The perfect AI cellphone
The Pixel 9 has an all-new design that mimics the iPhone, and whereas I am not totally bought on the brand new aesthetic, I’ll admit that the construct high quality is best than earlier years. The cameras have additionally been upgraded, and take among the finest images and movies on this class. However the greatest motive to get the Pixel 9 is the software program; Google has a set of AI options on the machine, they usually’re wonderful. The cellphone nonetheless is not good at gaming, and the battery would not final as lengthy, however when you want one of the best AI options proper now, the Pixel 9 is the plain alternative.
For
- Higher design and construct high quality
- Vivid OLED panel
- Excellent cameras
- Clear software program with class-leading AI
- Seven years of software program updates
Towards
- Pricey
- Tensor G4 nonetheless is not good at gaming
- Overheating points
- No charger within the field
An excellent all-rounder
The OnePlus 12 would not have wherever near the identical degree of AI tech because the Pixel 9. Having mentioned that, it has significantly better {hardware}; the display will get brighter, the battery lasts longer and costs at 100W, and it’s significantly better at gaming. The cameras are noticeably higher, they usually’re near the Pixel 9. When you do not see your self utilizing AI as a lot and as a substitute want a robust cellphone with a greater total worth, the OnePlus 12 is my suggestion.
For
- Elegant 120Hz AMOLED panel
- Among the finest {hardware} packages
- Standout cameras
- Lengthy-lasting battery with 100W charging tech
Towards
- Will not decide up as many software program updates
- No IP68 mud and water resistance
Google Pixel 9 vs. OnePlus 12: Design
I have a tendency to make use of Pixels fairly a bit over the course of the yr, and these units stood out because of the distinctive digital camera bar on the again. With the Pixel 9 era, Google is making wholesale adjustments to the design; the digital camera bar remains to be intact, however it would not mix seamlessly into the mid-frame, and the perimeters of the cellphone at the moment are flat.
If something, the brand new design makes the Pixel 9 seem like the iPhone 15; I am not a fan of the design tweaks, however I’ll admit that the Pixel 9 has higher construct high quality than its predecessors. The cellphone would not have any flex to the chassis, the buttons have good tactility, and it has good sturdiness — one thing that was an enormous drawback on earlier Pixels.
The OnePlus 12, in the meantime, retains the identical design language as its predecessors, providing a svelte design with clean curves and rounded edges. The Flowy Emerald choice seems to be gorgeous, and it’s nonetheless one of the best coloration variant accessible. The matte texture on the again is pleasant, and though the machine is bulkier than the Pixel 9 at 9.2mm (versus 8.5mm), you do not really feel that in common use. OnePlus rolled out the Glacial White mannequin of the machine just a few months in the past, and that is one other variant to contemplate if you need a chic design.
I additionally just like the digital camera housing on the OnePlus 12; the person rings across the cameras and the seamless manner the island merges into the mid-frame is fairly cool. Different design niceties embody the alert slider, a {hardware} toggle that allows you to change between ring, vibrate, and silent modes.
Whereas OnePlus clearly bought quite a bit proper on the design facet of issues, the OnePlus 12 misses out on IP68 mud and water resistance — the cellphone as a substitute will get an IP65 ranking, and that simply is not sufficient in 2024. Fortunately, the Pixel 9 is not restricted on this space, and the machine will get IP68 ingress safety.
The Pixel 9 is thinner, lighter, and smaller, and whereas small Android telephones aren’t actually a factor lately, it’s on the smaller finish of the size. So if that is a consideration, the Pixel 9 may very well be a better option. On the entire although, I want the design of the OnePlus 12, with the machine managing to ship an evocative design that appears elegant.
Google Pixel 9 vs. OnePlus 12: Show
The Pixel 9 has a 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED panel, and whereas it is not fairly as diminutive because the Zenfone 10, it’s a compact machine. The panel now goes as much as 2700 nits in HDR mode, however the true distinction is in every day use, the place it has a transparent edge over the Pixel 8 — each as regards to brightness and coloration vibrancy.
Google did all the suitable issues on this space, and whereas some points stay — the ambient gentle sensor is not fairly as quick to change brightness when shifting to a room with low lighting — the Pixel 9 is a significantly better displaying than earlier years. You additionally get Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and I did not run into many issues within the month I used the machine.
The OnePlus 12 would not have a nasty displaying both; the cellphone’s 6.82-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel is without doubt one of the finest round, and it has higher PWM dimming — one thing that is nonetheless an issue on Pixels — together with nice coloration saturation. The 4500-nit max brightness determine is a little bit of a gimmick because it measures miniscule parts of the panel when viewing HDR content material, however I did not see any points with the panel even beneath harsh daylight.
Nevertheless, the Pixel 9 wins this spherical, with the cellphone managing to get noticeably brighter in auto mode. Google did a terrific job tuning the panel this time round, and the Pixel 9 — together with the 9 Professional XL — has one of many brightest OLED panels within the trade.
Google Pixel 9 vs. OnePlus 12: {Hardware}
Google would not have one of the best {hardware}, and that hasn’t modified with the Pixel 9. The cellphone is powered by the Tensor G4, however it would not have any significant upgrades over the G3 — if something, it throttles sooner in video games. You now get 12GB of RAM as normal, and whereas that’s good to see, the bottom mannequin is proscribed to simply 128GB of storage, and that is not sufficient.
You may must shell out a further $100 to get the 256GB mannequin, and no matter no matter variant you select, you get the older UFS 3.1 storage and never UFS 4.0. Whereas the mobile modem is best than earlier years, it would not fairly handle to ship the identical bandwidth as Qualcomm-powered units.
The OnePlus 12, fortunately, would not have such limitations. The cellphone continues to have top-of-the-line {hardware} packages round, and it’s a delight to make use of. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is unbelievable in common use, and it holds up extremely properly even in prolonged gaming periods. The cellphone has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage as normal, and there is a 16GB/512GB mannequin when you want further storage.
| Class | Google Pixel 9 | OnePlus 12 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 14, seven software program updates | Android 14, 4 software program updates |
| Show | 6.3-inch 120Hz Actua OLED, 2424×1080, HDR, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, 2700 nits max | 6.82-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED (3168×1440), HDR10+, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, 1,600 nits (HBM), 4,500 nits (HDR), Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G4, Titan M2, 4nm | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 4nm |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB/16GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 | 256GB/512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Rear digital camera 1 | 50MP f/1.68 1/1.31-inch module, 82-degree FoV, OIS | 50MP f/1.6 Sony LYT-808, 1/1.4-inch sensor, 23mm focal size, OIS, 8K at 30fps |
| Rear digital camera 2 | 48MP f/1.7 1/2.55-inch module, wide-angle, 123-degree FoV | 64MP f/2.6 OmniVision OV64B telephoto, 1/2-inch sensor, 70mm to 140mm focal size, 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom, 120x digital zoom, OIS |
| Rear digital camera 3 | ❌ | 48MP f/2.2 Sony IMX581 wide-angle, 1/2-inch sensor, 14mm focal size, 114-degree FoV |
| Entrance digital camera | 10.5MP f2.2, autofocus, 95-degree FoV | 32MP f/2.4 Sony IMX615, 1/2.74-inch sensor, 21mm focal size |
| Ingress safety | IP68 mud and water resistance | IP65 mud and water resistance |
| Connectivity | World 5G, Satellite tv for pc SOS (U.S.), Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6 (India), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC | Wi-Fi 7, Sub-6 5G bands, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Safety | Extremely-sonic fingerprint sensor | Optical fingerprint sensor |
| Audio | USB-C, stereo sound | USB-C, stereo sound, 32-bit/384KHz, AptX HD, AptX, LDAC, LHDC, AAC, SBC |
| Battery | 4700mAh battery, 45W charging, 10W wi-fi charging | 5400mAh battery, 100W SuperVOOC, 50W AirVOOC wi-fi charging |
| Dimensions | 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5mm, 198g | 164.3 x 75.8 x 9.1mm, 220g |
| Colours | Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony | Flowy Emerald, Silky Black, Glacial White |
You additionally get a large 5400mAh battery, and it manages to last as long as two days between costs with medium use. Even when you push the cellphone, you may get a day and a half price of use earlier than you might want to cost it. And on that entrance, 100W charging tech ensures the battery costs in beneath 45 minutes.
The Pixel 9 lasts as much as a day with relative ease, however the 4700mAh battery would not have wherever near the identical longevity because the OnePlus 12. The charging scenario is not pretty much as good both, with the machine restricted to 27W. Like earlier years, you aren’t getting a charger within the field, so you have to to make use of a USB PD charger.
In every day use, the OnePlus 12 is the plain alternative when you want a robust cellphone that is constructed for gaming. The machine has significantly better fluidity and handles demanding video games with ease, and there are not any slowdowns. The Pixel 9 is not fairly on the identical degree, and it throttles early in demanding video games, introducing lag. Whereas overheating is not as huge an issue as final yr, the cellphone tends to throttle rapidly.
Google Pixel 9 vs. OnePlus 12: Cameras
The Pixel 9 has a brand new 50MP essential digital camera on the again, and it is joined by a 48MP wide-angle lens. You aren’t getting a devoted zoom lens, however the principle digital camera doubles as a 2x shooter, and also you get detailed photographs. Whereas the digital camera {hardware} is not one of the best by an extended shot, Google tends to ship stellar images by leveraging its software program skillset.
The OnePlus 12 has higher digital camera {hardware}, with the machine touting a 50MP essential digital camera, 64MP 3x zoom lens with OIS, and a 48MP wide-angle lens. It has Hasselblad tuning, 4K60 video on all again cameras, and the flexibility to shoot Dolby Imaginative and prescient footage. There’s an motion mode that does a superb job with shifting objects, Lens integration, and attention-grabbing capturing modes.
Google had a sizeable lead on this space previously, however that is not the case in 2024. If something, the OnePlus 12 does a barely higher job in low-light situations, delivering images with saturated colours and good element. The Pixel 9 remains to be probably the most constant digital camera round, and it’s unbelievable with shifting objects.
It is clear that Google must replace its digital camera {hardware}, and whereas it is ready to ship outstanding outcomes with its software program tuning, it’s beginning to lag behind its rivals. The OnePlus 12 has a flexible digital camera system, and it takes images which are simply pretty much as good.
Google Pixel 9 vs. OnePlus 12: Software program
The primary motive I take advantage of Pixels is due to the software program. Google affords a clear software program with zero bloatware, and the Materials You interface is colourful and customizable. An enormous speaking level with the Pixel 9 is AI, and Google is rolling out a slate of options on this space. Add Me is my favourite function, with the function designed to make group photographs enjoyable.
Pixel Studio means that you can create photographs utilizing generative AI, and it does a good sufficient job in its personal proper. The brand new climate widget makes use of AI to supply a abstract of the day’s climate, and Pixel Screenshots does an incredible job organizing screenshots and making them searchable.
The brand new AI additions be part of the likes of Magic Eraser, Recorder, and all the opposite mainstays on earlier Pixel units, and truthfully, when you’re all in favour of attempting out cellular AI, there is not a better option. Google has a transparent lead on this space, and different producers are partnering with the model to deliver a few of these AI utilities to their units.
Clearly, you aren’t getting a lot in the best way of AI on the OnePlus 12, however the machine has a good set of options which are extremely customizable. I just like the fluidity of the interface, however there may be bloatware, and not less than in my very own use, it is not as fulfilling because the Pixel 9.
Google has a definite benefit in the case of software program updates as properly, with the Pixel 9 guaranteeing seven Android OS updates. The OnePlus 12, in the meantime, will get 4 Android OS updates as normal, and whereas that’s on par with most different units, it would not measure as much as the Pixel 9.
Google Pixel 9 vs. OnePlus 12: Which must you purchase?
With the Pixel 9, Google has cemented its AI dominance; Gemini Reside, Pixel Studio, Add Me, and the slate of AI-assisted options accessible on the machine give it a definite edge. The design is best than final yr, the OLED panel is considerably brighter, and the cameras proceed to be wonderful.
Nevertheless, the 256GB mannequin of the Pixel 9 prices $899, and it is not fairly as attractive an worth. In contrast, the 12GB/256GB model of the OnePlus 12 is out there for $699 within the U.S., and that may be a higher deal when you think about the {hardware} you are getting. You’re getting higher software program and long-term updates on the Pixel 9, however the {hardware} is not as highly effective, and there is not as extensive a gulf in the case of the cameras as earlier years.
There is a comparable distinction in different areas; the OnePlus 12 is out there for ₹64,999 ($774) in India, and you may get the 256GB Pixel 9 at ₹79,999 ($953) within the nation. As a lot as I just like the Pixel 9, I do not assume it’s pretty much as good a price in the mean time, and when you want all of the AI-focused options, you must look ahead to the machine to go on sale — Google normally affords thrilling reductions on its telephones in the course of the vacation season, and that needs to be the case this time as properly.
When you do not want the AI utilities and need a highly effective cellphone with loads of customizability, the OnePlus 12 is a better option. The cameras are excellent, you get a much bigger battery and considerably sooner charging, and it is the plain alternative when you’re all in favour of cellular gaming.
The perfect AI cellphone
Keen on attempting out what’s doable with AI right this moment? You then’ll want the Pixel 9. What it lacks within the {hardware} it greater than makes up for through unique AI options.
An excellent all-rounder
The OnePlus 12 could not have a lot in the best way of AI software program, however when you want highly effective {hardware} and versatile cameras, it’s the better option.