Google made large upgrades to the bottom Pixel 10 this yr, including a sooner and extra environment friendly Tensor G5 chip, a 5x telephoto digicam, Qi2 help, and a brighter show.
Nevertheless, with the iPhone 17’s arrival, the Pixel 10 has misplaced its sheen. It appears like an outdated Android machine from 2024, reasonably than one which debuted a month in the past.
Pixel 10 cannot sustain with the iPhone 17’s 120Hz show
Apple reveals up late, however delivers flawlessly
For years, Android fanboys trolled Apple for delivery its non-Professional iPhones with a 60Hz OLED panel. With the iPhone 17, Apple not solely catches as much as the competitors however overtakes them.
The brand new telephone sports activities a 6.3-inch 120Hz ProMotion OLED show, which might regulate its refresh charge from 1Hz to 120Hz. There’s even help for always-on show.
Plus, the panel can hit a peak brightness of three,000 nits and a minimal brightness of 1 nit. On prime of that, the display is shielded by Apple’s newest Ceramic Defend 2, with thrice the scratch resistance and enhanced anti-reflective properties.
By comparability, the Pixel 10’s show shares solely two traits with the iPhone 17: the 6.3-inch dimension and three,000-nit peak brightness. In each different means, it is inferior to that of the iPhone.
Regardless of Google switching its Pixel lineup to 120Hz OLED panels years in the past, the bottom Pixel 10’s display can solely shift between 60Hz and 120Hz.
And it makes use of Gorilla Glass Victus for cover, which debuted 5 years in the past, and may’t match the scratch resistance or anti-reflective properties of the iPhone 17’s glass.
A extra feature-rich digicam
It is not nearly uncooked specs
On paper, the Pixel 10’s triple rear cameras might sound extra versatile than the iPhone 17’s. In spite of everything, it even features a 10.8MP 5x telephoto shooter alongside a 48MP major and a 13MP ultrawide.
Nevertheless, that is not the case — Google switched to smaller major and ultrawide sensors on the Pixel 10 in comparison with the Pixel 9 to make room for the 5x telephoto.
Admittedly, the Pixel 10 nonetheless sports activities an even bigger major digicam than the iPhone 17. The latter encompasses a 48MP f/1.6 major digicam with a 1/1.56-inch sensor — the identical setup as its predecessor.
By comparability, the Pixel 10 makes use of a bigger 1/1.2-inch sensor paired with a barely slower f/1.7 aperture. An even bigger sensor ought to enable for extra gentle consumption, serving to enhance dynamic vary and low-light picture high quality.
The Pixel 10 pairs it with a 13MP ultrawide, whereas the iPhone 17 steps as much as a sharper 48MP ultrawide digicam.
Extra importantly, Apple’s latest iPhone options an 18MP Heart Stage digicam within the entrance. This can be a sq. sensor, which Apple says will allow you to take pictures in portrait or panorama orientation with out rotating the telephone.
Plus, with Heart Stage help, the digicam will robotically reframe the feed whereas on video calls to maintain you within the middle.
For vloggers, the 18MP sensor permits recording ultra-stabilized footage. And there is additionally the flexibility to report from the entrance and rear cameras concurrently.
For comparability, the Pixel 10 makes use of a ten.8MP f/2.2 selfie shooter with a 95-degree subject of view. Respectable, however it’s not as versatile because the iPhone 17’s entrance digicam.
Apart from uncooked specs, the iPhone 17’s digicam packs extra options that will probably be helpful in on a regular basis use. This contains with the ability to report Dolby Imaginative and prescient movies in 4K 60fps decision, Cinematic mode with Dolby Imaginative and prescient at 4K 30fps, Twin Seize, and Night time mode Time-lapse.
The Pixel 10 both lacks these options altogether or presents a pared-down model, making Apple’s digicam suite extra versatile for each informal customers and creators.
Higher efficiency and sooner charging
One other on a regular basis win for the iPhone 17
With regards to cell chips, Apple’s A-series delivers unmatched efficiency and effectivity.
With the Tensor G5 and the swap to TSMC’s node, it was extensively anticipated that Google’s latest Pixels would ship a noticeable soar in battery life and sustained efficiency.
Sadly, that has not precisely been the case, with the Pixel 10 and its Professional siblings offering the identical battery life as its predecessor.
Worse, the efficiency features are minimal at greatest, with the Tensor G5 solely able to rivaling the greatest Android flagship telephones from two to a few generations in the past.
The A19 chip contained in the iPhone 17 is in a league of its personal. It is significantly sooner and extra power-efficient than Google’s latest Tensor chip. Coupled with Apple’s tight vertical integration and optimization, this implies the iPhone 17 will outlast the Pixel 10.
Even when the battery life finally ends up being comparable on each telephones in your use case, the iPhone 17 prices sooner. You may refill its battery from empty to 50% in solely 20 minutes; the Pixel 10 takes 10 minutes longer to hit the identical mark.
The iPhone 17 even prices sooner wirelessly, supporting speeds of as much as 25W, whereas the Pixel 10 maxes out at 15W.
iPhone 17 packs extra worth
It offers extra in your cash
The Pixel 10 and iPhone 17 each value $800 earlier than taxes within the US. However in some ways, the latter presents extra worth for cash. You get a greater, larger refresh charge show, a sooner chip, longer battery life, and sooner charging.
As if that weren’t sufficient, Google prices $800 for the Pixel 10 with simply 128GB of storage, whereas Apple has doubled the iPhone 17’s base storage to 256GB this yr.
Even if you happen to ignore every little thing else, meaning the Pixel 10 technically prices $100 extra.
The iPhone 17 makes the Pixel 10 really feel previous
Apple hasn’t launched any main technical breakthroughs with the iPhone 17 this yr. As an alternative, it targeted on perfecting the fundamentals — and that alone is sufficient to make the Pixel 10 look irrelevant by comparability.
While you spend $800 on a telephone, you need an incredible show, all-day battery life, glorious efficiency, and feature-rich cameras. And the iPhone 17 nails these points, whereas the Pixel 10 falters in some areas.
Sure, the Pixel 10 does have one clear benefit over the iPhone 17: deeper AI integration. Tempting as which may be, the iPhone remains to be the higher alternative for many customers.
When you nonetheless need to keep on with the Android ecosystem, contemplate shopping for one in every of these Pixel 10 options.