The Apple iPhone and the Google Pixel line share a similar ideology. Each company is involved in developing both the operating system and the hardware side of the equation so they can tweak their devices in ways other companies generally cannot.
If you are torn between Apple and Google when it comes to your smartphone, we've put together a comparison of the iPhone 15 specs against those of the Google Pixel 7. Keep in mind that Google has already officially teased its upcoming Pixel 8, which is due out in October. Generally, Google's hardware does not change drastically from year to year, but this should still give you a general idea of which device will work best for you.
Apple iPhone 15 vs. Google Pixel 7: Pricing
Like anything else, how much you are willing to spend will determine what you are going to get. There are four new iPhones but just two Pixel 7s. The entry-level Apple iPhone 15 starts at $799, which is $200 more than the base Google Pixel 7; both offer 128GB of storage.
Google Pixel 7 Pro (Credit: Eric Zeman)The iPhone 15 Plus starts at $899, which happens to also be the starting price of the Pixel 7 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199. For the most part, you're going to pay more for an iPhone.
iPhone 15 vs. Pixel 7: Design and Durability
Design is always subjective, so things that may appeal to you may not appeal to the next person. The iPhone 15 family looks similar to previous iPhones, and that includes its massive rear camera module. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7 places its rear camera assembly in a camera bar on the back. In practice, the camera bar lets you use a Pixel 7 that is placed on a desk without the device wobbling as you touch the screen (unlike the iPhone 15, which does wobble).
Google Pixel 7 phones (Credit: Eric Zeman)Both lines of phones use premium materials and should feel good in the hand. Google uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for its cover glass, which is a generation behind Victus 2. Both have the same resistance to scratching, but the original Victus can handle drops from up to 2 meters. Apple uses its in-house Ceramic Shield on the front and back of every iPhone 15, and the company claims its glass is tougher than any other smartphone glass out there.
Apple's Pro line uses a titanium alloy for its outer frame, which should be lighter, tougher, and stronger than stainless steel (which was found on the iPhone 14 Pro). Meanwhile, the Pixel 7, 7 Pro, and standard Apple iPhone 15 models use aluminum for their frames.
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)The Pixel 7, 7 Pro, and all four iPhone 15s are IP68 rated, so they are fully dust resistant and waterproof. This means you won't have to worry about splashes or the rain causing issues.
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are made out of more robust materials than the others so they could be the toughest of the bunch, but we will have to reserve judgment until that is tested.
iPhone 15 vs. Pixel 7: Power and Performance
When it comes to some synthetic benchmarks, every iPhone 15 should outperform the Pixel 7 line. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus run the same A16 Bionic system-on-a-chip (SoC) found in the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, which were some of the fastest phones we've ever seen. Google's custom-built Tensor G2 processors are not benchmark masters, but instead focus on other things that can add value to the phone experience (particularly machine learning).
The Tensor G2 allows Pixel devices to handle tasks like voice transcription and translation on the device without needing to connect to the cloud. Apple says that Siri on the iPhone 15 will be better equipped to handle similar offline requests, but that has yet to be seen.
(Credit: Apple)At its event this week, Apple touted the high-level gaming experiences provided by the A17 Pro SoC on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. The Pixel 7 Pro was able to adequately run the resource-intensive Genshin Impact at medium settings at 60fps, but gaming may be the domain of the iPhone 15 Pro. There's no question Apple's phones will run circles around the Pixel 7 in terms of raw speed, but Google's got a new chip on deck for the Pixel 8 family. Could it even the playing field? We'll find out soon.
iPhone 15 vs. Pixel 7: Battery Life
Apple does not disclose iPhone battery sizes and we haven’t run any of our standard battery-drain tests yet. However, we can compare our video-streaming rundown tests to Apple’s estimates to get a rough idea.
Apple says the iPhone 15 can survive 16 hours while streaming video. In our video-streaming test, the base Pixel 7 managed just 12 hours and 10 minutes, for comparison.
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Apple estimates that the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro can reach 20 hours of playtime for the same task, whereas the Pixel 7 Pro got 10 hours and 50 minutes in our test. Finally, Apple says the iPhone 15 Pro Max should last up to 25 hours while streaming video. Apple doesn't specify exactly how it runs its internal battery tests. Ours involves streaming a YouTube video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness maxed out.
For wired charging, Google offers up to 30W for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Apple has finally joined the USB-C party and offers 20W charging across the board on the iPhone 15 lineup. On the wireless side, the Google Pixel 7 series offers up to 12W Qi charging. If you buy a Google Pixel Stand, you can wirelessly charge at 20W for the Pixel 7 and 23W for the Pixel 7 Pro. Apple offers 7W Qi charging and 15W MagSafe charging on all iPhone 15 devices.
iPhone 15 vs. Pixel 7: Displays
Starting with the screen sizes, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro both have 6.1-inch screens, while the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max each have 6.7-inch screens. In the Pixel lineup, you get a 6.3-inch display on the Pixel 7 and a 6.7-inch display on the Pixel 7 Pro. So, you have plenty of options when it comes to 6.7-inch phones.
Google Pixel 7 (Credit: Eric Zeman)However, Google's 6.7-inch screen has a resolution of 3,120 by 1,440 pixels for a density of 512ppi. Apple's 6.7-inch displays are 2,796 by 1,290 pixels in resolution with a density of 460ppi, making the Pixel 7 Pro's display a bit sharper than the large iPhone 15s. The Google Pixel Pro 7 and the iPhone 15 Pro phones can display images with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, but the iPhone Plus is still at the slower 60Hz rate. If you're looking for a big display with a sharp image and fast refresh rate, the Pixel 7 Pro may be a better deal.
On the smaller devices, the 6.1-inch Apple iPhone 15 and 15 Pro each have a 2,556-by-1,179-pixel resolution at 460ppi with a 60Hz refresh rate for the iPhone 15 and a 120Hz refresh rate for the iPhone 15 Pro. The 6.3-inch Pixel 7 has a resolution of 2,400 by 1,080 pixels for a pixel density of 416ppi with a refresh rate of 90Hz. You should see somewhat smoother animations on a Pixel 7 compared to the regular iPhone 15, but both fall to the iPhone 15 Pro's 120Hz refresh rate.
iPhone 15 vs. Pixel 7: Cameras
Apple and Google phones create some of the best smartphone images you will see. Both companies have invested in great hardware working in tandem with software to produce excellent pictures and video.
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come with two rear cameras. The 48MP main shooter is capable of shooting images at either 24MP or 48MP. Another mode uses that same sensor to act as a 12MP 2x telephoto lens. The other physical camera on the rear of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus is a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. The iPhone 15 Pro line has similar cameras with slightly different apertures along with a third optical zoom camera on the back. The 15 Pro comes with a 12MP 3x telephoto lens while the 15 Pro Max offers a 5x telephoto zoom using a tetraprism.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Google puts a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide camera on both the 7 and 7 Pro. The 7 Pro adds a third shooter, a 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom.
Just looking at the hardware, these devices look to be fairly matched. The software is what differentiates them. Apple adds some trickery in the iPhone 15 that can turn regular photos into portrait photos with a blurred background. Meanwhile, Google offers things like Magic Eraser, where you can remove unwanted items from images. These gimmicks may make or break a decision for you, but it's hard to go wrong on cameras with any of these phones. Google is believed to be making an improvement to the Pro model's zoom camera in the Pixel 8 line.
iPhone 15 vs. Pixel 7: Other Things to Consider
Look at the other devices you currently own. If your world is full of Macs, iPads, or AirPods, the iPhone 15 will be most at home with the rest of them. The Google Pixel will work best with other Pixel devices like the Pixel Buds, but since the phone runs Android it can integrate with Windows computers better than an iPhone.
Also, take stock of all the apps you use to see which ones are vital. If you've invested a lot of money in paid apps on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, you may have to rebuy those apps if you change platforms.
Which One to Pick?
As we said above, a new version of the Pixel is expected very soon. If the Pixel 7 or 7 Pro have your attention, they could be available for less when the Pixel 8 line rolls out. Apple's latest iPhones should be yet another refinement of an excellent phone series.
We will have full reviews of all the new iPhone 15 models along with definitive buying advice soon. In the meantime, check out our first impressions of the new iPhone.
