iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: New AI-powered tools transform mobile photography

Apple’s iPhone 16 series and Google’s Pixel 9 Pro are pushing the boundaries of mobile photography with advanced AI-powered tools designed to give users more control over their images. 

Apple’s Camera Control, available on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, offers a physical button for quick access to the camera and advanced focusing, mimicking the feel of a traditional camera. Meanwhile, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro introduces Magic Editor, an AI-powered tool that lets users manipulate images with ease by moving, removing, and resizing subjects.

With Magic Editor, users can reimagine entire scenes—whether changing the sky to enhance the mood of a selfie or removing unwanted objects from the background of a family photo. Apple’s Camera Control also offers significant improvements, allowing for easy adjustments like zooming, focusing, and framing with haptic feedback to replicate the tactile experience of a camera shutter.

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Both companies are leaning heavily into AI for their latest releases. Apple Intelligence, Apple’s version of AI, can assist users by finding specific moments in videos, organizing photos, and even improving image editing processes like removing distractions from backgrounds. Similarly, Magic Editor’s ability to transform photos on the fly with AI is one of the most talked-about features of the Pixel 9 Pro.

Journalists try out devices of the new iPhone 16 Pro model after the presentation at Apple headquarters. (Photo by Andrej Sokolow/picture alliance via Getty Images)

A shift in how we interact with photos

While these AI advancements make high-quality photography accessible to more users, they also represent a shift in how we interact with photos. 

As noted in a recent article from The Verge, AI-driven tools like Magic Editor are changing the way images are created and perceived. The ability to seamlessly edit or alter images, whether by adding new elements or removing distractions, raises questions about the authenticity of digital photos. 

In this new era of mobile photography, the line between what’s real and what’s edited continues to blur.

Ultimately, both the iPhone 16 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro bring exciting innovations to the mobile photography space, allowing users to take creative control of their images like never before.

The Source
This article draws on information from Amateur Photographer and The Verge, as well as details from Apple and Google on their latest mobile photography innovations.