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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prefer a more premium phone and are willing to invest in higher camera and screen quality, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is the better choice, especially for photography enthusiasts given its overall camera quality. However, if you're looking for a more affordable option, the Google Pixel 8 Pro still offers good camera and screen quality and comes with Google's Android operating system, which some users prefer for its customizability. Battery life is slightly longer on the iPhone. Both have large screens, wireless charging, and are 5G capable, but the Pixel 8 Pro offers more value if cost is a major concern. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Best in class for taking photos
- Best in class for recording videos
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class display quality
- Best in class performance
Advantages of the Google Pixel 8 Pro
- The Google Pixel 8 Pro has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
10.0
9.1
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has best in class overall camera quality, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro has excellent overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts the best camera capabilities, particularly noted for its exceptional selfie quality, excellent photo and video resolution, dynamic range, low light performance, along with a highly versatile camera setup combining hardware and software advantages. In contrast, the Google Pixel 8 Pro also offers very good camera performance, with strengths in photo dynamic range and low light performance, and includes unique Pixel-exclusive camera features such as Magic Eraser, although it falls slightly behind in selfie quality and overall camera versatility.
Photo Quality
10.0
9.3
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class photos, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro takes excellent photos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max leads in selfie quality, likely due to its well-integrated hardware and software that produces superior selfies. In contrast, the Google Pixel 8 Pro also delivers excellent selfies, but it falls slightly behind the iPhone, possibly because of differences in sensor quality or image processing techniques.
Video Quality
10.0
8.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class videos, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro takes very good videos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max offers the best video resolution/framerate, video software experience, video stabilization, video dynamic range, and video low light performance, with superb mic quality, which all contribute to its superior video-taking capabilities. In comparison, the Google Pixel 8 Pro also delivers very good video capabilities across the same aspects, but its overall video package, including mic quality, although excellent, does not reach the peak performance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Battery
9.8 Hours
7.8 Hours
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has 9.8 hours of battery life. The Google Pixel 8 Pro has 7.8 hours of battery life.
Cost
$1,199
$799
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has a price of $1,199 and the Google Pixel 8 Pro costs $799.
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Key similarities
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has a screen size of 6.7 inches and the Google Pixel 8 Pro is 6.7 inches.
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How the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 8 Pro compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google Pixel 8 Pro |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,199 | $799 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | ||
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 22, 2023 | October 12, 2023 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.7" | 6.7" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2796 x 1290 | 2992 x 1344 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | Yes | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 489 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A17 | TensorG3 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 256 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 10/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide, Super Telephoto | Main, Ultrawide, Super Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 48 megapixels + OIS | 50 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.8 Hours | 7.8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 4441 mAh | 5050 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 23 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | Yes (5 watts) | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 6.3" x 3.02" | 6.4" x 3.01" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.80 oz | 7.51 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Glass | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6e | 7 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | Yes (Except Verizon Models) | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium | Bay, Porcelain, Obsidian | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | Yes | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Mark Spoonauer | September 2023
"The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a powerful flagship phone that delivers upgrade-worthy features, including a lighter and more compact titanium design, a bigger 5x zoom and a useful Action button. The A17 Pro chip is the fastest around and enables console-quality gameplay, while the battery lasts an epic 14 hours."
Google Pixel 8 Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
The Guardian
Samuel Gibbs | October 2023
"The screen, body, performance and battery life are all good. The Pixel has a distinctive look that elevates it from the many of the competition, too. It has a really great camera system, with an array of advanced AI-infused editing tools that blur the line between what’s real and what’s fake.
But the biggest upgrade is in the full seven years of software support, bringing the Pixel up to par with Apple and outlasting all but the Fairphone 5 on the Android side."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or the Google Pixel 8 Pro
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
About Google
Google can be considered a relatively new player in the smartphone industry, joining as late as 2016 with their phone, the Google Pixel. Since then, the Pixel lineup has undergone many changes, but it has always been characterized by a focus on photography and clean software, by providing a pure Android experience. By virtue of Google being the creator of the Android operating system, Pixels are known for receiving timely software updates and for being supported with updates for a long time. Additionally, over the past few generations of devices, Google started designing their own processors. This allowed for the implementation of unique software features that are not present in any other phone, such as automatic call screening and unique voice transcribing capabilities.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
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