Google beats Apple? iPhone 17 vs. Pixel 10 camera comparison

I’m comparing the cameras of the two entry-level models of the current flagship series from Google and Apple: Pixel 10 against iPhone 17. I’ll show you when you’re better off reaching for the iPhone 17 and when for the Pixel 10.

Design and processors

From the outside, the devices are ridiculously similar. Both have a handy 6.3-inch display with rounded corners and high resolution that gets up to 3,000 nits bright. Both use an aluminum frame and a glass back and feel equally high-quality. Only the Pixel 10 wobbles less on the table thanks to the camera bar on the back.

The Pixel 10 runs on the in-house Tensor G5, which is supposed to no longer get as warm and to be more efficient. The iPhone 17 has the A19, which is superior to the Tensor G5 on paper. Whether you notice that in everyday use and in camera shots is the exciting question.

Main camera and low light

The Pixel 10 has a 48-megapixel wide-angle main camera with an f/1.7 aperture, the iPhone 17 a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with f/1.6. So the iPhone captures slightly more light.

For low-light photos, the iPhone takes somewhat brighter shots. The Pixel processes so heavily that the details disappear and the image looks ironed smooth. With low-light videos, it’s odd: the Pixel 10 is brighter but with severe image noise, while the iPhone stays completely dark. Neither delivers good quality here.

Portrait shots

Both devices deliver nice portraits. With skin tones, one thing stands out: the iPhone 17, like the Pro models, has an exaggerated creamy-beige tint, while the Pixel 10 goes in the other direction and delivers very cool, rather bluish shots. You can counteract this with filters, and the iPhone also has various presets for portraits.

I like the Pixel better for portraits because it chooses the sharp area more cleverly. In my example, the desk chair, which stands at the same depth as I do, stays sharp on the Pixel, while the iPhone blurs everything that doesn’t belong to my body. To me, that looks more natural.

Zoom, ultra-wide and macro

• Zoom: The iPhone 17 has no dedicated telephoto lens and only offers optical quality up to 2x magnification, below which it zooms into the main sensor. From 5x, it loses massive amounts of quality because it only zooms digitally. The Pixel 10 has a real 5x telephoto lens with 10.8 megapixels and delivers razor-sharp images. The Pixel’s 20x Super Res Zoom doesn’t come close to the Pro Res Zoom of the Pixel Pro models. At 10x or 20x, the shots are bad on both devices.
• Ultra-wide: The iPhone 17 counters with 48 megapixels and delivers much more detailed landscape shots. The Pixel 10 has 13 megapixels and therefore less image information.
• Macro: Both have an automatic macro mode, which I find well done on both. You can see how the AI optimizes afterward, but as long as it looks natural, I’m fine with it.

Video recording and Instagram

Both record up to 4K at 60 FPS. Here too, you can see the iPhone’s creamy shots and the Pixel’s bluish ones. The Pixel focuses better on the subject and separates it more sharply from the background, so the shots look more three-dimensional.

Important: if you record videos for social media and especially Instagram, you should take the iPhone. I’m through and through Team Android and don’t like saying this, but the quality of uploaded videos is much better on the iPhone. Samsung has been advertising deep integration with Instagram for years, and Google also has an option in the settings to save depth data for social media. The quality is still not the same. If you use a Pixel 10, it’s not bad, but on Instagram you can tell at first glance who used an iPhone and who used an Android device. For photos, there is no such difference.

Selfie camera

The iPhone 17 has a 24-megapixel front camera with autofocus and records videos in better quality, and both manage up to 4K at 60 FPS. For Instagram videos with the front camera, take the iPhone. For portraits, the Pixel’s 10.5-megapixel selfie camera with autofocus delivers the better shots, but that’s more a matter of taste.

Prices

Device	Storage	RRP
Pixel 10	128 GB	€899
iPhone 17	256 GB	€949
Pixel 10	256 GB	€999

So the 256 GB variant of the Pixel 10 costs €50 more than the iPhone 17. iPhones also hold their value better than Android smartphones. You have to ask yourself whether the better zoom quality is worth the premium, especially since the iPhone has the edge for social media. In the end, it also comes down to whether you prefer Android or iOS.

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Verdict

The two devices are on a very similar level for the main cameras, so it comes down to taste. Low-light shots are bad on both, so you’re choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. For zoom, the Pixel 10 is clearly ahead, and for ultra-wide, the iPhone 17. Both do macro equally well, and videos are good on both, with the Pixel producing the nicer background effect. For the selfie camera, it comes down to taste. If you want to play the Instagram game with videos, you’re better off with the iPhone. If you don’t want to go viral on Instagram with phone videos, you get very good quality from either one and can choose freely.