I’ve reviewed thousands of iPhone cases since 2011, for more than 20 models. It was my full-time job for years. In that time I’ve seen trends come and go, styles evolve and designs perfected. Cases are a very personal choice,

The iPhone 16 Plus review unit I received, draped in bubble-gum pink deliciousness, would have been a showstopper during 2023's peak Barbie craze. It's just dripping in Margot Robbie cuteness, cotton candy sweetness, and pink lemonade joy. Simply called "Pink," this rose-tinted shade is available only for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

It's not about one big feature, but how new elements like the Camera Control button and last year's Dynamic Island come together.

Compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, there's a lack of contrast with the night sky appearing to be dark gray. There's a greater halo effect, too, further detracting from the image's sharpness and clarity. The light appears to be too intense, washing out the finer details of the moon.

The Pixel 9 Pro's screen is brighter, with a touch higher resolution compared to the iPhone, although the real-world difference may be minimal. The iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip is far more powerful than the Tensor G4 chip in the Pixel 9 Pro.

This time around we’re comparing the very best smartphones Google and Apple have to offer, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max. Both of these smartphones were launched rather recently.