Apple and Google have both just launched their new high-end smartphones at the end of 2023, the iPhone 15 and the Pixel 8. The two basic models have very different technical specifications from each other, and a few points could well make you lean towards one or the other. We explain everything you need to know.
Apple launched its new iPhone 15 in September, while Google has just presented its Pixel 8. The latter, often called “Android’s iPhones”, generally have serious arguments to convince those looking for an alternative to Android smartphones. Apple.
If the iPhone 15 is not radically different from the previous generation, the Pixel 8 offers many interesting new features compared to the Pixel 7. Is this enough to compete with Apple’s smartphones? This is what we will see in this detailed comparison.
The technical sheets of the iPhone 15 and Pixel 8
Here is a summary of the technical specifications of the two smartphones. We will analyze these characteristics in more detail later in this article.
| iPhone 15 | Pixel 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A16 Bionic | Google Tensor G3 |
| Screen | 6.1 inches OLED FHD+ 60Hz 2000 nits maximum Ceramic Shield | 6.2 inches OLED FHD+ 120Hz 2000 nits maximum Gorilla Glass Victus |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| RAM | 6 GB LPDDR5 | 8GB LPDDR5X |
| Battery | 3349mAh 20W wired fast charging 15W fast wireless charging (MagSafe) | 4585mAh 27W wired fast charging 18W fast wireless charging |
| Photo | 48 MP main sensor 12 MP ultra wide angle | 50 MP main sensor 12 MP ultra wide angle |
| selfie | 12MP | 10.5 MP |
| Biometrics | Face ID | Fingerprint reader Facial recognition |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Storage | 128, 256, 512 GB | 128, 256 GB |
| BONE | iOS 17 | Android 14 7 years of updates |
| Dimensions | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm 171g | 162.6mm x 76.5mm x 8.7mm 213 grams |
| MicroSD | No | No |
Design: two winning formulas
Apple has been using the same general look and feel on its high-end iPhones for years now, and the Pixel 8 also inherits key design cues from its predecessor. These are two “small smartphones”, but it is the iPhone 15 which adopts the most compact format with dimensions of 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm, compared to 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9 mm for the Pixel 8. It is also lighter, 171 grams for the iPhone 15, 187 grams for the Pixel 8.
At the front, the iPhone 15 finally adopts the pill with Dynamic Island, introduced with last year’s IPhone 14 Pro. Apple then definitively abandons the notch on its high-end smartphones. The front of the Pixel 8 is also in the spotlight with increasingly thin black borders all around the screen. These are almost uniform, which gives a much more premium look to the device.
Both smartphones have an aluminum frame and are protected by glass, but the iPhone 15 uses Ceramic Shield, which is tougher than the Pixel 8’s Gorilla Glass Victus. Both are IP68 certified for water resistance and dust. The iPhone 15 stands out thanks to more premium materials than its rival, but ultimately, in this category, only your personal tastes can really decide between them.
Screen: fluidity is in the spotlight at Google
We’ve seen that the iPhone 15 and Pixel 8 adopt an almost identical format, and the same goes for their screen size. We must count on a diagonal of 6.1 inches for the iPhone 15, and 6.17 inches for the Pixel 8. So let’s focus instead on the technologies embedded in each of the panels.
This year, the iPhone 15 takes over the screen of the iPhone 14 Pro with a pill offering Dynamic Island, with a definition of 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi). The maximum brightness soars to 2000 nits, making it one of the brightest screens in its category. However, this is still stuck at just 60 Hz.
For its part, the Pixel 8 improves significantly by offering a definition of 1080 x 2400 pixels (427 ppi) with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, when you had to make do with 90 Hz on the Pixel 7. The brightness, it also goes up to 2000 nits, as much as the iPhone 15.
The fluidity of the Pixel 8 screen makes it the big winner in this category. Android smartphone manufacturers have been striving to offer high refresh screens on their devices for several years now, and it is time for Apple to no longer reserve this technology for its Pro models.
Performance: the iPhone is unbeatable
With its A16 Bionic chip, which powered the iPhone 14 Pro last year, the iPhone 15 is one of the most powerful smartphones on the market, just behind the iPhone 15 Pro and their A17 Pro SoC. The new Pixel 8 processor, the Tensor G3, promises a significant increase in power compared to the previous generation, but is still not up to the task of worrying Apple.
The chip is based on Samsung’s Exynos 2300, which should have been found on the Galaxy S23. It uses a 9-core configuration (1+4+4) with one Cortex-X3 (2.91 GHz), four Cortex-A715 cores (2.37 GHz), and four Cortex-A510 cores (1.70 GHz). On the famous Geekbench 6 benchmark, the SoC only manages to reach 1600 points on a single core, and 4200 points in multi-core. That’s far behind the iPhone 15’s A16 chip, which scores around 2550 points and 6300 points, respectively, on the same test.
The Tensor G3 is therefore much less powerful than the A16, whether on the CPU or GPU side, but has the advantage of offering certain interesting technologies, including AV1 encoding, which is only found in the A17 Pro. The Tensor G3 also offers Wi-Fi 7, while the A16 has to make do with Wi-Fi 6. Despite this, the point goes to the iPhone 15 thanks to its superior raw performance.
Battery: none really stand out
The Pixel 8 is equipped this year with a 4,575 mAh battery, larger than that of the Pixel 7, but the iPhone 15 also benefited from an increase in capacity with a 3,349 mAh battery. Despite this significant gap, the iPhone 15s are still battery life champions thanks to the tight integration between smartphone hardware and iOS software.
As for fast charging, the iPhone 15 is limited to 20W for wired fast charging, and up to 15W with wireless MagSafe. The Pixel 8 is faster with its 27W wired and 18W wireless, but given the additional capacity of its battery, this lead does not allow it to stand out in this area. It’s a draw.
Camera: the Pixel 8 will shine at night, at least on paper
The iPhone 15 adopted a 48 MP sensor, but it is smaller than the sensor of the iPhone 14 Pro. For its part, the Pixel 8 benefits from a new 50 MP Samsung GN2 sensor larger than that of the Pixel 7, but also that of the iPhone 15. Google’s reputation is well established when it comes to photo quality, and with such a sensor, we expect top-notch performance in both photo and video, and particularly in low light conditions.
The iPhone 15 and Pixel 8 are also equipped with a second 12 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and there is a 12 MP front camera on the iPhone 15, and 10.5 MP on the Pixel 8. Both Smartphones offer similar technologies, including a 2X zoom thanks to pixel-binning on the main sensor, or a macro mode with the ultra-wide-angle sensor.
Finally, the Pixel 8 offers a ToF depth sensor which allows distances to be calculated. We will have to wait for the Pixel 8 tests to know what the device is capable of, but given Google’s history in this area, we imagine that the result will be there. On paper, for the moment, Google wins.
Software: iOS 17 and Android 14, tastes and colors
As in previous years, it is always complicated to decide between iOS and Android. The latest versions iOS 17 and Android 14 both brought interesting new features to the operating systems of both manufacturers, and today they are both well-stocked with features.
In terms of software monitoring, Google now promises a total of 7 years of updates, and is therefore almost in line with Apple in this area. However, Apple is known to deploy certain security updates on certain smartphones almost 10 years after their release. Software monitoring will therefore take longer at Apple, which will let you benefit from the latest features for longer.
While Google gives you more flexibility and customization with Android, Apple is still the leader when it comes to integrating iOS with its product ecosystem. The problem is that the latter is closed, and therefore forces the use of other services or products from the Cupertino company for some of its functionalities. This category will therefore depend on your preferences, but also on the other devices you already own.
Price: a more aggressive price for the Pixel 8
The Pixel 8 scores another point thanks to its lower price compared to its competitor. Google launched its smartphone for “only” 799 euros in France, while you have to pay no less than 969 euros for the iPhone 15.
Both start at 128 GB of storage, but Apple has the advantage of offering up to 512 GB of storage on its smartphone, compared to a maximum of 256 GB on the Pixel 8. However, the increase in storage costs less at Google . The Pixel 8 with 256 GB of storage is sold at 859 euros (+60 euros), compared to 1099 euros (+130 euros) for the iPhone 15 with 256 GB of storage.
The iPhone 15 is available in 5 colors: blue, pink, yellow, green and black, while the Pixel 8 has to make do with 3 different colors: Obsidian, Hazel and Rose.
Conclusion
With its more aggressive price and its technical sheet generally more interesting than that of the iPhone, it is the Pixel 8 which stands out the most in this comparison. If your budget is tighter and you are looking for good value for money, we can only advise you to opt for the Google smartphone.
However, if you are already anchored in the Apple ecosystem, that is to say if you own a Mac or another device from the American giant, opting for the iPhone 15 could well be the best solution. You will thus be able to benefit from the close link between iOS and the manufacturer’s other operating systems, which have been Apple’s strength in recent years.