iPhone 16 Pro Max moon pictures: Do they beat the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a "star" as our new battery life champ, lasting more than 25 hours on a single charge. But how does it fare when it comes to a little astrophotography?

I grabbed Apple's most premium current-gen iPhone 16 and stacked it against the recently dropped Pixel 9 Pro XL (Google's best smartphone offering). The question is, which one is the most stellar at taking moon pictures? Let’s see if one truly outshines — or should I say, eclipses — the other in capturing one of the sky’s most breathtaking celestial bodies.

iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: moon capture

Mobile astrophotography experts recommend using a variety of gear to capture the moon at its best, including a tripod to stabilize the device, binocular lenses or a small telescope for a clearer view of the lunar surface, and even paid apps to fine-tune camera settings.

However, I decided to go minimalist and use both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL — sans the recommended equipment — to capture photos of the moon. I wanted to see what each can do with their own built-in capabilities, relying solely on their native camera systems and software.

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Let's start with Apple's device. It's got a triple-lens system on the rear, including the 48MP wide camera, 48MP ultrawide sensor, and the 12MP telephoto lens.

iPhone 16 Pro Max Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

None of those hardware specs matter too much, though, because we'll be relying on the iPhone 16 Pro Max's digital zoom, which leverages the software for zoom capabilities beyond 5x.

And I definitely needed much more than 5x zoom to see the moon in all of its glory. In fact, I zoomed in to the max — 25x to be exact — to capture the waxing gibbous moon on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

I also adjusted the exposure to tone down the excessive brightness, revealing more of the moon’s surface, craters, and texture for a clearer, more defined shot.

Here's the best shot:

Shot of waxing gibbous moon with iPhone 16 Pro Max Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Despite the limitations of smartphone photography, particularly when it comes to the astros, the iPhone 16 Pro Max did OK — I give it a 5.5 out of 10. The image captured some detail of the moon's craters and surface texture, showcasing its natural shadows and contrast.

Unsurprisingly, there's some softness around the moon's edges with the iPhone 16 Pro Max attempting to balance exposure in the darker areas, but overall, it's more defined than I thought it'd be.

There were worse captures, though. Check out some of my fails below.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

I expected the Pixel 9 Pro XL — packed with a 50MP wide camera, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 48MP telephoto sensor — to excel during this test because it blew us away when we tested its improved Super Res Zoom, which maxes out at 30x.

However, no matter how much I finagled with the camera settings, I couldn't get much better than this shot:

Shot of the moon with Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Is this the moon or a fireball zipping through the sky? This is a 4.5 out of 10.

I even tried to use the Pixel 9 Pro XL's Night Sight feature, but that didn't do much to improve the photo.

Moon taken with the Pixel 9 Pro XL's Night Sight Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

I experimented with the exposure levels and played around with the zoom adjustment to find a "sweet spot," but no dice.

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.

Perhaps there is a specific setting requirement for moon capture on the Pixel 9 Pro XL to nail that perfect celestial shot — but I wasn't able to discover it during my time with the Google phone.

For "funsies," I also took a picture of the moon with my Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra moon shot Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

But this shot may be controversial. Why? Samsung has been accused of using AI trickery to make moon shots look better than they truly are. The Korea-based company, however, denies these claims.

Which moon shot was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is available for pre-order now for $1,199.