iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: I tested the camera and was surprised by the results

Today, most phones take nice photos to post to Instagram or share with friends and family via message threads. However, the best cameras are found on smartphones and usually cost $1,000 or more. Fortunately, Google has proven that the Pixel 9A, you can still take good-looking snapshots and pay less than $500. The images of the phone look great and capture a lot of details and textures. Google’s algorithmic secret sauce captures the secret sauce of beautiful and natural skin tones in the portrait.

But something strange happened this year. Apple replaced the cheapest phone with the iPhone 16e. In this way, it tries to pull some affordable photography attention away from the pixels. The iPhone 16e took cute photos, even fewer cameras than those with fewer pixels. Apple is known for pushing the limits of phone photography through the iPhone, but this is often associated with its iPhone Pro series, which started with Grand. While $599 is the lowest price Apple sells for new phones, the iPhone 16e misses the $500 sweet spot on the Pixel 9a.

This raises the question: Will higher-priced phones take better photos?

To find out, I brought the iPhone 16e and Pixel 9A near San Francisco and tested them for camera. After a few hundred photos, I was surprised by the results, but in the end my favorite one.

Watch the following: Camera comparison: We knocked down the iPhone 16e with pixel 9a

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Right now, this is not a level playing field. The Pixel 9a has three cameras: a wide, super and selfie. There are only two iPhone 16e: a wide selfie. Each phone’s main camera has a 48-megapixel sensor that groups four pixels together to create a “super” pixel that captures more light. This also means that the photos show less image noise, so less noise reduction is needed, otherwise your images will look like blurry, soft mess.

Both phones lack dedicated telephoto cameras and use sensor cropping to achieve 2x magnification, which looks good in my tests.

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The Pixel 9a has a “macro mode” that can focus on closed themes. Interestingly, it won’t use its speeding camera for macro shots like many other phones do. Sadly, unlike other iPhone 16 siblings, the iPhone 16e lacks a macro model. However, I noticed that the main camera can shoot close up with the focus inside the subject (perhaps not as close as the dedicated macro mode allows).

iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Photos

Check out some of the favorite photos of these two phones.

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iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Photo comparison

Usually, I find that pixel 9a does push dynamic range in its images. The phone captures more details in the shadows, but it does also actively light them up, just like in the photos of the cat Maisie. The Maisie image of the iPhone 16e doesn’t have much detail or texture in her fur. Somewhere between a pixel’s photo and an iPhone’s image is how the cat actually looks in real life.

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I also found that pixels have lower color temperatures, while iPhone photos have greater contrast, especially outdoors. Check out the photo below of a brick building in the San Francisco mission. Pay attention to the bricks in each photo.

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In terms of portrait mode, neither pixel nor iPhone does have dedicated telephoto lenses. Remember that the iPhone 16e only has one rear camera, so it only relies on AI and machine learning to determine the depth of the scene and create a focus background outside of the art.

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The first thing I noticed from the portrait mode photo of CNET Faith Chihil below is that the iPhone and Pixel handle the difference in texture in yellow sweaters and green chairs. Apart from the green chairs in iPhone photos, “cutting” (none from focus to focus) looks natural. Faith’s skin tone is most realistic in pixel 9a images. Photos of the iPhone 16e make her skin look muddy and soft.

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Other things I noticed are that the portrait mode of the iPhone 16e is only for humans. On iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, animals are automatically recognized as portrait subjects. So if you want to look like a dramatic snapshot with a blurred background from Fido or Mr. Cupcakes, then the Pixel is the way to go. Sorry, there is another photo of the cat, but check out the portrait mode snapshot below Cat Maise.

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Both phones feature night mode images (Google calls them night vision photos). Neither of these images are great in the pictures of the shuttle Lego Lego Lego blocks taken below in a very dim room. Photos on iPhone 16e have minimal image noise, but heavy contrast. I prefer photos of pixel 9a.

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I also took images of the residential neighborhood at dusk and the street lights really made the iPhone’s night mode look like orange. The iPhone’s image is brighter. But please note the details in the phone line at the top of the image below. iPhones capture them as continuous lines, while the Pixel 9A’s image makes them consist of small serrated segments.

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iPhone 16e vs. Pixel 9a: Which one would I choose?

Overall, both phones have drawbacks in photography. I don’t think most people will choose an affordable phone based solely on the performance of the camera. Please be sure if you receive any kind of call, you will be able to take photos with some images you contact with that look good.

The iPhone 16e is more expensive and lacks a speeding lens, and while it takes good pictures, I think the Pixel 9A’s camera is perfect for a $500 phone and will likely choose it.