Owning iOS and Android respectively, Apple and Google devices hold a special place in the smartphone world.

Both the iPhone 16 Pro and the Google Pixel 9 Pro combine the latest iOS and Android features with great specs. But how will they stand up against each other? Here is what we know so far about both devices.

Aside from the SE device, all but one iPhone released in the past decade has arrived in September (the iPhone 12 was delayed a month into 2020 due to supply chain issues with the coronavirus), and the iPhone 16 Pro will almost certainly continue that trend It seems likely.

As for pricing, we expect Apple to keep the price at $999 and up. Psychologically speaking, going into four figures seems like a very big deal, but I am not sure Apple is ready to do that.

Google's Pixel phones, on the other hand, tend to arrive a month later, in October. The same logic applies to price: Google could raise the price of the Pixel 8 Pro from its current $999, but it would push it into the four figures, which it hopes will be a deterrent. In fact, if Google chooses to keep the rumored 6.7-inch XL model under $1,000, the 6.1-inch Pixel 9 Pro could be even cheaper.

Early renderings of the iPhone 16 Pro look quite similar to the last few generations, except for the appearance of a Capture button for instant photos, but it is reportedly larger. after years of 6.1-inch displays, Apple now appears to be going up to 6.3 inch, and it appears to be upping the size to 6.3 inches. This would bring the frame to 149.6 x 71.45 x 8.4 mm, which does not appear to be much different from the 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3 mm size of the iPhone 15 Pro.

Resolution is still unknown, but the same LTPO OLED panel is expected to be used, capable of 1-120 Hz refresh.

The Pixel 8 Pro was 6.7", and it appears that Google will now emulate Apple with two models, the Pixel 9 Pro with a 6.1" screen and the XL model with a 6.7" panel. if the 6.1" model maintains the current Pro's 1440p output, it is quite possibility of looking sharper, but it is also possible that Google will drop the resolution to compensate.

It also appears that Google may adjust the iconic camera visor that extends along the back of the phone. It will now appear to be a small oval that houses the camera, making the phone look less like the characters in "Among Us."

For the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple is expected to introduce the A18 Pro chipset, a 3nm manufacturing process that should improve both performance and efficiency. In fact, one leaker expects the iPhone 16 Pro to beat some MacBooks in terms of performance, with Geekbench scores reported in the 3,500 (single-core) and 8,200 (multi-core) areas.

The Google Pixel's Tensor chipset is by no means a disappointment in everyday use, but in terms of raw performance it has lagged somewhat behind its Qualcomm and Apple rivals. With the Tensor G4, however, both power and efficiency could be greatly improved. The chip will apparently be manufactured in the same 4nm process as the Exynos 2400 chip used in the Samsung Galaxy S24 outside the US.

How much of an improvement remains to be seen, but one purported benchmark showed a single-core score of 1,082 and a multi-core score of 3,121, which is clearly underwhelming.

But there are plenty of reasons not to despair at that. First, this is Geekbench 5, not the current Geekbench 6 (according to CEO Jim Poole, the scores are not comparable). Second, the hardware has been on the market for six months, plenty of time for optimization. Third, Geekbench scores can be easily spoofed, so this may simply be a hoax.

In any case, there is more to a processor than pure power, and the Tensor G4 could significantly improve AI performance. Google is no stranger to artificial intelligence, offering its Magic Editor, an AI-assisted media editor that can edit media to perfection.

However, Apple plans to follow suit by offering on-device AI in iOS 18. In other words, the iPhone 16 Pro will have no shortage of AI features.

The Pro iPhone's camera layout could see some major changes this year. iPhone 16 Pro will not only feature the 5x tetra prism telephoto lens that debuted on last year's iPhone 15 Pro Max, but also a 12MP ultra-wide lens with a 48 MP sensor, and there is talk of an upgrade to a 48 MP sensor.

Pixel phones have always outperformed the specs in terms of photo quality, thanks to Google's superior image processing, and MySmartPrice suggests that "the larger sensor on the camera island suggests that Google will likely equip the device with variable aperture support." We have not heard of any changes to this year's specifications, although we speculate.

At the time of this writing, we know more about the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro than the Pixel 9 Pro, and it is definitely an exciting device with a larger screen size, improved camera, and all sorts of AI tricks.

But don't discount the Pixel 9 Pro just yet. Google's offering this device in two sizes could be a masterstroke, especially if the smaller 6.1-inch model brings the price down a few dollars. The Pixel 9 Pro, coming this fall, could be a great showcase for the power of Android 15, with its usual camera magic and even more AI tricks.