We put Apple and Google’s recent super-size flagships head to head to see how they compare.
The Google Pixel 6 Pro has been announced, and inevitably the first comparison that’s going to be made is with Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro Max. The parallels are obvious. These are the super-sized representatives of the two major smartphone platforms, Android and iOS. They’re also both stylish premium devices with outstanding camera systems and bespoke processing power. So how do they compare? We’ll need more time with the Google Pixel 6 Pro before we can give you a definitive outlook, but here’s how the two phones stack up on paper. The Pixel 6 Pro will be available from October 28, and prices start from £849 / $899 (roughly AU$1,500) for 128GB. There’s also a 256GB model that costs £949 (around $1300, AU$1,750). The iPhone 13 Pro Max was released on September 24,2021. Prices start from $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,699 for the 128GB model, moving up to $1,199 / £1,149 / AU$1,869 for 256GB, then $1,399 / £1,349 / AU$2,219 for 512GB, and topping out at $1,599 / £1,549 / AU$2,569 for the new 1TB model. As you can see, the Pixel 6 Pro is significantly cheaper than its chief rival. That’s an early win for Google. Both of these phones are stylish, but the Google Pixel 6 Pro has the freshest, and thus more eye-catching, design. While the iPhone 13 Pro Max looks much the same as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the Pixel 6 Pro doesn’t look quite like any phone that’s gone before it. Its split two-tone rear panel (in Sorta Sunny, Cloudy White and Stormy Black) is particularly striking, while the full-width camera module provides a pleasingly symmetrical solution to the old problem of ever-expanding cameras. Like we said, the iPhone 13 Pro Max looks a lot like the iPhone 12 Pro Max, though that phone represented a major break from the design dead-end Apple had found itself in between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 11 eras. In terms of a direct size comparison, both phones have their bragging points. At 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm, the Google Pixel 6 Pro is narrower but also taller and thicker than the 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65mm iPhone 13 Pro Max. However, Apple’s super-sized phone is considerably heavier than its Google rival, at 238g vs 210g. Neither is what you’d call light, but the iPhone is downright heavy. Both phones have an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. While the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a super-tough ceramic shield covering the display, Google’s Pixel 6 Pro uses off-the-shelf (but still tough) Gorilla Glass Victus glass. The iPhone 13 Pro Max utilizes premium, shiny stainless steel on its flat rim, and comes in Graphite, Gold, Silver and Sierra Blue. They’re all stylish, if a little muted for some tastes. Apple has also reduced its iconic display notch by 20%, though the Google Pixel 6 Pro has an altogether less intrusive hole punch notch for its selfie camera. Apple’s notch, of course, houses a Face ID authentication system, which Google attempted to emulate and swiftly abandoned with the Pixel 4. Both of these phones utilize 6.7-inch OLED displays with fluid 120Hz refresh rates. Those heightened refresh rates are made possible by the same LTPO technology, which in both cases enable the displays to scale right down to 10Hz when the scenario dictates. It’s a great battery-saving feature. Where they differ is on sharpness. The iPhone 13 Pro Max display has a 2778 x 1284 resolution, while the Google Pixel 6 Pro tops it with a 3120 x 1440 QHD+ resolution.
