Comparing the Pixel 9 Pro XL to OnePlus 12/13

 

I've used the Pixel 9 Pro XL and OnePlus 13. My current device is the OnePlus 12. I'm in the US so my experience will probably be slightly different from yours. I've had trouble deciding between devices so I hope this helps.

Pixel 9

• Much better camera than the OnePlus 12 or 13. They're all capable of taking great photos in ideal conditions (well lit areas). Pixel handles motion much better (even better than the 13). The 13 tends to be really oversaturated and does oversharpen photos. If you want photos that have a ton of "pop" the 13 will be a better choice. Pixel is more consistent and pictures will match reality better (more color accurate). Telephoto is better on the Pixel (if you buy the Pro).
• Charging is slower. Pixel Pro can hit 45 watts if you have the almost non existent specific charger. Its usually 37 watts. Its easy to forget that OnePlus 6 and 7 series used 30 watt chargers. It'll take over an hour to fully charge the phone. The base Pixel 9 has 27 watt.
• Day 1 software updates. Pixels get faster updates than OnePlus. Google pushes new features frequently too. The phone experience hasn't changed significantly in several generations aside from aiding AI tools. Pixel includes a near bare minimum of apps to cover basic needs.
• Software is generally reliable if somewhat barebones.
• Truly flat screen.
• Quick settings tiles feel like they were made for the elderly or computer illiterate. They could be smaller to pack in more settings for quicker access.
• Surprisingly, the Pixel has shown mostly better upload/download speeds on cellular and WiFi connections than the 12. However, connection strength isn't quite as strong. Pixel supports mmwave and Sub 6 while OnePlus only supports Sub6. Older Pixels had problems with the modem but the newer one seems much more capable. I believe its also the same modem that Samsung uses in their Exynos devices.
• Pixel also supports UWB while OnePlus does not (not sure if that's a big thing in India).

OnePlus 13

• Charging can't be beat. You'll get 100 watt (we have 80 watt in the US -- I don't know why) so 0-100 takes about 35 minutes. A 10 or 15 minute charge can take it from 30 to 80. Even with the OP12, the battery has handled fast charging, only losing 2% of capacity in a year.
• IP69 rating is cool. Give your phone a thorough wash if it gets really dirty. Pixel has the more standard IP68 for low pressure water.
• The silicone "vegan leather" back. I liked the idea because glass is fragile. I didn't like the feel of it though. As they say, YMMV. I hope they'll do a different type of plastic back in the future to cut weight and make it more durable.
• The screen still has a slight 2.5D curve so it still felt awkward to use with a case.
• I like OxygenOS tweaks. Its the little things like including icons on the recent apps view. Sometimes its easier to find an app by the icon rather than the last view. Or long pressing an app gives options like removing from the screen or uninstalling. Pixel requires dragging it to the top of the screen to do either of those. It serves the same purpose but takes longer. Or the tiles
• Updates come every other month so security updates are slower. In reality, I doubt it matters much.
• The 13 beats the 12 and Pixel 9 for cell connections. It has a newer modem than the 12 which enables faster connections. In practical use, I didn't notice a difference.

I bought the OP13 for the better camera. While I think the camera is an improvement over the 12, it was not significantly. Otherwise, there was little difference between the two. Comparing the 12 and 13 to the Pixel 9, the Pixel has a more reliable camera system. The Tensor is weaker in benchmarks but the Pixel feels fast. Even the older generations like the Tensor 2 (Pixel 7) have had their software support extended so Google feels confident that the processor will hold up for years.

As I'm still comparing the Pixel 9 Pro and OnePlus 12, I'm having a hard time deciding between devices. The Pixel surprised me with connection speeds but I appreciate the customization and tweaks present in OxygenOS.