Most phones these days take decent photos for posting to Instagram or sharing with friends and family on a message thread. But the best cameras are found on smartphones that typically cost $1,000 or more. Fortunately, Google has proved with the Pixel 9A that you can still take good-looking snaps and pay less than $500. Images from the phone look terrific and capture a lot of detail and texture. And Google’s algorithm secret sauce for capturing beautiful and natural complexions in portraits is on full display here.
But something curious happened this year. Apple replaced its cheapest phone with the iPhone 16E. In doing so, it tried to pull some of the affordable photographic attention away from the Pixel. The iPhone 16E takes lovely photos, even with one fewer camera than the Pixel. Apple is well-known for pushing the limits of phone photography with the iPhone, but that is usually tied to its iPhone Pro line, which starts at a grand. And while $599 is the lowest price that Apple sells a new phone for, the iPhone 16E misses that $500 sweet spot of the Pixel 9A.
So that raises the question: Does a pricier phone take better photos?
To find out, I took the iPhone 16E and Pixel 9A around San Francisco and put them through a camera test. Several hundred photos later, I was surprised by the results, but I ended up with one being my favorite.
Watch this: Camera Comparison: We Pit the Pixel 9A Against the iPhone 16E
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iPhone 16E and Pixel 9A camera specs
Camera ResolutionApetureNotesPixel 9A wide 48MPf/1.7OISPixel 9A ultrawide 13MPf/2.2Takes 12MP photosPixel 9A selfie 13MPf/2.2Fixed focusiPhone 16E wide 48MPf/1.6OISiPhone 16E selfie 12MPf/1.9Autofocus
The iPhone 16E (left) has one rear camera and costs $599 while the Pixel 9A has two rear cameras and costs $499.
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Right off the bat, this isn’t exactly a level playing field. The Pixel 9A has three cameras: a wide, ultrawide and selfie. The iPhone 16E only has two: a wide and selfie. Each phone’s main camera has a 48-megapixel sensor and groups four pixels together to create a “super” pixel that captures more light. That also means photos exhibit less image noise and therefore need less noise reduction, which can otherwise leave your pictures looking like a blurry, soft mess.
Both phones lack a dedicated telephoto camera and use sensor cropping to achieve a 2x magnification that in my testing looks pretty good.
Pixel 9A main camera, macro.
The Pixel 9A has a “macro mode” and can focus on subjects that are close up. Interestingly, it doesn’t use its ultrawide camera for macro shots like many other phones do. Sadly, the iPhone 16E lacks a macro mode unlike the rest of its iPhone 16 brothers and sisters. However, I noticed that the main camera can take close up shots with the subject in-focus (maybe not as dramatically close as a dedicated macro mode allows for).
iPhone 16E vs. Pixel 9A: Photos
Take a look at some of my favorite photos from both phones.
iPhone 16E main camera.
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iPhone 16E main camera, night mode.
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iPhone 16E main camera.
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Pixel 9A ultrawide camera.
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Pixel 9A main camera at 2x.
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Pixel 9A main camera, macro.
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iPhone 16E vs. Pixel 9A: Photo comparisons
In general, I found that the Pixel 9A really pushes the dynamic range in its images. The phone captures more details in the shadows but really aggressively brightens them too, like in the photos below of Maisie the cat. The iPhone 16E’s image of Maisie doesn’t have as much detail and texture in her fur. Somewhere in between the Pixel’s photo and the iPhone’s image is how the cat actually looked in real life.
On the left is the Pixel 9A’s photo on Maisie the cat. And on the right it an image from the iPhone 16E of her.
Patrick Holland/CNET
I also find that the Pixel takes images with a cooler color temperature, while the iPhone’s photos have more contrast, especially outdoors. Take a look at the photos below of a brick building here in the Mission in San Francisco. Notice the bricks in each photo.
On the left is the Pixel 9A’s photo and on the right is the iPhone 16E’s image.
Patrick Holland/CNET
In terms of Portrait mode, neither the Pixel nor iPhone have a dedicated telephoto lens. And remember, the iPhone 16E has only a single rear camera, so it relies solely on AI and machine learning to determine the depth of a scene and create that artistic out-of-focus background.
On the left is the Pixel 9A’s portrait mode photo and on the right is the one from the iPhone 16E.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The first thing I notice with the portrait mode photos below of CNET’s Faith Chihil is how differently the iPhone and Pixel handled the textures in the yellow sweater and green chair. The “cutout” (from in focus to out of focus) looks natural, except for the green chair in the iPhone’s photo. And Faith’s complexion looks most true to life in the Pixel 9A image. The iPhone 16E’s photo makes her skin look muddy and muted.
On the left is the Pixel 9A’s photo and on the right is the iPhone 16E’s image.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Something else I noticed is that the iPhone 16E’s portrait mode only works on humans; on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, animals are automatically recognized as portrait subjects. So, if you want dramatic-looking snaps with artistically blurred backgrounds of Fido or Mr. Cupcakes, then the Pixel is the way to go. Sorry for yet another cat photo, but check out the portrait mode snap below of Maise the cat.
Pixel 9A portrait mode.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Both phones take night mode images (Google calls them Night Sight photos). In the photos below of a space shuttle Lego set taken in a very dim room, neither of the images are great. The iPhone 16E’s photo has the least image noise, but the contrast is heavy. I prefer the Pixel 9A’s photo.
On the left is the Pixel 9A’s photo and on the right is the iPhone 16E’s image.
Patrick Holland/CNET
I also snapped images of a residential block at dusk where the street lights really make the iPhone’s night mode photo look orange. The iPhone’s image is brighter. But notice the details in the telephone wires across the top of the images below. The iPhone captures them as continuous lines, whereas the Pixel 9A’s image has them made up of tiny jagged line segments.
On the left is the Pixel 9A’s photo and on the right is the iPhone 16E’s image.
Patrick Holland/CNET
iPhone 16E vs. Pixel 9A: Which would I choose?
This is a tough choice, but which phone would I choose based purely on its cameras?
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Overall, both phones have their shortcomings when it comes to photography. I don’t think most people would choose an affordable phone solely based on the camera’s performance. Be assured that if you get either phone, you’ll be able to take decent snaps with some images bordering on looking great.
The iPhone 16E costs more, lacks an ultrawide lens and, while the pictures it takes are decent, I think that the Pixel 9A’s cameras are great for a $500 phone, and would likely opt for it.
