Google’s $799 Pixel 10 brings a telephoto camera, 120Hz, and MagSafe-like wireless charging.
The Pixel 10 is Google’s latest base flagship model, and it is arguably the company’s best-value phone ever. It comes with Google’s first fully custom-built chip, an even larger battery, magnetic wireless charging, and a third, 5x telephoto camera.
Compared to the Pixel 10, the iPhone 16 feels severely outdated in some regards, especially when it comes to its display. That said, it also comes with its own set of benefits, such as the fact that it has a more compact body while maintaining a larger screen, better performance, and better video quality.
If you are coming from an older iPhone, the Pixel 10 must be looking extra tantalizing right now, so is it worth the switch?
Pixel 10 vs iPhone 16 differences explained:
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Both phones are built to modern flagship standards, with aluminum frames, reinforced glass, and IP68 dust and water resistance. Apple uses its second-gen Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 16, which the company claims is three times more scratch resistant than the first generation. Google, on the other hand, has equipped the Pixel 10 with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is the same used on its Pro line and the toughest Gorilla Glass at the moment.
The Pixel 10 is the heavier, thicker phone. Google made this trade-off to make room for a larger 4,970 mAh battery and built-in Qi2 magnets (first on an Android phone), which support Google’s new Pixelsnap ecosystem of accessories like magnetic chargers and ring stands. In fact, this makes the Pixel 10 compatible with MagSafe accessories too.
The iPhone 16 introduced two new buttons: Capture Control, for adjusting zoom and exposure, and the Action button, carried over from the Pro models. The Action button is a genuinely useful addition, but it is hard to say the same for the Capture Control, as its placement feels awkward, which eliminates its whole purpose.
Pixel 10 colors include Obsidian, Indigo, Frost, and Lemongrass, while iPhone 16 colors comes in Pink, Teal, Ultramarine, White, and Black.
When it comes to display quality, however, the Pixel 10 clearly outclasses the iPhone 16. It has a slightly larger 6.3-inch OLED panel that goes as high as 120Hz and hits up to 3,000 nits peak brightness — one of the brightest displays in any phone. The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch OLED that maxes out at 60Hz refresh rate.
Biometrics-wise, the Pixel 10 uses an updated ultrasonic fingerprint scanner that is now a bit faster. Also, since the Pixel 8, Google also offers Face Unlock that’s secure enough to allow payments, just like Face ID on the iPhone.
The Pixel 10 not only gets significantly brighter (nearly doubling the iPhone’s brightness when the screen is completely white) but it also delivers more accurate colors. The iPhone’s grayscale accuracy weaker, with more noticeable shifts at different brightness levels. Apple still holds a small advantage in minimum brightness, which makes it easier to use comfortably in the dark, but overall, the Pixel’s display is simply better.
Test results aside, though, both display look great in everyday use. The iPhone might not get as bright, but it is still perfectly usable even in broad daylight.
The iPhone 16 runs on the A18 Bionic, built on TSMC’s N3E 3nm process. It delivers major CPU and GPU gains, cementing its place as the most powerful mobile chip available today. Games and pro-grade apps run effortlessly, and Apple’s thermal design helps sustain that performance over longer sessions.
