We're comparing 200 photos taken on the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max to definitely say which flagship is better for photography. Both phones have triple camera systems complete with telephoto cameras with 5x optical zoom. After taking all the photos, we preview them on a monitor to see them side-by-side to pixel peep every detail. This is Photo Shoot|out!
#pixel9proxl #iphone15promax #photoshootout
#pixel9proxl #iphone15promax #photoshootout
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TechTranscript
00:00Nothing has yet to top the iPhone 15 Pro Max when it comes to photography despite new flagships
00:05coming out.
00:06The latest challenger to the throne is none other than the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL which
00:10is backed by new cameras and features that aims to make it one of the best camera phones
00:14around.
00:15This is 200 photos with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and the iPhone 15 Pro Max to once and
00:20for all declare which is the better one.
00:23A while back I compared the Pixel 8 Pro against the iPhone 15 Pro Max only to find it was
00:27an easy win for Apple.
00:29With its 50MP main camera, 48MP ultra wide, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and
00:35a 42MP autofocus selfie shooter, is the Pixel 9 Pro XL ready to take on the iPhone 15 Pro
00:41Max with its 48MP main snapper, 12MP ultra wide, 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom,
00:49and a 12MP selfie cam?
00:51This time my colleagues and I collaborated to shoot all 200 photos with both phones in
00:55hand.
00:56Let's get started.
00:58Starting off with the main cameras, these photos look pretty similar here at the park.
01:02Overall I think they do an excellent job with the contrast of the light and shaded areas.
01:07But it's only when I zoom into the photos that I see that the iPhone 15 Pro Max pulling
01:11in this slightly sharper image.
01:13It's only noticeable with the leaves around the bench in the foreground.
01:16It's a close one but the iPhone 15 Pro Max takes the early lead.
01:20Next up let's take a look at their ultra wide cameras.
01:22I do want to point out that the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a wider 123 degree field of view while
01:27the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 120 degree one.
01:32That's why you see more of the church and the surrounding area with the shot taken with
01:35the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
01:37And adding to that is the superior dynamic range performance of the Pixel 9 Pro XL which
01:41better gives the church that epic glow with the sun behind it.
01:44The Pixel 9 Pro XL looks more majestic and gets my pick.
01:49Speaking of dynamic range the Pixel 9 Pro XL more often than not delivers the better
01:53performance.
01:54The green bush has the same brilliant glow as the church shot from before all while neutralizing
01:59the exposure throughout the scene.
02:00I can tell that the highlights with the iPhone 15 Pro Max are a little overexposed.
02:05The Pixel 9 Pro has more balanced lighting and it gets its first lead.
02:09What about color reproduction?
02:10Oddly enough the iPhone 15 Pro Max boosts the exposure in these shots resulting in the
02:15colors coming out more eye catching and vibrant.
02:18The Pixel 9 Pro XL's colors are just as pleasant but they just look more subdued compared to
02:23the iPhone's bolder colors.
02:25Tying things up the iPhone 15 Pro Max has the punchier colors that I think most people
02:29would prefer.
02:30Now let's check out their macro photos.
02:33Macro mode automatically kicks in whenever both phones get super close to the subject.
02:38Between the two I'm giving it to the iPhone 15 Pro Max because it produces the brighter
02:43image with more definition in the details.
02:45It's hard to see unless you zoom in tightly into the petals around the flower.
02:48It's a close one but the iPhone 15 Pro Max takes the slightly better macros.
02:53Moving on to selfies here are a few that my colleague Richard shot of himself with both
02:57front facing cameras.
02:58As you can probably tell both had a tough time with his glasses but I'm actually shocked
03:02by how the other results are almost identical.
03:04You'd think that the 42MP selfie camera of the Pixel 9 Pro XL would draw out more detail
03:10But the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 12MP TrueDepth cam does just as good of a job at capturing
03:15all the details like his scruff and the hairline.
03:18The only reason I'm giving it to the iPhone is because of how the background is brighter
03:22and produces those spherical bokeh balls.
03:25Now let's check out their panoramas.
03:27This one's easy because of the iPhone 15 Pro Max's brighter image.
03:31Both phones make it easy to capture panoramas which are both filled with excellent detail
03:35all around.
03:36You can even make out the individual planks on the benches snaking throughout the shot.
03:40In the building in the background the iPhone does a better job boosting the shadowed areas.
03:44With its better exposure in the shadows the iPhone 15 Pro Max is starting to pull away
03:48with its lead.
03:50One of the reasons why you'd buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max is because of its 5x optical zoom
03:55lens.
03:56So let's see how it stacks up against the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
03:59The great thing about both phones is that they do an excellent job at getting you closer
04:03to your subjects thanks to their dedicated telephoto cameras with 5x optical zoom.
04:08Although I'm calling it a tie here with these shots of the street sign.
04:12On one hand I love how the Pixel 9 Pro XL produces a brighter image but the iPhone 15
04:17Pro Max has better sharpness.
04:19Obviously it'll come down to personal preference but I think they both take excellent photos.
04:24Taking it a step further let's take a look at their maximum zoom range.
04:27We captured these photos using their max zooms 30x with the Pixel 9 Pro XL and 25x for the
04:33iPhone 15 Pro Max.
04:35There's clearly more softening as a result which is typical at this range but I'm going
04:39to give it to the iPhone here.
04:41Both phones capture the textures of the bricks and stairs but if we zoom into the sign itself
04:46the iPhone 15 Pro Max clearly captures better definition with the city of Westminster sign.
04:52Even though the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has the further reach the iPhone 15 Pro Max consistently
04:57takes the sharper images.
05:00What about when things get darker?
05:02I'm really surprised by this one given how the iPhone 15 Pro Max did better at low light
05:06against the Pixel 8 Pro when I tested them.
05:09This time it's the opposite with the Pixel 9 Pro XL delivering the brighter image with
05:12night sight.
05:13The room's almost pitch dark in these shots but yet the Pixel 9 Pro XL makes it look like
05:18there's some ambient light hitting the plants on the shelves.
05:21I will say that they both capture fine details like the textures of the walls and wooden
05:25shelves but it's just the boost in exposure that pulls the Pixel ahead.
05:29Google wasn't bluffing when they said that the Pixel 9 Pro was going to be a champ in
05:32low light and that's definitely a strong win here.
05:38I'll hand it to Google for all the camera improvements with the Pixel 9 Pro XL but it
05:42still can't match the overall performance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
05:46I will say that I'm not surprised by how much better it handles low light which is one clear
05:50area where the iPhone 15 Pro Max was better at than last year's Pixel 8 Pro.
05:55It's a win yet again for Apple which goes to show why it's the best phone for photography.
06:00What do you guys think?
06:01Let me know in the comments below.
06:02Make sure to watch all our videos on the Pixel 9 on our channel, follow us on social at Tom's
06:07Guide.
06:08I'm John B. and I'll see you in my next video.
06:11Yeah look at that bush.