This town just isn’t big enough for both the iPhone 7 and Google’s Pixel — and by town we mean your pocket. It can be just as dusty and lint-filled as the Old West once was, and the industry shares certain cutthroat qualities of the American Frontier. So here we are in front of town hall at high noon, ready for a ruthless duel between the biggest and baddest iOS and Android phones. In a showdown where only one phone is left standing what side will you pick? Let’s take a deeper look at each smartphone to see which one comes out on top.
Judge A Phone By Its Cover
We’re kicking off this showdown with design because, let’s face it, we’re worried about how it looks in our hands as much as we’re worried about its processing capabilities. Both share similar bone structure, as the 7 and Pixel are relatively thin, aluminum rectangles best suited for one-handed use, although the Apple handset is considerably smaller. Clocking in at 4.7-inches compared to Google’s 5-inches, it’s noticeably slighter when sat next to the Pixel. They also share fingerprint sensors, though you can find Google’s on the back as opposed to Apple’s front facing Touch ID scanner.
Google has switched up their typical look for their flagship, offering phones in blue as well as typical black or silver. Apple has updated its favorites Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold by adding Black and Jet Black.Here we see the first weakness in this showdown, as Jet Black’s introduction has only been trouble for users.
Its glossy texture picks up every single scratch and smudge, forcing many people to search out the best iPhone wraps online in order to cover up these cosmetic damages. iPhone wraps have yet to mimic the glass of the original, but you won’t care about that if you snag a skin from dbrand. Their crew has huge sway with the makers of 3M vinyl, which allows them access to exclusive designs like bamboo and dragon skin.Their latest iPhone 7 Plus skins also add grip to the glossy handset, something the Pixel has solved with its glass inlay.
Its Insides Count Too
There’s no question that both handsets are the most powerful examples of iOS and Android devices. The 7 has 2 gigs of RAM powered by a 64-bit A10 Fusion core, making it 30% faster than its predecessor. Meanwhile, Pixel showed up to this duel with a 64-bit Snapdragon 821 processor. It also has 4 gigs in order to operate the latest Android OS, Nougat.
Nougat seems to have the edge on the 7’s iOS 10—not to say that Apple didn’t hit it out of the park with it latest upgrade. The Pixel just has enough unique features to make it standout from any phone, Android or otherwise. That’s thanks to Google Assistant feature that has bested Siri in its ability to understand speech and synthesize pertinent details of the pages you have open, letting you know what the business hours are for a café you hope to visit, for example.
Mobile Endurance: Battery Life
With 2770mAh capacity, it’s larger than the 7’s 1960mAh, but what does this mean in real life? The Pixel can last roughly 13 hours of light day use, while the 7 can last roughly 12 hours. Speed is what differentiates the winner from the loser in a shootout, and it looks like Pixel just edges out its competitor. The Pixel only takes 15 minutes to get a full charge, while you’ll be waiting for an additional 2 hours and 45 minutes for the iPhone to catch up.
A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Words
Depending on who you ask, either handheld device could win this category. The iPhone’s 12-megapixel dual-camera has stellar optical image stabilization and an f/1.8 aperture that allows for crystal clear shots in most environments, including low-light and nighttime settings. Meanwhile the Pixel’s 12.3-megapixel dual camera has just an f/2.0 aperture but a physically larger lens that more than equalizes this difference.
For those of you looking for a gory end to this duel, you’ll be disappointed. This isn’t the finale of Westworld. While the Pixel may eke out on top in some respects, ultimately it never manages to totally best the 7 in all categories. It’s close — and made all the more closer by the fact that they’re both equally expensive. What it really boils down to it is your preference for Android or iOS UI. Since they’re both the best version of either smartphone, you won’t be let down.