Google Pixel 10 vs iPhone 16: Which is the better smartphone?

Google Pixel 10 and Apple iPhone 16 are both excellent flagships for the mid-range price. Apart from being priced similarly, they're both packed with high-end features that make them great daily drivers. However, they feature completely different ecosystems and excel at slightly different fields.

So, if you're in the market to buy a flagship, it can be quite daunting to choose between the two devices due to their similar pricing. To help you make an informed decision, we've put together this comparison of the Google Pixel 10 and the iPhone 16, delving into their performance, camera capabilities, battery, and more.

Google Pixel 10 vs iPhone 16: What are the differences?

The Google Pixel 10 and the iPhone 16 are superb premium smartphones (Image via Google, Apple)

The new Google Pixel 10 is a great competitor against the Apple iPhone 16 in the flagship category. Both smartphones come with high-end cameras, powerful processors, and day-long battery lives, making them ideal daily drivers for most users.

Here are the detailed specs of the two devices:

Features	Google Pixel 10	Apple iPhone 16
Chipset	Google Tensor G5	Apple A18
Display	6.3”, OLED, 120Hz	6.1”, Super Retina XDR OLED, 60Hz
Camera	Rear: 48MP + 10.8MP + 13MP Front: 10.5MP Video: 4K/60fps, 1080p/60fps	Rear: 48MP + 12MP Front: 12MP Video: 4K/60fps, 1080p/60fps
RAM	12GB	8GB
Storage	128GB, 256GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Battery	4400 mAh	3561 mAh
Price (unlocked)	$799 - 128GB $899 - 256GB	$799 - 128GB $899 - 256 GB $1099 - 512 GB

Also read: 5 Best Google Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro cases

Performance

In terms of performance, both smartphones feature high-end chipsets that give them fast processing power. The Pixel 10 houses the new Google Tensor G5 chipset, which is capable of the most advanced AI processing yet on a Google phone. Not to mention, it's highly efficient while also being adept at handling demanding taskloads. While the device's exact performance metrics are yet to be disclosed, the new Pixel could be significantly better than previous-gen devices.

The Apple iPhone 16, on the other hand, features the Apple A18 chipset. The A18 is one of Apple's most powerful processors, capable of high-end AI tasks, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and excellent battery efficiency. The processor is perfect for daily tasks, image and video editing, and high-end gaming, handling the most demanding mobile titles with ease.

Camera capabilities

Both Google and Apple have stunning image processing capabilities (Image via Google, Apple)

Both Google and Apple have been known to go neck and neck when it comes to the camera specs and quality. The new Google Pixel 10 features a 48MP main camera, a 10.8MP telephoto, and a 13MP ultrawide lens. Based on the official sample images, the camera captures high-res images with excellent colors and quality.

The iPhone also features a stunning 48MP fusion camera and a 12MP ultrawide lens. The 16's dual camera setup captures pictures with great clarity, color tones, and depth of field. While not exactly a camera feature, the new iPhone features Camera Control, a dedicated camera button that can be used to click pictures and perform other camera operations.

Both cameras are capable of shooting up to 4K video at 60 fps, which is great for the price. While we are yet to see the Pixel's video samples, we get a fair idea about how it'd look, judging by the on-paper specs and Google's long-term reputation for capturing sharp, quality videos. iPhone's cinematic mode adds a touch of motion blur like no other, making it excellent for videography.

Display

Apple has always had very impressive displays, and the iPhone 16 is no different. It features the Super Retina XDR OLED, which produces highly vibrant and true-to-life color tones. Its rich colors on the 6.1-inch display make gaming and content viewing immersive. It also comes with a peak outdoor brightness of 2000 nits. But on the flip side, it is capped at a 60Hz refresh rate.

The Google Pixel 10 features a beautiful 6.3-inch OLED display, featuring a refresh rate of 120Hz. This makes it ideal for gaming and content watching, thanks to its bright and vibrant OLED panel. In terms of brightness, the Pixel 10 features a peak brightness of up to 3000 nits.

Comparing the two, Apple's Super Retina XDR OLED is the better display despite being a bit smaller than the latter. Its superior color tones and brightness levels would be better for gaming, movie watching, or daily use in general.

Battery life

As always, the new Pixel comes with a highly efficient processor that is light on the hardware. According to Google, its 4400 mAh battery gets through an entire day's use and lasts approximately 30 hours.

The iPhone, on the other hand, features a smaller 3561 mAh battery, which is still quite impressive. It lasts around 22 hours of video playback, and almost an entire day's use with light and moderate workloads.

Final Verdict

This concludes our comparison between the Google Pixel 10 and the iPhone 16. We've concluded that the iPhone 16 is the better option in terms of camera quality and performance. The device is perfect for creative workloads, high-res photography, and lasts almost an entire day, depending on the tasks you do.

The Google Pixel 10 is an excellent phone, but it falls behind in terms of raw performance. However, it has an amazing camera setup and battery life for those looking for daily drivers. Of course, the final choice comes down to your budget and which ecosystem you prefer.

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About the author

Adith Pramod is a Tech writer at Sportskeeda and a student pursuing his bachelor's degree.
He is a dedicated tech enthusiast, delving passionately into the world of technology—from mobiles to PCs. An avid gamer, he channels his fascination into exploring and sharing the intricacies of all things tech.

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Edited by Arundhoti Palit