Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 9 Pro
Verdict
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max scores higher in 2 of 6 sections (performance and battery), while the Google Pixel 9 Pro leads in design & durability; they are even on camera, display and connectivity & features.
The biggest difference is performance: 99 vs 72 points.
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max is the newer model, announced 25 months after the Google Pixel 9 Pro.
Choose the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max for performance and battery; choose the Google Pixel 9 Pro for design & durability.
- iPhone 18 Pro Max leads in 7 fields
- Pixel 9 Pro leads in 7 fields
- 27 ties
41 scored fields compared
Score by section
| Section scores | iPhone 18 Pro Max | Pixel 9 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Performance | 99 | 72 |
| Camera | 95 | 97 |
| Battery | 91 | 71 |
| Display | 96 | 96 |
| Design & durability | 76 | 83 |
| Connectivity & features | 84 | 84 |
Full specifications
Performance
- Chipset performance index
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 100/100(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro: 62/100
- Chipset
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Apple A20 Pro
- Pixel 9 Pro: Google Tensor G4
- RAM (max)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 12 GB
- Pixel 9 Pro: 16 GB(Better)
- Storage (max)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 2 TB
- Pixel 9 Pro: 1 TB
- Process node
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 2 nm
- Pixel 9 Pro: 4 nm
Camera
- Main camera resolution
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 48 MP
- Pixel 9 Pro: 50 MP
- Main sensor size
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 1/1.28″(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro: 1/1.31″
- Optical stabilization (OIS)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Ultra-wide camera
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Telephoto camera
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Periscope lens
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Optical zoom
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 4×
- Pixel 9 Pro: 5×(Better)
- Video recording
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 4K 120 fps
- Pixel 9 Pro: 8K
- Front camera
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 18 MP
- Pixel 9 Pro: 42 MP(Better)
- Front camera 4K video
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
Battery
- Battery capacity
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 5391 mAh(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro: 4700 mAh
- Battery endurance (EU label)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 62:00 h(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro: 50:44 h
- EU label cycles
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 1000
- Pixel 9 Pro: 1000
- Wired charging
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Unknown
- Pixel 9 Pro: 27 W
- Wireless charging
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 25 W(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro: 21 W
- Reverse charging
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Reverse charging type
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Wired
- Pixel 9 Pro: Wireless
Display
- Screen size
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 6.9″
- Pixel 9 Pro: 6.3″
- Panel type
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: LTPO OLED
- Pixel 9 Pro: LTPO OLED
- Refresh rate
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 120 Hz
- Pixel 9 Pro: 120 Hz
- Pixel density
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 460 ppi
- Pixel 9 Pro: 495 ppi
- Peak brightness
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 3000 nits
- Pixel 9 Pro: 3000 nits
- Resolution
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 1320x2868
- Pixel 9 Pro: 1280x2856
- Screen protection
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Ceramic Shield 2
- Pixel 9 Pro: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Design & durability
- Weight
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 249 g
- Pixel 9 Pro: 199 g(Better)
- Thickness
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 8.8 mm
- Pixel 9 Pro: 8.5 mm(Better)
- Dust & water resistance
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: IP68
- Pixel 9 Pro: IP68
- Back material
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Aluminum
- Pixel 9 Pro: Glass
- Frame material
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Aluminum
- Pixel 9 Pro: Aluminum
- EU repairability class
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: C
- Pixel 9 Pro: C
- EU drop resistance class
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: B
- Pixel 9 Pro: A(Better)
- EU energy class
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: A
- Pixel 9 Pro: A
Connectivity & features
- 5G
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Wi-Fi
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Wi-Fi 7
- Pixel 9 Pro: Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 6.0(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro: 5.3
- USB speed
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: USB 3.x
- Pixel 9 Pro: USB 3.x
- USB port
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
- Pixel 9 Pro: USB-C 3.2
- DisplayPort output
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: No
- NFC
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- eSIM
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Ultra-wideband (UWB)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Satellite connectivity
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- Stereo speakers
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro: Yes
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro: No
- Fingerprint reader
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: None
- Pixel 9 Pro: Under display (ultrasonic)(Better)
- 3D face unlock
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro: No
- Infrared blaster
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro: No
- FM radio
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro: No
- microSD slot
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro: No
- Card slot
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro: No
General
- Operating system
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: iOS 27
- Pixel 9 Pro: Android 14
- OS updates (major versions)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Unknown
- Pixel 9 Pro: 7
- Launch price
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: $ 1,549.00
- Pixel 9 Pro: $ 354.99
- Year
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 2026
- Pixel 9 Pro: 2024
Show raw spec textHide raw spec text
Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.
| — | iPhone 18 Pro Max | Pixel 9 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Network | ||
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 106 - A3717 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3473 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71, 106 - A3716 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 106 - A3718 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - GR83Y 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71, 75 - GEC77 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3717 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - A3473 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3716 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3718 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - GR83Y 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GEC77 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2026, September 09 | 2024, August 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2026, September 18 | Available. Released 2024, September 09 |
| Body | ||
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) | 152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm (6.02 x 2.83 x 0.33 in) |
| Weight | 249 g (8.78 oz) | 199 g (7.02 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), aluminum frame, aluminum back/ glass back (Ceramic Shield) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International) · eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA) · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; China) IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min) | Nano-SIM + eSIM IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Display | ||
| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) | LTPO OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2000 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 115.6 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.3 inches, 96.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1320 x 2868 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1280 x 2856 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~495 ppi density) |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield 2 Anti-reflective coating | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Platform | ||
| OS | iOS 27, upgradable to iOS 27.2 | Android 14, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates |
| Chipset | Apple A20 Pro (2 nm) | Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x4.93 GHz + 4x2.64 GHz) | Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.92 GHz Cortex-A520) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (7-core graphics) | Mali-G715 MC7 |
| Memory | ||
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM, 2TB 12GB RAM NVMe | 128GB 16GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM UFS 3.1 |
| Main Camera | ||
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.5-4.0, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS (gen2) 48 MP, f/2.8, 100mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 4x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) | 50 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/2.8, 113mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/1.7, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), Cinematic from regular video | Multi-zone Laser AF, LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra-HDR, panorama, Best Take, Zoom Enhance |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 120fps), ProRes, ProRes RAW (up to 120fps), Apple Log 2, 3D (spatial) video/audio, stereo sound rec. | 8K@30fps (via cloud-based upscaling), 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR |
| Selfie camera | ||
| Single | 18 MP multi-aspect, f/1.9, 20mm (ultrawide), PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 42 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide), PDAF |
| Features | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec., ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2 | HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Sound | ||
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| Comms | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band |
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2 |
| Features | ||
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip) Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, thermometer (skin temperature) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Satellite SOS service |
| Battery | ||
| Type | Market-dependent versions: · Li-Ion 5391 mAh - Nano SIM model · Li-Ion 5567 mAh - eSIM only model | Li-Ion 4700 mAh |
| Charging | Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 15 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired | 27W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 55% in 30 min 21W wireless (w/ Pixel Stand) 12W wireless (w/ Qi compatible charger) Reverse wireless Bypass charging |
| Misc | ||
| Colors | Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy | Porcelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, Obsidian |
| Models | A3717, A3473, A3716, A3718, iPhone19,3 | GR83Y, GEC77, GWVK6 |
| Price | $ 1,549.00 / € 1,599.00 / £ 1,299.00 / ₹ 179,900 | $ 354.99 / € 522.99 / £ 389.89 |
| SAR EU | – | 0.99 W/kg (head) 1.37 W/kg (body) |
| EU LABEL | ||
| Energy | Class A | Class A |
| Battery | 62:00h endurance, 1000 cycles | 50:44h endurance, 1000 cycles |
| Free fall | Class B (180 falls) | Class A (270 falls) |
| Repairability | Class C | Class C |