2017 has been a big year for high-end smartphones. After the release of the Samsung Galaxy S8 earlier in the year, tech behemoths Apple and Google unleashed their much-awaited, super expensive high-performance phones- iPhone 8, iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2 series. Apart from Apple loyalists and Android nerds, there are many people keen to upgrade their smartphones, but the slew of recent releases has put them in a quandary.
Both iPhone and the Pixel offer a serious combination of advanced, powerful hardware and cutting-edge software technology, but they will also burn a crater-sized hole in your pocket. It becomes important to thoroughly analyze all aspects and features so that you can make an informed decision on your investment. Following is a detailed comparison of the iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2 XL- the two most widely discussed smartphones on the market right now. Let’s see which one wins!
Screen
With Apple finally shifting to OLED panels for the iPhone X, the screen quality will likely be on par with several of its Android rivals, including the Pixel 2 XL.
The iPhone X has a 5.8’ inch screen, with an 18:9 aspect ratio and 2436×1125 i.e. 458 pixels per inch (ppi). This makes it a much better option than the iPhone 8 Plus that has a 5.5-inch 1080p screen, but with an LCD display. However, the Pixel 2 XL seems to have a slight edge in terms of sharpness with its 6 inch, 18:9 OLED display with 2880×1440 resolution (538 ppi).
Overall, the visual clarity on both phones is expected to be the same since the OLED technology will result in deeper blacks and spectacular contrast quality.
There are two things, though, where the iPhone X probably has the upper hand over the Pixel 2 XL:
- Apple’s True Tone Technology that automatically adjusts the color based on the ambient lightning.
- Mobile HDR support. Google has not yet revealed anything about the Pixel 2 XL supporting HDR content, though the original Pixel did receive a software update to decode HDR.
Verdict: The iPhone X probably has a slight advantage over the Pixel 2 XL.
Design
Apple’s latest phones have undergone a significant shift from the previous designs with a minimum bezel, maximum display look. All screen from the top to bottom, as well as left to right (no home button), barring the necessary notch at the top center, and with a glass back, the iPhone X has a gorgeous look that only enhances its ultra-premium value.
In comparison, the Pixel 2 XL has a huge screen but also noticeable top and bottom bezels that somewhat diminish the impact of an all-screen design. The home button looks cool and the small glass cutout at the back also seems neat. But there is really nothing else defining to write home about.
Verdict: The iPhone X certainly makes a stronger first impression.
Camera
When the Google Pixel was launched last year, there was peak level hype concerning the camera it would offer. Google was making pretty lofty claims in that the Pixel would be the best camera phone ever released and turns out, they were not lying at all.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are touted to be even better. According to initial reviews, the Pixel 2 XL, with 12 MP f/1.8 back camera offers optical and electronic image stabilization, as well as dual-pixel PDAF and laser-assisted focusing, providing some really good images in low lighting. The Pixel 2 XL also has a portrait style mode with both front and back cameras, despite not being a dual-sensor phone.
On the other hand, the iPhone X has two 12 MP back cameras, one being a f/1.8 wide angle and the other being f/2.4 telephoto. It also offers optical image stabilization on both and improved HDR shooting, resulting in better low-light snaps and much clearer images. The iPhone X camera is expected to be fantastic and a big improvement on the previous phones in the series, but it shouldn’t dethrone the Pixel 2 XL.
Verdict: The Google Pixel 2 XL wins here.
Performance
This is one area where there is a clear-cut winner. The Pixel 2 XL comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, which is really not a big deal because we have seen it in several smartphones now. Running games and media, however, should not be an issue because of the 4 GB RAM and Android 8.0 Oreo should also work super smooth.
But when it comes to benchmark tests, iPhone X’s A11 Bionic chip towers above all, completely obliterating all competition. Combined with a 3 GB RAM, it is ultra-efficient and super speedy, packing in a lot of power. The iOS 11 will work like a dream.
Verdict: The iPhone X wins big in this case.
Battery, Additional Features
The Pixel 2 XL, with a 3520 mAh battery, edges out the iPhone X’s 2716 mAh battery, though it is a bit baffling that neither phone has a better battery, because there are many mid-range smartphones from Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Lenovo that already provide a 5000 mAh battery. The iPhone X offers wireless charging though, which is a big step forward.
Regarding storage, the iPhone X has an advantage with its 64 GB and 256 GB variants, compared to the 64 GB and 128 GB models of the Pixel 2 XL. And no, there is no option to expand through a microSD card either. But there is free unlimited storage offered by Google for photos and videos through Google Photos, while for iCloud storage you have to make a payment beyond the 5GB limit.
The Pixel 2 XL offers adds the new Active Edge pressure sensitivity to the sides, which lets you access the Google Assistant by squeezing the phone. On the other hand, Apple has 3D Touch pressure sensitivity, which isn’t really that huge an addition.
Pixel 2 XL also has the benefit of Daydream View VR support, which will see a newer headphone version being launched this month. Meanwhile, Apple is making a strong push for augmented reality with iOS 11 and ARKit, with the front-facing TrueDepth camera allowing animojis- those animated facial feature emojis.
And yes, neither phone has a headphone port, which kinda sucks.
Verdict: Both have their ups and downs so we will call it a tie.
FINAL VERDICT
Both phones are likely to be amazing with their own unique features, and it is difficult to call a definite winner, but we are putting our money on the iPhone X for its incredible processing power.