Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Verdict
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max scores higher in 2 of 6 sections (performance and battery), while the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL 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 XL.
Choose the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max for performance and battery; choose the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL for design & durability.
- iPhone 18 Pro Max leads in 7 fields
- Pixel 9 Pro XL leads in 7 fields
- 27 ties
41 scored fields compared
Score by section
| Section scores | iPhone 18 Pro Max | Pixel 9 Pro XL |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Performance | 99 | 72 |
| Camera | 95 | 97 |
| Battery | 91 | 76 |
| Display | 96 | 96 |
| Design & durability | 76 | 81 |
| Connectivity & features | 84 | 84 |
Full specifications
Performance
- Chipset performance index
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 100/100(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 62/100
- Chipset
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Apple A20 Pro
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Google Tensor G4
- RAM (max)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 12 GB
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 16 GB(Better)
- Storage (max)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 2 TB
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 1 TB
- Process node
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 2 nm
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 4 nm
Camera
- Main camera resolution
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 48 MP
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 50 MP
- Main sensor size
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 1/1.28″(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 1/1.31″
- Optical stabilization (OIS)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Ultra-wide camera
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Telephoto camera
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Periscope lens
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Optical zoom
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 4×
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 5×(Better)
- Video recording
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 4K 120 fps
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 8K
- Front camera
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 18 MP
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 42 MP(Better)
- Front camera 4K video
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
Battery
- Battery capacity
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 5391 mAh(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 5060 mAh
- Battery endurance (EU label)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 62:00 h(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 49:30 h
- EU label cycles
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 1000
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 1000
- Wired charging
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Unknown
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 37 W
- Wireless charging
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 25 W(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 23 W
- Reverse charging
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Reverse charging type
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Wired
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Wireless
Display
- Screen size
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 6.9″
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 6.8″
- Panel type
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: LTPO OLED
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: LTPO OLED
- Refresh rate
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 120 Hz
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 120 Hz
- Pixel density
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 460 ppi
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 486 ppi
- Peak brightness
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 3000 nits
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 3000 nits
- Resolution
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 1320x2868
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 1344x2992
- Screen protection
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Ceramic Shield 2
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Design & durability
- Weight
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 249 g
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 221 g(Better)
- Thickness
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 8.8 mm
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 8.5 mm(Better)
- Dust & water resistance
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: IP68
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: IP68
- Back material
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Aluminum
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Glass
- Frame material
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Aluminum
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Aluminum
- EU repairability class
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: C
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: C
- EU drop resistance class
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: B
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: A(Better)
- EU energy class
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: A
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: B
Connectivity & features
- 5G
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Wi-Fi
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Wi-Fi 7
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 6.0(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 5.3
- USB speed
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: USB 3.x
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: USB 3.x
- USB port
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: USB-C 3.2
- DisplayPort output
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: No
- NFC
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- eSIM
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Ultra-wideband (UWB)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Satellite connectivity
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- Stereo speakers
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Yes
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: No
- Fingerprint reader
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: None
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Under display (ultrasonic)(Better)
- 3D face unlock
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Yes(Better)
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: No
- Infrared blaster
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: No
- FM radio
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: No
- microSD slot
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: No
- Card slot
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: No
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: No
General
- Operating system
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: iOS 27
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: Android 14
- OS updates (major versions)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Unknown
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 7
- Launch price
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: $ 1,549.00
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: $ 449.00
- Year
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 2026
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 2024
Show raw spec textHide raw spec text
Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.
| — | iPhone 18 Pro Max | Pixel 9 Pro XL |
|---|---|---|
| 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 - GGX8B 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 - GZC4K |
| 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 - GGX8B 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 - GZC4K |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2026, September 09 | 2024, August 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2026, September 18 | Available. Released 2024, August 22 |
| Body | ||
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) | 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm (6.41 x 3.02 x 0.33 in) |
| Weight | 249 g (8.78 oz) | 221 g (7.80 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) | 6.8 inches, 109.7 cm2 (~88.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1320 x 2868 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1344 x 2992 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~486 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 5060 mAh |
| Charging | Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 15 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired | 37W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 70% in 30 min 23W 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 | GGX8B, GZC4K, GQ57S |
| Price | $ 1,549.00 / € 1,599.00 / £ 1,299.00 / ₹ 179,900 | $ 449.00 / € 540.90 / £ 399.99 |
| SAR EU | – | 0.99 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) |
| EU LABEL | ||
| Energy | Class A | Class B |
| Battery | 62:00h endurance, 1000 cycles | 49:30h endurance, 1000 cycles |
| Free fall | Class B (180 falls) | Class A (270 falls) |
| Repairability | Class C | Class C |