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Both Google and Apple have immensely powerful compact phones to offer. Google’s is slightly newer, but both launched in the last couple of months. In this article, we’ll compare them, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 8 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro. Both of these phones are compact, but they’re quite different in almost every way. You’ll notice the design differences the moment you lay your eyes on them, but that’s not where things stop.
In this piece, we’ll first list their specifications, and will then proceed to compare them across a number of other categories. We’ll take a look at their design differences, and compare their displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. That being said, let’s get this party on the road.
Specs
Google Pixel 8 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro, respectively
– Screen size:
6.2-inch Actua AMOLED display (120Hz LTPS, HDR10+, 2,000 nits max)
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
2400 x 1080
2796 x 1290
– SoC:
Google Tensor G3
Apple A17 Pro
– RAM:
8GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB
– Storage:
128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1)
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.68 aperture, 82-degree FoV, 1.2um pixel size), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 1.25um pixel size, 125.8-degree FoV)
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, 3x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
10.5MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
– Battery:
4,575mAh
4,355mAh
– Charging:
27W wired, 18W wireless, 5W reverse wired (charger not included)
20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm
146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25mm
– Weight:
187 grams
187 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:
$699+
$999
– Buy:
Best Buy
Apple
Google Pixel 8 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Design
Both the Google Pixel 8 and Apple iPhone 15 Pro are made out of metal and glass, but that’s where the similarities end. The Pixel 8 has a frame made out of aluminum, while Apple uses titanium. The iPhone 15 Pro also has flat sides, which are slightly rounded towards the edges. The Pixel 8 does not have flat sides, but its glass backplate does curve into the frame, unlike what you’ll get on the iPhone 15 Pro.
In addition to standard physical buttons, the iPhone 15 Pro also has the so-called Action Button, which is customizable. The Pixel 8 has a flat display, thin bezels, and a centered display camera hole. The iPhone 15 Pro includes a flat display, a pill-shaped cutout on the display, and uniform bezels. The iPhone 15 Pro’s bezels are also a bit thinner. Their back sides differ quite a bit, as the two companies had entirely different approaches to camera design.
The Pixel 8 has a camera visor on the back, with two cameras inside it. The iPhone 15 Pro has a more regular camera setup, with three cameras inside the camera island. The iPhone 15 Pro does have a slightly smaller display, and is a bit smaller in general. It is shorter, and slightly thinner. They’re about the same when it comes to width. The two phones also weigh the same at 187 grams. Both smartphones are also IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.
Google Pixel 8 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Display
A 6.2-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) sits on the Pixel 8. That is a flat OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+ content, and goes up to 2,000 nits of brightness at its peak. That panel has a 20:9 aspect ratio, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus, a protection by Corning.
The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, includes a 6.1-inch 2556 x 1179 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That is a 120Hz panel with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. It goes up to 2,000 nits of brightness at its peak. This panel has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and it’s protected by the Ceramic Shield Glass.
Both of these smartphones have outstanding displays. Both pairs are vivid, very bright, and have great viewing angles. The touch response is also good, and so is the display protection, so there’s not really much to complain about. The fact that they’re both flat will also likely appeal to most people. These two panels even offer the same brightness peak, and they’re plenty bright for basically any scenario, even though they’re not the brightest panels out there, technically. They’re also sharp enough. We don’t really have a realistic complaint on either display.
Google Pixel 8 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Performance
The Google Tensor G3 fuels the Google Pixel 8 handset. That is Google’s own SoC, as its name says. The phone also includes 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 flash storage. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the flip side, is fueled by the Apple A17 Pro processor, while it includes 8GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of NVMe storage. Apple has a more powerful SoC here, technically, a considerably more powerful chip. Google is relying on the smarts of the Tensor G3, as the chip has been heavily tailored to the Pixel 8 and its AI features.
In day-to-day usage, both of these smartphones shine, to say the least. They offer very smooth performance, without noticeable lag. You will not notice that the Apple A17 Pro is the more powerful chip unless you get into gaming. Even then, the Tensor G3 can run pretty much every game from the Google Play Store, even the most demanding ones. They will not run as well as on the Apple A17 Pro, though, but still, it’s a nitpick for most people.
Both smartphones are outstanding when it comes to multitasking, browsing, consuming multimedia, image processing, and whatever else you can think of. Each of them have their unique set of features, but when it comes to AI, the Pixel 8 simply shines. Google has an outstanding array of AI features, ranging from the camera ones to various others. Many of them are exclusive to the Pixel 8 series. Both companies also offer truly long software support for these devices, market-leading support.
Google Pixel 8 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Battery
A 4,575mAh battery sits inside the Google Pixel 8. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, has a 3,274mAh battery. Apple’s iPhones usually have smaller battery packs, so that doesn’t have to be an indicator of inferior battery life. In fact, these two phones are quite comparable in the battery life department. We were able to cross the 6.5 screen-on-time mark on both smartphones basically every time. In fact, most of the time, both smartphones were able to cross the 7-hour mark too.
They were both rather iffy when it comes to battery life, from the get-go, but after a couple of weeks, the battery life did improve. Many would say that they don’t offer bad battery life at all, especially considering their size. They cannot compete with the ASUS ZenFone 10, for example, as that phone’s battery life is outstanding, despite its size. However, for the vast majority of people, the battery life these two phones offer will do the trick.
What about charging? Well, the Google Pixel 8 supports 27W wired, 18W wireless, and reverse wireless charging too. The iPhone 15 Pro supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. Do note that neither phone includes a charger in the box, though. You’ll need to get one separately. The good news is, however, that the iPhone 15 Pro does feature a Type-C port, finally.
Google Pixel 8 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Cameras
The Google Pixel 8 has two cameras on the back, while the iPhone 15 Pro has three. A 50-megapixel main camera sits on the back of the Pixel 8, along with a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (126-degree FoV). The iPhone 15 Pro has a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The iPhone 15 Pro also has a 3D LiDAR scanner on the back.
Having said that, how do they compare in terms of camera quality? Well, they both shoot great photos, but different ones. The Pixel 8 leans towards cooler tones, while its images usually look contrasty. It shines in HDR conditions, and captures plenty of detail. These images are usually ready to post out of the gate. The iPhone 15 Pro tries to keep things closer to real life, though the images do end up looking a bit processed, of course, depending on the shooting style you end up choosing. They’re rich with details too.
The ultrawide cameras on both phones do a good job of keeping the same color profile as the main camera. They shoot really compelling images, to say the least. The iPhone 15 Pro does win in the telephoto section, as the Pixel 8 doesn’t have a telephoto camera, even though its Super Res Zoom does do a great job without it. The iPhone 15 Pro is the king of video, and even though the Pixel 8 can shoot very good video content, it’s still not on the same level as the iPhone 15 Pro.
Audio
Both smartphones have stereo speakers. The ones on the Pixel 8 are a bit louder, but not by much. Both sets of speakers provide really good, detailed sound. They’re not the best out there, though, but still… not many people will have complaints here.
What you will not find on either of these two smartphones is an audio jack. That is not surprising, though, not at all. You can always utilize their Type-C ports, or use Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless audio connections.