Camera Comparison: Pixel 7 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max

Google in October launched the Pixel 7 Pro, its newest high-end flagship smartphone. The Pixel 7 Pro came out just weeks after Apple's new iPhone 14 Pro Max, so we thought we'd compare the cameras of the two smartphones, pitting the high-end iPhone against the high-end Pixel 7.


On paper, the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max and the Pixel 7 Pro have similar camera systems. The ‌iPhone‌ is equipped with a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, a 12-megapixel Telephoto lens, and a 48-megapixel Wide lens, which Apple calls the "main" camera. The Pixel 7 Pro has a 12-megapixel ultra wide lens, a 48-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens. The Pixel 7 Pro wins out in terms of raw megapixels, especially for the telephoto lens.

pixel 7 iphon 14 pro max day 2
What we've learned from camera comparisons over the years is that high-end smartphones all take similar pictures, and they all turn out great. For the most part, you are going to get stunning images with both the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max and the Pixel 7 Pro, though there are some differences to be aware of.

pixel 7 iphon 14 pro max day photo 1
With standard photos, the shadows are darker in the ‌iPhone‌ images, with the Pixel 7 Pro lightening things up a bit. Images from the Pixel 7 Pro are less saturated, and we are seeing more vibrant colors from the ‌iPhone‌. In some cases, the images coming direct from the Pixel 7 Pro camera look sharper, though that could be a software effect and a difference in the editing that Google does behind the scenes.

pixel 7 iphon 14 pro max day 30x
Both wide angle and ultra wide images come out similarly, but the Pixel 7 Pro's telephoto capabilities are much better than the telephoto features offered by the ‌iPhone‌. Google added 5x optical zoom, compared to 3x optical zoom for the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max, and it makes a difference. In fact, there's a 30x Super Res digital zoom option that's impressively sharp.

pixel 7 iphon 14 pro max portrait 1
In Portrait Mode, the Pixel 7 Pro offers more depth of field for more background blur, which some people will prefer. It can sometimes have trouble separating the subject from the background, and it works better with people than it does with objects.

pixel 7 iphon 14 pro max portrait 2
As for Night Mode, both smartphones have pros and cons. The Pixel 7 Pro is better at nighttime portrait shots of people because the ‌iPhone‌ tends to be too soft around the face, but the ‌iPhone‌ is better at shots that include the sky. The Pixel 7 Pro is sharper across more images and it wins out when it comes to astrophotography, but there are issues with artifacting in some images.

pixel 7 iphon 14 pro max night 4
With video, the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max does a better job, which is a theme that we've seen for several years now. The ‌iPhone‌'s video is crisper, though Google has made some strides with stabilization. Cinematic Mode on the ‌iPhone‌ has improved in 2022 with support for 24 and 30fps 4K video, while the Pixel's Cinematic Blur is limited to 30fps.

pixel 7 iphon 14 pro max night portrait 1
All in all, the Pixel 7 Pro has an edge when it comes to photos, and the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max wins in the video category, but both smartphones take excellent images and it's often hard to decide which one is better. What do you think of the Pixel 7 Pro? Let us know in the comments below.

Top Rated Comments

Freida Avatar
18 months ago
Pixel 7 looks way better than the 14 Pro
Interesting
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DMG35 Avatar
18 months ago
That pumpkin photo the Pixel 7 took is next level.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Damtoft Avatar
18 months ago
Wow the Pixel 7 Pro looks so much better!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
grilledcheesesandwich Avatar
18 months ago
iPhone lighting just looks off in comparison
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rpmurray Avatar
18 months ago
Pixel photos don't look as washed out and don't have the warm cast of the iPhone.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madler Avatar
18 months ago
I would like it if MacRumors would show images taken from both phones of the same subject and lighting conditions side-by-side, randomly on the left or right without identifying which phone it is from. Then I get to pick which one I like best. At the bottom, I can hit a button to reveal my selections for each phone model.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...