I WRITE ABOUT gadgets, which means everyone asks me what laptop or dishwasher or whatever to buy. I struggle with this, because the answer often starts with, “It depends.” Unless you ask about a phone. In that case, I usually say get an iPhone.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Android. But the phones can be… frustrating. Clever features too often seem overwrought or poorly designed, or they’re buried beneath 15 Verizon apps on the homescreen. The iPhone is the Default Phone, the one you buy when you want a phone, not a project.
The Google Pixel changes that. It offers the look and competence of an iPhone, with a truly great camera and loads of innovative software and services. It changes my answer to the question I hear most often: What phone should you get?
You should get a Pixel.
Specs Comparison
| Google Pixel {{content_image_pixel_html}} |
iPhone 7 {{content_image_iphone_html}} |
|
| Size | 143.8 × 69.5 × 7.3 mm (5.61 x 2.74 x 0.31 in) | 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in) |
| Weight | 5.04 ounces (143 grams) | 4.87 ounces (138 grams) |
| Screen | 5-inch AMOLED | 4.7-inch Retina HD LED backlit screen |
| Resolution | 1,080 × 1,920 pixels (441 ppi) | 1,334 x 750 pixels (326 ppi) |
| OS | Android 7.1 | iOS 10 |
| Storage | 32, 128GB | 32, 128, 256GB |
| MicroSD card slot | No | No |
| NFC support | Yes | Yes |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | A 10 Fusion with 64-bit architecture, M10 motion coprocessor |
| RAM | 4GB | 2GB |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, GSM, CDMA, HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi | 4G LTE, GSM, HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi |
| Camera | 12.3MP rear, 8MP front | 12MP rear, 7MP front |
| Video | 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30, 60, or 120fps | 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30 or 60fps |
| Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.2 | Yes, version 4.2 |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Other sensors | Barometer, gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor | Barometer, gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor |
| Water resistant | Yes, IP53 rate | Yes, IP67 rated |
| Battery | 2,770mAh | 1,960mAh |
| Ports | USB Type-C | Lightning |
| Marketplace | Google Store | Apple App Store |
| Color offerings | Blue, silver, black | Black, Jet Black, gold, rose gold, silver |
| Availability | Verizon, Google Fi | AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile |
| Price | $650 | $650 |
Gallery
Google Pixel
- Design is elegant yet sturdy and high qualityrnDisplay brings high resolution in AMOLED constructionrnPerformance is great due to combination of powerful processor and optimized softwarernCamera is finally a good daily shooterrnFingerprint reader is easy to use, very fastrnBattery is huge, goes for a long time yet charges very quicklyrnAndroid just keeps getting better, optimization is really visible
- Ambient Display doesn't take enough advantage of AMOLED screenrnNo expandable storagernUSB Type C standard still very young, takes some getting used tornQualcomm Quick Charging no longer supportedrnCamera app experience still a bit too bare
- Camera 9
