How Does the Pixel 6 Stack Up Against the iPhone 13?

Google’s latest phones, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, are yet here. You tin adjacent caput to their online store close present to preorder your model! But bash you truly cognize what telephone you want? Have you made a determination betwixt the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro—and, if so, are you sure you wouldn’t beryllium amended served by picking up the equivalent iPhone 13 device? Let’s instrumentality a look astatine what sets each these phones apart, truthful you tin marque an informed choice.

Because Google won’t let reviewers to reappraisal the caller Pixels yet, we’re basing this examination connected the specs we cognize about. In immoderate areas we won’t cognize precisely however Apple and Google’s phones lucifer up until we’re capable to trial them both, head-to-head. This accusation lockdown has rubbed immoderate reviewers the incorrect way; creators similar Marques Brownlee telephone it “a spot of a reddish flag,” portion others person refused to screen the caller Google devices altogether. We’re doing what we tin with what we have.

Price

Let’s commencement with the price, since this is the country wherever Google is astir competitive. The Pixel 6 launches for lone $599, undercutting the iPhone 13 by $200, and the 13 mini by $100. The 6 Pro is simply a spot much expensive, launching astatine $899—still $100 cheaper than the iPhone 13 Pro, and $200 cheaper than the 13 Pro Max.

If you’re looking to walk the slightest magnitude of wealth connected a large phone, your prime is obvious; the Pixel 6 packs a batch of features into a $600 phone. While the 6 Pro is surely enticing, and we volition enumerate its unsocial features below, you’ll request to inquire yourself if those benefits are worthy the other $300. The aforesaid could beryllium said for the iPhone. Are the iOS ecosystem and each the different plusses that travel with the 13 worthy an other $200 (or more) implicit a Pixel 6? Let’s explore.

Performance

One of the year’s biggest announcements from Pixel-world is Google’s Tensor chip; the processor was developed from the ones Google uses for its hunt motor instrumentality learning, promising a large betterment from Pixel processors of years past.

Unfortunately, it’s excessively aboriginal to accidental however Tensor volition stack up against Apple’s A15 chip. The full iPhone 13 bid packs the aforesaid almighty spot into their varying signifier factors, truthful you can’t spell incorrect successful that respect whichever you choose. We’ll request to hold until we tin trial the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro to find whether it matches, exceeds, oregon falls down the iPhones here. If processing powerfulness is your astir important feature, decidedly hold to buy.

We besides cognize however overmuch RAM each of these devices has, though that’s little of an important examination betwixt Android and iPhone devices. The 2 OSs grip RAM absorption differently, truthful it’s not a just oregon informed statement to accidental much RAM successful an Android instrumentality equals much show implicit an iPhone.

Still, it’s worthy noting: the Pixel 6 comes with 8 GB of RAM, portion the 6 Pro features 12 GB. The iPhone 13 and 13 mini, connected the different hand, athletics 4 GB of RAM each, portion the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max travel with 6 GB.

Camera: Photography

Pixel and iPhone person agelong fought fiercely successful the camera department. For years, the Pixel was the undeniable photography champ, but successful recently, the the combat has looked much similar a draw.

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro battalion a 50 MP main shooter and a 12 MP ultra wide camera. If you outpouring for the Pro, you besides get a 48 MP telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom. For selfies, the Pixel 6 features an 8 MP camera, portion the 6 Pro upgrades to an 11.1 MP option.

Both the wide and ultra wide cameras connected the iPhone 13 and 13 mini are 12 MP; the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max person the same, positive 1 12 MP telephoto camera susceptible of 3x optical zoom, meaning you won’t beryllium capable to get arsenic adjacent to your taxable arsenic with the Pixel 6 Pro without integer cropping. The beforehand cameras are the aforesaid 12 MP shooter connected each 4 caller iPhones.

The Pixels besides travel with the caller “Magic Eraser” feature, which tin intelligently delete radical oregon objects successful your photos you don’t privation there. You besides get Face Unblur, which uses instrumentality learning to sharpen up a blurry look successful a photo. How well these features enactment is yet to beryllium determined, but there’s nary contention here; you simply won’t spot options similar those connected an iPhone 13.

Camera: Video

As competitory arsenic the photography wars person been, video is 1 country Pixel has ever lagged behind. While the iPhone inactive hasn’t added immoderate video features different Android devices have, similar 8K, it shoots immoderate of, if not the best, video connected immoderate smartphone.

Dieter Bohn of The Verge claims that during his hands-on acquisition with the Pixel 6, the video helium recorded was excellent. He wasn’t allowed to elaborate much, but helium alluded to the information that the Pixel 6 mightiness beryllium the smartphone shooter to bushed this year. We’ll person to spot if that’s existent erstwhile reviewers are allowed to uncover much astir their video tests.

Display

The OLED displays successful these smartphones are surely competitive. The Pixel 6 features a 6.4-inch 1080 x 2340 HDR show astatine 411 ppi (pixels per inch) with a maximum 90 Hz refresh rate. The 6 Pro’s HDR show is bigger and sharper, coming successful astatine 6.7 inches, with a solution of 1440 x 3120 astatine 512 ppi and a maximum refresh complaint of 120 Hz. Google hasn’t revealed brightness stats for its caller Pixels yet.

The iPhone 13 mini has the aforesaid nonstop solution HDR show arsenic the Pixel 6, coming successful with 1080 x 2340 astatine a higher 476 ppi. The 13 and 13 Pro, connected the different hand, person a 1170 x 2532 solution astatine 460 ppi, portion the 13 Pro Max has a 1284 x 2778 solution astatine 458 ppi. The 13 and 13 mini tin scope 800 nits of emblematic brightness, portion the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max scope 1,000 nits typical. All models scope 1,200 nits for HDR.

One country you’ll announcement a quality is the refresh rate. The Pixel 6's 90 Hz volition look smoother than the iPhone 13 oregon 13 mini’s 60 Hz. The 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, connected the different hand, person the aforesaid 120 Hz refresh complaint arsenic the Pixel 6 Pro, truthful there’s nary victor there.

Software

Well, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro tally Android, of course—Android 12 to beryllium specific. The latest update to Google’s OS promises to adhd immoderate amusive caller features and changes, similar the beauteous Material You UI design, privateness and information updates, and options similar scrolling screenshots.

The iPhone 13 series, connected the different hand, runs iOS 15, Apple’s latest mentation of iOS. This update brings a big of caller features, specified arsenic Focus modes, Shared With You, and FaceTime links for Android and Windows users, among others.

Look, there’s nary getting astir the contented here; if you request iOS, you person to bargain an iPhone. If you request Android, you person to bargain an Android instrumentality similar the Pixel. However, if you are flexible connected your prime of OS (which not galore radical these days look to be) you escaped yourself up greatly.

Battery

Battery beingness is simply a large origin for galore smartphone users. Until the caller Pixels tin beryllium tested, we won’t cognize what benignant of strain Android 12 and the Tensor spot volition enactment connected the batteries. But we bash cognize the stats: The Pixel 6 comes with a 4,614 mAh battery, portion the Pro comes with a 5,003 mAh battery.

Apple ne'er advertises its artillery sizes, but acknowledgment to teardowns, we cognize the numbers; the 13 comes with a 3,240 mAh battery; the 13 mini ships with 2,438 mAh battery; the 13 Pro has a 3,095 mAh battery; and the 13 Pro Max has a 4,352 mAh battery. While the numbers are surely little connected paper, reviewers person lauded the full 13 lineup this twelvemonth for their exceptional artillery life. We’ll person to spot if the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro tin lucifer oregon transcend their performance.

Colors

I’m not definite however galore radical would marque a determination betwixt iPhone and Pixel based connected the colors alone, but it’s worthy pointing out. The Pixel 6 comes successful Sorta Seafoam, Kinda Coral, and Stormy Black. The 6 Pro comes successful Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, and Stormy Black.

The iPhones travel successful a assortment of colors of their own. The 13 and 13 mini vessel successful (PRODUCT) RED, Starlight, Midnight, Blue, and Pink, portion the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max travel successful Graphite, Gold, Silver, and Sierra Blue.

Updates

Google announced the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro would person up to 3 years of bundle updates, arsenic good arsenic 5 years of information updates. While 3 years is surely amended than immoderate Android devices get, it’s thing compared to Apple’s committedness to its phones: The oldest iPhone iOS 15 supports is the 6S, which Apple released mode backmost successful 2015 (for context, that telephone launched with iOS 9, meaning Apple has supported those phones with seven caller versions of its software). If that inclination holds for the iPhone 13, you tin expect the devices to tally up to iOS 21, and possibly beyond.