Imaging showdown: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max versus Google Pixel 7 Pro

Having already pitched the new iPhone against Sony's top contender, along comes Google lending me their new flagship, the Pixel 7 Pro, also boasting a lot of imaging smarts. 

Again, on the iOS front, it's true that, by default, Apple also does a load of edge enhancement to iPhone 14 photos, but the Pro models (14 Pro Max here) let you toggle on ProRAW, a format that can be shared in the same way as regular cookie-cut JPGs (including for analysis here and download below) but which forgoes all the populist sharpening and enhancement, so you get the best of all worlds. You get the Deep Fusion and multi-frame combinations, all the software magic that makes modern flagship cameras work, but you don't get the 'nasty' last bit, the enhancement to make photos 'pop' on phone screens - the images are left alone, purer and more useable after the fact. 

Google doesn't give quite the same capability - although you can turn on RAW in Camera's Settings, there's no easy way to share from these snaps - it's assumed that you'll use a dedicated editing application to do things to the RAW files, usually on a laptop or desktop. So on the Pixel I've stuck to the JPGs that Google outputs by default, packed with HDR and auto-contrast algorithms designed to give as much detail as possible.

The highlight of the Pixel 7 Pro is its claimed zoom capabilities, so expect a bit of a focus on zoom below - though even as I write this I've discovered something of a black spot in the claims. Only a small one, but worth noting and avoiding.

As usual, I've avoided too many of what many other blogs major on - sunny day photos, since there's no point. When the sun's out almost any smartphone camera can pull off decent results. So I've concentrated either on zoom or on poorer, lower and artificial light conditions, enough to cause the phone cameras to pull out all the stops, as it were.

Notes:

• In each case I'm going to be looking at 1:1 central crops, matched for easy comparison, so that you can see what's going on at the pixel level.
• All 'scene' overviews were from the iPhone (just for consistency).
• See the link at the end of the article for all the original JPGs, should you wish to do your own analysis.

Test 1: Easy, peasy, sunny landscape

Nice and simple, let's get this out of the way. Here's the scene:

And here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

Although there are minor differences in contrast, the photos are all-but-identical, as you might expect. This is kindergarten stuff for two imaging flagships. So we'll move right along...

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 10 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 10 pts

Test 2: Sunny landscape

One of my favourite test subjects, lit in weak winter sun in the UK. Here's the overall scene:

And here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

It's a tough call to choose a winner unzoomed - the iPhone's shot looks more natural, while the Pixel's looks more 'digital' and processed, but its HDR routines are unmatched and the contrast and detail on the plane are fabulous. Honours even.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 10 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 10 pts

Test 3: Sunny landscape, zoomed x2

The same scene, but this time zoomed x2 in each Camera UI (both have presets for 2x). Here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

We have, here, stumbled into one of the Pixel 7 Pro's few camera gotchas. Zooming digital on the main sensor is horrible. We'll see below that the telephoto image is spliced in neatly to the centre of the frame for shots slightly more zoomed in (actually anything over 2x), but at the UI preset of '2x', there's no splicing, no tricks.  Just a fuzzy upscaling of the cropped Quad Bayer (so 3MP) output, i.e. not even at attempt to resample from the underlying 50MP image in some fashion. Very lazy, Google, and I'd hope that this would be sorted out in updates. But for now, 2x is pretty hopeless.

In contrast, the iPhone 14 Pro Max's shot does everything Google doesn't. Apple has worked hard to resample the 48MP sensor's output so that, when smart cropping in here, it still gets 12MP of genuine luminance data, allied to 3MP of colour data, and some very clever algorithms, such that Apple claims 'an extra lens' and it's not far wrong in terms of output. Superb.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 9 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 6 pts

Test 4: Sunny landscape, zoomed x3

The same scene, but this time zoomed x3 in each Camera UI (the iPhone has a presets for 3x, coinciding with its telephoto camera). Here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

The startling thing here is how good both photos are at 1:1. On the iPhone side this is because we're now using the 3x telephoto camera, so things are nice and crisp. On the Pixel 7 Pro side, Google has innovated from just above 2x zoom though to its telephoto at 5x by integrating the latter's output into the central portion of the main sensor's photo, to significantly increase detail for people like me, looking at things in the centre of the zoomed frame.

Although the Pixel 7 Pro's image is indistinct away from the central area, the eye is tricked successfully because when zooming you'll almost always have the frame centred on your intended subject.

Whatever the tech used, both crops are good. The iPhone has some blown out portions in the sun, but the Pixel has outer region blockiness (you can grab the original full JPG below), so honours even.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 9 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 9 pts

Test 5: Sunny landscape, zoomed x4

The same scene, but this time zoomed x4 in each Camera UI. Here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

With this central detail being successfully included from the 5x telephoto, the Pixel 7 Pro's output is ahead here, plus Google loves its contrast enhancement, rather showing up the iPhone's 3x ProRAW output with an extra step of digital zoom.

There's an obvious trend here and it'll get more obvious as we go on - the Pixel is a zoom monster once you get above about 3x.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 8 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 10 pts

Test 6: Sunny landscape, zoomed x5

The same scene, but this time zoomed x5 in each Camera UI (so we're now full frame on the Pixel as 5x is the telephoto's native zoom etc.) Here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

The iPhone's now at 2x digital zoom over and above its 3x telephoto and it's not doing too badly, but there's clearly more detail and contrast (as usual with Google) in the Pixel 7 Pro crop, with near perfect telephoto performance.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 8 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 10 pts

Test 7: Low light 

Another of my favourite test subjects, floodlit for my convenience! Here's the overall scene:

And here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

I know these comparisons are somewhat subjective, but I hate what Google's Night mode processing is doing here - the ramping up of edges and contrast is taken to almost obscene levels, as your own eyes can attest.

In contrast, the iPhone (also in auto-Night mode) produces colours and detail that look very natural. A clear and obvious win.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 10 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 7 pts

Test 8: Low light, 2x zoomed

The same low light scene, this time zoomed at 2x in each phone camera's UI. Here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

Things aren't quite so clear cut at 2x in low light - the iPhone's output is still very clear (no artefacts, little noise) but clearly lacking on contrast and some enhancement would be needed in the Photos app in order to make it more satisfactory. 

While the Pixel 7 Pro's photo is even more artificial than at 1x, as you might expect, looking rather like an oil painting. With no involvement from the telephoto, this is effectively a 3MP photo upscaled to 12MP and with every enhancement dial turned up to 11.

I can see pros and cons for each, but neither is really perfect, even allowing that we're looking at 1:1 crops under difficult circumstances.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 7 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 7 pts

Test 9: Low light, 3x zoomed

The same low light scene, this time zoomed at 3x in each phone camera's UI. So using the telephoto on the iPhone and a composite main/telephoto splice on the Pixel. Here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

With the caveat (as above) that this extraordinary 3x detail in the Pixel 7 Pro shot is only present in the central 1/3rd of the frame since it comes from the 5x telephoto, I'm really impressed by the Google shot here.

While the iPhone 14 Pro Max shot isn't too shabby for a tiny telephoto lens under very low light conditions. But definitely a Pixel win in this test, even if it misses the 10 points by not keeping this quality across the whole frame.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 8 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 9 pts

Test 10: Low light, real world framing

This cosy house front caught my eye at night! Here's the overall scene at 2x zoom, needed for pleasing framing:

And here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

Even though the iPhone's photo could so with some tweaking in terms of contrast, it's clearly showing full detail at 1:1 here in this 2x zoomed/framed shot, while the Pixel 7 Pro's version is contrasty but ugly at the pixel level. Look at the potted plant leaves for example.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 9 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 8 pts

Test 11: Really, really low light

This Halloween painting was displayed in a dim driveway and looked a LOT darker to my eyes than the phones make it seem here:

And here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

The Pixel 7 Pro did well here in extreme darkness, but it's beaten by the colours and detail in the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has colours/detail almost as if it were daylight. Impressive.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 10 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 9 pts

Test 12: Really, really, really low light(!)

OK, so the witch painting above didn't fool these super-phones for a moment, so let's go to ridiculous levels, with four plates on a wall in almost complete darkness - no colours were visible to my eyes, yet this is how the scene turned out with Night mode:

And here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

Again the iPhone 14 Pro Max comes out on top, with incredible colour and printed detail from the top plate, here. Apple's Quad Bayer algorithms and handling of (48MP) pixel-level luminance is simply extraordinary. By rights, based on specs, the Pixel should be matching it, but it falls one notch short, as you can see. Close but no cigar, Google.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 10 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 9 pts

Test 13: From unzoomed to extreme

Before finishing this comparison off, given Google's claims for the Super Res Zoom v2 in the Pixel 7 Pro (with AI stabilisation and multi-frame combination), I had to give the Pixel a couple of last data points. Here's the scene under gloomy skies down at the river:

I have to start by looking unzoomed. Here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

With light levels somewhat indistinct and with greenery in evidence, you can see here the advantages of the iPhone's ProRAW natural processing versus the heavy-handed contrasty approach taken at the pixel level by the err... Pixel. A narrow win for the iPhone here. Zoom is next though. Gulp.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 10 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 9 pts

Test 14: Overcast, 5x zoom

The same scene, but jumping straight to 5x zoom, the natural telephoto framing for the Pixel 7 Pro. Here are central 1:1 crops from, in turn, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro:

Despite the heavy contrast differences, the Pixel 7 Pro has to win out here, with more genuine detail thanks to the periscope telephoto, while the iPhone is 3x telephoto and 2x digital on top. I do wish Google would dial back their contrast algorithms, but hey... that's what Pixels are known for. And in fairness, light was pretty awful on this day so the phone cameras are doing rather well with subjects a long, long way away.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 8 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 9 pts

Test 15: Overcast, 15x zoom

The same scene, but jumping all the way to 15x zoom, claimed to be practical for the Pixel 7 Pro by Google, thanks to AI stabilisation, multi-frame resolution, and more. And also the zoom limit in the UI for the iPhone 14 Pro Max:

15x zoom is clearly a bit of a waste of time on the iPhone, I really don't know why this is included in the zoom UI. I'd suggest 5x limit, really, Apple, in terms of image quality.

On the Pixel 7 Pro, 15x is pushing it, whatever Google claims, but it's still usable, as you can see above - it's imperfect at the pixel level, at 1:1, but used as-is, the 12MP snap at 15x zoom is quite passable. In fact, I went up to 30x zoom (at which point lots more AI steps in to stabilise the shot and improve detail) and have posted some of these as examples to social media.

Just for context, in the original riverside scene, with my own eyes I could hardly see this boat, and here I am with a phone camera snapping a couple of seagulls on its roof.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: 5 pts; Google Pixel 7 Pro: 9 pts

Verdict

Adding up the point, just for fun - since the exact winner would obviously depend hugely on how many high zoom test subjects were used:

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: 131pts

Google Pixel 7 Pro: 131 pts

Oops. I promise this wasn't a fix, it's just the way the points panned out. Honest! 

But the two phone cameras are as different as their host operating systems. The iPhone 14 Pro Max (in 12MP ProRAW mode here) is an absolute beast unzoomed and at 2x zoom, the optics and algorithms are in perfect tune and results are consistently stunning for me (it's my primary phone as I write this). 

While the Pixel 7 Pro does well unzoomed, trips itself up rather at 2x zoom and then immediately picks up pace with the innovative telephoto splicing system. At 3x, 4x zoom the centre of frame is telephoto sharp and you have to look closely to see the 'joins' - Google has done a cracking job. Then, as zoom factor increases the Pixel does better and better. 10x zoom on the 7 Pro is quite practical and with decent results.

(Both phones also have ultra-wide cameras, but that's an arguably gimmicky view for another day, another article.)

(You can grab the original JPGs used in this comparison online here, for your own analysis.)

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