Here’s the Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. the iPhone 14 Pro Max

Moments before the weekend kicked off, a wild Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro leak dropped, showing both phones in the hand of someone who was able to compare the devices to one-another. As a bit of a follow-up, they took those same Pixel 9 devices and held them next to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, as well as the Pixel 8, giving us yet another preview of Google’s big August event.

The more important comparison of the two, at least in my opinion, is the one where we get to see the Pixel 9 Pro XL up against the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Because there is so much talk around the new Pixel 9 series looking like an iPhone and taking design inspiration from it, this gives us a really good feel for whether or not those comparison talks are legit. It also lets us see how Google’s biggest Pixel 9 Pro would match up size-wise vs. Apple’s biggest iPhone.

Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Here is that first comparison (full video) from the TikTok account pixo_unpacking. As you can see below, both phones are large in the hand, but I can’t help but look at this Pixel 9 Pro XL and think, “Wow, it actually doesn’t really look like an iPhone at all.” You may want to disagree with me, but this still very much looks like a Google Pixel phone, with camera bar, “G” logo, and the matte finish.

Sure, the phone has a similar overall silhouette to the iPhone, with flat sides to boot, but the back camera housing really lets them stay far apart from being clones. Button placement is also different, the bottom setups aren’t similar at all, and I just don’t come away from this comparison thinking Google has given up and is just making their version of an iPhone. Apple doesn’t get to own flat sides on smartphones.

Pixel 8 vs. Pixel 9: On a related note, the same TikTok account posted a comparison (video here) of the Pixel 8 to the regular Pixel 9. This doesn’t tell us a lot, other than show us the size and how similar they should be. I guess it does reveal the major design changes, where Google is bringing in so many flat edges after giving us plenty of roundness in last year’s Pixel 8 series.

But again, this is all very much still inline with previous Google Pixel designs, only now we’re moving in a flatter direction. I can absolutely look at this phone and say, “Yep, that’s a Google Pixel phone.”

Fun times ahead for Pixel fans.