Google Pixel 8 Pro Vs. iPhone 15 Pro: Who’s Taking The Win?

Comparing the winner of the “MWC Best Smartphone” 2024 to its runner-up? Yes, that’s more like it. The Google Pixel 8 Series flawed its competitors to win the converted Best Smartphone category at the 2024 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Apple flagships are remarkable for winning this category most of the time, but this year, Google did better.

Okay, that aside, the iPhone 15 Pro is a superb smartphone, no lies! and of course, it is one of the best in the market. On the other hand, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is equally an impressive smartphone to behold. Both smartphones come with high-end specifications and debut new features never seen on their predecessor models.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Vs. iPhone 15 Pro: Overview

The differences between these two smartphones are pretty too many; from the standard RAM, camera pixels, camera features, battery capacity, weight, and display size; there are several noticeable differences.

Starting with the Google Pixel 8 Pro, this smartphone features a 6.7-inch screen with a Super Actua LTPO OLED display, putting out 1344 x 2992 pixels. Powering its operation is the obvious Google Tensor G3 chipset, which is paired to a 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and a Nona-core processor. There’s no dedicated card slot, but you’re getting up to 1TB of primary space depending on your model.

About the camera, the Pixel 8 Pro comes with a tri-camera setup at the rear: a 50MP wide shutter with dual pixel PDAF, a 48MP telephoto sensor with 5x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultra-wide shutter. At the front sits a single 10.5MP selfie camera (f/2.2, 20mm ultrawide, and PDAF). Lastly, the Pixel 8 Pro is powered by a Li-Ion 5050 mAh battery that supports reverse wireless charging.

Now, over to the iPhone 15 Pro. This is definitely one of the finest from Apple Inc., and it’s sizable. The iPhone 15 Pro comes with a 6.1-inch screen, always-on display, and puts out 1179 x 2556 pixels to the ProMotion Super Retina XDR OLED screen. You’re getting 8GB of RAM paired to 128GB – 1TB built-in storage, while the device runs on OS 17 (upgradable to iOS 17.4).

On the processor aspect, the iPhone 15 Pro features Apple A17 Pro (3nm), Hexa-core  CPU, and Apple GPU (6-core graphics). Apple started the tri-camera “madness,” so it’s obvious that’s what you get with the iPhone 15 Pro, too. So, it flaunts a 48MP wide shutter with dual-pixel PDAF, a 12MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. While at the front sits a 12MP selfie camera. Powering this device is a Li-Ion 4441mAh battery.

Design and Build

When choosing a smartphone, the device’s design and aesthetics are worth noting. While the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro don’t entirely look different from what we’ve known the series to be, there are some additional new features to the “typical” designs.

For example, the Pixel 8 Pro features a glass back with the camera visor running through the width of it. But, generally, the Pixel 8 Pro is built with an aluminum frame with tiny bezels around the display; at the front is a hole-punch camera situated at the center of the display.

The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, also features a tough glass at the front and rear, but the main material used is a titanium frame (grade 5). The camera cutout is the same as what we’ve seen on the previous model with tri-camera setups. However, it is worth knowing that titanium as the frame material is a more premium option than aluminum.

Maybe because of the bigger screen size, the Google Pixel 8 Pro weighs more than the iPhone 15 Pro; the former weighs 213g and the latter weighs 187g.

Display Properties and Color Options

Both the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro support always-on display and up to 120Hz screen refresh rate. However, the Google Pixel 8 Pro features an LTPO OLED display that gives you 1344 x 2992 pixels compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display that offers 1179 x 2556 pixels.

Also, while corning gorilla glass was used for the Pixel 8 Pro, Apple preferred the Ceramic Shield glass protection for its iPhone 15 Pro. Either of these devices you go for is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance. Color options for the iPhone 15 Pro are Titanium Black/White/Blue and Natural Titanium shades, while the Pixel 8 Pro comes in Obsidian (black), Bay (blue), and Porcelain (white).

The Pixel 8 Pro also flaunts an impressive 2,400 nits peak brightness which allows the user to see texts even in sun lights or ultra-lighted environments.

The Cameras

Nowadays, camera specifications and features are among the main deciders of what device could be called a “flagship killer” or “the best smartphone of the moment.” At the moment, the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro have the best cameras you will ever find on a smartphone, but which of them is better than the other?

Featuring three rear cameras for both smartphones, the Google Pixel 8 Pro, however, flaws the cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro, thanks to its all-new AI features. Excluding the AI features, the Pixel 8 Pro cameras are more advanced, starting from having higher apertures to offering longer optical zoom.

Also, the AI features on Google Pixel 8 Pro (Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser, and Best Take) are inarguably a deal breaker, and make photo manipulations much easier. Having the best camera features and tech were the key points that made the Pixel 8 Pro win at the MWC 2024.

Specifications

Price and Value For Money

We all know Apple products to be more expensive than the same products from other brands. The iPhone 15 Pro costs $1,200 for the 256GB storage model, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro costs $1,000 for its model with the same storage capacity. For all available models, colors, and variants, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro costs more.

Now, talk about value for money. The iPhone 15 Pro is more expensive and yet doesn’t come with an impressive battery; on the same usage level, the iPhone 15 Pro depletes faster than the Pixel 8 Pro.

On the charging aspect, the iPhone 15 Pro Max charges from 0 – 100% in about an hour and 50 minutes, while the Pixel 8 Pro supports 30W charging while the iPhone 15 Pro supports 27W, the reason why the Pixel charges faster.

But when it comes to video, the iPhone 15 Pro is clear – its video is much clearer and there are more features to toil with. The Pixel 8 Pro comes with some kind of pretty helpful but overhyped AI features for photos, but the video recording isn’t much better than that of the iPhone 15 Pro.

To Apple fanboys, the iPhone 15 Pro will always be a better value for their money; however, from a sincere standpoint, the Google Pixel 8 Pro seems better for an even cheaper cost.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Vs. iPhone 15 Pro: Which Should You Buy?

Our video above will give you a deeper insight. This is because we used the devices long enough before making the iPhone 15 Pro VS Pixel 8 Pro comparison video. While deciding on a smartphone to buy is entirely a personal decision, the video will guide you towards having a clearer picture of what to expect with a purchase of any of them.

For someone who’s deeply rooted in the iOS ecosystem, the iPhone will always come atop. The flexibility, AI infusion, and overall user-friendliness of the Pixel 8 Pro is something that interest me more. As seen in the attached images, I use the latter more and barely turn on my iPhone, except for app testing or specialized gaming.

If what you’re looking for is a flagship device with the best-in-class specs, and yet affordable, you may go with the Pixel 8 Pro.

On the flip side, if you want a “faster” flagship device for making outstanding videos – although with enough lighting – the iPhone 15 Pro will be your best bet. Both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro are good devices worthy of buying – look at the specs sheets and compare the features to make your choice.