Between the iPhone 16 and Pixel 9a, the iPhone 16 comes out ahead in wireless charging and antutu, while the Pixel 9a wins on refresh rate and battery capacity. Overall, the iPhone 16 scores 57.4 and the Pixel 9a scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Pixel 9a edges ahead on the Mars Score (57.4 vs 63.2), but the 5.8-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the iPhone 16 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, weight, 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 refresh rate, battery capacity, wired charging, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, main camera, 5g support, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Pixel 9a is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - iPhone 16 wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 100.00% more. 15 W vs 7.5 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 30.65% more. 1620000 vs 1240000.
- ▲Weight — 16.00 g less. 170 vs 186.
- ▲Pixel density — 9.00% more. 460 ppi vs 422 ppi.
Why Google - Pixel 9a wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Battery capacity — 43.22% more. 5100 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
- ▲Wired charging — 15.00% more. 23 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Front camera — 8.33% more. 13 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 3.28% more. 6.3 " vs 6.1 ".
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 5).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 170 glead | 186 g |
| Thickness | 7.8 mmlead | 8.9 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.1 " | 6.3 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 422 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 2700 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 13 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3561 mAh | 5100 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 23 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 7.5 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 7 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16 or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a has 43.2% more battery — 3561 mAh vs 5100 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16 or Pixel 9a?+
iPhone 16 is 16g lighter — 170g vs 186g.
Is iPhone 16 waterproof?+
iPhone 16 has an IP68 rating.
Does Pixel 9a support 5G?+
Yes, Pixel 9a supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16 or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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