I shot over 200 photos with the Pixel 9a vs iPhone 16e — here’s the winner

Just last month I put the iPhone 16e’s camera to the test against the Pixel 8a. It wasn’t even close because the iPhone 16e won by a landslide, which I suspected given how it was the newer phone.

But now that the Pixel 9a is finally here, I’m interested to see which of these budget phones captures the better photographs.

That’s why I shot over 200 photos with the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e, all to determine how these best cheap phone contenders stack up against each other. In my iPhone 16e review, I said how its single 48MP camera was substantially improved over the previous iPhone SE 2022. In fact, I was surprised by how much of a leap it offered with its low light performance.

Meanwhile, Google’s new budget phone features a dual-camera setup that I say offers way more utility than Apple in my Pixel 9a review — large in part to how Google adds new modes (macro and astrophotography), while also pairing its 48MP main camera with a 13MP ultrawide.

Just like my other 200 photo shootouts, I capture the same scenes using both phones in hand and then preview the results later on a monitor later. That way, I can see them side-by-side to inspect all of their minor differences.

Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: daytime

After looking through all of the daytime photos I shot with the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e, I will say that I favor the qualities I see from the iPhone more.

First of all, the stronger contrast of the colorful mural above makes it pop out much more than the Pixel 9a’s duller look. On top of that, the iPhone 16e captures more definition in every part of the scene.

Winner: iPhone 16e

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: colors

My go-to sport for measuring phone camera colors is the produce section of Whole Foods, where the Pixel 9a captures the more natural looking hues. The red and orange peppers on the shelves are over saturated with the iPhone 16e, while the green peppers have this shine to them.

In contrast, the Pixel 9a’s color reproduction looks more true-to-life.

Winner: Pixel 9a

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: dynamic range

There’s not one phone that has an overwhelming advantage when it comes to dynamic range performance. In the comparison shot above by Bryant Park in New York City, they both do well with exposing the shadowed part of the building in the foreground — with the iPhone 16e producing the brighter picture.

However, in the other set of photos, like the one at sunset and the memorial with the flags in the foreground, the Pixel 9a does a much better job at boosting the shadows.

Winner: Draw

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: macro

I’ve already put the Pixel 9a’s new macro mode to the test against some of the best budget phones around, and it’s clearly much more effective at capturing them than the iPhone — just look at this gerbera daisy.

While the framing looks identical, the iPhone 16e’s shot is technically cropped because it doesn’t get as close to subjects as the Pixel 9a. Due to this, there’s a lot more detail and definition around the petals and buds with the Pixel 9a.

Winner: Pixel 9a

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: panorama

I’ll admit that both phones take beautiful panoramas, but I’m leaning towards the iPhone 16e with this one because of how it does a better job of evening out the exposure throughout the scene. With the sprawling lawn of Bryant Park above, there’s more consistency with the exposure across the entire photo. Although, the Pixel 9a’s shot has a smidge more definition.

When I look at the rest of the panoramas, like the ones overseeing the beach dunes and setting sun behind the town homes, the iPhone 16e consistently has the better exposure.

Winner: iPhone 16e

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: selfie

Selfies look much better with the Pixel 9a, largely due to how it captures better skin tones. In the comparison selfies I shot of myself, you can see how the Pixel 9a casts a richer tone that makes the image pop — while the iPhone 16e looks a bit flat.

This is mostly the theme across all the other sets of selfies I captured, plus I find that the Pixel 9a handles low light selfies better too. However, both phones capture a lot of detail across my face and what I’m wearing.

Winner: Pixel 9a

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: portrait

This is a perfect example of how dual cameras benefit portrait shots because there are so many instances when the iPhone 16e completely blurred out the hat I’m wearing. Since the Pixel 9a relies on the parallax effect between the two cameras, it’s better able to discern distance than the single camera of the iPhone 16e — and as a result, delivers the better portraits.

The one above is a good example of this because it keeps me in focus and applies the correct blur to the background. In comparison, the iPhone 16e completely blurs out my cap — and it seems problematic with most of the other photos. However, I will say that the iPhone 16e captures more detail around my face.

Winner: Pixel 9a

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: zoom

For all the zoom shots I captured below (and above), they’re at 2x and 8x zoom to give you a better idea of how they look when there’s a little and a lot of zoom. Since both phones lack dedicated telephoto cameras, it’s left to their main cameras and image processing algorithms to enhance them.

At 2x zoom, the difference between them is minimal, but it’s a different story at 8x zoom. If you look at the W 41st Street sign I captured at 8x zoom, the iPhone 16e’s shot looks sharper. The Pixel 9a still delivers a good looking photo, but it’s definitely hazier and the textures of the sign are smudgy. I also notice that the iPhone 16e sharpens words better than the Pixel.

Winner: iPhone 16e

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: low light

Low light performance easily goes to the Pixel 9a in my opinion, which is really evident in the shots above of the tree in my backyard in near pitch black conditions.

Both the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e light up the scene despite the minimal amount of ambient lighting around, but the Pixel 9a does a better job of boosting the exposure throughout the scene. More of the tree and its branches are better exposed, but when I zoom in, the iPhone 16e has better detail.

However, I still favor the Pixel 9a’s ability to brighten up the scene. In some of the other low light shots, the iPhone 16e tends to cast odd looking colors — like the one with the gazebo lit up.

Winner: Pixel 9a

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Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: verdict

Apple clearly had the leg up against the Pixel 8a, but it narrowly loses out to the newer Pixel 9a in this camera shootout.

Google’s latest budget phone proves why it’s a best camera phone contender, showing greater strides around its low light and macro photography performances. And considering how it also packs a secondary ultrawide camera, it has additional utility you won’t get with the iPhone 16e.

But to Apple’s credit, the iPhone 16e’s main camera doesn’t disappoint — proving its all-around performance when the lighting conditions are ideal. And even though its low light performance is much improved, it still doesn’t brighten up the scene as good as the Pixel 9a. Surprisingly, it does a better job of enhancing zoom photos.

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