Technologies
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Pixel 8 Pro: Which Phone Is Worth the Upgrade?
How do the top phones from Apple and Google stack up? I tested everything from cameras to battery life to displays to find out.
The iPhone-versus-Android debate is always intense, and I’m here to add fuel to the fire.
I used Apple’s and Google’s newest high-end arrivals, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Pixel 8 Pro, side by side to compare everything from cameras to battery life to displays. Neither of these phones comes cheap (you’re looking at starting prices upwards of $1,000), so here are some takeaways from my experience with both phones, in the hopes that it makes your decision-making easier.
Camera comparison and AI features
Not surprisingly, the camera is one of the biggest areas of focus with any new phone launch.
I tip my hat to the Pixel 8 lineup for having an incredible array of AI features baked into photos and videos. There’s Magic Editor, which lets you move and erase people, change backgrounds and arrange objects how ever you’d like to create an ideal image that’s Instagram-ready (whether that’s ethical is a separate issue).
There’s also Best Take, which sifts through a series of photos and lets you swap out faces so that if someone’s blinking in one shot, for example, you can replace it with another where they’re looking at the camera. The result is a single great image where everyone looks their best (and I can stop scolding my friends for blinking).
Another feature I’ve been having fun with is Audio Magic Eraser, which lets you edit out distracting background sounds from your videos, whether it’s the wind, music or noise from a crowd. It’s not perfect — I tested it out in one of my CNET videos, and it muffled my voice — but it’s not bad for the first iteration.
But AI isn’t everything. In fact, as cool as these features are, I’m just not sure how often I’d reach for them. So, let’s compare the actual picture quality between the two phones.
When it comes to standard images without any special effect, the results are surprisingly similar. Colors barely have any variation, and everything looks crisp and true to life.
The differences began when I switched to Portrait mode. While photographing a tea cup, the Pixel 8 Pro did a great job of keeping the entire cup in focus. But the iPhone 15 Pro Max struggled to keep the further end of the cup in focus, so the heart-shaped design imprinted on the inside is out of focus, like the background. Thankfully, you can adjust the amount of blur through the aperture setting either before or after you take a photo, and Portrait mode also lets you change the focus after you take a picture.
Portrait mode on humans led to fewer inconsistencies. In fact, there wasn’t much of a difference between these shots I took of my colleague Viva. The backgrounds are blurred to the same degree, and Viva is in perfect focus in the foreground. The iPhone’s colors are slightly warmer, but both are great photos.
Selfies have a noticeable difference. On the Pixel, colors are brighter, including my skin and the wall behind me. On the iPhone, everything’s a bit warmer, and shadows are darker. But it’s worth noting that you can dial in a photographic style or customize one to get colors and contrast to look the way you want.
And when it comes to night mode, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the clear winner. In this shot of my plant in my dark room, the iPhone did a better job of brightening everything and making it look clearer.
Videos: Cinematic mode and stabilization
I use Cinematic mode a lot to give videos a more dramatic effect, so I had to compare how each phone handles those shots. The iPhone does a great job of keeping the subject in clear focus, even as I’m moving. But I was slightly disappointed in the Pixel. While taking a video of some decorative pumpkins, their edges were a bit glitchy as the phone struggled to figure out what to blur and when. (Check out the video above to see an example.)
The Pixel and iPhone both have video stabilization on by default, so the results are comparable. I took some shots while walking, and they’re a little shaky but not bad without a gimbal or stabilizer.
Action mode on iPhone helps to create even smoother shots, but you have to have enough light for it to work. The Pixel also has a similar mode called Active Video Stabilization, which is more aggressive than the default setting. So, ultimately, both phones give you the option to prioritize and customize whatever video settings you need to get that ideal shot.
Display differences
Where I really start to see the difference between these phones is in the display. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s screen has a more vibrant, crisp look to it, and colors jump out at you. The Pixel 8 Pro’s colors, by comparison, are more muted, even when I turn up the brightness, but the display is still impressive and sharp.
The differences become most apparent when I’m watching a video. On YouTube, for example, videos on the Pixel have a more gray overtone to them, while colors on the iPhone are a bit warmer and sharper. And that remains true even when I turn on True Tone on the iPhone and Adaptive colors on the Pixel. Even though the Pixel technically has a higher brightness, what sets the iPhone’s display apart is the much higher contrast ratio, which is why these colors look more vibrant. But again, you’re going to get quality with either device — I just appreciated the sharper imagery on the iPhone.
How long do the batteries last?
Battery life is perhaps one of the most important considerations for me when shopping for a new phone. Why spend all that money if it won’t even last a full day?
Thankfully, that’s not the case with either of these devices. In my unscientific test, in which I played YouTube videos nonstop on both phones, the iPhone 15 Pro Max lasted around 22 hours, while the Pixel 8 Pro lasted about 16 hours. In CNET’s battery tests, the iPhone 15 Pro Max also came out ahead.
It’s worth noting that Apple optimizes its A series chips for video playback, and the Pixel’s screen has a higher overall brightness, which can use up more of the battery.
When it comes to charging, the iPhone 15 Pro Max reached full charge in an hour and 50 minutes, and the Pixel 8 Pro was fully charged in an hour and 20 minutes. I used a 30-watt power brick for both. The iPhone 15 Pro Max supports up to 27W charging, while the Pixel 8 Pro tops out at 30W, so that helps explain why the Pixel was the winner.
One of the most exciting things about this process was that, even though I used the respective cables each phone came with, I could technically use the same cable for both phones, because they each have USB-C ports. Thank you, Apple, for finally catching on.
How much for each phone?
All those specs and features don’t come cheap.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,200 for 256GB. You can get that same storage option on the Pixel 8 Pro for just over $1,000. Both phones also come in 1TB options, if you’re willing to throw in a few extra hundred dollars.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes in black, white, blue and natural titanium. The Pixel 8 Pro comes in black, white and blue — or «bay,» as Google calls it.
Google promises 7 years of software updates with its Pixel 8 lineup. Apple doesn’t commit to a specific number of years, but right now, iOS 17 support goes back 5 years to the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Pixel 8 Pro final thoughts
So, with both phones having great cameras, vibrant displays and stellar battery life, which one would I reach for?
I’m impressed by the Pixel 8 Pro’s portrait mode, and prefer the way selfies look on it, too. I’m also a big fan of the faster charging, and the AI features are unique and can be helpful. Since switching to iPhone from the Samsung Galaxy lineup last year, I’ve missed having the ability to erase distracting objects in photos right from my phone’s gallery, so it was nice to have that again, in addition to much more advanced photo editing capabilities.
But what sells me on the iPhone is the excellent, all-around video quality, especially in Cinematic mode. Everything looks crisper and clearer, and that’s also true for the display. More battery life is always a win too, even if it takes longer to charge up.
And, I have to say it: The Apple ecosystem is unbeatable. So, pairing great hardware and software makes me want to reach for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but it’s a really close match here. Ultimately, there are things I’d prefer to do on the Pixel, and vice versa. What it comes down to is what your priorities are — whether it’s taking photos, recording videos, watching movies or having advanced AI-supported editing features at your fingertips.
Check out the video above to see both phones in action, and to hear more about my thoughts on each device.
Technologies
Google races to put Gemini at the center of Android before Apple’s AI reboot
Google is using its latest Android rollout to position Gemini as the AI layer across phones, Chrome, laptops and cars.
Google is using its latest Android rollout to make Gemini less of a chatbot and more of an operating layer across the phone, browser, car and laptop, just weeks before Apple is expected to show its own Gemini-powered Apple Intelligence reboot at WWDC.
Ahead of its Google I/O developer conference next week, the company previewed a number of Android updates, including AI-powered app automation, a smarter version of Chrome on Android, new tools for creators, a redesigned Android Auto experience, and a sweeping set of new security features.
Alphabet is counting on Gemini to help Google compete directly with OpenAI and Anthropic in the market for artificial intelligence models and services, while also serving as the AI backbone across its expansive portfolio of products, including Android. Meanwhile, Gemini is powering part of Apple’s new AI strategy, giving Google a role in the iPhone maker’s reset even as it races to prove its own version of personal AI on the phone is further along.
Sameer Samat, who oversees Google’s Android ecosystem, told CNBC that Google is rebuilding parts of Android around Gemini Intelligence to help users complete everyday tasks more easily.
“We’re transitioning from an operating system to an intelligence system,” he said.
As part of Tuesday’s announcements. Google said Gemini Intelligence will be able to move across apps, understand what’s on the screen and complete tasks that would normally require a user to jump between multiple services. That means Android is moving beyond the traditional assistant model, where users ask a question and get an answer, and acting more like an agent.
For instance, Google says Gemini can pull relevant information from Gmail, build shopping carts and book reservations. Samat gave the example of asking Gemini to look at the guest list for a barbecue, build a menu, add ingredients to an Instacart list and return for approval before checkout.
A big concern surrounding agentic AI involves software taking action on a user’s behalf without permissions. Samat said Gemini will come back to the user before completing a transaction, adding, “the human is always in the loop.”
Four months after announcing its Gemini deal with Google, Apple is under pressure to show a more capable version of Apple Intelligence, which has been a relative laggard on the market. Apple has long framed privacy, hardware integration and control of the user experience as its advantages.
Google’s Android push is designed to show it can bring AI deeper into the device experience while still giving users control over what Gemini can see, where it can act and when it needs confirmation.
The app automation features will roll out in waves, starting with the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones this summer, before expanding across more Android devices, including watches, cars, glasses and laptops later this year.
The company is also redesigning Android Auto around Gemini, turning the car into another major surface for its assistant. Android Auto is in more than 250 million cars, and Google says the new release includes its biggest maps update in a decade and Gemini-powered help with tasks like ordering dinner while driving.
Alphabet’s AI strategy has been embraced by Wall Street, which has pushed the company’s stock price up more than 140% in the past year, compared to Apple’s roughly 40% gain. Investors now want to see how Gemini can become more central to the products people use every day.
WATCH: Alphabet briefly tops Nvidia after report of $200 billion Anthropic cloud deal
Technologies
Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis after glitch allowed some vehicles to ‘drive into standing water’
Waymo issued a voluntary recall of about 3,800 of its robotaxis to fix software issues that could allow them to drive into flooded roadways.
Waymo is recalling about 3,800 robotaxis in the U.S. to fix software issues that could allow them to “drive onto a flooded roadway,” according to a letter on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.
The voluntary recall is for Waymo vehicles that use the company’s fifth and sixth generation automated driving systems (or ADS), the U.S. auto safety regulator said in the letter posted Tuesday.
Waymo autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas, were seen on camera driving onto a flooded street and stalling, requiring other drivers to navigate around them. It’s the latest example of a safety-related issue for the Alphabet-owned AV unit that’s rapidly bolstering its fleet of vehicles and entering new U.S. markets.
Waymo has drawn criticism for its vehicles failing to yield to school buses in Austin, and for the performance of its vehicles during widespread power outages in San Francisco in December, when robotaxis halted in traffic, causing gridlock.
The company said in a statement on Tuesday that it’s “identified an area of improvement regarding untraversable flooded lanes specific to higher-speed roadways,” and opted to file a “voluntary software recall” with the NHTSA.
“Waymo provides over half a million trips every week in some of the most challenging driving environments across the U.S., and safety is our primary priority,” the company said.
Waymo added that it’s working on “additional software safeguards” and has put “mitigations” in place, limiting where its robotaxis operate during extreme weather, so that they avoid “areas where flash flooding might occur” in periods of intense rain.
WATCH: Waymo launches new autonomous system in Chinese-made vehicle
Technologies
Qualcomm tumbles 13% as semiconductor stocks retreat from historic AI-fueled surge
Semiconductor equities reversed sharply after a broad AI-driven advance, with Qualcomm suffering its worst day since 2020 amid inflation concerns and rising oil prices.
Semiconductor stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, reversing course after an extensive rally that had expanded the artificial intelligence investment theme well past Nvidia and driven the industry to unprecedented levels.
Qualcomm plunged 13% and was on track for its steepest single-day decline since 2020. Intel shed 8%, while On Semiconductor and Skyworks Solutions each lost more than 6%. The iShares Semiconductor ETF, which benchmarks the overall sector, fell 5%.
The sell-off came after a key gauge of consumer prices came in above forecasts, and as conflict in Iran pushed crude oil higher—prompting investors to shift away from riskier assets.
The preceding advance had widened the AI opportunity set beyond longtime industry leader Nvidia, which for much of the past several years had largely carried the market to new peaks on its own.
Explosive appetite for central processing units, along with the graphics processing units that power large language models, has sent chipmakers to all-time highs.
Market participants are wagering that the shift from AI model training to autonomous agents will lift demand for additional AI hardware. Among the beneficiaries are memory chip producers, which are raising prices as supply remains tight.
Micron Technology slid 6%, and Sandisk cratered 8%. Sandisk’s stock has surged more than six times over since January.
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