Between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Pixel 9a, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes out ahead in wireless charging and antutu, while the Pixel 9a wins on weight and battery capacity. Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro Max scores 63.2 and the Pixel 9a scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are evenly matched on the broad strokes, with the decision sitting on which individual spec advantages weigh more for your use.
Pick the iPhone 15 Pro Max if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are wireless charging, antutu, wired charging, among others.
Pick the Pixel 9a if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are weight, battery capacity, front camera, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, main camera, refresh rate, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 100.00% more. 15 W vs 7.5 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 23.39% more. 1530000 vs 1240000.
- ▲Wired charging — 17.39% more. 27 W vs 23 W.
- ▲Pixel density — 9.00% more. 460 ppi vs 422 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 6.35% more. 6.7 " vs 6.3 ".
Why Google - Pixel 9a wins
- ▲Weight — 35.00 g less. 186 vs 221.
- ▲Battery capacity — 15.33% more. 5100 mAh vs 4422 mAh.
- ▲Front camera — 8.33% more. 13 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 5).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 221 g | 186 glead |
| Thickness | 8.25 mmlead | 8.9 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 "lead | 6.3 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 422 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 2700 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 13 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4422 mAh | 5100 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 27 Wlead | 23 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 7.5 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 7 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 15 Pro Max or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a has 15.3% more battery — 4422 mAh vs 5100 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 15 Pro Max or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a is 35g lighter — 221g vs 186g.
Is iPhone 15 Pro Max waterproof?+
iPhone 15 Pro Max has an IP68 rating.
Does Pixel 9a support 5G?+
Yes, Pixel 9a supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 15 Pro Max or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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