The Pixel 9a (review) and iPhone 16e (review) are positioned as affordable alternatives to their flagship counterparts – the Pixel 9 and iPhone 16. Targeted at the affordable flagship segment in India, both devices promise high-end performance without that ultra premium price tag. But when it comes to photography, which one truly delivers the better experience?
To find out, we tested the 48MP primary cameras of both smartphones, along with their respective front-facing cameras, across a variety of real-world scenarios to determine which device comes out on top.
Verdict
The Pixel 9a comes across as a better camera smartphone than the iPhone 16e. The handset excels over its counterpart in the portrait, macro/ closeups and low-light scenarios. For daylight and selfies, the choice between the two depends on your preference.
| Scenario | Winner |
| Daylight | Tie |
| Portrait | Pixel 9a |
| Selfie | Tie |
| Macro | Pixel 9a |
| Low-light | Pixel 9a |
Table of Contents
Daylight
The Pixel 9a delivers vibrant colours, sharp detail, and fast, accurate autofocus. Its image quality closely matches that of the iPhone 16e, with both producing nearly identical results in bright conditions. However, the Pixel 9a often renders slightly cooler tones with well-balanced exposure, giving its photos a clean, polished look that many may find more visually appealing. As a result, the choice between the two depends on your preferences.
The subtle aesthetic difference can make the Pixel’s stills stand out, particularly in scenes with natural light, where clarity and tone play a crucial role in the overall impression. The iPhone 16e, on the other hand, offers warm tones, keeping the colours closer to reality.
Winner: Tie
Portrait
Portrait shots on the Pixel 9a are visually appealing, with sharp subjects, flattering skin tones, and impressive edge detection that cleanly separates the foreground from the background. The iPhone 16e, while delivering more colour-accurate results, can appear slightly muted or less vibrant by comparison. Both devices offer comparable edge detection and background blur, but the Pixel 9a’s tendency to prioritise warmth and visual impact may make its portraits more striking and Instagram-ready, particularly for casual users who favour a more polished aesthetic over clinical accuracy.
Winner: Pixel 9a
Selfie
The Google Pixel 9a also performs well with selfies, producing bright, sharp images with vibrant colours and slightly elevated exposure that enhances overall appeal. Background blur is smooth and effective, contributing to a professional look. In contrast, the iPhone 16e captures more natural, true-to-life tones, which may appear less striking or social media-ready by comparison. The Pixel’s approach favours an eye-catching aesthetic, ideal for users seeking polished and shareable results straight from the camera.
Winner: Tie
Macro
The Pixel 9a may not feature a dedicated macro lens, but it still captures close-up shots with impressive sharpness and detail. Its macro mode activates automatically when the camera is brought close to a subject. In side-by-side comparisons, the Pixel 9a outperforms the iPhone 16e by delivering superior clarity, finer details, and a more natural depth of field, resulting in better subject-background separation and a more refined overall image.
While the iPhone may offer more vibrant and saturated colours, it falls short of the Pixel in terms of image sharpness and fine detail.
Winner: Pixel 9a
Low-light
When it comes to the low-light performance, the Pixel 9a offers images with visible noise and underwhelming dynamic range. Despite that, the handset manages to outperform the iPhone 16e, which, while offering more accurate and natural colour tones, produces a darker image and sacrifices finer details, particularly in shadowed areas. Conversely, the Pixel 9a captures a noticeably brighter scene with sharper detail in both the trees and the distant monument.
Winner: Pixel 9a
Final verdict
Priced from as low as Rs 49,999, the Pixel 9a stands out as the stronger contender against the iPhone 16e when it comes to photography. The handset impresses with its advanced image processing and computational photography capabilities, and further strengthens its offering with an additional ultra-wide lens – something the iPhone 16e lacks. This added versatility allows the Pixel 9a to consistently outperform its rival in portrait, macro, and low-light scenarios, making it a more compelling choice for photography enthusiasts.
The iPhone 16e, while no slouch, tends to favour natural colour reproduction and warmer tones with its single rear-facing camera, which may appeal to those who prefer a more true-to-life aesthetic. The handset holds its own in daylight and selfie shots, making it a reliable all-rounder. That said, the iPhone 16e is priced in India starting at Rs 59,999 which makes its value proposition harder to justify
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