iPhone 14 vs Google Pixel 7: Main differences to expect

Intro

The iPhone 14 and the Pixel 7 will inevitably end up being some of the most popular devices of late 2022.

Design and Display Quality

Let the premium phones duke it out

From what we can surmise, there wouldn’t be any major changes in either the iPhone 14 or the Pixel 7’s general design language, at least not in relation to their predecessors. Surely, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are getting a new frontal design with a redesigned notch, but the regular iPhone 14 is expected to keep the latest narrower notch that was introduced with the iPhone 13 family. The device will be getting the following colors: Midnight, Starlight, Sky Blue, Red, and Purple.

At the same time, the Pixel 7 isn’t likely to score any major changes over the Pixel 6. We expect the same flat display at the front with the glossy rear back to make the cut, and the camera strip is getting one less camera than the Pixel 7 Pro, but retaining its overall shape and form. Still, it will be a bit shorter and narrower than the Pixel 6: the Pixel 7’s leaked dimensions of 155.6 x 73.1 x 8.7mm paint this picture versus the 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm of its predecessor.

Google uses a single color for the glass back and a polished metal housing in a complimentary color for the camera bar. This implies that the white Pixel 7 Pro, for example, will have a silver camera bar, but the gold Pixel 7 will have a champagne camera bar. These are little elements, but it appears that Google has gotten them right, since the latest Pixels indeed look extremely nice.

At the same time, the Pixel 7 is very likely getting a 6.2-inch display versus the 6.4-inch display that graced the Pixel 6. It was an FHD+ OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, so there’s a very high chance that the Pixel 7 will boast the same characteristics though we certainly hope for a higher refresh rate.

Performance and Software

Will the Pixel 7 Pro be able to beat the iPhone 13 Pro Max in brawn?

Google has now announced that the Pixel 7 pair will be equipped with a second-generation Tensor chip. Earlier sources revealed that the new CPU is codenamed ‘GS201.’ This unknown chip is an advancement of Google’s own Tensor, the company’s first home-grown mobile processor, which was utilized in the Pixel 6. The first Tensor chip bet on exceptional ML performance but lagged behind the competition in single- and multi-core CPU performance, so we’re hoping the new GS201 would fill in that void.

What about the iPhone 14? Well, for the first time, we aren’t getting Apple’s new chip. Instead, the iPhone 14 will be using the same chipset that is powering the iPhone 13, and that’d be the Apple A15 Bionic. It’s no definitely not a slow chip, but it marks an important precedent for Apple, as all previous new iPhones have used the latest Apple chip. Alas, the Apple A16 Bionic is only slated to appear on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

In terms of RAM, we don’t have any official information, but we assume the Pixel 7 will retain its 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM. In terms of storage, the starting storage should clock in at 128GB. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 will most probably come with 4GB of RAM and start at 128GB as well.

Camera

Compact size, but great potential

According to many sources, including Google’s own Rick Osterloh, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will retain a 50MP primary camera sensor with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, which is on par with or larger than most other premium phones. And, in principle, the larger the sensor, the higher its performance. Both phones are believed to have the same 12MP ultra-wide camera. The Pixel 7 will only feature these two cameras, but the Pro edition will have a third, periscope-style telephoto camera with 4X zoom, similar to the prior model.

At the moment, the Pixel 7 is expected to have the following camera setup:

Our expectations? Google has always stood up there with Apple when it comes to exceptional camera quality, and we expect the Pixel 7 to stay true to that mantra and generally match the iPhone 13 Pro Max in terms of camera quality. Yet, if you’ve come to love that distinct “iPhone photo” look, the iPhone 14 will be the perfect photographic companion for years to come.

Battery Life and Charging

It will be hard to beat the iPhone

While we don’t have the exact battery size for either the iPhone 14 or the Pixel 7, but what we’ve already said, you might somewhat deduce that we don’t really expect big changes on either phone. And after all, if the design wouldn’t change much, then battery size wouldn’t be that much different, would they?

As a refresher, the iPhone 13 came with a 3227mAh battery and the Pixel 6 had a 4614mAh battery. Supposedly, the iPhone 14 will boast a similar unit, while the Pixel 7 might have a slightly smaller battery on board. In terms of endurance, the iPhone will likely retain the upper hand due to the efficiency of the A15 Bionic, though we totally harbor hopes that the Tensor 2 would surprise us in terms of overall battery life.

Specs Comparison

For a full hardware comparison, check out our iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 7 Pro specs comparison here.

 

Specs	iPhone 14	Google Pixel 7
Dimensions		155.6 x 73.1 x 8.7mm
Weight
Screen	6.1″, 1080p, 60Hz OLED, flat	6.2″, 1080p, 90HZ OLED
Processor	Apple A15 Bionic	Google Tensor 2
RAM	4GB	8GB
Rear Cameras	Wide camera: 26mm, f/1.5 Ultrawide camera: 0.5X, or 13mm, f/1.8	50MP wide, f/1.85 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2
Front Camera	12MP
Battery Size	3227mAh	<4614mAh
Charging Speeds	20W	20W
Price	$800 (128GB) $900 (256GB)	$600 (128GB) $700 (256GB)

Summary and Final Verdict

The upcoming affordable flagships, the Pixel 7 and the iPhone 14, will definitely clash as they’re in similar classes, and also have some tangents in terms of overall size and pricing. As we mentioned in our iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Pixel 7 Pro review, Google will likely try to take on Apple in the ‘experience’ factor.

After failing to beat the best of Android in raw hardware with previous Pixels, Google has finally realized that it must elevate the overall Android experience to a level never before achieved, and the way to do this would be the Tensor-enhanced machine-learning capabilities of its upcoming Pixel 7.

At the same time, the iPhone 14 is shaping up to be quite the iterative refresh of the iPhone 13, with nothing particularly exciting in tow. Surely, it will still sell in the millions, but it remains to be seen how Apple’s choice to keep the flashy new tech for the more premium models pan out for the iPhone 14.

With an expected starting price of $600 for the 128GB Pixel 7, Google definitely has a chance to compete with the 128GB Pixel 7, especially if the latter starts at $800.