iPhone 15 vs Pixel 7: is the $200 price difference justified?

Apple announced the iPhone 15, and since it is yet to launch its new generation of phones for 2023, the current Google competitor is the Pixel 7 that fills in the same role (albeit at $200 less), so its interesting to see how the two compare to each other, despite the large time gap between them.

Google's Pixel phones usually have a more affordable price compared to the alternatives, especially when you consider the cost of a new iPhone. In this case, the starting price for the iPhone 15 is $799. That is $200 more than the Pixel 7's $600 for the same amount of storage. Not to mention that, unlike iPhones, Pixels go on sale quite often.

But the hard-earned cash you spend on either of these phones is not the only difference here. Needless to say, we are talking about a completely different design and software experience — iOS vs Android, the ever-heated battle. What's more, there are also some key hardware differences between the iPhone 15 and Pixel 7 like the cameras system or chipset, which could be deciding factors when picking one of the two.

So, without further ado, let's take a look at the details and see how these two popular phones compare to each other.

Verizon-locked iPhone 15 at Walmart: preorder and save $100

The iPhone 15 is also available for preorder with a Verizon subscription. Walmart allows you to save $100 on this device over 36 months. Preorder today for just $21.64/mo.

$100 off (11%)

$779 ⁰⁴

$879

Pre-order at Walmart

(AT&T) iPhone 15 at Walmart: now $21.64/mo

The iPhone 15 is available for preorder with a carrier subscription for AT&T at Walmart. The device goes for $21.64/mo, saving you a total of $100. Currently, all colors and storage variants are available.

$100 off (11%)

$779 ⁰⁴

$879

Pre-order at Walmart

The iPhone 15 Plus can be yours for just $24.42/mo with a Verizon subscription

Walmart allows you to preorder the iPhone 15 Plus with a subscription to Verizon as well. The device goes for just $24.42 a month over 36 months. In total, your savings amount to $100. This is the 128GB configuration.

$100 off (10%)

$879 ¹⁴

$979

Pre-order at Walmart

iPhone 15 Plus: preorder at Walmart and save with a subscription to AT&T

The iPhone 15 Plus is also available for preorder at Walmart, too. This is a locked version of the device. It comes with 128GB of internal storage space. Walmart sells the Apple device for $24.42/mo over 36 installments.

$100 off (10%)

$879 ¹²

$979

Pre-order at Walmart

iPhone 15 Pro at Walmart: preorder and save with a Verizon subscription

If you're looking for more power, we suggest you consider Walmart's preorder offer on the incredible iPhone 15 Pro. This smartphone can be bought with a carrier subscription to Verizon for just $26.37/mo, saving you a total of $100.

$100 off (10%)

$949 ³²

$1049

Pre-order at Walmart

AT&T-locked iPhone 15 Pro: preorder and save at Walmart

The incredible iPhone 15 Pro is also available with a subscription to AT&T. The device is available for $26.37 a month over 36 installments. In total, your savings amount to $100. This is the 128GB version of the device.

$100 off (10%)

$949 ³²

$1049

Pre-order at Walmart

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is available for preorder at Walmart with a Verizon subscription

Don't miss out on the chance to preorder Apple's newest and most capable smartphone yet for just $31.92/mo at Walmart. To get the iPhone 15 Pro Max at that price, you just need to subscribe to Verizon or upgrade. Your total savings through this preorder deal amount to $100.

$100 off (8%)

$1149 ¹²

$1249

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AT&T-locked iPhone 15 Pro Max is available for preorder at Walmart

An AT&T-locked version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is available for preorder at Walmart. The device sells for $31.92/mo over 36 installments, saving you as much as $100 in total. This is the 256GB configuration of the Apple smartphone. Currently, all colors are available.

$100 off (8%)

$1149 ¹²

$1249

Pre-order at Walmart

One of the main challenges for phone manufacturers in a market oversaturated with similar designs is to make their product stand out, to make it iconic. On that note, it is safe to say that both Apple and Google have managed to achieve that with the iPhone and Pixel.

As a consequence of how unique each looks, the iPhone 15 and Pixel 7 are noticeably very different from each other. While the Pixel has a tapered back and an overall more oval shape to it, the iPhone comes in with sharp edges and a more blocky design. There is also the new back panel on the iPhone 15 with a matte finish, compared to the Pixels glossy approach.

Another more obvious difference is the iPhone 15's Dynamic Island. This the same screen cutout for the Face ID sensors and the selfie camera we know from the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. In comparison, the Pixel 7 has a more traditional (and smaller in size) single punch-hole cutout.

Materials-wise, both phones have aluminum metal frames with a glass front and back. Both also share the same IP68 water and dust protection rating. One new addition to the iPhone 15 that is worth mentioning is its new USB-C port replacing the Lightning connector, and finally joining the Pixel 7 and basically all other Android phones on the market.

The iPhone 15 rocks almost the same display that the iPhone 14 came with last year, with the one difference being the higher 2000 nits of peak brightness and 16000 nits of HDR peak brightness. Otherwise, we are looking at the same panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. In contrast, the Pixel 7 maxes out at 1400 nits of peak brightness, but is also noticeably smoother thanks to its 90Hz screen refresh rate.

One area where the two phones definitely differ in speed and quality, though, is biometrics. The Pixel 7 has both a fingerprint scanner (embedded in the display) and facial recognition. However, the fingerprint scanner has received lots of criticism for being slower than it should be, while the facial recognition is not as secure. The iPhone 15, on the other hand, has Face ID, which is safer and typically more accurate compared to what Google offers on its Pixel phones.

Google's Tensor G2 is the company's latest chipset that powers all of its latest phones, including the Pixel 7. The iPhone 15 has the A16 Bionic that came with last year's Pro models, and it is a significantly more powerful piece of silicon in comparison.

That being said, the Tensor G2 is not meant to blow competitors out of the water in benchmark tests. It is meant to excel in artificial intelligence (at least according to Google), which allows for the many Pixel-specific software quirks and features.

Storage-wise, the iPhone comes with a maximum of 512GB of internal storage, while the Pixel goes only up to 256GB. As for RAM (memory), the iPhone will get 6GB and the Pixel has 8GB. Both have the same LPDDR5 memory, which is pretty fast.

Probably the biggest difference between the two phones, of course, is their software. More likely than not you already know whether you prefer Android or iOS, or maybe you like and dislike bits and pieces on both fronts. The gist of it is that Android offers more customization while iOS works seamlessly with everything else Apple.

More important here is the topic of software support. Pixel phones get three years of major OS updates and 4 years of security patches, while iPhones typically get 5 years of iOS updates and even longer security updates.

You can never know for sure which camera system would be better before testing them together in the same scenarios. The iPhone 15 comes with a new impressive 48MP main snapper that has a larger image sensor, offering impressive jumps in image quality. Apple says that colors should now appear more vivid across the board, with more true-to-life skin tones, and much higher detail.

The new 48MP main image sensor also allows for a 2X crop, essentially making it function as a third camera with telephoto capabilities and a high-quality 2X zoom.

On the other end, we have the Pixel's 50MP main camera, which is known for its superb image quality when taking photos. There are also all of the AI-empowered features on the Pixel such as magic eraser that allows users to remove whole subject from a photo, or Face Unblur which prevents blurred out, well, faces.

So, we can't know for sure which phone would be better at this stage, so stay tuned for our real-life iPhone 15 vs Pixel 7 camera comparison.

Both Pixel and iPhone typically come with great dual speakers and haptics, but the iPhones usually take both aspects to a higher level. Even if the iPhone 15 doesn't bring anything new compared to previous generations, it will still probably be slightly more impressive when placed next to the Pixel 7.

Of course, that doesn't mean the Pixel 7 is bad in any way. Its sound quality and vibration motor are more than enough for most users.

The Pixel 7 has a battery capacity of 4,355mAh, but we are yet to find out how large the iPhone 15 battery is, as Apple does not disclose that information. Raw numbers are not all that matters, however, as recent iPhone models have been crushing it in the battery life segment despite their smaller batteries. Suffice it to say, we expect the new base iPhone to fair better in our battery tests when compared to the Pixel.

As for charging, both phones should hover around the 20W mark for wired, and 12-15W for wireless. Sadly, the new USB-C port on the iPhone 15 is not being utilized for faster charging speeds.

Check out a summary of both the iPhone 15 and Pixel 7's specs below:

Don't forget that we also have an in-depth iPhone 15 vs Pixel 7 specs comparison table here where you can learn more about all the smaller details.

There is one major factor to consider here and that is the $200 price difference. Of course, if you tend to lean towards one of the OS more than the other, the choice is quite simple. Making a decision gets tougher if you have a more objective look at the two options.

For $200 more, you get longer software support, better video recording (as iPhones tend to offer), longer battery life, and a more capable processor with the iPhone 15. That being said, the Pixel 7 is not that far behind on some of those aspects. In fact, the Pixel 7 beats the iPhone in the display department thanks to that higher screen refresh rate.

It all boils down to your personal preference. Even though the iPhone 15 costs significantly more than the Pixel 7, for some, the perks might be worth it. But then there is also the fact that Google will probably release its new Pixel 8 this October, so it might be a good idea to wait and see what it offers before making a decision.