Pixel 8 vs iPhone 15: The new compact norm

When it comes to design, the Pixel 8 and the iPhone 15 are similar and different at the same time. The Pixel follows the same design philosophy started by the Pixel 6 series, with a camera bar on the back and a hole-punch front camera, while the iPhone 15 unsurprisingly takes design cues from all the previous generations, starting with the iPhone 12 series.

What makes these two similar is their compact size. We expect the screens of the Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 to be very similar in size, transferring this similarity to the overall size of both devices. We expect the Pixel 8 to come in at 5.93 x 2.79 x 0.35 inches (150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9 mm), while the iPhone 15 retains its predecessor's dimensions, measuring 5.78 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches (146.7 x 71.5 x 7.80 mm).

As you can see, these two are really close in size, with the iPhone 15 probably ending up being a tad more compact in the end. As far as materials go, both will use aluminum and glass. The titanium material is reserved for the Pro models of the iPhone 15 series.

The port situation has been normalized by the EU, mandating USB-C on the iPhone 15 series, so there's no more Lightning port for the iPhone. The button situation is also be similar, as the new Action Button is present on the Pro models only. The color schemes for the Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 are as follows:

Pixel 8 expected colors:

• Licorice
• Peony
• Haze

We have a dedicated piece about the expected Pixel 8 series hues, so you should check it out for more detail.

iPhone 15 colors:

• Black
• Green
• Yellow
• Pink
• Blue

Again, for additional information, refer to our iPhone 15 colors article.

Display Differences

Smooth wins the game

As we already mentioned above, the Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 feature very similar display panels in terms of size (6.17 inches on the Pixel 8 vs 6.1 inches on the iPhone 15). There's one major difference, though, and it lies in the refresh rate.

While recent rumors suggest that the Pixel 8 will adopt a 120Hz refresh rate, Apple sticks with 60Hz for the iPhone 15. Which is really a shame, especially when other flagships and even midrange phones have already moved to higher refresh rates on their displays.

As far as biometrics go, things haven't changed since last generation for both the Pixel 8 and iPhone 15. The former comes with an under-display fingerprint scanner, plus the Face Unlock option, while the latter relies solely on Face ID.

Performance and Software

Apples and oranges?

There are some radical differences when it comes to hardware and software between iOS and Android devices, and the Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 are stark examples. Let's take RAM, for example. It's not all created equal when we talk about iPhones and other Android phones, mainly because the apps and OS components are much more optimized on iOS and thus require less RAM to run smoothly. The Pixel 8 is expected to have 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 15 manages to do pretty much the same job with only 6GB.

The same goes for the software; iOS is different than Android in many ways, although both serve the same purpose and, in the end, do exactly the same thing. The Pixel 8 will ship with Android 14 onboard, and you can check out our preview for a deep dive, while the iPhone 15 runs iOS 17. We have a detailed preview of Apple's new OS as well, so be sure to check this one too.

The software update situation is still in favor of the iPhone with five years of major OS updates, but the Pixel 8 is not far behind. Google promises three years of major software updates, so you're covered on the software front, no matter which phone you choose, given people often hold on to their phones for two to three years.

Camera

More similar than different

In the camera department, we expect more similarities than differences. Even though this is an area where things are very uncertain, we expect both phones to retain the camera configurations of their respective predecessors.

The iPhone 15 sports a new main camera sensor, a 48MP one with a 1/1.5" size, which is a 27% increase for the iPhone 15 over the 14 series. The main camera of the Pixel 8, on the other hand, is rumored to come with a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN2 sensor with staggered HDR support. In reality, both phones should produce similar results, with the main differences coming from the post-processing algorithms. Stay tuned for a camera comparison when both models launch.

The ultra-wide cameras on both phones should be very similar, with 12 MP sensor sizes and f/2.2 apertures. There's no dedicated telephoto camera on any of these phones. The Pixel 8 is expected to have a 32 MP selfie camera, while the iPhone 15 will most likely retain the 12 MP front camera from its predecessor.

Battery Life and Charging

USB-C for everyone!

This year we wave goodbye to the Lightning port, for better or worse (mostly for the better, if you ask us). Sadly, despite the new port, charging and transfer speeds remain unchanged on the iPhone 15 Plus. Apple cites 50% battery in 30 minutes with a 20W wired charger so it's the same old, same old.

The Pixel 8, on the other hand, is expected to receive a 4W bump in charging speed, bringing wired fast charging to 24W, which is pretty close to the iPhone 15. Wireless charging will be present on both devices, with MagSafe reserved for the iPhone, and 12W wireless charging support expected on the Pixel 8.

The expected battery sizes for both phones are as follows: The Pixel 8 is expected to get a slightly bigger battery than its predecessor, clocking in at 4,485 mAh. The iPhone 15 retains the same battery size (Apple doesn't list battery capacities but we can deduce from the usage hours that it's the same cell) as its predecessor, the iPhone 14.

Specs Comparison