Google Pixel 7 vs Apple iPhone 14 | digital trends

Smartphone users are spoiled for choice this year when it comes to great devices. No sooner had Apple announced the iPhone 14 in September than Google followed with the Pixel 7, which, much like its iOS rival, takes the features that made its predecessors such popular devices and adds a few extras. In addition to the excellent camera and long battery life of previous generations, it is compatible with the newly launched Pixel Watch and also offers an attractively redesigned rear camera module.

The question is how does it compare to the iPhone 14? We answer this question by looking at the different characteristics and weighing them up against each other. That way, you should be able to decide which smartphone is right for you.

specifications

Design, display and durability

While neither phone is reinventing itself, the Pixel 7 is at least trying something noticeably different with its design. While the Pixel 6 had a horizontal glass camera bezel, the seventh generation uses aluminum this time. This means it ditches the black, dimmed appearance of the Pixel 6 and features something arguably a little sharper and more eye-catching. What’s more, the Pixel 7 also ditches the two-tone coloring of the back of the Pixel 6 and instead uses a single hue across its entire surface, which you can have in either Obsidian (basically black), Snow, or Lemongrass (light green).

The iPhone 14 doesn’t change anything from the iPhone 13, though. To be fair, the latter wasn’t an ugly duckling, but Apple’s lack of adventurous spirit arguably weakens the iOS device a bit.

Moving on to the displays, the Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch AMOLED panel capable of supporting a nice 90Hz refresh rate. It also packs 2400 x 1080 pixels, resulting in 416 pixels per inch (ppi). As for the iPhone, its 6.1-inch Super Retina OLED screen outperforms the Pixel in terms of its resolution, at 2532 x 1170 pixels (i.e. 460ppi). Unfortunately, it has a refresh rate of just 60Hz, which robs it of the kind of smoothness and fluidity (in scrolling and animation) that Google’s device enjoys.

As such, the Pixel wins this round by a slim – but not insignificant – margin. Both phones have an IP68 rating, so neither comes out on top in terms of durability.

Winner: Google Pixel 7

Performance, battery life and charging

The Pixel 7 runs on Google’s own Tensor G2 chip, which is the successor to last year’s version. It’s made using a 5nm manufacturing process, so it proves powerful enough to handle most tasks and apps, especially when paired with 8GB of RAM. However, our review of the Pixel 7 found it struggled with more demanding video games, which can’t be said for the iPhone 14. The latter uses the same A15 Bionic chip as its predecessor, and while that may seem like an act of Apple’s narrow-mindedness, it still handles intensive computing work with ease.

Both devices come with the same amount of internal storage as standard: 128 GB. This can be increased up to 256GB on both models, while the iPhone also adds the option to go up to 512GB for an additional $300. Neither have a microSD card slot, so you might need to be careful with downloads and photos if you opt for basic storage.

As for the battery, the iPhone 14 houses a 3,279mAh cell, while the Pixel 7 offers a bulkier 4,355mAh counterpart. In theory, this should mean Google’s device will significantly outlast its Apple rival, but our testing of each device found both to be more or less reliable. In other words, you’ll get just over a day out of each if you’re a moderate or heavy user, while lighter users will need almost a second day before needing to charge. When charging, the Pixel 7 supports fast charging at 30W, while the iPhone 14 supports charging at 20W. Regardless, the two phones charge at roughly the same rate, with both manufacturers claiming 50% in around half an hour.

Winner: Apple iPhone 14

cameras

As we’ve seen with the designs of the two phones, neither the Pixel 7 nor the iPhone 14 differ significantly from their respective predecessors when it comes to their cameras. The Pixel’s rear camera setup includes a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens (the same as the Pixel 6) and a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with a 114-degree field of view. The iPhone 14 features the same basic dual-lens rear camera setup as the iPhone 13, with a 12-megapixel main lens (wide-angle) and a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera. The main lens, however, has a larger sensor and slightly more pixels, while there’s also a new 12-megapixel front camera with autofocus and improvements in low-light photography.

Of course, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and for a number of years both the Google Pixel and iPhone have offered by far the best camera phones out there. That’s also the case on the latest generations, with the Pixel 7’s main lens producing excellent, punchy shots. Likewise, the ultrawide lens delivers balanced photos with lots of colour, detail and dynamics, which also applies to the ultrawide camera of the iPhone 14.

The same goes for the iPhone’s main lens, meaning both devices are pretty much on par when it comes to photography. With both being capable of recording 4K video at 60 frames per second (fps), it means we have another tie.

Winner: Tie

software and updates

The iPhone 14 runs on iOS 16, while the Pixel 7 uses Android 13. Both operating systems have their strengths and weaknesses, with Android 13 updating its overall design to include larger icons and more user-friendly menus. On the other hand, our review of the Pixel 7 Pro found that it can be a little buggy at times, with formatting issues, problems opening and exiting games, and unwanted shadows that sometimes force the user to restart the phone entirely. That’s not to say that most or even a significant number of users will experience such issues, but they do raise a question mark that may take some time (e.g. software updates) to answer.

The same cannot be said of the iPhone 14, which above all offers a very simple and straightforward user experience. It’s also likely to offer the user more core software updates, because while Google has committed to three core updates (and five years of security updates), Apple is likely to surpass that by two or three years.

Winner: Apple iPhone 14

Special features

The Pixel’s main feature is that it’s compatible with Google’s new smartwatch, the appropriately named Pixel Watch. The latter offers users the ability to monitor their health and fitness (via a partnership with Fitbit), while also offering a much-welcomed emergency SOS feature that calls 911 in certain circumstances.

Funnily enough, the iPhone 14 also comes with a brand new Emergency SOS Over Satellite feature that allows it to send emergency messages even without a phone signal. In addition, it has a Crash Detection feature that detects sudden increases in G-force (and noise associated with car crashes). This has led to people accidentally calling emergency services while riding roller coasters, but it could prove life-saving for many people.

Aside from these new additions, both phones offer special features seen on previous generations. These include 5G support, Face ID on the iPhone, AI-powered features on the Pixel (such as spam call detection), and each device’s contactless payment methods.

Winner: Tie

price and availability

The Google Pixel 7 is available directly from Google and is priced at $599 for the 128GB model or $699 for the 256GB version. It is supported by all major airlines and widely sold by retailers.

The Apple iPhone 14 starts at $799, while the 256GB and 512GB models are $899 and $1099, respectively. It can be purchased directly from Apple or through any number of third-party vendors. It is also supported by all major networks.

Overall winner: Apple iPhone 14

The two phones are evenly matched, but the iPhone 14 wins in a few key areas, allowing it to take home a win overall. It performs better than the Pixel 7 while also offering smoother, more reliable software. Otherwise, the two smartphones excel in similar areas, both with attractive designs, sharp displays, long-lasting batteries and excellent cameras. Of course, if you prefer Android then the Pixel is still the way to go, but if you don’t have a preference there’s no denying that the iPhone 14 is a bit more powerful overall.

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