This time around, we’ll be comparing Apple’s most powerful and largest new iPhone with the base Pixel 10 model from Google. In other words, we’ll be comparing the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10. These two phones are vastly different, in a lot of ways, so that should make for an interesting comparison. Both of them are quite new phones too, the former arrived earlier this month, while the latter was announced at the end of August.
With that being said, we’ll kick things off by listing their specs, as per usual. Following that, we’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. They are very different design-wise, but the differences don’t end there, not at all, there are so many of them under the hood. With that being said, let’s get to it.
Specs
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Google Pixel 10
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max | Google Pixel 10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm | 152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm |
| Weight | 233 grams | 204 grams |
| Display | 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.3-inch Actua OLED display |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | Smooth Display (60-120Hz) |
| Resolution | 2868 x 1320 | 2424 x 1080 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Google Tensor G5 |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB | 128GB/256GB |
| Main camera | 48MP (1/1.28 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS, dual pixel PDAF) | 48MP (f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.0-inch sensor size, 82-degree FoV) |
| Ultra-wide camera | 48MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) | 13MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.1-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV) |
| Telephoto camera | N/A | N/A |
| Periscope camera | 48MP (f/2.8 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, PDAF, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 4x optical zoom) | 10.5MP (f/2.2 aperture, 95-degree FoV) |
| Selfie camera(s) | 18MP (f/1.9 aperture, OIS) | 12MP (f/1.9 aperture, 1/3.6-inch sensor size, PDAF, OIS) |
| Battery size | 4,832mAh (nano SIM) / 5,088mAh (eSIM only) | 4,970mAh |
| Charging | 40W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included) | 30W wired, 15W Qi2 wireless (charger not included) |
| Colors | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue | Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, Obsidian |
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10: Design
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is a lot larger than the Google Pixel 10, which is not surprising considering that it has a lot larger display. It is a lot taller, wider, and slightly thicker than the Pixel 10. On top of that, it weighs 29 grams more at 233 grams. Both smartphones include flat displays with uniform bezels around them, though the bezels around the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s display are thinner.
Apple’s handset has a pill-shaped cutout at the top of the display, the so-called Dynamic Island. The Google Pixel 10, on the other hand, has a display camera hole, which is centered. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a power/lock key on the right side, along with a Camera control key. On the left, the volume up and down keys are placed, along with an Action key. The Pixel 10 has a power/lock key on the right, along with its volume rocker keys. The power key is above the volume keys, though. Those are the only physical buttons on the phone.
Both smartphones have a flat frame all around, well, mostly flat. It does curve up slightly towards the edges on both phones. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a large camera bar with three cameras inside it. The layout of those cameras is very recognizable for ‘Pro’ iPhones. There is also a separate glass panel on the back, for design purposes. The Pixel 10 has a pill-shaped camera bar which houses three cameras, it is also horizontal, but it’s smaller than the one on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The backplate on this phone looks much simpler, and many people would say sleeker.
Both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. Both of them are also quite slippery in the hand, which is more of an issue with the iPhone 17 Pro Max due to its size.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10: Display
The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That panel is flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 is supported, as is Dolby Vision. This display’s brightness goes up to 3,000 nits, while the screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%. The resolution here is 2868 x 1320 pixels, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The Ceramic Shield 2 protects this display. It also has an anti-reflective coating.
The Google Pixel 10, on the other hand, has a 6.3-inch OLED display. That panel is also flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. The peak brightness here is 3,000 nits, while the screen-to-body ratio is at around 86%. The resolution here is 2424 x 1080 pixels, while the display aspect ratio is 20:9. This panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 from Corning.
Both of these displays are really good, actually. They’re both vivid and sharp, while they have great viewing angles too. The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s panel is sharper, though, while it does have several other advantages. Its refresh rate can go notably lower than the Pixel 10’s, while the anti-reflective coating is also noticeable. Both displays do get more than bright enough, while the blacks are deep on both of them, too.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10: Performance
The Apple A19 Pro SoC fuels the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That is Apple’s latest processor, the most powerful the company has announced. It’s a 3nm chip. That is combined with 12GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage. The Pixel 10 is fueled by the Google Pixel G5 SoC, the first Tensor chip made by TSMC. It is also a 3nm processor, though it’s inferior to the Apple A19 Pro. This phone also utilizes 12GB of RAM, while it also ships with USF 3.1 (128GB storage) or UFS 4.0 (256GB storage) of internal storage. Neither phone supports storage expansion.
With that being said, both of these smartphones do offer great performance. That is especially true for day-to-day use. They’re both very snappy and can handle whatever you throw at them, without a problem. So, from that point of view, you don’t need to worry about performance at all, that’s for sure. Chances are that the performance will stay on that level for quite some time.
What about gaming, though? Well, the Pixel 10 did handle games better than we thought, demanding ones. It did get a bit warmer than we’d like with demanding titles, but it did a fine job. The iPhone 17 Pro Max did manage to stay cooler with such games, while it also did a better job with games in general. That is not surprising, though. It was also a more enjoayble gaming experience thanks to the display size difference.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10: Battery
The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes in two different battery iterations. The nano SIM variant includes a 4,832mAh battery, while the eSIM only model ships with a 5,088mAh unit. Only the latter is available in the US, though. The Google Pixel 10, on the other hand, includes a 4,970mAh battery on the inside. Do note that iPhones usually have notably smaller battery packs than their Android counterparts, which only goes to show how large of a battery Apple used here, considering this is an iPhone.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers outstanding battery life, that goes for both models, actually. Yes, the eSIM only model will probably get you a bit more juice, but both are outstanding. For many people, this phone will be a two-day phone, easily. Even if you’re an extremely demanding user, chances are you’ll be able to get through a day with the phone. The Pixel 10 cannot compete, it offers good battery life, but it’s nowhere near what the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers.
Apple’s handset supports wired chargin up to 40W, while it also supprots 25W MagSafe wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The Pixel 10 supports 30W wired, 15W Qi wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charigng. The iPhone 17 Pro Max can reach a 50% charge in around 20 minutes, while the Pixel 10 does take slightly longer than that. Neither smartphone ships with a charger in the box.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10: Cameras
You’ll find three cameras on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. A 48-megapixel main camera (1/1.28-inch sensor size) is backed by a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV). The third camera on the back of the phone is also a 48-megapixel unit, it’s a periscope telephoto camera with a 1/2.55-inch sensor size and 4x optical zoom ability.
The Google Pixel 10 also has three cameras on the back. All three of its cameras are inferior, though, when it comes to hardware. It includes a 48-megapixel main snapper (1/2.0-inch sensor size), along with a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera (1/3.1-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera (1/3.2-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom).
The images these two smartphones can produce are entirely different. The Pixel 10 offers contrasty shots that we’re used to seeing from Pixel phones. The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers images that are closer to real life, while Apple also improved color reproduction compared to previous models. The output is great from both phones, especially when it comes to main cameras. The iPhone 17 Pro Max does a slightly better job in nighttime, though it’s also a toss-up. When it comes to the other two cameras, the iPhone 17 Pro Max usually wins without a problem. The Pixel 10’s telephoto shots do end up looking washed out from time to time, despite the fact they’re usually sharper.
Audio
Both of these smartphones do ship with stereo speakers, and both setups are quite good, actually. They’re more than loud enough, and the output quality is also good. The speakers on the iPhone 17 Pro Max are slightly louder, though.
Neither phone includes an audio jack, unfortunately, but you can connect your wired headphones to their Type-C ports, if you want. Alternatively, both smartphones do support Bluetooth 6.0 for wireless audio connectivity.
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