Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google launched the highly anticipated Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones at the Made by Google 2023 event on Oct. 4. Google took Apple Inc.'s AAPL latest iPhone 15 smartphones head-on at the launch, comparing the camera prowess of the Pixel 8 Pro with that of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
While both the Pixel 8 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro compete neck-to-neck with each other in terms of hardware, there are a few aspects in which the Pixel 8 Pro is better than the iPhone 15 Pro, and vice versa in others.
If you are looking to upgrade your smartphone and the Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro debate needs clarification, read on to find out what each of the two smartphones offers and miss out on.
See Also: Google Launches Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro With Tensor G3: Check Features, Price And Availability
Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Price
Both the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro start at the same price, which is $999. Both phones also start with the same storage space of 128GB, going all the way up to 1TB.
This is the first time Google has matched Apple in terms of storage options for the top-tier version.
To make the deal sweeter, though, Google has an ace up its sleeve – all Pixel 8 Pro buyers get the Pixel Watch 2 worth $349 for free. Alternatively, you can also choose the Pixel Buds Pro, worth $199.
As such, the Pixel 8 Pro's effective price comes down to $650, which makes it a great deal on its own.
See Also: Get The iPhone 15 Pro For Free From Boost Infinite: Here’s How
Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Software Updates
Google pulled out a surprise at the Pixel 8 launch event – it will offer seven years of operating system and security updates, along with quarterly feature drops.
As a result, the Pixel 8 Pro will continue to receive updates all the way till 2030.
On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro will likely receive software updates for five years. Apple has also issued some urgent security updates to phones as old as 8-10 years, but those are exceptions to its five-year support timeline.
Pixel 8 Pro Has Better Camera Hardware
Apart from the chipset, the other highlight of the Pixel 8 Pro is the camera hardware upgrades.
More specifically, the telephoto camera is far more capable than the iPhone 15 Pro's – the Pixel 8 Pro's 48MP telephoto camera has a bigger pixel size than the iPhone 15 Pro in 12MP mode. The bigger lens should also help the Pixel 8 Pro capture more light, resulting in better low-light photos.
But beyond the hardware, Google also showed off some interesting new AI-powered camera features, including Video Boost, that help the Pixel 8 Pro capture much better videos in low-light conditions.
Another highlight of the Pixel 8 Pro is the "Zoom Enhance" feature, which reminds us of the "enhance" moments in science fiction and investigative dramas. That will soon become a reality on phones – Google says the feature will "arrive in the coming months".
Google also revealed some interesting new Pixel 8 series features like Guided Frame, Best Take, Generative AI-powered editing in the Google Photos app, and a new feature called Audio Eraser to edit out noise. The new Tensor G3 chipset unlocks some of these new features.
Bonus: The Pixel 8 Pro features a temperature sensor that you can capture using a new Thermometer app.
Google Leverages Its AI Prowess
Apart from enhancing the camera experience with AI, Google is also continuing to boost other Pixel series features.
From clearer calls to features like an audio eraser, which helps you edit out background noise in conversations, Google has several new AI-powered tricks up its sleeve with the Pixel 8 series.
Google is also enhancing the powers of the Recorder app – it already supports live transcription, but thanks to a dose of AI, it will soon be able to automatically summarize voice recordings with a single tap of a button.
Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro come with a free VPN by Google One.
iMessage
The iPhone 15 Pro has an advantage that Google's Pixel 8 Pro will likely never be able to overcome – iMessage.
Apple has improved iMessage consistently over the years, making it more secure, reliable, and extremely convenient to use within the Apple ecosystem.
That is the key part – iMessage is great within the Apple ecosystem, and the Tim Cook-led company is in no mood to give up this advantage. As a result, if you have a group of friends with whom iPhones are dominant, you might want to keep this in mind while deciding about your phone upgrade.
iPhone 15 Pro Delivers Better Performance On Paper
The one area where the iPhone 15 Pro has a clear advantage is the chipset – the A17 Pro is notably more powerful than the Tensor G3 on paper.
During the Pixel 8 launch on Wednesday, Google said the Tensor G3 chipset is on par with Qualcomm Inc.'s QCOM Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
Earlier, benchmarks revealed that not only is the A17 Pro chipset more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, it is also better than the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset by a huge 30% margin.
Pixel 8 Pro's Display Is One Of The Brightest
Lastly, the Pixel 8 Pro's display is considerably brighter than the iPhone 15 Pro's – Google claims the peak brightness of its latest smartphone reaches 2,400 nits, which is just 100 nits short of the brightest phone, the Oppo Find X6 Pro.
The iPhone 15 Pro's display hits a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.
This means that while both phones should be easily usable under direct sunlight, the Pixel 8 Pro has an edge in this regard.
Conclusion
It's time to make a decision – which phone should you buy, the Pixel 8 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro?
On paper, both phones are extremely competitive and are only better than the other in some aspects.
Apart from several other things, the iPhone 15 Pro's raw performance and iMessage are its key selling points. The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, has longer software support, an edge in the camera department, and more interesting AI-powered features.
Ultimately, this is an extremely tight race, and it all boils down to your personal preferences. If you prefer Apple's tightly-knit ecosystem of devices, the iPhone 15 Pro is a no-brainer.
If you want to venture out, the Pixel 8 Pro is a compelling option.
Image Credits – Apple/Google
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