The Google Pixel 8 Pro (review) and iPhone 15 Pro Max are now available in India, and the two smartphones share three common camera features. Firstly, the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max continue to carry three camera sensors on the back. Secondly, the rear camera system features software as well as hardware tweaks for better performance. And thirdly, both smartphones claim that they offer the “best” or “most advanced” camera performance compared to their peers.
Let’s see how the iPhone 15 Pro Max (starts at Rs 1,59,900) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (at Rs 1,06,999) fare against each other in terms of camera performance. Before that, here’s a close look at the camera specifications.
Table of Contents
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 8 Pro camera specifications
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google Pixel 8 Pro |
| 48MP primary camera | 50MP primary camera |
| 12MP ultra-wide camera | 48MP ultra-wide camera |
| 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom | 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom |
| 12MP selfie camera | 10.5MP selfie camera |
Daylight
In the daylight, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro capture a good amount of light without overexposing areas under direct sunlight. However, the phones treat the scene differently. Therefore, it’s more about what you prefer.
For instance, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers a cool-bluish tone with deeper shadows, while the Pixel 8 Pro offers high saturation with somewhat neutral shadows. As a result, the image with the iPhone 15 Pro Max looks more dramatic, perfect for a quick Instagram upload without much editing. But once you zoom in, you will notice that the Pixel 8 Pro offers better clarity as the sign boards are more readable.
I’d go with the Pixel 8 Pro purely for better clarity. That way, you can also increase or decrease contrast and saturation based on your preference. But if you picked the image captured by the iPhone 15 Pro Max, that’s totally fine too.
Winner: Google Pixel 8 Pro
Ultra-wide
I am also happy to see that the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro try to mimic similar tones that of the primary camera while using the ultra-wide lens. It allows users to expect consistent results through different lenses.
If I read too much into the photos, the Google Pixel 8 Pro’s image can be interpreted as a soft-warm summer day, while the image by the iPhone appears to be the onset of Autumn days. Somehow, the iPhone 15 Pro Max captures better details of the floor tiles, but the Google Pixel 8 Pro captures more readable sign boards.
My pick goes to Pixel 8 Pro for a relatively more accurate depiction of the actual scene.
Winner: Google Pixel 8 Pro
Telephoto
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro offer 5x optical zoom with the telephoto camera. The image with the Pixel 8 is well-balanced as you can see details deep in the bushes. However, the iPhone offers relatively better sharpness if zoomed in towards the green sign board. Otherwise, both images are more or less similar in terms of brightness and colours.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Low light
However, there are significant differences when we examine photos taken in low-light conditions. For instance, the iPhone 15 Pro Max effectively balances this image, adjusting brightness, colour, and contrast. As you can observe, the iPhone enhances brightness to improve the visibility of the pots. There are some issues with focusing on the wooden pot in the background with the iPhone image, but that’s more related to stable hands than the camera itself. Furthermore, the iPhone 15 Pro Max also delivers a rich bokeh effect in its 1x shooting mode.
Overall, the image with the Pixel 8 Pro is decent, but I like the iPhone’s output better.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Night mode
If you’re wondering about the results with night mode enabled, here’s a look. The image with the iPhone 15 Pro Max is more or less similar to the image without night mode enabled. On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro photo looks similar to the iPhone image but with relatively better saturation and contrast.
Winner: Tie
Low-light (outdoor)
To ensure a comprehensive assessment of low-light performance, the iPhone 15 Pro Max continued to impress with brighter and vivid output, though the image is enhanced to look more pleasing to the eye. The photo taken with the Pixel 8 Pro looks equally impressive, featuring a notable level of detail.
Fortunately, both images exhibit minimal grain, even though they were captured in low-light conditions. It’s a tough choice, but I will go with the iPhone for offering a visually more appealing image without compromising details.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Low-light (with telephoto camera)
The telephoto camera (with 5x zoom) in low light performs well on both smartphones. Unlike the shot in daylight, there are visible differences this time. The iPhone 15 Pro Max captures a good amount of light, resulting in a vibrant image. However, the lens flare becomes prominent here. The Google Pixel 8 Pro’s output is muted in terms of colours and brightness. But as promised by Google, the lens flare is barely visible.
The Pixel 8 Pro’s shot in the low-light with the telephoto camera is also softer on details, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s output is as raw as it can be. I’d still go with the iPhone 15 Pro Max for the overall quality of the image.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Selfie
Several flagship Android phones tend to perform better than iPhones when it comes to taking selfies, at least visually. But newer-gen iPhones are gradually improving their game. In my experience with the older iPhones, I faced issues with accurate skin tone detection, which Google Pixel phones tend to map better.
However, this selfie with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro is strikingly similar. Whether it’s the facial hair or the leaves in the background, the output is nearly identical in all aspects.
Winner: Tie
Selfie (portrait)
With portrait mode enabled, there’s not much of a difference between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro. But a closer look reveals inconsistency with the bokeh effect near the T-shirt on the Pixel 8 Pro.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Portrait
Speaking of portrait shots, images captured by the primary rear camera of both phones look pretty good. The Pixel 8 Pro offers more saturation, which improves the overall aesthetics of the image. The iPhone’s output is more balanced and natural. As a result, it could be a matter of preference. Objectively, the image with the Pixel 8 Pro looks better.
Winner: Google Pixel 8 Pro
Macro
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro offer macro photography by leveraging the ultra-wide lens. To get the best focus, keep the subject nearly 3cm away, though Pixel 8 Pro allows you to go 2cm closer.
The result is decent for macro standards, but the image taken by the iPhone 15 Pro Max looks better (visually), thanks to natively enhanced contrast. That does not mean the Pixel 8 Pro has compromised on the clarity.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Verdict
The iPhone 15 Pro Max performed relatively better in our still photography test, but the Google Pixel 8 Pro wasn’t far behind. In some cases, differences in images captured by the two phones were neck-and-neck. But beyond still photos, there are other areas where the two phones differ considerably. For instance:
- The Pixel 8 Pro’s mics are better in videos. On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro Max captures more natural colours with better stability in videos.
- The Pixel 8 Pro offers a comprehensive suite of editing tools. Some of the features, including Magic Editor, are rolling out in a staggered manner.
- Focus-shift during videos works efficiently on both smartphones. But the iPhone 15 Pro Max gets an upper hand by offering 4K60fps in cinematic mode.
