What’s the comparison between the newest flagship phones from Google and Apple like? Let’s take a look at how the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Max stack up against each other.
important key
- Both the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are impressive flagship smartphones. The iPhone boasts a titanium frame and extended battery life, whereas the Pixel excels in photo quality and rapid charging.
- The iPhone delivers a camera with a more natural appearance and consistent image quality, whereas the Pixel features enhanced camera hardware and new software functionalities that enhance low-light photography and ultrawide shots.
- When it comes to processing power, the iPhone’s A17 Pro processor stands out for its exceptional performance and efficiency, making it capable of running console games. In contrast, the Pixel’s Tensor G3 processor enhances AI and machine learning capabilities, enabling unique features such as voice recognition and translation.
The Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max stand as two top-tier flagship smartphones currently available, with the Pixel starting at $999 and the iPhone starting at $1,199. If you’re unsure about which one suits your needs better, we’ll assist you in comparing these two devices and examining their key distinctions.
Design and Robustness
- Pixel 8 Pro: Dimensions of 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm; Weight of 213 grams; IP68 dust and water resistance.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Dimensions of 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm; Weight of 221 grams; IP68 dust and water resistance.
When comparing the physical characteristics, the Pixel 8 Pro stands taller, slightly narrower, thicker, and lighter than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Both phones feature a glass back with a matte finish, but the Pixel incorporates an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the front. In contrast, the iPhone employs a Grade 5 titanium frame and Ceramic Shield coating on the front glass.
In the United States, the iPhone exclusively uses eSIM, while the Pixel still accommodates a physical SIM card slot. Neither device includes a microSD card slot. Both phones share an IP68 rating, indicating their resistance to water and dust.
The Pixel 8 Pro offers a choice of three colors: Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is available in four colors: Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Black Titanium. Among these options, the darker hues are more likely to reveal scratches over time.
Screen
- Pixel 8 Pro: Equipped with a 6.7-inch Super Actua OLED display; Features a 120Hz refresh rate; Boasts a resolution of 1344 x 2992 pixels; Offers 489 PPI pixel density; Achieves a peak brightness of 2,400 nits.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Features a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display; Offers a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate; Provides a resolution of 1290 x 2796 pixels; Delivers 460 PPI pixel density; Reaches a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.
Both phones feature a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering Full HD+ resolution. However, the Pixel 8 Pro can achieve a slightly higher brightness level, reaching 2,400 nits, compared to the iPhone’s maximum of 2,000 nits.
Both devices utilize LTPO technology, allowing them to adjust the refresh rate dynamically from 120Hz down to just 1Hz when displaying static content to conserve battery life.
While the Pixel 8 Pro incorporates a minimal punch-hole notch commonly seen in Android phones, the Dynamic Island on the iPhone continues to improve as third-party app developers optimize their applications to make better use of this feature.
Camera Performance
- Pixel 8 Pro: Equipped with a 50MP f/1.68 primary camera with OIS and 4K video recording at 60fps; Features a 48MP f/1.95 ultra-wide camera with a 125.5-degree field of view, suitable for macro photography; Boasts a 48MP f/2.8 telephoto camera with OIS and 5x optical zoom; Front camera: 10.5MP f/2.2 with PDAF and 4K video recording at 60fps.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Comes with a 48MP f/1.8 primary camera with sensor-shift OIS and 4K video recording at 60fps; Features a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view, suitable for macro photography; Equipped with a 12MP f/2.8 telephoto camera with OIS and 5x optical zoom; Front camera: 12MP f/1.9 with PDAF and 4K video recording at 60fps.
The Pixel’s camera needs no introduction and has been a favorite among fans since its inception. With the Pixel 8 Pro, you’ll experience upgraded camera hardware for crisper selfies, improved low-light photography and videography, and higher-resolution ultrawide shots.
Additionally, you’ll have access to an array of new Pixel camera software features, including Best Take, Night Sight for video, Macro Focus, Audio Magic Eraser, and more.
iPhones tend to maintain a consistent image quality over the years, with incremental changes. Therefore, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can expect to continue experiencing natural-looking photos, excellent video quality, and seamless transitions between lenses.
The notable addition here is the 5x optical zoom telephoto camera, which allows you to capture distant subjects. Moreover, since the iPhone captures 24MP images by default rather than 12MP, you can anticipate greater detail in your photos, especially when zooming in.
Processing Unit
- Pixel 8 Pro: Powered by the Google Tensor G3 processor, manufactured using a 4nm fabrication process, and equipped with a Mali-G715 GPU.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Runs on the Apple A17 Pro processor, built with a 3nm fabrication process, and features a 6-core Apple GPU.
Both smartphones are fully capable of smoothly running contemporary applications and games. However, the A17 processor in the iPhone 15 Pro Max stands out as notably more powerful and efficient compared to the Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 Pro. This superiority enables the iPhone to deliver sustained performance for longer durations while also minimizing power consumption.
In fact, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has the capability to run console games such as Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Resident Evil: Village, which will soon be available on the Apple App Store.
In contrast, Google’s Tensor focuses less on sheer power and efficiency and more on enhancing the AI and machine learning capabilities of Pixel phones. This makes them excel in areas such as image processing, voice recognition, translation, natural language processing, and essentially everything that gives a Pixel phone its unique features.
Memory and Storage:
Pixel 8 Pro: Equipped with 12GB of RAM and offers storage options of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Comes with 8GB of RAM and offers storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Due to iPhones’ efficient RAM management, the 8GB of RAM on the iPhone 15 Pro Max can be considered comparable to the 12GB of RAM on the Pixel 8 Pro. Therefore, there shouldn’t be a significant difference in multitasking capability, meaning both devices can handle running multiple apps smoothly.
Both phones provide storage capacities of up to 1TB, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts with a base storage of 256GB, whereas the Pixel 8 Pro begins with 128GB. This difference might be notable if you intend to capture many high-resolution 4K videos, download large files, or install extensive games.