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.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Tuesday March 4, 2025 3:15 pm PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
Apple MacBook Air hero

Apple Announces New MacBook Air With M4 and 'Sky Blue' Color Option

Wednesday March 5, 2025 6:02 am PST by
Apple today announced refreshed 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models, now featuring the M4 chip, an upgraded camera, and a new "Sky Blue" color option. "Sky Blue" is an all-new blue finish that joins Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. Apple describes it as a "beautiful, metallic light blue that creates a dynamic gradient when light reflects off of its surface." Space Gray is no longer available. ...
CarPlay Hero

iOS 18.4 Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Tuesday March 4, 2025 8:39 am PST by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes two smaller but meaningful improvements for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. First, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a 14-inch...
Apple MacBook Air hero

Apple Says New MacBook Air Up to 23x Faster Than Intel-Based Model, But Read the Fine Print

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:46 pm PST by
Apple has a staggering marketing claim for the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip. Specifically, Apple says the new MacBook Air is up to 23x faster than the last Intel-based model. However, there are some details in the fine print to be aware of. First, Apple said it compared a new 2025 MacBook Air with a 10-core M4 chip and 32GB of RAM to a 2020 MacBook Air with a quad-core Intel Core i7...
Apple MacBook Air hero

Apple Has Finally Solved One of the MacBook Air's Biggest Limitations

Wednesday March 5, 2025 11:29 am PST by
The new MacBook Air has a useful upgrade: it natively supports up to two external displays, in addition to the laptop's built-in display. In other words, the latest MacBook Air can be used with a pair of external displays without needing to keep the laptop's lid closed. Apple's tech specs for the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air:Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the...
ipad air magic keyboard feature

Everything Apple Announced This Week

Wednesday March 5, 2025 4:03 pm PST by
It's been a busy week for Apple, with new products announced on Tuesday and Wednesday. We're now caught up on what's been rumored for a spring launch, so we thought we'd recap everything Apple came out with this week. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. iPad Air Apple updated the iPad Air on Tuesday, updating it with the new M3 chip. The iPad Air still comes in...
Mac Studio 2025

Apple Announces New Mac Studio With M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips, Thunderbolt 5, and More

Wednesday March 5, 2025 6:01 am PST by
Apple today announced that it has updated the Mac Studio with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options, Thunderbolt 5 ports, and more. The M4 Max chip was already released last year in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. It can be configured with up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified RAM. Geekbench 6 benchmark results indicate that the M4 Max is up to 75% faster than...
Apple MacBook Air hero

Here Are Real-World Photos of the New Sky Blue MacBook Air

Wednesday March 5, 2025 1:47 pm PST by
Apple today updated the MacBook Air with the M4 chip, and the laptop is also available in an all-new Sky Blue finish alongside Silver, Starlight, and Midnight. YouTuber Andru Edwards has showed off the Sky Blue color in a few real-world photos. Keep in mind that the Sky Blue finish is not very saturated. However, the color's appearance will vary based on lighting conditions. View ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Apple Delays Apple Intelligence Siri Features

Friday March 7, 2025 9:35 am PST by
Apple is delaying some of the Apple Intelligence Siri features that it expected to release in iOS 18, an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to Daring Fireball. Apple says that it is going to take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized Siri experience, and that these features will be rolled out "in the coming year.""Siri helps our users find what they need and get things...

Top Rated Comments

Freida Avatar
31 months ago
Pixel 7 looks way better than the 14 Pro
Interesting
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DMG35 Avatar
31 months ago
That pumpkin photo the Pixel 7 took is next level.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Damtoft Avatar
31 months ago
Wow the Pixel 7 Pro looks so much better!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
grilledcheesesandwich Avatar
31 months ago
iPhone lighting just looks off in comparison
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rpmurray Avatar
31 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
31 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)