Pixel 10 Pro XL vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Has Google closed the gap? [Video]

From jibes to full-blown homage, the Pixel 10 Pro XL owes a lot to the iPhone and, by extension, the 16 Pro Max. Just how does Apple’s best device of last year stack up against Google’s best of this year? Here’s all you need to know.

Before we start comparing Apples to Googles, we must acknowledge that things can’t be like-for-like. If you’re an Android person—like us—you probably don’t care about iOS things. If you’re an iOS person, you probably don’t care about Android. That’s absolutely fine, but in the interest of seeing just how far Google has come, it wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t at least see how the market-leading smartphone maker compares to the minnow.

Hardware and design

Google’s design brief was “an iPhone but Android” last year, and, well, it stuck. Let’s not sugarcoat things here; these phones look like long-lost relatives. Good artists copy, great artists steal, after all. It’s just more of the same that we saw last year. It has almost the exact same dimensions, the same standout camera bar differences. It’s all a retread.

The bigger camera bar is but a blip. Adding magnets to the rear completes the metamorphosis. This is as close as an iPhone and an Android can get without exchanging chassis and logos. The “G” logo on the Pixel 10 Pro XL has even increased in size to mimic the larger Apple logo on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Maybe next year, we’ll get a whole backplate with a massive “G.”

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One thing to note is that the Pixel 10 Pro XL is about 5g heavier. In the hand, the iPhone feels far sturdier. I would put this down to a bit of build quality gap. Although the Pixel stills feels great and has improved year-over-year in that regard.

Another copycat decision is the lack of a SIM tray in the US. Yes, neither of these devices can take a physical SIM in the United States. You will need to contact your carrier or get an eSIM issued to use them on a cellular network. You still get that in global markets if you must have the option. Luckily, eSIMs are becoming more and more common all over the globe, so this isn’t as much of a problem as it once was.

There are no dedicated buttons for anything on the Pixel, so cases don’t have weird cutouts. It’s just seamless metal on one side and volume and power buttons on the right. Being biased, the color options are also a little more vibrant this time. The Moonstone is a particular standout, and the color-matched cases with button covers are just the icing on the cake. It’s hard not to argue that the matte rails on the iPhone still look incredible.

Displays

After surpassing the iPhone 16 Pro Max last year, the Pixel 10 Pro XL has gone a step further with an even brighter 3200 nit screen. You are getting arguably one of the best phone displays outside of a Samsung factory with either the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

If Apple removed the Dynamic Island notch, it could probably move it up the rankings, but it’s a no contest here once again. You get great color accuracy, deep blacks, and a rich experience on these phone panels.

Software and performance

While the Pixel 10 Pro XL and iPhone 16 Pro Max share some visual similarities, you’re talking about two completely divergent visions of mobile operating systems in Android and iOS.

Liquid Glass is the new look for iOS. Material 3 Expressive is the future of Android. Functionally, there are some similar things going on here, but Apple’s version adds glossy hues, clear panes, floating panels. It can look amazing, but most of the time, to be frank, it looks atrocious, and system-level blurs have even been added to try and tone down the poor accessibility that this introduces.

Android 16 QPR1 adds bounce, a distinct character that isn’t quite as reliant on you making the _right_ decision to prevent your phone from looking messy or visually cluttered. It simply builds on Material You without throwing away all the principles that make it such a good system. You can probably tell that I don’t like Apple’s vision for iOS, but even customization can’t save a poorly planned-out visual overhaul.

Google might take design cues from Apple at times, but at least Android won’t ruin the experience for no discernable reason. Material 3 Expressive absolutely slaps iOS out of the park with nothing more than a bunt.

Apple Intelligence also continues to flounder. Magic Cue could be the latent AI assistant that actually does the things Apple set out to do back at WWDC in 2024. It’s clear that Google can follow through on AI promises without needing to compromise.

Where Apple has the edge is in raw performance. Tensor G5 is fine, but it just won’t get close to what A-series chips can do and likely won’t for a long, long time. You have to give credit where it is due. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a beast, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL is very much less so.

Battery

Tensor hasn’t been kind to Pixel batteries over the past 4 years. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has an even bigger 5,200mAh battery. It’s better than last year, which is to say it ain’t bad at all. Even with a substantially smaller 4,685mAh cell, someone needs to spill just how Apple can achieve such longevity with those practically tiny capacities.

Charging is better on the Pixel, which is nice as it needs charging more often. According to Google, it has 45W wired charging. That’s going to give you 70% in just under 30 minutes compared to 50% in 30 on the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a 30W power brick. Both have 25W charging using Magsafe and Pixelsnap, respectively.

Cameras

Because there are no hardware upgrades, it’s very much a similar situation as last year as the Pixel 10 Pro XL has lots of post-processing effects to play around with. There are some neat functions like Camera Coach that will try to show you how to take better photos.

Where the Pixel has a big advantage is with the new Pro Res Zoom. Traditionalists will dislike the fact it uses AI to clean up blocky, blurry photos at the 100x level. AI models add extra detail and can turn something that is practically ruined into a usable one. You don’t have to use this, but it will do so by default and the original is saved so you can revert to that at any time. It is very impressive, albeit in a “did I actually take this?” manner.

Video Boost on Pixel 10 Pro XL is as good as what the iPhone 16 Pro Max can do, the caveat being that it still needs the upload-download process to even work. If you are without a data connection, it is resoundingly beaten by the iPhone.

Many photos boil down to what you prefer – natural processing or HDR-focused. The Pixel is much better with a wider array of skin tones. The rest of the camera lenses go toe-to-toe.

Pixel 10 Pro XL vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Has Google caught up?

About upgrading: 9to5Google often gives specific product recommendations. Sometimes, we may suggest not upgrading, due to various reasons including, but not limited to: increased device cost, negligible performance gains, or environmental impact. Whether to upgrade is always your call, but our aim is to help you make as informed a decision as possible.

The short answer to that question is: no. Google has not quite caught the iPhone this year, but it’s obvious that the Pixel lineup can attract buyers and fans by focusing on functions that work without much interaction. Converting iPhone owners over to Pixel is an uphill battle, but another good showing this year could slowly start to turn heads.

We aren’t likely to see people handing in their iPhone 16 Pro Max units en masse in favor of the Pixel 10 Pro XL anytime soon. That said, many iPhone owners would be right at home if they did choose to switch to a Pixel and there probably isn’t a better time than now.

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