Both Apple and Google have announced a whole new range of phones in the past few months, but which handset truly wins out?
We’ve been waiting on tenterhooks for the release of the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, and Google has finally revealed them both. These two new handsets come with a load of new features, from the massive 50MP sensor on the base model to the 30x optical zoom on the Pro variation.
But we can’t immediately forget about Apple’s big announcement just a few weeks prior; the company just brought out a line of new handsets, from the iPhone 15 all the way to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Now that we have two of the biggest mobile juggernauts releasing new devices, it’s time to see how they match up. Today, we’re putting the Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 head-to-head to find out who really comes out on top. Keep reading to find out all the biggest differences between these handsets so you know which brand is worth the update.
Google Tensor G3 vs Apple A16 Bonic
Apple used the same chipset in the iPhone 15 as the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models, the A16 Bionic. It comes with a 6-core CPU – with two performance cores and four efficiency cores – alongside a 5-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. While we can’t attest to the iPhone 15’s performance, we found the A16 Bionic performed very well in the iPhone 14 Pro models, offering a supremely nippy presentation with no hiccups whatsoever during our review period.
The Pixel 8 comes with the latest Google Tensor G3 chipset. Google claims that it comes with a host of new features, including Pixel’s Call Screen. This feature can detect and filter out spam calls, and the advanced image processing and next-generation design bring Google AI to both audio and video quality.
Improved Clear Calling should offer crystal clear phone calls, and the latest Audio Magic Eraser can even erase distracting sounds from videos. We can’t make any comments on how the G3 will perform just yet, but it seems like a very promising next step for the company.
50MP camera on the Pixel 8
The Pixel 8 comes with an impressive camera array, including a 12-megapixel rear ultrawide lens as well as a massive 50MP rear wide lens. We can’t make any comments on how these cameras stack up just yet, but the 50MP sensor should allow for supremely detailed shots when taken RAW.
Apple also kitted the iPhone 15 with a spectacular camera system, including a 48MP main sensor, and 12MP ultrawide sensor alongside a 12MP 2x telephoto lens. These sensors come with support for Smart HDR 5 and Deep Fusion, which Apple claims helps to optimise texture, detail and noise in every photo.
More camera features on the Pixel 8
One of the Pixel’s biggest accomplishments is all of its camera features. Magic Eraser, Motion Blur and Face Unblur are all very popular features that help users craft the perfect picture every time they open their camera app.
The iPhone 15 does not come with the same camera tricks as the Pixel 8. While its impressive camera sensors should make for some clear and crisp imagery, there is no way to remove photobombers or unwanted objects from the background in pictures, which the Pixel 8 can do.
Lower refresh rate on the iPhone 15
One of the biggest bugbears with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models is the lack of Apple ProMotion. ProMotion technology offers up to a 120Hz refresh rate and can drop as low as 10Hz, ensuring that the performance is speedy when needed while still being able to conserve battery life.
It’s made an appearance on the iPhone 15 Pro models, but the iPhone 15 has kept a rather disappointing 60Hz refresh rate, with no option for it to refresh accordingly.
Google has blown Apple out of the water in this regard; the Pixel 8 comes with an impressive Super Actua display that is capable of reaching up to 120Hz. Due to the adaptive refresh rate, it’s likely that the Pixel 8 will feel a lot smoother to use overall and should look a lot cleaner while navigating the screen or scrolling through apps.
The iPhone 15 is more expensive, but it comes in more colours
Apple is not known for producing the most affordable tech on the market, and the iPhone 15 is no exception. The base handset – which comes with 128GB storage and 6GB RAM – starts at a crisp £799/$799 and comes in five colours, including Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green and Black.
Google opted to make the Pixel 8 slightly more accessible, with the 128GB storage and 8GB LPDDR5X RAM model starting at $699/£699. It can be found in Bay, Porcelain and Obsidian. The lack of colour options may be offputting for some, but the lower price point does make it a lot more affordable.
