Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: Which should you buy?
The Google Pixel smartphone is out soon, but how does it fare against Apple’s iPhone 7 competitor?
It won’t be long until Google’s brand-new Pixel phone makes its first appearance in the shops. This year’s Nexus successor, Google Pixel looks to be a world-class flagship handset, going head-to-head with Apple’s iPhone 7.
Google Pixel will be the flagship Android smartphone to rival the latest iPhone 7, so I’ll be comparing each smartphone’s looks, specs, camera and price to help us find a winner. Be sure to check out Expert Reviews once we get our time with Pixel for our full review too.
Find out whether the Google Pixel or Pixel XL is right for you
Google Pixel vs iPhone 7: Design
Even though they’re both metal rectangles, both the Pixel and iPhone 7 look remarkably different. The two are incredibly well-made with an aluminium chassis, yet the Pixel has a fingerprint scanner and a chunky glass section on the back. The iPhone 7 meanwhile, is all aluminium with the fingerprint scanner/home button on the front instead.
The iPhone 7 wins protection-wise, with an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating compared to the Pixel’s IP53. You won’t be able to submerge the Pixel, but you’ll be able to take your iPhone 7 in the bath with you without too much fuss.
But at least there’s a headphone jack on the Pixel, something the iPhone 7 ditched in favour of the solitary Lightning port instead. It was a bold move on Apple’s part and it looks like it hasn’t gone down too well for the most part.
The iPhone 7 is lighter than Google’s Pixel, weighing just 138g as opposed to 143g, and is just 7.1mm thin. Of course, there’s not that much in it, but if you’re looking for something that doesn’t drag your pockets down as much, the iPhone 7 comes up top here.
Google Pixel vs iPhone 7: Display
The Pixel’s 5in, 1,920 x 1,080 display has a pixel density of 441ppi. It’s all about AMOLED here, which should give it some marginally richer and vibrant colours, while being better protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 too.
The iPhone 7 has just a 4.7in, 1,334 X 750 LCD display, with a significantly lower 326ppi pixel density. Looking at the numbers alone, Google’s Pixel should win by a landslide here – yet in practicality, the iPhone 7 display is still one of the best around, despite a lower resolution compared to its Android counterpart.
I’ll give this one to the Pixel. At face value, the Pixel looks to have a far better screen, with a proper Full HD display and great pixel density to boot.
Google Pixel vs iPhone 7: Camera
Both the Pixel and iPhone 7 have a 12-megapixel rear camera, but there’s a slight difference between the two. The iPhone 7 has a slightly wider aperture of f/1.8, which lets in more light, while the Pixel has to contend with a marginally narrower f/2 aperture.
Both cameras have phase-detection autofocus, which should help produce clearer shots, but the iPhone 7 benefits from a quad-LED flash, while the Pixel has to make do with just dual-LED. There’s also video stabilisation on the Google Pixel, which I’m very keen to have a go with once we get a unit in for review.
The shots we’ve seen taken from the Pixel camera so far look incredibly promising, and it’s certainly one of the better smartphone cameras out there. Whether it towers above everything else or not, we’ll have to see at release.
Google Pixel vs iPhone 7: Specs
Both flagship smartphones have a quad-core processor inside. The iPhone 7 elected for Apple’s newest A10 chip backed up with 3GB of RAM, while the Pixel goes for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip paired with a slightly speedier 4GB of RAM.
There’s a little bit more choice with iPhone 7 storage options, coming in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB varieties. The Pixel, meanwhile, is only available in 32GB or 128GB. Both fail when it comes to expansion, too, with neither device offering microSD slots. If you’re the kind of person to use up space quickly, go for the 256GB iPhone 7 – that is, of course, if you can afford it.
It’s hard to say which phone will come out on top until I get the Pixel sent in for review and can do some proper benchmarking. But in theory, the Pixel should be a little nippier.
Google Pixel vs iPhone 7: Price
Oddly enough, even though there are plenty of differences between the two phones, pricing for both is pretty much identical. If you decide to go for the 32GB Pixel, you’ll have to fork out £599 SIM-free, and £699 for the 128GB model.
That’s exactly the same case with the iPhone 7, with the 32GB going for £599 and 128GB priced at £699. There is, of course, a third option with a 256GB model in shops for £799 SIM-free.
Because both phones will cost you the same, there isn’t really a clear winner here, but because the iPhone 7 has a third storage option, I think Apple edges just ahead.
Google Pixel vs iPhone 7: Verdict
The Pixel vs iPhone 7 war is still in its infancy and is a bit of a tricky one to nail down. I think it largely boils down to whichever ecosystem you’re more heavily invested in. If you’ve got plenty of Apple products already, and loads of App Store purchases, get the iPhone 7. But if your Google account sees plenty of use, the Pixel will be a great choice.
It’s a neck and neck race between the iPhone 7 and Google Pixel flagships and we’ll soon see which handset comes out on top. Of course, Apple has had a head start, but things could change in the near future. I’ll be able to give you a more definitive verdict very soon, once I’ve had the opportunity to test the Pixel in full.
