Apple iPhone Air vs Google Pixel 9 Pro
Verdict
Apple iPhone Air and Google Pixel 9 Pro tie on the OH Rank at a score of 67. Apple iPhone Air wins on Performance and Video; Google Pixel 9 Pro wins on Battery and Screen. Apple iPhone Air is 2.7mm wider than Google Pixel 9 Pro. Apple iPhone Air is the more recent release, from Sep 2025.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
67
67
Apple iPhone Air
74.7mm (2.94in) · Sep 2025 · Rank #128
11+6+11+12+12+5+5+0+5+0 = 67
EDITORIAL: Like Samsung, Apple has introduced a slim phone this year. And just like Samsungâs, Appleâs new entry replaces the bigger non-Pro model that wasnât selling too well. 17 Air is the only iPhone this year to keep the Titanium build and the only one to come with just 2 lenses: one on the front and just one in the back. Other then being 5.6mm thin, 17 Air offers the same screen with anti-reflection coating and the same new âCenter Stageâ selfie camera as this yearâs Proâs. Itâs A19 Pro chip has 1 core less and a noticably slower performance when compared to 17 Pro Max. Night mode photos are painfully slow to take. The still and video imaging is very good but remember: you wonât have access to any meaningful zooming or ultrawide action. At least, Airâs battery life is better then Samsung Edgeâs. We wish it more luck then iPhone Plus had.
PROs
strong titanium uni-body, good A19 Pro performance, up to 1TB of storage, sharp 460ppi LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED with Dolby Vision screen, great imaging from a single 48MP OIS PDAF main, excellent new Center Stage 18MP selfie with OIS PDAF, stable iOS with up to 6 years of updates
CONs
short sub-24hr endurance from an old-tech lithium 3150mAh battery, slow >90min 25W wired (20W wireless) charging, screen with just 1000nits brightness, only 1 camera on the back, no SDmemory slot nor desktop replacement feature, slow USB-C 2.0 without Video-Out support, expensive (updated Sep 26, 2025)
Google Pixel 9 Pro
72mm (2.83in) · Sep 9, 2024 · Rank #121
7+7+15+12+12+5+4+0+5+0 = 67
* TOP MidrangerMidrange
EDITORIAL: Google's competition with iPhone Pro is a proper midranger: the processor, memory, benchmarks, battery show that Google doesn't think it is a battle they can win. The screen and cameras are almost flagship grade, close to iPhone Pro level and the rest of the best (Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, Huawei).
PROs
compact and premium build, excellent >2200nits bright 490ppi LTPO OLED screen with HDR10+, IP68 protection, (almost) flagship grade 50MP 24MM OIS main + 48MP 110mm OIS telephoto + 48MP 12mm ultrawide (all with PDAF) back camera setup, excellent 42MP 18mm PDAF selfie, clean and stock Android interface with tons of AI features, a promise of 7 years of OS updates, fast USB-C 3.2 port
CONs
midrange grade Google Tensor G4 chip with (non-flagship) UFS 3.1 memory, only 24hr endurance from a 4700mAh small Lithium battery with slow 90min 27W (12W wireless) charging, inconsistent video recording, no expandable memory or desktop replacement functionality from the company that makes Android,
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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