a is expected by the end of the year, so you might want to wait. The one major upgrade will be the more efficient Tensor G4 chipset as the G3 inside the Pixel 8a isn’t great. Still, this model will be supported for 7 years, so you can buy one now and not worry about changing phones until 2031.
Like Google, in fact, thanks to Google, Samsung launched Galaxy AI this year. It made its debut on the Galaxy S24 series and was rolled out to older models too. Also like Google, the Samsung is giving the S24 series 7 years of support.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 has a 6.2” 120Hz OLED display, finally, an LTPO panel. The camera setup hasn’t seen a major upgrade in a while and features a 50MP main, 10MP 3x (67mm) tele and 12MP ultra wide. There is no satellite connectivity here and charging is still done at 25W wired and 15W wireless.
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ has a 6.7” display, QHD+ LTPO (hurray!), and 45W charging for the battery. The camera is the same as on the small S24, though. Again, no satellite connectivity of any kind on the S24 series, so Samsung is behind on this front.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra seems to be the only one getting camera upgrades. It features a 200MP main sensor, two telephoto modules (50MP 5x 111mm periscope and 10MP 3x 67mm), plus a 12MP ultra wide. The S Pen is unique to the S Ultra series and turns the 6.8” LTPO OLED display into a canvas for notes and sketches.
OnePlus will be launching a new flagship soon, but a brief mention of the OnePlus 12 is warranted – it’s a relatively cheap phone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and a 6.82” QHD+ LTPO display. And the 50MP main is accompanied by a 64MP 3x (70mm) tele and 48MP ultra wide. Plus, the large 5,400mAh battery supports 80W wired charging and 50W wireless.
The OnePlus 12R is even cheaper and combines the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with a 6.78” LTPO display. The camera is somewhat basic with a 50MP main, 8MP ultra wide and no tele. The 5,500mAh battery only supports 80W wired charging, no wireless. Also note the low water resistance rating, IP64.
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