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Both Google and Apple have outstanding smartphones to offer. In this article, we’ll compare the best of both worlds, the Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. Both of these smartphones launched in the last couple of months, so both are still kind of fresh. These are large offerings from the two companies, and even though they’re both quite powerful, they’re vastly different.
As per usual, we’ll kick things off by listing their specifications. Following that, we’ll compare the phones across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery, cameras, and audio. If you’re still trying to decide which of the two phones to get, this article will hopefully be of some use. Let’s get down to it!
Specs
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, respectively
– Screen size:
6.7-inch Super Actua AMOLED display (120Hz LTPO, HDR10+, 2,400 nits)
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (flat, 120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
2992 x 1344
2796 x 1290
– SoC:
Google Tensor G3
Apple A17 Pro
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)
256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.68 aperture, 82-degree FoV, 1.2um pixel size), 48MP (ultrawide, f/1.95 aperture, 125.5-degree FoV, 0.8um pixel size), 48MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, 5x optical zoom)
48MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-gen sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, macro photography), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
10.5MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
– Battery:
5,050mAh
4,422mAh
– Charging:
27W wired, 18W wireless wireless, 5W reverse wired (charger not included)
20W wired, 15W wireless, reverse wired charging (charger not included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8mm
159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm
– Weight:
213 grams
221 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & Face Unlock
Advanced facial scanning
– OS:
Android 14
iOS 17
– Price:
$999+
$1,199
– Buy:
Best Buy
Apple
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
The Google Pixel 8 Pro and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max not only look entirely different, but they also feel different in the hand. The Google Pixel 8 Pro is a bit curvier. Its back side does curve into the frame, on the edges. The one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max does not. Apple did add some curvature to those predominantly flat sides this time around, though, which makes the phone more comfortable to hold.
Both devices have flat displays. The Pixel 8 Pro includes a centered display camera hole, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a pill-shaped cutout. Google’s handset also has a camera visor on the back, covered by metal. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a more regular-looking camera island, with three cameras included in it. They look vastly different as you can see in the image provided above.
The Pixel 8 Pro is a bit taller than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, while the two phones have very similar widths. Google’s handset is also a bit thicker, and lighter. It weighs 213 grams, compared to 221 grams of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Both smartphones are IP68 certified, which means they’re both water and dust resistant. One more thing worth noting is the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, a customizable button. Google’s handset doesn’t have one of those.
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
The Google Pixel 8 Pro features a 6.7-inch 2992 x 1344 LTPO OLED display. This is a 120Hz display, an adaptive one, it goes from 1 to 120Hz. It supports HDR10+ content, and goes up to 2,400 nits of brightness at its peak. The display is flat, it has a 20:9 aspect ratio, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The bezels are uniform around the display, and a display camera hole sits on it.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. This is also a 120Hz display, and it also has an adaptive refresh rate. This panel is flat, and supports HDR10 content. It also offers Dolby Vision support, and goes up to 2,000 nits of brightness at its peak. It has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9, and is protected by the Ceramic Shield Glass.
Both of these panels are outstanding, to say the least. They’re both quite vivid, and yet they try to be color-accurate at the same time. The viewing angles are great, and both displays are more than sharp enough. The fact that they’re flat will also please many people. The Pixel 8 Pro’s display does technically gets brighter, but both of these displays are extremely bright, and chances are you won’t have a problem with either one. On top of all that, we also don’t have any complaints about touch responsiveness here.
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance
Google’s flagship is fueled by the Google Tensor G3 SoC. This chip relies heavily on AI, and the smarts of Google’s software in general. The phone is also equipped with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, is fueled by the Apple A17 Pro processor. That chip is technically quite a bit more powerful than the Tensor G3. Apple also included 8GB of RAM with the device, along with NVMe flash storage.
Apple’s flagship is technically a more powerful smartphone, mainly due to that processor. The Apple A17 Pro can run console-quality games, some of which are incoming, which says a lot about its power. The Tensor G3, on the other hand, makes it possible for Google to offer a range of truly useful AI features. Both smartphones do perform admirably in day-to-day use, though, regardless of what you’re doing.
They’re very smooth and have great animations, and their 120Hz panels only help the overall smoothness. Multitasking is really fast and easy on both, and they’re both great for multimedia as well. Basically anything you throw at them, they can handle. The Pixel 8 Pro can play basically any game from the Play Store, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max is more capable in that regard, no doubt about it.
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery
A 5,050mAh battery sits inside the Pixel 8 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 4,441mAh battery on the inside. Apple’s handsets usually have smaller battery packs, so don’t let that deter you. What’s the battery life actually like? Well, very good, on both, though they won’t break any records. We’ve been getting outstanding battery life on the OnePlus 11, Galaxy S23 Ultra, and ZenFone 10 this year. These two don’t get to that level of over 9, 10 hours of screen-on-time, but they do offer really good battery life.
How good? Well, the Pixel 8 Pro jumped between 6 and 7.5 hours of screen-on-time for us. Even when the usage was similar, the results weren’t exactly close, but things will probably get better moving forward. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the flip side, does offer very good battery life. Crossing the 8-hour screen-on-time mark is possible, depending on what you’re doing. Your mileage may vary, though, of course, depending on your usage, installed apps, signal, and so on.
When charging is concerned, the first thing you should know is that neither phone offers a charger in the box. The Pixel 8 Pro supports 30W wired, 23W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. Google’s handset doesn’t really charge faster, though, they’re similar in that regard, due to the difference in their battery capacities.
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras
Both of these phones have three cameras on the back. The Pixel 8 Pro comes with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (126-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel telephoto unit (5x optical zoom. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide one (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto unit (5x optical zoom).
The images these two phones provide are excellent, but also quite different. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is trying to keep them closer to what they look like in real-life, while Google wants them to look great out of the box. Google loves to provide contrasty shots, and is outstanding in HDR situations. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is also great in such situations, much better than its predecessor, but it still doesn’t nail basically every single HDR shot like the Pixel 8 Pro.
Ultrawide and telephoto cameras on both smartphones are great, and are actually comparable in terms of quality. When it comes to video, the Pixel 8 Pro is much-improved, and it can compete with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but Apple’s flagship is still a step above in that regard. Both of these smartphones pack extremely capable camera setups, while Google also has a bunch of AI camera features you may be interested in, such as Best Shot, Magic Eraser, Magic Editor, and so on.
Audio
Both smartphones have stereo speakers. Those speakers are good on both phones. The sound is clear, and there are no noticeable distortions. Do note that the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s speakers are louder, though.
When it comes to wired audio connections, you can use Type-C ports on the two phones. Neither device has an audio jack, so you can’t really utilize it. If you prefer wireless audio, you’ll be glad to know that Bluetooth 5.3 is supported on both devices.