Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 16 range with baked-in AI functionality, but it’s the top-of-the-line smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 9?
Straight up, the iPhone 16 comes in more variants than Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S24. There’s a base model, 16 Plus, Pro and Pro Max, so that’s four options compared to the S24’s base model, S24+ and S24 Ultra. Google’s flagship Pixel 9, however, also comes in four models, including the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which, as the name suggests, folds into an 8-inch full-screen OLED display.
AI: iPhone 16 v Pixel 9 v Galaxy S24
Let’s start with the AI capabilities. Unveiling of Apple Intelligence was a central focus of Monday’s Apple event. Partly used OpenAIof ChatGPT, the voice assistant will bring an AI boost to Siri, as well as integration with Apple’s email and note-taking apps and other places where users can input text.
Apple Intelligence also surfaces in the Camera app and Photo Gallery: create custom movies by typing descriptions using the new Clean Up tool, searching for photos using natural language, finding specific moments in videos, and removing background objects without affecting the subject.
Google’s Pixel 9, with its Tensor G4 processor and 12GB of RAM, is also heavily focused on AI, particularly in photography and personalization. The new Magic Editor allows users to perform complex image editing with simple commands, while features such as Magic Eraser and Face Unblur advance from the previous model. Pixel’s AI enhances video by enabling astrophotography and timelapse modes along with cinematic blur effects.
Samsung’s Galaxy S24, powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, also offers AI enhancements, especially in the camera department. Samsung’s AI-powered photo editing allows for intelligent color optimization, flaw detection and AI-powered generative editing. However, in terms of raw AI power, Samsung seems to be a step behind both Apple and Google.
Cameras and Photography: The Megapixel Race
Apple’s iPhone 16 has introduced a 48MP fusion camera with a 12MP ultra wide lens. The Fusion system allows for 2x telephoto capabilities, and new features like spatial photo and video capture bring Apple’s imaging capabilities closer to professional levels. Google’s Pixel 9 continues its focus on computational photography, with a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP wide lens and a 48MP ultrawide lens with macro focus. 8x Super Race of Pixel Zoom in And Night Sight modes still stand out in low-light photography, while its 10.5MP selfie camera comes with autofocus, which brings more depth to portraits.
On the other hand, Samsung opts for a more traditional camera system with its 50MP wide camera, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom. The S24 Ultra outshines its competitors with a 200MP main camera with an impressive 10MP telephoto lens with 10x zoom. In terms of raw megapixel count, Samsung leads the race, but Apple and Google win by offering unique AI-assisted photo features.
Display: Brightness Wars
Apple’s iPhone 16 and 16 Plus come with a Super Retina XDR display, capable of peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits outdoors. Google’s Pixel 9, however, beats Apple with its Actua OLED display, which reaches 2,700 nits of brightness and HDR support. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 lineup is slightly behind with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, though all three brands offer OLED technology with higher resolutions and refresh rates.
When it comes to adaptive refresh rates, the iPhone 16 has a 60-120Hz range, similar to Google’s Pixel 9. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 models, however, support a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, allowing for smoother motion and greater power efficiency when needed. During static content. In everyday use, the differences may be negligible, but Samsung’s better control may provide an edge in battery life.
What about display size? The iPhone 16’s entry-level screen is 6.1-inches, which is slightly smaller than the Pixel 9’s 6.3 and the S24’s 6.2. The Pro Max, however, comes in at 6.9-inches, beating the Pixel 9 Pro Max’s 6.7 and the S24 Ultra’s 6.8.
Performance: Chips, Power and Battery Life
Apple’s new A18 chip powers the iPhone 16, offering performance that it claims does justice to the demands of AAA games, enhanced by Apple Intelligence to handle tasks across the device. Google’s Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9 is also designed with AI at its core, though its past iterations haven’t fared well in benchmarks compared to Apple’s A-series chips. Samsung’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor is also designed for high-end gaming and multitasking, which it potentially offers. Best benchmark performance Of the three
Apple claims the iPhone 16 offers a “huge increase in battery life” thanks to its internal design improvements and the efficiency of the A18 chip, but hasn’t shared specific battery capacity figures (other than up to 22 hours of video playback on a full charge).
Google’s Pixel 9 has a 4,700mAh battery, which promises more than 24 hours of use, and an extreme battery saver mode that extends life to 100 hours. Meanwhile, Samsung’s S24 comes with a smaller 4,000mAh battery, but the S24 Ultra boosts this to 5,000mAh, slightly edging out the Pixel 9 Pro XL in raw battery size.
When it comes to RAM or the smartphone’s short-term memory, the entry-level iPhone 16 only has 8GB, as does the S24, compared to 12GB for Google’s entry-level flagship model. Still, an upgrade from the iPhone 15 Pro’s 6GB.
Price and Availability
Apple’s iPhone 16 starts at $899, while the base Google Pixel 9 starts at $799, but the iPhone Pro Max model starts at $1,799 (for the 256GB version) compared to $1,799 for Google’s Pro Fold model. However, it must be noted that the Pro Fold, being Google’s second foldable phone, has an 8-inch fold out display in addition to its external 6.3-inch screen. Samsung matches Google with the Galaxy S24 at $799, while its top-tier Ultra model goes for $1,659.
All four new iPhone 16 models are now available for pre-order ahead of the September 20 release date. The Pixel 9 is available from August 22, while Samsung’s Galaxy S24 is available on January 31, 2024.
Newsweek Apple and Google have been emailed for comment, and Samsung has been emailed via the media contact form.
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