In this article, we’ll be comparing Apple’s new flagship smartphone, the largest of them, with a compact flagship from Google. In other words, we’ll compare the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10 Pro. These two phones do differ quite a bit in terms of design and size, amongst other things, which should make for an interesting comparison. Both of them have been announced in the recent past. The iPhone 17 Pro Max arrived earlier this month, while the Pixel 10 Pro was launched last month.
We will first compare the specs of these two phones, and will then move to their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. With that being said, let’s see how the two phones compare, shall we?
Specs
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Google Pixel 10 Pro
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max | Google Pixel 10 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm | 152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm |
| Weight | 233 grams | 207 grams |
| Display | 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.3-inch Super Actual LTPO OLED display |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | Smooth Display (1-120Hz) |
| Resolution | 2868 x 1320 | 2856 x 1280 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Google Tensor G5 |
| RAM | 12GB | 16GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0) |
| Main camera | 48MP (1/1.28 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS, dual pixel PDAF) | 50MP (f/1.68 aperture, 1/1.3-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) | 48MP (f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 123-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) | 48MP (f/2.8 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom, 22-degree FoV) |
| Selfie camera(s) | 18MP (f/1.9 aperture, OIS) | 42MP (f/2.2 aperture, 103-degree FoV) |
| Battery size | 4,832mAh (nano SIM) / 5,088mAh (eSIM only) | 4.870mAh |
| 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 | Moonstone, Jade, Porcelain, Obsidian |
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10 Pro: Design
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is considerably larger than the Google Pixel 10 Pro. It is taller, wider, and thicker, on top of being heavier too. It weighs 233 grams compared to 207 grams of the Pixel 10 Pro. Both smartphones are made out of aluminum and glass. They both have flat frames, which curve slightly towards the edges, for comfort’s sake.
The power/lock key sits on the right-hand of both phones, but everything else is different. The Pixel 10 Pro’s volume rocker keys are placed below that power key. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has plenty more buttons. Its Camera control key is on the right side too, while the volume up and down keys are on the left. You’ll also find the Action key on the left-hand side.
Both smartphones have rounded corners, with similar curvature, while they also include flat displays. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a pill-shaped cutout on its display, the so-called Dynamic Island. The Pixel 10 Pro includes a display camera hole. The bezels around both displays are very thin and uniform. The ones on the iPhone 17 Pro Max are thinner, though.
Their back sides do look notably different due to considerably different camera islands. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a large camera bar, with three cameras on the inside. The layout of those cameras is similar to its predecessor. The Pixel 10 Pro has a much smaller camera bar, a pill-shaped one, with three cameras on the inside, which are a lot more pronounced.
These two smartphones are also IP68 certified. In other words, they are water and dust resistant. That’s standard water and dust resistance for smartphones these days. Both smartphones are also rather slippery in the hand, but the Pixel 10 Pro feels easier to use due to its size.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10 Pro: Display
There is a 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display included on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That panel is flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 and Dolby Vision are supported, while the peak brightness here is 3,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%, while the resolution is 2868 x 1320 pixels. The display aspect ratio is 19.5:9, while this panel is protected by the Ceramic Shield 2. This display also has the anti-reflective coating.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro, on the flip side, has a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display. That panel is also flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10+ content is also supported here, while the peak brightness is 3,300 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 87%, while the resolution is 2856 x 1280 pixels. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, while Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this panel.
There’s really not much to complain about here. Both of these displays are great. They’re not only vivid and sharp, but they have great viewing angles. The touch response is quite good, while the blacks are as deep as you’d expect them to be. Both displays also get more than bright enough when you need them to. You’ll be good regardless of which display you end up choosing.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10 Pro: Performance
The Apple A19 Pro processor fuels the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That is Apple’s latest and most powerful chip, and it’s a 3nm processor. It’s a hexa-core unit with a 6-core GPU. That chip is paired with 12GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage. The Pixel 10 Pro is fueled by the Google Tensor G5 chip, a 3nm processor, and the first Tensor chip manufactured by TSMC: That’s an octa-core processor, and it’s paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 or 4.0 storage, depending on the model. Neither phone supports storage expansion.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is technically a more powerful smartphone in the processor department. The Tensor G5 is great, and made for Pixels, but in terms of sheer power, it cannot compete with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. With that being said, both smartphones do a great job in the performance department. They are very smooth on a day-to-day basis, while lag is not a part of the equation.
What about gaming? Well, the Pixel 10 Pro does get warmer during gaming, especially if you play very demanding games, but neither phone has issues with overheating or anything of the sort. We do believe the iPhone 17 Pro Max has better heat dissipation, and its size also helps with that. However, both phones do a good job in the gaming department, even though if you’re choosing one for gaming purposes, Apple’s handset is the better call. It’s simply more oriented towards gaming.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10 Pro: Battery
The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes in nano SIM and eSIM variants, each of which has different battery capacities. The nano SIM model comes with a 4,832mAh battery, while the eSIM variant includes a 5,088mAh battery. The Pixel 10 Pro, on the other hand, has a 4,870mAh battery on the inside. Those are good battery capacities for both smartphones, that’s for sure. Do they offer good battery life, though?
The short answer is… yes. The Google Pixel 10 Pro actually offers really good battery life, and it’ll easily get you through the day. Well, it’ll easily get most people through the day. The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers great battery life, actually. It flies well above the Pixel 10 Pro in that regard, and it offers the best battery life out of any new iPhone. Just to be clear, we’re talking about the eSIM model, but the nano SIM variant with a smaller battery pack is probably not doing much worse.
Google’s handset supports 30W wired, 15W Qi2 wireless, and reverse wired charging. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, supports wired charging up to 40W, 25W MagSafe wireless, and reverse wired charging. The iPhone 17 Pro Max does come to a 50% charge a bit faster than the Pixel 10 Pro (the same goes for a full charge), though do note that neither smartphone ships with a charger in the retail box.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10 Pro: Cameras
There are three cameras included 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 snapper (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV). The third, and last, camera on the back is also a 48-megapixel camera (1/2.55-inch sensor size), but this is a periscope telephoto unit (4x optical zoom).
The Google Pixel 10 Pro, on the other hand, also has three cameras on the back. A 50-megapixel main snapper (1/1.31-inch sensor size) is backed by a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera (1/2.55-inch sensor size). The third camera on the back is a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom) unit.
The two devices are evenly matched in terms of camera sensor quality and size. The results they provide are vastly different, however. The Pixel 10 Pro still provides more contrasty shots, but it’s less reliable in comparison. The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers images that are closer to real life, while Apple also improved the colors. Both main camera usually do a good job.
The two ultrawide cameras are more or less evenly matched, while both telephoto units do a good job, though the one on the Pixel 10 Pro tends to provide washed-out images from time to time. We’re not sure why, but it does happen. The Pixel 10 Pro usually does provide sharper photos with that camera, however.
Audio
Both of these devices include stereo speakers. Those speakers are quite loud on both ends, though the ones on the iPhone 17 Pro Max are slightly louder. The good news is that the sound quality from both sets is quite good.
There is no audio jack on either smartphone. They do include Type-C ports, though, through which you can connect your wired headphones. You’ll need a dongle, though. If you prefer wireless audio, Bluetooth 6.0 is supported on both ends.
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