Pre-orders for the new iPhone 16 series started last Friday and this Friday the new Apple phones go on sale for saleThe big question now is should you buy it? And if not, then what? Last week we focused on Refurbished iPhone as an alternative. This week we will focus on what the Android world has to offer.

Let’s start with Google. The Pixel 9 has a 6.3” OLED display, not LTPO, but it runs at 120Hz (making the iPhone 16’s 60Hz display look dated). The Tensor G4 isn’t quite on par with Apple’s A18 in terms of overall performance, but it handles Google’s AI features well – and those AI features are already working, while Apple is still playing catch-up. The phone has a 50MP main camera and a 48MP ultra-wide camera, upgrades that aren’t on the iPhone 16 (it gets a slight upgrade to its 12MP ultra-wide camera).

The Pixel 9 has Satellite SOS (as do the other 9-series models), but there’s no general chat via satellite. However, with iOS 18, the iPhone 14 and later will be able to use the Messages app to chat with friends and family even when they’re out of range. The feature only works in the US and Canada, but we expect it to expand to new regions next year.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro upgrades to a 6.3” LTPO panel with a higher pixel density, making it a better match for the iPhone 16 Pro’s new 6.3” LTPO display. It has the 50MP main camera and 48MP ultra-wide camera from the standard model (here, it matches the iPhone 16 Pro’s new 48MP ultra-wide camera), in addition to a 48MP 5x (113mm) periscope camera – which makes it superior to Apple’s 12MP 5x (120mm) periscope camera. Additionally, the Pixel Pro has a new 48MP (17mm) ultra-wide selfie camera – an upgrade that next year’s iPhones will likely get. Note what we said above about the Tensor G4 and Satellite SOS.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL goes head-to-head with the iPhone 16 Pro Max with its 6.8” display. With a slightly different aspect ratio, the Pixel’s display is about 5% smaller in terms of surface area. The rest is the same as the smaller Pro model and the same goes for the iPhone. One thing worth mentioning is that both Google and Apple improved both wired and wireless charging speeds this year. We’ve tested the Pixel, expect results from the iPhone soon.

Apple doesn’t have a foldable phone yet, we keep hearing rumors of a delay. However, Google does have one, and the second generation brings some major usability improvements. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 6.3” cover display (20:9) and an 8.0” inner display (both 120Hz, the inner one is LTPO). The 48+10+10MP triple camera isn’t as advanced as the other 9 Pros, but that’s a common problem with foldables. However, as with AI, Google has the edge over Apple when it comes to the form factor of the new phone.

The Google Pixel 8a offers a relatively affordable alternative to the 9 series. However, the 9a is expected to arrive later this year, so you may want to wait. One major upgrade is the more efficient Tensor G4 chipset, as the G3 inside the Pixel 8a is not great. That said, this model will be supported for 7 years, so you can buy it now and not have to worry about replacing your phone until 2031.

Like Google, thanks to Google, Samsung launched Galaxy AI this year. This AI debuted on the Galaxy S24 series and also launched on older models. Just like Google, Samsung is providing 7 years of support for the S24 series.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch 120Hz OLED display, and lastly, an LTPO panel. The camera array hasn’t seen a major upgrade in recent times and features a 50MP main camera, a 10MP 3x telephoto (67mm) and a 12MP ultra-wide. There’s no satellite connectivity here and charging is still done at 25W wired and 15W wireless.

The Samsung Galaxy S24+ has a 6.7” QHD+ LTPO display (yay!), and 45W battery charging. The cameras are the same as on the smaller S24. Again, there’s no satellite connectivity whatsoever on the S24 series, so Samsung is behind in this regard.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra appears to be the only one to get a camera upgrade. It has a 200MP main sensor, two telephoto modules (a 50MP 5x 111mm periscope and a 10MP 3x 67mm), plus a 12MP ultra-wide camera. The S Pen is a unique feature on the S Ultra series and turns the 6.8” LTPO OLED display into a canvas for notes and sketches.

OnePlus is set to launch a new flagship soon, but a brief mention of the OnePlus 12 is worth noting – it’s a relatively affordable phone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and a 6.82” QHD+ LTPO display. The 50MP main camera is accompanied by a 64MP 3x telephoto (70mm) and a 48MP ultra-wide. Additionally, the large 5,400mAh battery supports 80W wired and 50W wireless charging.

The OnePlus 12R is even cheaper and combines the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with a 6.78” LTPO display. Its cameras are rather basic with a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide camera, and no telephoto. The 5,500mAh battery only supports 80W wired charging, no wireless. Also note its low water resistance rating, IP64.