iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: which mid-range phone could win?

With the iPhone 16e now launched, all eyes are now on Google to see what the company has in store for the Pixel 9a.

Given the heated competition around the best cheap phones, an iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a comparison is makes a lot of sense to see how these two mid-range phones stack up against one another.

Even though it’s priced higher than the previous iPhone SE model, Apple’s iPhone 16e a totally different breed of iPhone. In our iPhone 16e review, we were impressed by the amount of big upgrades it received — like its new 48MP camera that delivers outstanding results under low light.

Google, has a lot to prove in keeping the Pixel 9a competitive amongst a sea of other rivals, like the OnePlus 13R, Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and more. Against Apple, its Pixel A-series phones have always outmuscled the cheapest iPhone, but the iPhone 16e changes everything.

Here’s everything we know about the Pixel 9a and how it stacks up to the iPhone 16e.

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Specifications

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Price and Release

Apple certainly surprised everyone when it revealed that the iPhone 16e would cost $599 for the base model, which comes with 128GB of storage. That’s a big increase over the previous iPhone SE 2022, but a necessary one to make it a much more substantial upgrade. It went on sale starting on February 28, 2025.

Knowing that the iPhone 16e is a much more expensive phone, Google could undercut Apple in a big way because the Pixel 9a is rumored to have the same $499 cost as the current Pixel 8a.

That would be a huge advantage for Google.

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Design

The iPhone 16e adopts many of the design characteristics in the current iPhone 16 lineup, including a premium construction complete with an aluminum frame and a moderate size that’s easy to hold.

It’s a much more up-to-date design than the previous iPhone SE 2022, but Apple fashions in Face ID, the Action Button, and USB-C to its design. Even though it’s not an entirely original design, it feels solidly constructed for a phone that costs $599.

Google’s expected to shake things up with the Pixel 9a, mainly due to how it could ditch the camera bar design of past designs in favor of a more flush back.

Renders and leaked photos of the Pixel 9a hint at a pill shaped camera array that makes the entire back look much sleeker. It goes against what phone makers have offered for a while now, but it’s also refreshing in a way.

Also, the Pixel 9a is tipped to feature flat edges, which would make it fit the design language of the current Pixel 9 lineup.

Unlike the iPhone 16e, the Pixel 9a could benefit from having more color options — porcelain, obsidian, peony, and iris. It's just black and white for the budget iPhone.

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Display

The iPhone 16e is a much more competitive budget phone because it matches its rivals in size with its 6.1-inch OLED display. While it delivers a respectable peak brightness of 1,028 nits, it’s actually still weaker than the 1,378-nit reading we got from the Pixel 8a.

Likewise, the iPhone 16e is also stuck at a display refresh rate of 60Hz. Despite these unsavory qualities, the display still impresses with its wide viewing angles and deep colors.

One of the leading display rumors for the Pixel 9a is that the screen could grow from the 6.1-inch screen in the current Pixel 8a to a larger 6.3-inch one.

Another key advantage for the Pixel 9a is that it’s likely to retain the same 120Hz refresh rate, which would make animations, videos, and gaming experiences run more fluidly.

Google definitely could widen the gap in this area by fashioning a brighter, larger screen.

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Cameras

Both the iPhone 16e and Pixel 8a make our list of best camera phones. For Apple, it’s even more satisfying because despite having just a single camera — a 48MP one — the performance shows us how new image processing techniques and a new sensor makes all the difference.

In our 200 photo face-off between the iPhone 16e and Pixel 8a, it was a one-sided victory for the iPhone 16e. What’s most impressive is that there’s a significant improvement to the low light performance of the iPhone 16e.

Google could regain the upper hand with the Pixel 9a since it’s likely to be accompanied by a similar dual-camera setup. Leaks indicate that the main camera’s going to be a 48MP one, which would be down from the Pixel 8a’s current 64MP main sensor, but a separate report suggests it’s going to be similar to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

We suspect this would deliver a boost in image quality, especially under low light conditions. Since two is better than one, the Pixel 9a would inherently have an extra advantage when it comes to utility because of a 13MP ultrawide camera it’s rumored to get.

Taking into account Google’s track record, it’s likely that the Pixel 9a will gain many of the AI-assisted camera features of the Pixel 9 series — like Add Me, Pixel Studio, Auto Frame, and Reimagine. These possible additions would certainly add more value to the Pixel 9a.

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Performance

A big advantage for the iPhone 16e the performance of its A18 chipset, which leaves the Pixel 8a in dust based on our benchmark testing.

Not only does it put impressive single and multi-core scores with GeekBench 6, but its GPU performance is also one step ahead of the Tensor G3 powered Pixel 8a.

The iPhone 16e is no slouch running today’s graphically intensive titles. Just take a look at its performance results below against the Pixel 8a and Pixel 9

It’s a safe assumption that Google’s going to be leaning on the Tensor G4 chip for the Pixel 9a, seeing that it’s been the tradition of Google for its Pixel A-series.

Knowing that, the Pixel 9a could be at a disadvantage because we know what the chip’s capable of delivering in our Pixel 9 review and Pixel 9 Pro review. Anything could change, including additional tweaking of its power efficiency to get more out of this chipset.

However, rumors hint that it won't get the Exynos Modem 5400 found in the Pixel 9 — opting instead for the same Exynos Modem 5300 from before. This could largely be a cost-saving measure to keep its price from seeing an increase.

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Battery

Paired with a larger battery and the efficiency of the A18 chip, it’s no surprise that the iPhone 16e lasts much longer than the iPhone SE 2022 and a bit longer than the iPhone 16.

In Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test (web surfing over 5G), the iPhone 16e lasted on average 12 hours and 41 minutes on a single charge — which beats the Pixel 8a’s time of 11 hours and 21 minutes.

Due to how it’s growing in size to adopt a larger screen, the Pixel 9a could end up outlasting the iPhone 16e because it’s tipped to get a larger 5,100 mAh battery. That’s up from the Pixel 8a’s 4,492 mAh capacity, and paired with the Tensor G4’s better power efficiency, could yield greater battery life.

The iPhone 16e offers 25W wired charging and 7.5W Qi wireless charging, while the Pixel 8a isn’t too far off at 18W and 7.5W respectively. Google has a chance here at improving the Pixel 9a’s speeds, but there hasn’t been much rumors or leaks around them.

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Software and AI

Fortunately for the iPhone 16e, it has access to the same set of Apple Intelligence features found with the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup.

They certainly amplify the iOS 18 experience, like how Writing Tools can be used to improve writing, but it also gets generative AI features like Image Playground to create custom images from a text prompt.

Siri has also gotten a big makeover with smarter responses, as well as the usefulness of Visual Intelligence to search stuff with the camera.

All of these Apple Intelligence features make iOS 18 much more satisfying beyond the updated customizations it gets, but we’d argue that they still fall a little short against Google’s AI features.

Since it’s tipped to get the Tensor G4, it’s likely that the Pixel 9a will also acquire many of the same AI features introduced with the Pixel 9.

This would include Pixel Screenshot to memorize details that could be recalled later on, making Gemini the default assistant on the phone, Call Notes to record conversations to have AI summarize them, and more.

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Outlook

Ultimately, it’s going to come down to what new improvements the Pixel 9a will actually get and its cost.

Apple could make a win for Google easier due to the $599 price of the iPhone 16e. A Pixel 9a with a $100 cheaper price tag, a larger display, dual rear cameras and more robust AI features could give the Pixel 9a the edge.

But the iPhone 16e is no slouch with its swift performance, great camera quality and long battery life. Stay tuned for our full Pixel 9a review and face-oof with the iPhone 16e.

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