Pixel vs iPhone 7: Which is better?

Pixel is the first true “phone by Google,” but how does it stack up against the competition? Let’s go through a quick spec-by-spec comparison of the Pixel and the iPhone 7.

Size

size

The Pixel is about 4% taller and wider than the iPhone 7, but only 0.2 mm thicker.

Weight

weight

The Pixel weighs about 3.5% more than the iPhone 7.

Build

build

Both phones are constructed with a glass front and aluminum unibody, with the Pixel having a small, rear glass panel.

Colors

colors

The iPhone 7 right off the bat comes with more color options, jet black (scratch magnet), matte black, and three other metallic tones. The Pixel keeps it simple with just three color variants.

Water resistance

water-resistance

The Pixel suffers greatly in the field of water resistance with the iPhone 7 nearly reaching Galaxy phone standards.

Display size

display-size

The Pixel boasts a larger display than the iPhone 7 at about 0.3 in bigger.

Display resolution

display-resolution

Pixel lives up to its name and wins the pixel density war. The iPhone, however, still gets points for its color accuracy and contrast.

Display type

display-type

Apple is one of the few manufacturers still clinging to IPS display technology. Google, on the other hand, uses AMOLED in its Pixel.

Pressure-sensitive display

pressure-sensitive-display

Apple’s latest phones ship with their proprietary, pressure-sensitive displays, or better known as 3D Touch. 3D Touch has potential but hasn’t been realized yet. The Pixel instead uses a long press and a vibration for app shortcuts, which might just be a much simpler and efficient way.

Camera megapixels

camera-megapixels

Google sneaked in one extra megapixel in the front facing cameras of the Pixel.

Camera aperture (rear)

camera-aperture-rear

The iPhone 7 bests the Pixel in terms of camera aperture. The smaller the f-stop, the larger the aperture, which is generally a good thing for better photos in low-light conditions. However, it can tend to overexpose in daylight.

Image stabilization

image-stabilization

The Pixel phones probably have one of the most advanced electronic image stabilization for mobile cameras. The iPhone sticks to optical image stabilization.

Dual cameras (rear)

dual-cameras

The iPhone 7’s “brother phone,” the iPhone 7 Plus ships with dual rear camera lenses.

Battery

battery

The Pixel has a considerably larger battery than the iPhone 7. Google estimates that a full charge will get you up to 26 hours of talk time or up to 13 hours of internet use or video playback. On the iPhone 7, Apple says you’ll get up to 14 hours of talk time, 12 hours of internet use, or up to 13 hours of video playback.

Fast charging

fast-charging

According to Google, the Pixel will give you 7 hours of use in just 15 minutes of charging. iPhone users are still waiting for a similar convenience.

Wireless charging

wireless-charging

Both Apple and Google have chosen not to add wireless charging in their flagships.

Processor

processor

Based on the latest reports, it seems like Apple’s newest chip is just a tad faster than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821. But nevertheless, both are very, very snappy.

RAM

ram

The Pixel has twice the RAM of the iPhone 7. Though it’s still worth mentioning that most iPhones have always performed well even with lower amounts of RAM.

Storage

storage

Both phones are available in 32 and 128 GB capacities, however, the iPhone 7 kicks it up to a crazy 256 GB version. And if you want the jet black iPhone, you’ll have to spruce it up to either 128 or 256 GB as Apple does not make any in the 32 GB configuration.

Expandable storage

microsd

Both companies have made it clear that they want to move away from microSD slots.

VR compatible

vr-ready

The Pixel is compatible right out of the box with Google’s brand-new Daydream View VR headset. Apple has still yet to announce any plans in the virtual reality world.

Headphone jack

headphone-jack

Apple’s widely known for axing hardware as is the case with the iPhone 7’s headphone jack. Apple did include a lightning to 3.5 mm adapter in the box, but it’s still going to be hassle in your life.

Fingerprint sensor

fingerprint-sensor

Both Google’s “Pixel Imprint” and Apple’s “Touch ID” are extremely quick to unlock. The Pixel has its scanner on the back while the iPhone’s is on the front and doubles as the home button. It’s also worth mentioning that the Pixel’s fingerprint sensor can double as a “swipe to bring down notification shade.” Neat.

Home button

home-button

The Pixel has its home button onscreen, as is the case with many other Android phones. Apple replaced the clickable home button with a 3D Touch one on the iPhone 7. Based on many reports, the haptic feedback makes it feel like the whole bottom of the phone is clicking rather than imitating a real press.

Mobile payments

mobile-payments

Both phones are NFC equipped and can be used with their respective mobile payments. The Pixel’s NFC is open and can have other uses while the iPhone’s is locked down to Apple Pay.

Virtual assistant

virtual-assistant

In addition to being the first Google-branded phone, the Pixel is the first phone with the Google Assistant built-in. In a nutshell, it’s a much more improved and conversational Google Now. If you want to see a quick comparison of the two, check out MKBHD’s video below:

Operating system

operating-system

Both phones run the latest version of their OS right out of their box. It’s Android 7.1 Nougat vs iOS 10. Google’s promised to bring at least two years of OS upgrades and three years of security patches right from launch.

Release

release-date

Google announced the Pixel and Pixel XL in early October and Apple announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in early September.

Starting price (full retail)

price

Both phone’s base model starts at the exact same price point.

Conclusion

When all is said and done, on paper, both these phones are astonishing. Both combine excellent hardware and user-friendly software. They “just work.”

Source: New Atlas