When comparing iPhone X vs Google Pixel, the Slant community recommends iPhone X for most people. In the question“What are the most innovative smartphones of today? ” iPhone X is ranked 5th while Google Pixel is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose iPhone X is:
At 5.8 inch the iPhone X has got the biggest display out of all iPhones, but due to the small bezel it managed to stay smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus and is quite easy to use with one hand.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro The display is very large, but still comfortable to use with one hand
At 5.8 inch the iPhone X has got the biggest display out of all iPhones, but due to the small bezel it managed to stay smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus and is quite easy to use with one hand.
Pro No lag or stuttering
Since both the hardware and software are designed in-house, Apple can make their software much more efficient than other phone manufacturers that have no say in OS design. As such, the iPhone X (and older versions) works flawlessly and has virtually no lag or stuttering to speak of.
Pro Performance is considerably better than on previous iPhone versions
The new 6-core, 64bit, A11 Bionic chip inside the iPhone X (and iPhone 8) does not disappoint. Performance is smooth, as is expected from an iPhone, and, according to GeekBench, the iPhone X has 25% better performance on single core and 80% better performance on multi core compared to the iPhone 7.
Pro Excellent design
As always, Apple does not disappoint in the design department. The iPhone X is a beautiful phone with round edges that make it easy to hold in your hand. The slippery metallic back portion from the iPhone 7 has been replaced by a glass section which makes it harder for the phone to slip from your hand. But it should be mentioned that the glass part in the back is like a fingerprint magnet.
Pro Can be charged wirelessly
The iPhone X is the first iPhone to implement wireless charging. What's more, Apple decided to implement the Qi standard for wireless charging which, among other things, lets you monitor multiple devices charging wirelessly at the same time.
Pro The face recognition system works virtually everytime
The iPhone X's FaceID security system recognizes the user's face and uses the front-facing camera to unlock the phone. While it's true that other smartphones have had this technology for years, it's never been this secure. FaceID uses infrared technology to create a 3D map of the face, making it impossible to unlock the phone using a photography of the owner (like you can do with most other phones with a face recognition system).
Pro The most colorful screen on the market
The iPhone X is the first iPhone with an OLED screen. OLED is the best smartphone screen technology on the market at the moment and the jump to OLED screens was long overdue for the iPhone. The 5.8 inch screen has rich, vibrant colours and inky blacks due to the 2436 x 1125 resolution. It's quite bright as well so you won't have any issues using the phone under direct sunlight.
Pro Software remains up to date
Given it's a Google phone, new updates will roll out rather frequently and for a long time on this phone. So you'll get the latest Android.
Pro Likely the best smartphone camera from 2016
Compared to other smartphones, the Pixel camera currently (October 2016) holds the highest score from DXO mark (in terms of color depth, saturation, etc). Many reviews also praise it as the smartphone camera which takes the best pictures out there. Also the camera really launches fast, allowing you to capture sudden moments. Although there is no hardware OIS (optical image stabilization), the software stabilization does a great job.
You can see a comparison video here of the Pixel against the iPhone 7, Galaxy S7, HTC 10, Sony Xperia XZ and LG G5.
Pro Unlimited original size Google Photos backup
With this phone (only at the moment), you can back up on Google Photos the original version of your photos (full resolution) at no cost. Other phones can upload unlimited photos to Google Photos as well, although they will be compressed image files.
Pro One of the fastest CPUs (in 2016)
The Google Pixel is using the new Snapdragon 821 processor. Other phones from earlier in the year have used the Snapdragon 820. The 821 only has minor differences to the 820.
Pro Integrated Google Assistant
Google Assistant is a more refined Google Now. It's more conversational, and can do different things instead of being limited to a single app. Google Assistant can bring up relevant information in more places than Google Now could, such as conversations within the Duo app.
Pro Fingerprint sensor can be used to trigger other actions
You can double tap the power button to start the camera, swipe the fingerprint sensor in various directions to trigger predefined actions like showing/hiding the notifications, which is pretty handy given it's on the back on the phone.
Pro USB-C charger
USB Type-C port, the future of USB (much more resistant than micro-USB and allows charging either way...). If you have other modern devices you're likely having one of those already, and if not you have a standard short USB-A cord in the package (also micro-USB to USB-C adapter for charging are very cheap).
Pro Daydream VR ready
The Pixel supports Google's VR standard (Daydream) with very rapid refresh rate, and all the required highly sensitive sensors.
Pro Exists in small and larger form factor
The spec are the same for both sizes, except the battery (2700mAh on the 5" Pixel, and 3450mAh on the Pixel XL) and screen resolution (1080p on the 5" Pixel, 1440p on the Pixel XL).
Pro Best Android based UI
Google Assistant, Pixel Launcher, Google Camera, and other google services are available only for pixel devices.
Pro Icons provides shortcuts to functions of that app without opening that app
For example, if you want to send a message, a long press on Messenger opens up options to start a new conversation or continue a recent conversation.
Pro Unofficially waterproof
Officially it's not waterproof (spill and splashes proof). However one guy already tried to immerse the phone in water for an hour and found it had no effect on the phone except distorting the speakers sound (while still wet, similar to officially waterproof phones).
Of course it is not recommended that anyone try this as it will most likely void the warranty and could potentially damage the phone.
Cons
Con With the removal of the home button, opening the home screen became rather awkward
In the past, to open the home screen that listed your apps, you just needed to press the physical home button. Since the iPhone X does not have a physical home button, you have to swipe the screen from the bottom up to go there. This can be a bit awkward since you can accidentally switch screens when scrolling through a web page for example.
Con No fingerprint scanner
The removal of the home button unfortunately also brought the removal of TouchID. Apple has planned to replace the fingerprint reader with the new FaceID but it's not really an equivalent replacement since both of these security measures are completely different even if they both serve the same purpose. It would be similar to removing password locking when TouchID was first introduced.
Con Buying a cover for it is highly advisable
Since Apple decided to ditch their design with an aluminium back and return to the glass back, having a cover for the X is almost a necessity since dropping it means you risk breaking both sides of the phone (back and screen) at once.
Con The most expensive smartphone to date
At a release starting price of $999, its price tag is on the higher end, even for flagship phones.
Con All the added gestures to iOS 11 are hard to remember
With iOS 11 and the removal of the home button the iPhone relies on screen gestures much more than in the past. It may take some time to get used to the new gestures and while not extremely complicated, it adds some complexity which has not been present in old iOS versions and goes against the whole "just works" philosophy that has made the iPhone what it is today. For example:
- To go to the home screen you swipe up from the bottom of the display.
- To access the control center you swipe down from the top of the screen.
- To open notifications you swipe right.
- To open the camera you need to swipe left.
Con The fast charger needs to be bought separately
While the iPhone X supports fast charging (50% within 30 minutes), in order to use this feature, you will need to buy a USB-C cable separately.
Con Not worth the price
The cost is bit higher than the related specs.
Con Camera may have lens flare issues
Some consumers have reported issue with lens flare in their pictures. It is not widely reported, but does seem to cause some people problems.
There is also a similar issue on the HTC 10, which is a close hardware design to the Pixel.
Con Not officially rated as waterproof
The Pixel (and Pixel XL) is not officially rated as waterproof, at all. It's only IP53 certified (5 for dust, 3 for water), which means it's pretty dust resistant, but would only survive a light rain or splashes, as opposed to the Galaxy S7 which is IP68 and iPhone 7 which is IP67.