Newsletter
The iPhone 15 series launched not long ago. Four devices got announced, including the iPhone 15 Pro, a smaller top-end model. In this article, we’ll compare the Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 7. These two are the most powerful compact devices Apple and Google have to offer at the moment. Truth be said, the Pixel 8 series is right around the corner, but comparing these two definitely makes sense at the time.
If you’re tired of huge devices, these two may be good alternatives. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then compare them across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. That being said, let’s get started, shall we?
Specs
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 7, respectively
– Screen size:
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
6.3-inch AMOLED display (90Hz, HDR10+, 1,400 nits)
– Display resolution:
2796 x 1290
2400 x 1080
– SoC:
Apple A17 Pro
Google Tensor G2
– RAM:
8GB
8GB (LPDDR5)
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-gen sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, macro photography), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 3x optical zoom)
50MP (wide, f/1.9 aperture, multi-directional PDAF), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture,k 114-degree FOV, 1.25um pixel size)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
10.8MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
– Battery:
4,355mAh
3,900mAh
– Charging:
20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included)
20W wired, 20W wireless, reverse wireless (charger not included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25mm
155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm
– Weight:
187 grams
197 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3/5.2
– Security:
Advanced facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
– OS:
iOS 17
Android 13
– Price:
$999
$599
– Buy:
Apple
Amazon
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 7: Design
These two smartphones look entirely different. That goes for all their sides, pretty much. The iPhone 15 Pro has flat sides, which are slightly curved towards the edges. It also has flat front and back sides, with a pill-shaped camera cutout. The bezels on the phone are truly thin and also uniform, while there’s Apple’s signature camera island on the back. There are three cameras included there. The phone is made out of titanium and glass.
On the flip side, the Google Pixel 7, comes with a flat display, and thin bezels, but they’re not uniform. The bottom bezel is slightly thicker than the rest. All of its buttons sit on the right-hand side, which is not the case with the iPhone 15 Pro. It has a centered display camera hole up top, and a camera visor on the back. Two cameras are included in that visor, and it connects to the frame on both the left and right sides. This phone is made out of aluminum and glass.
The iPhone 15 Pro does have a smaller display, and it’s smaller, narrower, and thinner than the Pixel 7. It’s also a bit lighter at 187 grams, compared to 197 grams. Both smartphones do offer IP68 certification for water and dust resistance, and both are very slippery in the hand. The in-hand feel is completely different, but they both feel premium nonetheless.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 7: Display
Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro has a 6.1-inch 2556 x 1779 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That is a flat panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports HDR10 content, Dolby Vision, and gets truly bright at 2,000 nits at its peak. The display aspect ratio here is 19.5:9, and we’re looking at 461 PPI on this display. The panel is protected by the Ceramic Shield Glass.
On the other hand, the Pixel 7, has a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. That panel is also flat, and it offers a 90Hz refresh rate. HDR10+ content is supported here, while the panel gets up to 1,400 nits of brightness at its peak. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, and the Gorilla Glass Victus protects it. The PPI here is 416, in case you were wondering.
Truth be said, both of these displays are very good. They are vibrant, have good viewing angles, and are quite sharp too. The thing is, the iPhone 15 Pro’s display does get brighter, and that’s something you’ll notice when you’re outside, especially when it’s sunny. On top of that, Apple’s handset offers a higher refresh rate on its display. The difference between 90Hz and 120Hz is not as big as between 60Hz and 120Hz, but if you’re used to 120Hz displays, you may notice that difference.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 7: Performance
The Apple A17 Pro SoC fuels the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple’s most powerful to date. Apple also included 8GB of RAM on the inside, and up to 1TB of NVMe storage. The Pixel 7, on the flip side, is fueled by the Google Tensor G2 SoC. It also includes 8GB of RAM (LPDDR5), and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 flash storage.
Apple’s SoC is definitely more powerful in comparison, and it’s not even close. The thing is, that chip may be running a bit too hot, and the titanium frame may have something to do with everything. It’s still early to tell, but some units are having problems. It’s nowhere close to the Apple A16 Bionic in terms of heat management, but Apple can affect that. It can tone down its performance, and thus try to amend the issue. We’ll see. It does perform really well day-to-day, and it’s more capable than the Tensor G2 in the gaming department, by a lot. That’s not exactly a bit advantage if it can’t keep the heat down, though.
The Pixel 7 runs really well day-to-day too, and it also runs games well. It does have a problem with the most demanding games, but if you tweak the settings a bit, it can tackle those too. It remains to be seen what will happen with the Apple A17 Pro, though. Some people are having serious issues with it at the time of writing this article. So it may be best to wait a bit, before you buy the phone.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 7: Battery
There is a 3,274mAh battery included inside the iPhone 15 Pro. On the flip side, the Pixel 7 has a 4,355mAh battery on the inside. Apple’s iPhones usually have smaller battery capacities than their Android counterparts, so this is not all that surprising. What’s the battery life like, though? Well, truth be said, neither one of these two phones will break records in terms of battery life, but they’re both good enough for most people.
You should be able to get at least 6 hours of screen on time from both phones, without much gaming included in the package. The Pixel 7 did manage to surprise us, though, and go past the 7-hour mark at times. The thing is, your mileage will vary, as you’ll use the phones differently, with different apps, etc. The battery life is not bad, generally speaking, but it could be considerably better, especially considering the standards the Galaxy S23 Ultra, OnePlus 11, ZenFone 10, and iPhone 15 Plus set, amongst others.
What about charging? Well, the iPhone 15 Pro supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and reverse wired charging. It will support Qi2 as well once it becomes available. The Pixel 7, on the flip side, supports 20W wired, 20W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. Neither of the two phones comes with a charger in the box, though, so keep that in mind.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 7: Cameras
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro includes a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The Pixel 7, on the other hand, has a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (114-degree FoV). Both smartphones take great pictures, but they’re actually different, as you’d expect them to be.
The iPhone 15 Pro leans more towards a more realistic representation of the environment, while Google does process those images to look great, but at times visibly processed. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course. Now, the iPhone 15 Pro can actually take 24-megapixel pictures by default, which does help with details, especially in good lighting. The images do end up looking a bit sharper if you pixel peep. The colors are also great. The Pixel 7 still does a better job with HDR, especially when the sun is involved.
In low light, they both do really well, but once again, different. In such scenarios, the iPhone 15 Pro keeps things a bit darker, while the Pixel 7 tends to brighten up the shots quite a bit. Both manage to pull out a lot of detail and optimize the image well. In the video department, however, the iPhone 15 Pro easily wins, it’s not even close, even though the Pixel 7 is not bad in that regard. The telephoto performance in general is a win for the iPhone 15 Pro due to the dedicated telephoto camera, while both ultrawide cameras are good, but not nearly as good as the main shooters.
Audio
Yes, both of these devices have stereo speakers, and both have good output. They’re not the loudest or the best we’ve seen, but they’re more than okay. Not many people will have complaints, as long as you keep in mind these are smartphone speakers. They’re on par, really, there’s nothing significantly better on one over the other.
Neither of the two phones includes an audio jack, unfortunately. They do both have a Type-C USB port however, which you can use to hook up your headphones. If you prefer wireless audio instead, Bluetooth 5.3 is included on the iPhone 15 Pro, while the Pixel 7 comes with Bluetooth 5.2.