- Apple / Pocket-lint
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A superb optionThe Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max might be expensive but it delivers a premium design, smooth performance and some great features. It's a smartphone that does't disappoint.
- Google / Pocket-lint
Google Pixel 8 Pro
A very promising optionThe Pixel 8 Pro is the latest flagship from Google, offering a range of promising features and some very exciting camera improvements. There's also a good price, as well as a clean software experience.
Apple revealed its iPhone 15 range in the middle of September in the form of four devices; the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 15 Pro Max sits at the top of the line-up, offering the best Apple has to offer. It's not only bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro this year, but it has extra features too. Meanwhile, at the top of the Google Pixel offering is the Pixel 8 Pro, which offers the same size display as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but there are a number of differences between these handsets. If you're wondering with to go Apple or go Google, here's how the iPhone 15 Pro Max stacks up against the Pixel 8 Pro.
Price, availability and specs
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max was announced on 12 September, followed by its global release on 22 September. It starts at $1199 in the US and £1199 in the UK so it's quite pricey. There is the smaller iPhone 15 Pro model that starts at $999 in the US and £999 in the UK, but it doesn't offer all the same features as the iPhone 15 Pro Max and it is smaller too, meaning not the same size as the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Speaking of the Pixel 8 Pro, this was announced on 4 October and it hits shelves on 12 October. It has a slightly cheaper starting price than the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $999 in the US and £999 in the UK.
In terms of colour options, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes in Natural Titanium, Black Titanium, Blue Titanium and White Titanium. The Pixel 8 Pro comes in Obsidian, Porcelain and Bay.
We've run up a spec table below to give you a quick idea of how these two devices compare in terms of numbers, but there's a lot more than numbers when comparing Google's Android flagship and Apple's iOS flagship.
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Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- SoC
- A17 Pro
- Display
- 6.7-inch, OLED, 2796 x 1290, 460ppi, HDR, 2000nits, 120Hz
- Storage
- 256/512GB/1TB
- Battery
- 23 hours, 50% in 30 mins 20W wired, 15W MagSafe, 7.5W Qi wireless
- Ports
- USB-C
- Camera (Rear, Front)
- 48MP main, f/1.78; 12MP ultrawide, f/2.2; 2x telephoto from main; 12MP 5x telephoto, f/2.8; 12MP front, f/1.9
- Dimensions
- 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm, 221g
- Colors
- Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium
- IP Rating
- IP68
- Brand
- Apple
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Google Pixel 8 Pro
- SoC
- Google Tensor G3
- Display
- 6.7-inch, Super Actua OLED, 2992 x 1344, 489ppi, 1-120Hz, up to 2400nits
- Storage
- 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
- Battery
- 5050mAh, 30W fast charging, 12-18W wireless
- Ports
- USB-C 3.2
- Camera (Rear, Front)
- 50MP f/1.68 main, 48MP f/1.95 ultra wide, 48MP f/2.8 telephoto, 10.5MP f/2.2 front
- Dimensions
- 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm, 213g
- Colors
- Obsidian / Porcelain / Bay
- IP Rating
- IP68
- Brand
Design and build
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 8 Pro don't look anything alike, but they do share some similarities. First of all, both offer premium builds, they both come with an IP68 water and dust resistance and they both offer USB-C for charging - the latter of which isn't something that could have been said when comparing Apple and Google previously.
There's a flat display on both handsets too, and they both opt for a matte glass finish on their rears. That's pretty much as far as the similarities go however.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has flat edges, is built from titanium with a matte frame to match its matte glass rear, and it features Apple's Dynamic Island at the top of its flat display. This turns what would traditionally be a cut out for the front camera into something more interactive and useful. There's a triple camera housing in the top left corner of the rear, while a new button is positioned on the left edge in the form of a customisable Action Button.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro meanwhile, has a rounded frame, which some may find more comfortable to hold. It's a polished aluminium frame, which leads into the camera housing that spans the width of the Pixel 8 Pro's rear. The display on the front is flat and there is a punch hole camera positioned centrally at the top. In terms of other features, the Pixel 8 Pro doesn't have an Action Button or Dynamic Island but it does offer an under-display fingerprint scanner, which the iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn't.
Physical dimensions are almost identical. The Apple iPhone 15 Max is slightly shorter and fatter, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is slightly taller and narrower. Despite the iPhone 15 Pro Max's switch from stainless steel to titanium however, the Pixel 8 Pro is the lighter of the two as aluminium is still lighter than titanium. It's possible the iPhone 15 Pro will be the stronger of these devices though, so keep that in mind.
Display
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 8 Pro both have flat display, as mentioned. They also both have a 6.7-inch screen so they are exactly the same size and they also both have HDR support and refresh rates between 1Hz and 120Hz.
The two devices also opt for OLED panels, though Apple and Google call them different things. The iPhone 15 Pro Max's display is called Super Retina XDR, while the Pixel 8 Pro's display is called Super Actua. An Always-On Display is an option on both.
There are some slight differences in resolution - the iPhone 15 Pro Max opts for a 2796 x 1290 pixel resolution that delivers a pixel density of 460ppi, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a 2992 x 1344 pixel resolution that offers a 489ppi. That means the Pixel 8 Pro is the more detailed device on paper, though this is a difference you wouldn't be able to distinguish with the human eye.
The Pixel 8 Pro is also brighter than the iPhone 15 Pro Max however, with a 2400 nits peak brightness compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 2000 nits peak brightness. Both have a 1600 nits HDR brightness, and in reality, both are exceptionally bright screens. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has double the contrast ratio of the Pixel 8 Pro.
As mentioned, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has the Dynamic Island feature too. This is interactive and adapts to whatever you are doing on your iPhone, whether that's listening to music or paying for something with Apple ID. It's handy for multitasking and it makes use of space that would otherwise be redundant.
Hardware and performance
When it comes to what's under the hood, it's a little harder to compare these two devices. Both claim to run on very powerful hardware. For the iPhone 15 Pro Max, that's Apple's A17 Pro chip, while for the Pixel 8 Pro, the Google Tensor G3 is running the show. We have yet to test the Pixel 8 Pro, but the performance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is superb in our experience.
While Apple doesn't specify, it's thought the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with 8GB of RAM, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro has 12GB on board. Storage options between these two models differ too. The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at 256GB, with a 512GB and 1TB option both available. The Pixel 8 Pro comes in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB options, but there is also a 1TB option in the US.
Battery capacities are also a little hard to compare in terms of numbers as Apple details different figures to Google. Both claim they will last for around the 24-hour mark. As we said, we haven't tested the Pixel 8 Pro yet, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max got us through a day and evening no problem. It would need a top-up within 24 hours in our experience, however.
Both the Pixel 8 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max support fast charging up to around 30W give or take a couple of watts. They are also both Qi wireless charging compatible. The iPhone 15 Pro supports MagSafe charging too thanks to the magnets in its rear, while the Pixel 8 Pro supports reverse wireless charging. It's also worth mentioning that the Pixel 8 Pro has a temperature sensor on board too, something the iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn't offer.
Cameras
Now we are getting to the juicy part. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has a triple rear camera system made up of a 48-megapixel main sensor with f/1.78 aperture, a 12-megapixel ultra wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with f/2.8 aperture. There are a number of features on board, from Night mode and Night mode portraits to focus and depth control of all shots with people, dogs or cats in them, whatever mode they were taken in.
The Pixel 8 Pro has a triple rear camera too, with a 50-megapixel main sensor with f/1.68 aperture, a 48-megapixel ultra wide sensor with f/1.95 aperture and a 48-megapixel telephoto sensor with f/2.8 aperture. It too has a range of features - some of which are more exciting than Apple's thanks to the heavy use of AI - like Best Take, Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur. It also offers signature Pixel features, like Night Sight and Astrophotography.
Both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Pixel 8 Pro offer 5x optical zoom, though the Pixel 8 Pro has up to 30x digital zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max tops out at 25x.
On the front, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with a 12-megapixel sensor with an f/1.9 aperture. The Pixel 8 Pro meanwhile, has a 10-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture and autofocus.
The important thing to remember with resolution is that higher doesn't always mean better. We still need to review the Pixel 8 Pro, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max delivered great results from its camera setup - and realistic ones too. The Pixel 8 Pro is expected to as well - Pixels have long been the phone to beat when it comes to night shots for example - and it has some cool features too, though some of these deliver what is effectively a fake photo rather than what you actually saw. It's up to you what you prefer there as to which device is better suited to you.
In terms of video capabilities, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers 4K video recording at 24fps, 25fps, 30fps, or 60fps and it has features including Cinematic mode and Action mode. Overall, it does an excellent job at video. The Pixel 8 Pro meanwhile, has 4K recording at 24fps, 30fps, or 60fps and it also has a couple of features on board, including Audio Magic Eraser. There are also a couple of features coming later this year and could be a game changer for video called Video Boost and Video Night Sight, though they aren't here just yet.
Conclusion
The decision between the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 8 Pro will very much come down to personal preference. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is an excellent device with super smooth performance, a premium design and it offers a range of features from Dynamic Island and the Action Button, to software features like Standby mode and Check In. If you have other Apple devices, like a Mac or AirPods, it's a no brainer.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
The Google Pixel 8 Pro has a similarly premium design however, along with some really cool features, including Best Take and Magic Eraser. It also has some very promising features coming to video later this year, and while we have yet to review it, Pixel phones are known for their camera capabilities.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the cheaper of these two handsets, and we suspect it will be great. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is expensive but it also brilliant so whichever you choose, you aren't likely to be disappointed. The question you have to ask yourself is, are you iOS or are you Android?