We’ll first list the specs of the two phones, and will then move to compare them across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. They both do have a lot to offer, but they are not only different design and software-wise, but in many other ways. That being said, let’s get started, shall we?
Specs
Google Pixel 7 vs Apple iPhone 13: Design
The moment you lay your eyes on the two devices you’ll notice how different they are, from pretty much every side. Both are made out of metal and glass, though. Both companies used aluminum for the frame, which does look different on the two phones. It’s flat on the iPhone 13, all around the phone, while that’s not the case with the Pixel 7. Aluminum also covers the camera visor on the back of the Pixel 7. Speaking of which, that camera visor is quite large, it goes from the left side of the phone to the right. The iPhone 13 has a regular camera island in the top-left corner. Both phones include two cameras on the back, and one on the front. The Pixel 7’s front-facing camera is included at the top, in the form of a hole punch. The iPhone 13 has a notch up top, and it’s more of an eyesore than the hole punch on the Pixel 7. Both devices include flat displays, and thin bezels. The Pixel 7 does have a larger display, and the phone itself is taller, wider, and thicker. It’s also a bit heavier, for about 23 grams. The in-hand feel is completely different between the two. The iPhone 13 will cut into your hand a bit more than the Pixel 7, while both are quite slippery in the hand. Using a case is definitely recommended.
Google Pixel 7 vs Apple iPhone 13: Display
The Google Pixel 7 includes a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. That panel is flat, and it supports a 90Hz refresh rate. It also supports HDR10+ content, and gets up to 1,000 nits of brightness, at its peak. We’re looking at a 20:9 display aspect ratio here. The Gorilla Glass Victus protects this panel.
The iPhone 14, on the other hand, sports a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2532 x 1170) Super Retina XDR OLED display. This panel is also flat, and it supports HDR10 content. Dolby Vision is supported, and this panel gets up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness. This display has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and Ceramic Shield glass protection. So, on paper, the Pixel 7 does look better. Not only does it offer a higher refresh rate, but it also gets a bit brighter. The brightness difference is not that visible in real life, unless you’re under direct sunlight. The refresh rate difference you may notice, however, even though Apple did a great job implementing this 60Hz display. The colors on both are excellent, they’re quite vivid, punchy. The viewing angles are great, and so is the touch response. They’re both great displays, but the Pixel 7 has the upper hand.
Google Pixel 7 vs Apple iPhone 13: Performance
The Pixel 7 is fueled by the Google Tensor G2 SoC. It comes with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Apple A15 Bionic fuels the iPhone 13, while the phone is equipped with 4GB of RAM and NVMe storage. How does this translate to performance? Well, great, on both phones. Both devices do perform really well. During regular, day-to-day tasks, such as browsing, consuming multimedia, opening and closing apps, and so on, they’re excellent. These are some of the smoothest-performing phones out there at the moment. The iPhone 13 holds up really well, that processor inside it is a true beast still. Having said that, the iPhone 13 even tops the Pixel 7 in the gaming department. The Pixel 7 tends to struggle a bit with the most demanding games, such as Genshin Impact, for example. Those titles are rare, though, the phone performs perfectly fine in almost all games, despite the fact it’s not a gaming phone. The only game we’ve noticed some issues with is Genshin Impact.
Google Pixel 7 vs Apple iPhone 13: Battery
The Pixel 7 includes a 4,355mAh battery, while the iPhone 13 has a 3,240mAh battery. As some of you know, iOS devices need smaller battery packs, so this difference doesn’t really mean much. On top of that, the Pixel 7 does have a larger display with a higher refresh rate. The battery life is really good on both devices, actually. These two are even somewhat comparable when it comes to battery life. We were able to get around 6-7 hours of screen-on-time with the Pixel 7, on most days, while at times it crossed the 8-hour mark. The iPhone 13 is somewhat comparable, crossing the 7-hour screen-on-time mark with the device is possible, often. Do note that your mileage may vary due to a number of factors. You may get entirely different results than we did. The Pixel 7 supports 20W wired, 20W wireless, and also reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 13 offers support for 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, and 7.5W Qi wireless charging. One thing to note is that neither of these two phones ships with a charging brick in the box. You’ll get a charging cable, but not the charger itself.
Google Pixel 7 vs Apple iPhone 13: Cameras
Both of these phones have two cameras on the back. The hardware is different, though, and so are the results. The Pixel 7 has a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit. The iPhone 13 includes two 12-megapixel cameras, wide and ultrawide units. They both do a great job in almost all conditions, and are some of the best camera smartphones on the market. As already mentioned, though, the results tend to be different.
The Pixel 7 tends to provide images with colder tones, while the iPhone 13 leans toward warmer tones. The images from the iPhone 13 look more realistic, while the Pixel 7’s look great, but a bit processed. The Pixel 7 does an amazing job with HDR scenes, while the iPhone 13 does tend to overblow the highlights. In low light situations, the images from the Pixel 7 often end up looking brighter, but the iPhone 13’s are more realistic in such conditions as well. Both results look great, but are different. The video recording is better on the iPhone 13, though the Pixel 7 did close the gap. Video recording on the phone improved noticeably compared to the Pixel 6. All in all, you can’t really go wrong when it comes to cameras. You’ll get great results regardless of the phone, despite the fact they do provide different-looking images and videos.
Audio
Both of these phones include a set of stereo speakers. Those speakers provide well-balanced, and pleasant sound. Both sets of speakers are loud enough, and quite frankly they don’t really differ that much in terms of quality. Neither of the two devices has a 3.5mm headphone jack. That has become a rare commodity when it comes to flagship smartphones. You can always use a Type-C USB port on the Pixel 7, or the Lightning port on the iPhone 13, if you want to connect your headphones via a wire. The sound output is quite good regardless, just manage your expectations.