Technologies

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10: How Each Flagship Phone Stacks Up

Apple and Google’s base flagship handsets each pack a lot of value for $799, with both phones getting noticeable improvements over prior models.

Apple’s iPhone 17 and Google’s Pixel 10 have a lot in common this year. Both phones may look very similar to prior iPhone and Pixel phones, but it’s on the inside, there are new features that can make both phones feel quite new.

For the $829 iPhone 17, Apple’s bumped up the base storage to 256GB, brought a 120Hz ProMotion display to the base iPhone for the first time and threw in the new Center Stage front-facing camera that lets you take horizontal and vertical photos without rotating the phone. You can also get a 512GB model for $1,029.

Meanwhile, Google’s $799 Pixel 10 marks the first time the company is putting a third telephoto lens into the base model to improve zoom photos, support magnetic Qi2 wireless charging accessories, and a slew of new AI features that take advantage of Google Gemini. The Pixel 10 still starts with 128GB of storage, with a 256GB model costing $899. There is no 512GB edition of the Pixel 10, which is instead offered on the Pro models.

If you have a strong preference for either Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android, you might already have a lean toward one of these phones. However, if you aren’t particularly loyal to one operating system over the other, there’s a lot to consider when deciding between each phone. Let’s go over some of the big highlights between the iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10, and you can use them to compare which one is best for you.

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Display

Both the iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10 have 6.3-inch OLED displays that support a variable120Hz refresh rate for smoother animations as well as the option for an always-on display for glanceable information. Both phones also have a similar resolution, with the iPhone 17 having a slightly higher 2,622×1,206-pixel resolution against the 2,424×1,080p resolution on the Pixel 10. Both will make videos, websites and photos look great, although you might need to take a visit to the settings menu to make sure that the higher refresh rate is turned on.

Both phones also support face identification inside the display. Apple’s iPhone 17 continues to use a Dynamic Island notch for its Face ID technology, while the Google Pixel 10 uses its front-facing camera and AI processing for its own Face Unlock feature. Both Google and Apple’s Face ID are secure enough to work for mobile payments. The Pixel 10 also has an under-display fingerprint sensor if you would prefer to use that for unlocking your phone.

Cameras

The iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10 each have noticeable changes to their camera systems, providing a lot of opportunities for taking detailed photos.

Apple’s 48-megapixel wide camera is now accompanied by a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, and its system claims to be capable of taking photos at a 2x «optical zoom quality» by using image sensor cropping despite not having an actual telephoto camera. While the ultrawide camera received quite a bump from the iPhone 16’s 12-megapixel camera, the 18-megapixel Center Stage camera on the front is a full revamp for how the iPhone takes selfies. This camera’s new square sensor lets you take vertical and horizontal selfie photos without rotating your phone and can be set to dynamically resize to get an entire group into a photo.

Google instead put a bigger focus on improving zoom photos by adding a 10.8-megapixel telephoto lens to its rear camera system, with a 5x optical zoom. This puts the Pixel 10 in close competition with the Samsung Galaxy S25, the latter also has a telephoto camera. That telephoto lens pairs up with a 48-megapixel wide camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide, both of which are similar to what Google included on the $499 Pixel 9A.

Special features

Apple’s iPhone 17 and Google’s Pixel 10 both have in-house processors, which help each company provide a deep level of feature integration on both the hardware and software side for their phones. This includes long software update periods, such as Google’s seven-year commitment of Android updates for Pixel phones. Apple’s never published timelines for its software support for the iPhone, but this year’s iOS 26 runs on 2019’s iPhone 11.

Apple’s iPhone 17 beefs up its charging speed, now including 40-watt wired charging alongside 25-watt Qi2 wireless charging. The Pixel 10 is similarly speedy, with a 29-watt wired speed and 15-watt Qi2 wireless speeds. The Pixel 10’s support for magnetic accessories, dubbed PixelSnap by Google, allows the phone to work with all of the MagSafe accessories that have arrived to the market over the past five years.

On the artificial intelligence side, it does still feel like early days for Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 17 does support writing tools, Visual Intelligence for scanning screenshots and some generative features like Genmoji. Google’s Pixel 10, however, has Magic Cue, which can provide suggestions of information based on what’s available in Google services like Gmail, Google Messages and Google Keep. Google’s Gemini assistant also supports more natural communication when asking it to search for information or give commands, whereas Apple is still working on an AI-enhanced edition of Siri that was first promised last year.

In the US, both the iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10 use eSIM instead of a physical SIM. While Apple has been eSIM-only for its US phones since the iPhone 14, going exclusively eSIM for the US is new for the Pixel 10 line. However, both iOS 26 and Android 16 now support transferring an eSIM between an iPhone and Android without necessarily having to involve your wireless carrier. Hopefully, this smooths over the process of moving from one phone to the other, but it’s worth pointing out since eSIM is still a newer technology for setting up your phone service.

For more comparisons between Apple’s iPhone 17 and Google’s Pixel 10, check out the specs chart below.

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10

	Apple iPhone 17	Google Pixel 10
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,424×1,080 pixels; 60 to 120 Hz variable refresh rate
Pixel density	460ppi	422 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in	6 x 2.8 x 0.3 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm	152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	177 g (6.24 oz)	204 g (7.2 oz)
Mobile software	iOS 26	Android 16
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 13-megapixel (ultrawide), 10.8-megapixel (5x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	10.5-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A19	Google Tensor G5
RAM + storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery	Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed)	4,970 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Gorilla Glass 2 Victus cover glass; 3,000 nits peak brightness; Satellite SOS; Dual-eSIM; Wi-Fi 6E; NFC; Bluetooth 6; 30W fast charging (wall charger not included); Qi2 15W wireless charging; support for PixelSnap magnetic accessories; Google VPN; Super Res Zoom up to 20x; Camera Coach; Add Me; Macro mode; Face Unblur; Auto Best Take; IP68 rating for dust and water resistance; 7 years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates; Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 polished back with satin finish aluminum frame
US price starts at	$829 (256GB), $1,029 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB)

Technologies

Uber Revs Up New Discounts With Prepaid Ride Passes, Uber Eats Meal Deals

Eat and ride cheaper with prepaid and price lock passes, including for teens, and with lunches priced at $15 or less.

Alas, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are over. Autumn is here, and many of us are back to our routines — commuting to work and school and a lot more lunches in the office and the cafeteria.

Uber and Uber Eats are introducing several new features to take some of the economic sting out of all that eating and riding, including meal deals, prepaid passes and price-locked rides.

«As fall routines take shape, daily life shouldn’t feel like a daily battle,» said Amit Fulay, head of rider product at Uber. «With these new features, we’re making it simpler and more affordable to move through your day — whether that’s to the office, grabbing a meal, or getting your teen to practice.»

Meal deals at $15 or less

US workers are back in the office at the highest rate since before the COVID pandemic — nearly 80%, according to market research from Placer.ai — and they’re as hungry as ever. According to a 2023 survey by ezCater, an online marketplace that connects businesses to restaurants and caterers, workers in big cities spend a bunch for lunch per month, including Los Angeles ($432), New York ($418) and San Francisco ($416).

Uber Eats is rolling out Meal Deals, which will provide popular meals for $15 or less, including all fees. How it works: Participating restaurants will prepare popular lunches and dinners in batches, which will drive the prices down because of the volume. Orders might take a few minutes longer than usual, the company said, since deliveries will also occur in batches.

Meal Deals will be available first in New York City, Austin and Miami, and then Philadelphia shortly thereafter. Uber Eats plans to expand the program to more cities in the near future.

Prepaid passes on rides

Uber is offering discounts on rides you take frequently with Prepaid Passes. Customers can buy bundles of 5, 10, 15 or 20 rides. The bigger the bundle, the bigger the savings — up to 20%.

Prepaid passes will be available in more than 75 US cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami,Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Seattle, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. Uber said it will be adding more cities soon.

Wider reach for price lock passes

Uber rolled out this feature in a few cities in the US in May, and now it’s expanding to every major city, and also major cities in Brazil.

Riders can lock in a price from point A to point B for a 1-hour window each day on their selected routes with a pass that costs $3. The pass is good for 30 days or $50 in savings, whichever comes first. Riders can buy up to 10 passes at a time.

Uber says that if your locked-in price is higher than the upfront price at the time you take the ride, you will get the lower price.

Ride passes for teens

From their accounts, teen customers can buy price-lock passes or prepaid passes. They can use a personal payment method or a card connected to the family profile.

That could come in handy for busy teens going to and from many places, including school, sports and social events.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Sept. 23

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 23.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword isn’t too tough, but if you need some help, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: The «Hawaiian» version of this food was invented in Canada
Answer: PIZZA

6A clue: Unintuitive phrase for a language learner
Answer: IDIOM

7A clue: Tiny bit of change
Answer: PENNY

8A clue: Wise ones
Answer: SAGES

9A clue: Drug that supposedly influenced the Beatles on «Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band»
Answer: LSD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Black dots on dominoes
Answer: PIPS

2D clue: «In an ___ world …»
Answer: IDEAL

3D clue: Witty insults
Answer: ZINGS

4D clue: Spaced (out)
Answer: ZONED

5D clue: Vegetarian foods brand
Answer: AMYS

Technologies

Your iPhone Could Eke Out More Battery Life Thanks to Adaptive Power in iOS 26

Did you just get an iPhone 17 or iPhone Air? This new iOS feature has the potential to extend your battery, even in a few older models, too.

It’s like Apple finally listened to what a majority of phone owners have been asking for: longer battery life. The iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers «the best battery life of any phone that CNET has ever tested» according to Managing Editor Patrick Holland in his review, but it’s not just due to a physically larger power unit. A new feature in iOS 26 called Adaptive Power contributes to extended battery life in the latest iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models, as well as several earlier Apple iPhones.

Currently, the iPhone uses as much power as it needs to perform its tasks. You can extend the battery life by doing a number of things, such as decreasing screen brightness and turning off the always-on display. Or, if your battery level is starting to get dire, you can activate Low Power Mode, which reduces background activity like fetching mail and downloading data in addition to those screen adjustments. Low Power Mode also kicks in automatically when the battery level reaches 20%.

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If Low Power Mode is the hammer that knocks down power consumption, Adaptive Power is the scalpel that intelligently trims energy savings here and there as needed. Based on Apple’s description that accompanies the control, the savings will be felt mostly in power-hungry situations such as recording videos, editing photos or perhaps even playing games:

«When your battery usage is higher than usual, iPhone can extend your battery life by making performance adjustments, such as lowering display brightness, allowing some activities to take longer, or turning on Low Power Mode at 20%.»

Apple says Adaptive Power takes about a week to analyze your usage behavior before it begins actively working. It works in the background without needing any management on your part. The iPhone user guide describes it as follows: «It uses on-device intelligence to predict when you’ll need extra battery power based on your recent usage patterns, then makes performance adjustments to help your battery last longer.»

Which iPhone models can use Adaptive Power?

The feature uses AI to monitor and choose when its power-saving measures should be activated, so that means only phones compatible with Apple Intelligence get the feature. These are the models that have the option:

• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Although some iPad and Mac models support Apple Intelligence, the feature is only available on iPhones.

How to turn Adaptive Power on

On the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air, Adaptive Power is on by default. For other models, you must opt in to use it. In iOS 26, you’ll find the Adaptive Power toggle in Settings > Battery > Power Mode. If you want to be alerted when the feature is active, turn on the Adaptive Power Notifications option.

Adaptive Power sounds like an outgrowth of Gaming Mode, introduced in iOS 18, which routes all available processing and graphics power to the frontmost app and pauses other processes in order to deliver the best experience possible — at the notable expense of battery life.

What does this mean for your charging habits?

Although we all want as much battery life as possible all the time, judging by the description, it sounds as if Adaptive Power’s optimizations will not always be active, even if you leave the feature on. «When your battery usage is higher than usual» could include a limited number of situations. Still, considering that according to a CNET survey, 61% of people upgrade their phones because of battery life, a feature such as Adaptive Power could extend the longevity of their phones just by updating to iOS 26.

I also wonder whether slightly adjusting display brightness could be disruptive, but in my experience so far, it hasn’t been noticeable. Because the feature also selectively de-prioritizes processing tasks, the outward effects will likely be minimal.

Read more: Adaptive Power in iOS 26 Could Save the iPhone 17 Air From This Major Pitfall

We’ll get a better idea about how well Adaptive Power works as more people adopt iOS 26 and start buying new iPhone models. Also, remember that shortly after installing a major software update, it’s common to experience worse battery life as the system optimizes data in the background; Apple went so far as to remind customers that it’s a temporary side effect.