Introduction

Smartphone giants spend years on research and development to get to the release of their flagship phones. The recent tech war is fuming between iPhone 13 Pro Max and Google Pixel 6 Pro. It's quite an interesting race in more ways than one, especially when it comes to the cameras. It is also clear that Google and Apple went with two entirely different approaches for their phone designs. The ongoing iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 6 Pro rivalry has shaken the market for other smartphones.

Google Pixel 6 Pro futuristic design made iPhone 13 Pro Max look older

The Pixel 6 Pro is a huge step away from the previous lines of Pixel, in terms of design. The whole phone looks and feels premium. Google's aesthetic with the Pixel 6 Pro is quirky and fun. It features a large camera bar at the back housing the three lenses. The bar dominates the design at the back and gives the Pixel 6 Pro a lot of visual flairs.

Whereas, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a much more subtle design in comparison to the Pixel 6 Pro. The overall design language follows the previous lines of the iPhone. You get a large slab with flat sides that makes it easy to hold and grip. The biggest issue is the width, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 2.2mm wider and is 30g heavier than the Pixel 6 Pro.

The Pixel 6 Pro is considerably larger at 6.5 x 3.0 x .035 inches compared to 5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches for the iPhone 13 Pro. Both the phones are on equal footing with IP68 water and dust resistance and comparable screen protection when it comes to durability. While Apple has its Ceramic Shield, the word is that it is ultimately similar to the Gorilla Glass Victus that you find on the Pixel 6 Pro.

Pixel vs iPhone display - Neck to neck competition

Whether playing games or watching videos, displays play an important role in determining the best smartphone. The Pixel 6 Pro features a 6.7-inch, QHD+ (3120x1440 pixel) LTPO OLED display with Google’s Smooth Display delivering an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. It automatically scales the refresh from 10Hz to 120Hz based on the use case, and the panel itself is one of the best around. The iPhone 13 Pro Max also comes with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display (2532x1170 pixel) with ProMotion, which also delivers an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.

Both displays are great with excellent colours and brightness. However, the iPhone 13 Pro Max takes a significant lead on the display brightness, hitting a max of 1,038 nits. The Google Pixel 6 Pro managed 842 nits, which is noticeably dimmer in direct sunlight. The Pixel 6 Pro is the sharper of the two displays with 512 pixels per inch (PPI) compared to 460 PPI for the iPhone 13 Pro. Whereas, colours are more accurate on Apple’s phone, with the iPhone 13 Pro Max beating the Pixel with its 0.21 Delta-E score. The Pixel comes in at 0.3 (Numbers closer to zero are more accurate).

Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro Max camera comparison

iPhones and Pixel phones are known as excellent camera performers. Both the tech giants have tried to outperform each other in the camera department. The Pixel Pro 6 and iPhone 13 Pro Max boast triple rear cameras. Apple has taken a tried and tested approach with iPhone 13 Pro Max camera. Whereas, Google has completely overhauled its camera system with Pixel 6 Pro.

Pixel 6 Pro 4X zoom takes an edge on iPhone 13 Pro Max camera

Google went with a new 50MP main sensor that lets in up to 150% more light than the Pixel 5 did. The ultrawide camera sits at 12MP and the 48MP telephoto pairs with a 4x optical zoom lens. The addition of 4x optical zoom offers a more versatile photography experience. Google Pixel 6 Pro also features Magic Eraser. With the use of this feature, you can effectively remove photobombers and unwanted elements from your photos. The Pixel will recommend things to remove, otherwise, you can select things on your own.

iPhone 13 Pro Max film making capabilities make big differences

The iPhone 13 Pro Max uses a tri-12MP setup with 3x optical zoom on the telephoto camera. iPhone 13 Pro Max can record video in its new cinematic mode at 1080p at up to 30fps with Dolby Vision HDR up to 4K at 60fps. You can also utilize the built-in lens options including ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto for further enhancement. With iPhone 13 Pro Max you get the best of both worlds in a camera that is easy-to-use and accessible, yet can showcase high-quality cinematic recording.

Magic of own processors - Google Tensor vs A15 Bionic Chip

Pixels and iPhones have always been fighting for the spot for best performance. This time the competition is closer than ever. Apple has led the way on smartphone performance with its A-series processors. iPhone 13 Pro Max features the A15 Bionic Chip with IOS 15 and is incredible in benchmarks and tests. However, Google decided to do something interesting this year. It let go of Qualcomm's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 800 series and went with its own homegrown chip called Tensor. This system-on-chip has opened up many possibilities for AI and machine learning applications on the Google smartphone.

iPhone 13 Pro Max or Google Pixel 6 Pro - Which one should you buy?

iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 6 Pro has been a very close race. Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro Max is a powerful camera phone along with a bright and beautiful display and stellar battery life. Whereas, Google has delivered a phone that doesn't feel like it is missing out on core features. Google Pixel 6 Pro has a design that stands out from others and it also beats its competitor by a significant margin. Even though the iPhone inches ahead with its strong performance, the Pixel gets the pricing advantage.