Camera comparison: Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

The camera comparison between the Google Pixel 6 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is about two smartphones from the same price class. Many videos compare the Pixel 6 Pro with the iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max. That makes sense if you want to compare the very latest cameras. But those two iPhones are €250 and €350 more expensive, respectively, than the Pixel 6 Pro. Not everyone can or wants to spend that much more. That’s why I compared the Pixel 6 Pro with a Pro model for around €899.

I bought both phones myself. I didn’t change any camera settings and didn’t edit any of the pictures. It’s all point and shoot.

Main camera in dull weather

The day was very dull. On the first subject, the Pixel 6 Pro shows a bit more detail, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max brings more contrast into the picture. On the second subject, the Pixel does a much better job with more contrast. With the wide-angle too, you can see the slightly clearer contrast on the Pixel.

Overall, with the iPhone 12 Pro Max I get the feeling that the camera tries to brighten pictures. That works well on some photos. On others, the Pixel 6 Pro’s rendering is more realistic.

Front camera and selfies

On the front camera too, the iPhone brightens more. That’s not wrong, but the Pixel does a much better job here: the colors are far more natural and higher in contrast. The Pixel 6 Pro also has a wide-angle in the front camera, the iPhone 12 Pro Max does not. When you switch it on, the framing is roughly the same as the iPhone without wide-angle.

In the front camera’s portrait mode, the Pixel shows the more realistic colors. But at this point I like the iPhone’s picture better. It brightens individual areas of the face so that an almost studio-like effect emerges.

Portrait mode of the main camera

Here you can clearly see that the iPhone 12 Pro Max automatically brightens the picture a lot. I don’t always like that. Overall, the Pixel 6 Pro does the better job on framing, color rendering and contrast. In return, the iPhone cuts out my dog’s fine hair better.

Night mode

• First subject: Neither of the two pictures is fantastic, but the Pixel delivers the slightly better result, with more contrast and slightly sharper contours.
• Second subject: The difference is very clear here. The Pixel shows a high-contrast, detailed picture, while the iPhone has trouble with the highlights.

In low light too, the Pixel 6 Pro does better, with more natural colors and more contrast. Contrast is my favorite word today.

A matter of taste: brightened or natural

On one subject I like the iPhone’s automatic brightening a bit better. The green is much richer. But the Pixel delivers the far more realistic rendering. Whether you want a brighter or a natural picture is a matter of taste.

Video

In the video mode of the main cameras, it surprised me that the Pixel 6 Pro delivers a much sharper, higher-contrast picture with richer colors. In the test I walked with both smartphones in my hands, which isn’t quite easy. Even so, the Pixel delivers much better video stabilization. That applies to the main camera and the front camera. The front camera of the Pixel 6 Pro also records in 4K, and compared to the iPhone the difference is very clear.

Zoom

Zoom level	Pixel 6 Pro	iPhone 12 Pro Max
no zoom	high-contrast picture	high-contrast picture
somewhat stronger zoom	slightly sharper	brightens the roof a bit more
6x	sharper, background clear	reaches its limits, background brightened and less sharp
12x	still very high in contrast and sharp	this is where it ends
20x	good result	not available

I was pleasantly surprised by the Pixel 6 Pro’s 20x zoom. You can even see the moss under the roof, and the contours and the background are still sharp and high in contrast. You can tell, though, that the software helped a lot. Overall, for a zoom that is a really insanely good result.

Verdict

In most situations, the Pixel 6 Pro delivers the more natural colors, more contrast, better night shots, better video stabilization and the bigger zoom. The iPhone 12 Pro Max brightens images more, and some subjects look more pleasing as a result. It also cuts out fine hair better in portrait mode. If you have a fixed budget and are looking for the best camera in this price class, you should take a look at the Pixel 6 Pro. For me, my test winner is clear.