Time for something a bit different. Up until now, we’ve been comparing Android-based phones to one another; this time, though, we’re going to compare what many consider to be the cream of the Android crop – Google’s Pixel XL – with the Apple’s most popular device – the iPhone 7 Plus. Since iOS and Android are very different beasts in terms of Operating System, I’m going to focus on hardware, and the value of that hardware for the price – off contract, though I’ll make a note of the on-contract price and carrier availability as well.
Let’s get it on!
Build
168g vs. 188g
IP 53 vs. IP 67
Let’s start with the body – both phones are made of mostly aluminum frames, with a bit of glass accent on the Pixel XL. While the 7 Plus is heavier, taller and wider than is the Pixel, it’s also more than a millimeter thinner. The Pixel is “splash” and dust resistant, while the 7 Plus (probably referred to just as the iPhone from now) is “water” and dust resistant. In quantifiable terms, the Pixel has an IP (Ingress Protection) Rating of 53 – the iPhone comes in at 67. Pixel’s rating means it is resistant to heavy amounts of dust and resistant to “sprays” of water (mist). The iPhone’s, however, is much more impressive – dust-proof and protected from water immersion of up to 1m. As usual, Apple’s build quality is really the industry standard; I don’t think you’ll find many people out there that’ll argue with you.
Screen
5.5″ AMOLED vs. 5.5″ IPS LCD
534 ppi vs. 401 ppi
We all know I’m biased here – I love me some AMOLED screens. Pixel has a higher screen density and uses a more energy-conservative technology (though the iPhone’s is probably less hungry, given the lower pixel density). The iPhone’s screen also sports 3D Touch, which while the technology hasn’t taken off as Apple hoped, is still different than anything Pixel has (though it should be noted that Google is trying to compete in this area with its new Launcher Shortcuts). In Google’s favor, Pixel is built with Gorilla glass – and as we all know, Apple’s phones tend to…shatter a bit.
Internals
Snapdragon 821 (2.15GHz) vs. A10 Fusion (2.34GHz)
4GB RAM vs. 3GB RAM
128GB vs. 256GB Internal Storage
Kind of an interesting mix, here. Pixel XL has more RAM, but iPhone has a stronger processor and a higher maximum internal storage. Apple’s line has always managed to do more with less in terms of RAM, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in that 1GB advantage Pixel has – if anything, this is a wash.
Internal Features
802.11AC Wifi, Bluetooth 4.2, Fingerprint Sensor
Type-C USB vs. Lightning Connector
Standard practices here, with a couple exceptions – Fingerprint sensors and charging connectors. Pixel utilizes its fingerprint sensor to enable gestures, controlling the notification shade without using the touchscreen. Apple prefers its own proprietary technology for charging (there’s a shocker), while Google uses the new industry standard USB-C cable. AndroidPit has a very good comparison of the two technologies – give it a read.
Battery Life
3450mAh vs. 2900mAh
32hrs vs. 21hrs Talk Time
Pixel’s battery is 550mAh larger than is the iPhone’s, and it shows in the difference in talk time. Pixel’s AMOLED screen should help use the battery efficiently, despite being an overall more dense resolution, and the higher clock speed of Apple’s CPU makes it a bit more of a power hog. Expect to get as significantly longer charge out of Pixel.
Camera
12.3mp vs. 12mp
Dual LED vs. Quad LED Flash
F2.0 vs. F1.8/2.3 Aperture
1.55 μm vs. 1.22 μm Pixel Size
This is a mess, specification-wise. Pixel has more megapixels, larger aperture, a stronger selfie camera, and laser focus. The iPhone has smaller pixel size (giving it an overall better resolution) optical zoom, dual cameras (one of which has a comparable aperture size to Pixel), and HDR support. Lots to choose from – personally, I’m thinking the iPhone’s camera probably has the edge.
Value
$869 vs. $969
Damned near a grand for a smartphone – what is the world coming to. My goodness. I’m not even gonna comment anymore. Just think on that for a moment.
Verdict
I’m an AndroidGuy, through and through. I will always choose Android over Apple, and it’s 100% based on the philosophy of their creators. Google celebrates diversity, individuality, and open-source development. Apple prefers to limit all its software to Apple hardware, and prefers making proprietary accessories and charging an arm and a leg for them. No contest in my eyes.
…That being said, if you’re talking purely about hardware, these two phones are pretty comparable – just how Google planned it, I’m sure.
If you think the internals are the same you are really an idiot. Look at the benchmarks. A10 kills snapdragon. I don’t think you know anything about processor architecture and memory management — garbage collection in Android vs reference counting in iOS. Android succeeds because of pseudo techies like you.
Hi there! HNGN has a rather lovely article detailing the differences between the 821 and Apple’s A10 – while the A10 definitely outperforms the 821 on a single-core basis, in terms of multicore applications, it’s only 7% better.
You’ll also find that I mentioned that iOS is better at handling lower RAM than is Android – as such, thanks for backing that up. And while you’re right that I’m no expert in processor architecture or memory management, my target audience is not those people; I’m writing to the people that want to know what to buy next. You obviously are not one of those people, having made up your mind long ago.
But thanks for reading, nonetheless.
Boy, you people are nerds.
We are – utterly so. :)