The triumph of the smaller Pixel 9 Pro could mean that Apple is on the path of self-sabotage with the larger iPhone 16 Pro

Repeat after me: Compact Flagship Phones Matter! Compact Flagship Phones Matter! CFPM! OK, that one doesn't roll off the tongue so easily. Nor does it go particularly easy on the ear, too. But you get the point.

That's not just me proclaiming random slogans on a Tuesday, screaming with a shopping bag across my chest at the local mall with passersby keeping a safe distance around me. Quite the contrary. The "CFPM" slogan is the voice of the masses: the people have spoken.

I'm talking, of course, about the fact that early adopters show overwhelming preference for two Pixel 9 models. One of these two models is the Pixel 9 Pro: the compact successor to last year's Pixel 8 Pro. Yes, people really want small phones.

Wait, aren't these two – the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 8 Pro – the exact same size?

No.

This, however, is not the point. Nor that Compact Flagship Phones Matter.

Instead, Google made me think about… Apple.

Google Pixel 9: Get at Amazon

Snatch the Pixel 9 with fancy new Gemini AI features at Amazon. The latest non-Pro model with a G4 chip is currently available at its standard price.

Buy at Amazon

Get Pixel 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL at Amazon

The amazing Pixel 9 Pro and its larger sibling, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, are now available at Amazon. The smartphones arrive at their standard price, no gifts available.

Buy at Amazon

The fact that Google's compact champ is so sought after could mean big trouble for Apple and its upcoming iPhone 16 Pro, which has apparently also changed in size, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro. Yes, as you've correctly guessed, the 16 Pro is larger than the 15 Pro.