Google Pixel 9 vs iPhone 15: Which is a better flagship phone for Rs 80,000

Pixel 9 vs iPhone 15: Google Pixel 9 debuted earlier this month with more advanced generative artificial intelligence (AI) features and a higher price tag of Rs 79,999. It is the most expensive vanilla Pixel to date, but the cheapest in the new Pixel 9 family. Google has introduced new AI-powered features such as Add Me to make the Pixel 9 more enticing, especially ahead of the debut of the iPhone 16 devices that will come with Apple Intelligence out of the box. 

Their launch is a few days away, so if you are in the market looking for a flagship phone around Rs 80,000, last year’s iPhone 15 is among the few options. But should you buy the iPhone 15 now, and is it a better phone than the Pixel 9?

The iPhone 15 and Pixel 9 are among the best smartphones in their price segment. They come with top-notch chipsets, cameras, and under-the-hood technologies to enhance the smartphone experience. While one of the most-striking differences between them is their operating systems, the availability of generative AI features on each could impact their appeal to customers willing to spend around Rs 80,000. 

The Pixel 9 has the latest Gen AI features, including Add Me that lets you add people to a photo after it has been taken. On the other hand, the iPhone 15 not only lacks Apple’s upcoming AI tools, called Apple Intelligence, but it will also not be eligible to run Apple Intelligence due to hardware constraints. Apple says Apple Intelligence will support devices with at least 8GB of RAM, and since the iPhone 15 has only 6GB, it will be excluded from the list of supported devices. That means if generative AI features are one of the must-haves in your next phone, the iPhone 15 is not for you. It is still among the best smartphones, but it is not for you in this case. The Pixel 9 will be the better option.

Specifications-wise, the Pixel 9 has a better display than the iPhone 15. Its 6.3-inch OLED supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate, while also offering support for HDR10 and a peak brightness of 2100 nits. On the other hand, the iPhone 15 boasts a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR Display, which uses an OLED panel, stuck at 60Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2000 nits. 

The iPhone 15, however, has the Dynamic Island functionality that offers interactive retractable widgets for different functionalities of native and third-party apps. The iPhone 15 also supports more than six years of iOS version updates, while Google guarantees seven years of Android version upgrades. Performance on the Pixel 9, however, may not be on par with that of the iPhone 15. It uses the latest Tensor G4 chipset compared with the A16 Bionic chip that powers the iPhone 15.

While the camera performance of both phones may be more or less the same, the availability of generative AI features on the Pixel 9 makes it a better option. You could use the Magic Editor in Pixel 9’s Photos app to edit photos to remove or add people, change the background, and even add different elements generated using generative AI. The iPhone 15 does not let you do that, but its cameras can great photographs while its ability to record professional-level videos is one of the selling points.

The bottom line is that the Pixel 9 is a better option for you if you want AI in your phone, along with a better display and the latest smartphone features. The iPhone 15 is good for recording videos and faster than the Pixel 9 but lacks the bells and whistles you may expect for Rs 80,000.