Apple iPhone 13 minivsGoogle Pixel 9 Pro XL

Apple iPhone 13 mini

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Apple iPhone 13 mini

The iPhone 13 mini is identical in size and design to its predecessor, the iPhone 12 mini, with some minor changes such as diagonal camera alignment and a slightly reduced notch. Despite being heavier and thicker than the 12 mini, it still feels comfortable to use due to its compact size. One of the standout features of the iPhone 13 mini is its display, which boasts a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR screen with HDR 10 Dolby Vision support. The screen has excellent brightness, color accuracy, and pixel density, making it one of the sharpest displays on this year's iPhone lineup. The phone also features stereo speakers with good loudness and audio quality, and a large 2,438mAh battery that provides an impressive 75-hour endurance rating. Despite being small, the battery is 10% larger than last year's model. Under the hood, the iPhone 13 mini packs Apple's A15 Bionic chip with 4GB of RAM, making it one of the fastest mobile chipsets available. The phone also features iOS 15 out of the box, which brings improved notification management and other significant upgrades. The camera system on the iPhone 13 mini is identical to its larger siblings, featuring a 12MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera with sensor shift stabilization and fixed focus. While the camera performs well in good light conditions, it struggles with foliage rendering and noise in low-light situations. The selfie camera, however, produces excellent results with great detail, contrast, and color accuracy. Overall, the iPhone 13 mini offers a unique blend of compact design, excellent display, powerful performance, and top-notch camera quality, making it the best compact flagship on the market.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is a classy flagship device that boasts a clean and great-looking design. Its display is the brightest around, making it perfect for still photos. The camera system, although not revolutionary, delivers excellent results during the day with crisp detail and well-balanced color rendition. The rear main camera captures high-contrast images with hints of pixelation in certain situations, but textures don't look overprocessed. The telephoto cam provides solid five-time zoom photos with good dynamic range and colors, but some competitors are sharper. The ultra-wide camera delivers bright exposures at night, although the detail level leaves more to be desired. The selfie camera has seen a significant upgrade this year, capturing nicely detailed selfies with vivid colors, lifelike skin tones, and excellent dynamic range. Video recording is where the Pixel 9 Pro XL falls short, particularly in low light conditions where the main cam's 4K videos are softer than the competition. Battery life has improved slightly from last year's model, but it still lags behind some competitors. Charging speed has been increased to 37 watts, and wireless charging and reverse wireless charging are supported. The device runs smoothly with hiccup-free performance in our testing. Overall, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a solid flagship device that excels in still photography and AI features. Its display and design are top-notch, and software support will be available for an extended period. However, it may not be the best choice for those seeking the most powerful chipset or video recording capabilities. If you're looking for alternatives, consider last year's Pixel 8 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.