Between the iPhone 17 and Pixel 9, the iPhone 17 comes out ahead in wireless charging and antutu, while the Pixel 9 wins on ram and battery capacity. Overall, the iPhone 17 scores 61.7 and the Pixel 9 scores 63.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (61.7 vs 63.5). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the iPhone 17 if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are wireless charging, antutu, front camera, among others.
Pick the Pixel 9 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 ram, battery capacity, main camera, among others.
Both ship with comparable screen size, refresh rate, 5g support, 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 17 wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 66.67% more. 25 W vs 15 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 59.68% more. 1980000 vs 1240000.
- ▲Front camera — 14.29% more. 12 MP vs 10.5 MP.
- ▲Pixel density — 9.00% more. 460 ppi vs 422 ppi.
- ▲Weight — 4.00 g less. 194 vs 198.
Why Google - Pixel 9 wins
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Battery capacity — 27.30% more. 4700 mAh vs 3692 mAh.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 6).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 194 glead | 198 g |
| Thickness | 8.1 mmlead | 8.5 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.3 " | 6.3 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 422 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2200 nits | 2700 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 12 MPlead | 10.5 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3692 mAh | 4700 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 27 W | 27 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 25 Wlead | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Google - Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 6 years | 7 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 17 or Pixel 9?+
Pixel 9 has 27.3% more battery — 3692 mAh vs 4700 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 17 or Pixel 9?+
iPhone 17 is 4g lighter — 194g vs 198g.
Is iPhone 17 waterproof?+
iPhone 17 has an IP68 rating.
Does Pixel 9 support 5G?+
Yes, Pixel 9 supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 17 or Pixel 9?+
Pixel 9 offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 17 or Pixel 9?+
Pixel 9 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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