If you’re looking for a phone at a fantastic price, the Google Pixel 6 and Apple iPhone 13 are two of the best options available. Both have superb cameras that can capture beautiful images in a variety of lighting circumstances, and they both operate quickly and smoothly.
The Pixel 6 completely redesigned the Pixel family, adding a new camera system, a standout new design, and Google’s first in-house “Tensor” CPU that offers a welcome boost in speed. On the other hand, the iPhone 13 is all about incremental upgrades and enhancements. The iPhone 12’s design aesthetic is carried over, but it has an even quicker processor, a larger battery, better cameras, and new camera functions including Cinematic Mode for video.
So, it’s time for a direct comparison between the Pixel 6 and iPhone 13! What modifications have Google made to genuinely outperform the iPhone? Which one should you get, then? Let’s look at it!
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13 key differences:
Both the Pixel and the iPhone feature OLED panels, measuring 6.4″ and 6.1″, respectively.
The Pixel 6 boasts a 90Hz refresh rate compared to the iPhone 13’s usual 60Hz refresh rate, which results in a brighter screen.
Apple A15 Bionic vs. Google Tensor: CPU comparison
4GB RAM on the iPhone vs. 8GB RAM on the Pixel
Both phones have identical wide-angle and ultrawide dual rear cameras, but neither has a telephoto lens.
Pixel lacks HDR video while the iPhone does
The sound on the iPhone is fuller, boomier, and of higher quality.
Greater battery capacity for the Pixel
Pixel 6 pros and cons
- Pros
- great value for the money
- Beautiful OLED panel with 90 Hz refresh rate Excellent camera
- Using Android 12 is quick and fluid.
- Smart features and unique Assistant capabilities
- Cons
- Speakers are thin-ish, and Android 12’s presentation could use some work.
- The tensor chip is intelligent but not particularly fast.
iPhone 13 pros and cons
- Pros
- greatly increased battery life
- dynamic and jovial images taken under more difficult circumstances
- Display that is simple to see outside and has ideal calibration
- Cinematic video mode is snazzy
- For the same cost, you can get double the prior storage.
- Cons
- poor refresh rate for the price point of the display
- When there is poor illumination, the cinematic video mode is problematic and takes a long time to charge both wired and wirelessly.
- Some video formats suffer from taller notches.
- less cost-effective than the iPhone 13 Pro
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13: Design and Display
The iPhone is the more compact phone, but the Pixel is a broader and taller gadget. This is the main physical difference between these two.
Additionally, the Pixel’s screen borders are substantially larger than those on the iPhone, as shown in the image above. But the iPhone also has a quite noticeable notch, whereas the Pixel uses a more covert punch-hole design. By the way, this year’s iPhones have a 20% smaller Face ID, which is improvement.
A luxury vibe is added by the fact that both are constructed of glass aside from that. Both the front and back of the phones employ Corning’s newest Gorilla Glass Vectus, whereas the iPhone uses Ceramic Shield. These two smartphones also have IP68 water resistance. In case you were curious, neither phone has a headphone jack.
- 6.24 x 2.94 x 0.35 inches in size
- 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm
- Size 7.30 oz. (207 g)
- Dimensions of the Apple iPhone 13 are 5.78 x 2.81 x 0.3 inches.
- 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm
- Size 6.14 ounces (174 g)
Use our Size Comparison tool to compare the sizes of the Google Pixel 6 and Apple iPhone 13 to comparable smartphones.
In addition, the Google Pixel 6 offers a screen with a high refresh rate that can reach 90Hz, in contrast to the iPhone 13’s standard 60Hz display. So certainly, the Pixel has a significant benefit in that scrolling and games feel smoother.
In terms of screen size, the Pixel has a larger 6.4″ display than the iPhone, which has a 6.1″ screen.
The Pixel uses an optical fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication, which is a bit slow and a source of frequent user complaints. Any kind of face recognition is not supported by the Pixel. On the other hand, the iPhone only uses Face ID, which is great news because it has been updated to support masks as well. Although it’s difficult to determine which is superior, the problems with the Pixel’s fingerprint reader should be taken into account.
Display specifications and level
| MAXIMUM BRIGHTNESSHIGHER IS BETTER | Minimum LOWER IS BETTER | COLOR TEMPERATURE (Kelvins) | GAMMA | DELTA E RGBCMYLOWER IS BETTER | DELTA E GRAYSCALELOWER IS BETTER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 6 | 770 (Excellent) | 1.7 (Excellent) | 6438 (Excellent) | 2.34 | 0.98 (Excellent) | 1.77 (Excellent) |
| Apple iPhone 13 | 849 (Excellent) | 1.8 (Excellent) | 6586 (Excellent) | 2.2 | 1.31 (Excellent) | 1.35 (Excellent) |
In terms of screen technology, both phones feature OLED displays, which have exceptional contrast, deep black, and wide viewing angles. The iPhone’s peak brightness is a little bit greater, which makes it simpler to use the phone outside on a sunny day.
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13: Cameras
No zoom cameras on either model
Both the Pixel 6 and the iPhone 13 have a main and an ultra-wide camera on their respective rears. In addition, they lack a dedicated telephoto lens, like other phones in their price category, therefore the zoom quality is inferior to that of expensive flagships.
However, the main and ultra-wide cameras do offer some upgrades. The main camera in the iPhone, in example, has a very wide aperture that allows in more light, which is helpful in low light, and it also has sensor shift stabilization.
On the other hand, the Google Pixel 6 is the first Pixel in a few years to come equipped with a new and larger camera sensor.
Moving objects will be captured much better, which is fantastic if you have a young child who runs about a lot. HDR video, which wasn’t all that great on the Pixel 5, will also benefit from these changes, according to Google. Additionally, the business has resolved the overheating problems that older Pixel phones had when capturing video.
Both smartphones take good-looking pictures that aren’t disappointing during the day. However, there are minute aspects to pay attention to. When there is a lot of greenery, as there is currently at this season, the Pixel would take a photo with a yellowish or orange hue, whereas the iPhone performs a far better job with white balance.
The iPhone delivers a lot more contrast, which we personally believe to be a little bit better, but the Pixel is simply really aggressive and raises the shadows, giving you this kind of flat-looking snap.
Remember that the iPhone is more adaptable in this area because you can quickly select a customized look with the new Photographic Styles feature.
Next, both cameras have an ultra-wide angle, however the iPhone in this case stands out due to its wider 13mm lens. With the ultra-wide, the variations are more more obvious, but they remain largely the same, with some white balance irregularities and this flat appearance with elevated shadows.
The portrait mode on both phones is far from ideal, as you can see above, especially if you have glasses in the frame. The Pixel supports 1X and 2X portraits, but that’s a bit misleading since 1X is actually a crop from the primary camera and isn’t quite equivalent with 1X in regular photo mode, which means you’re losing out on detail, whereas the iPhone supports a true 1X mode. The Pixel, however, demonstrates that it is possible to achieve 2X portrait mode with merely digital zoom, even though the quality is slightly reduced, which is a significant loss for the iPhone.
The iPhone 13 also has a new Dramatic Mode for video, which can automatically rack focus in a fluid and, well, cinematic manner while blurring the background in real time as you record. This option allows us to modify the focus of a video even after it has been recorded, however it only records in 1080p 30fps and is not compatible with 4K.
Although Google has narrowed the quality gap and the two are now considerably closer, we would argue that the iPhone still has the edge in video, giving more clarity, better low-light performance, and a somewhat superior video stabilization.
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13: Sound quality
However, no one is surprised by the absence of a headphone port on any phone at this time.
It’s fascinating to note the variation in sound quality between the two phones’ internal speakers. Both devices have a back speaker and an additional speaker built into the earpiece, but the iPhone has a richer, boomier sound that is significantly superior to the Pixel’s passable performance. If you listen to music directly from the speakers or appreciate good audio in games and videos, keep that in mind.
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13 Performance: Google vs Apple processors
Pixel 6 Tensor chip vs iPhone 13’s Apple A15 Bionic
Since the iPhone 5s from 2013 was the first phone to use Apple silicon, Apple has been producing its own CPUs for iPhones for almost 8 years. Apple has been topping the charts when it comes to phone performance since it was able to fine-tune functionality by controlling the hardware and software.
However, Google is also entering that market in 2021. The Pixel 6 is the first phone to break with history and adopt the first Google-made mobile chip, dubbed “Tensor,” after depending on Qualcomm Snapdragon chips for years.
The performance of Tensor is not nearly on level with the most recent Apple A15 or even the most recent Snapdragon 888 processor, as you can see in the CPU benchmark above. Despite the fact that the Tensor chip presently beats several mid-range chips, Google’s focus has been on the chip’s AI and machine learning capabilities, which we’ll go into more depth about in a different piece.
Additionally, the Pixel 6 has 8GB of RAM, compared to the iPhone 13’s 4GB RAM, which allows it to theoretically run more programmed in the background for speedier multitasking.
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13: Gaming performance
When it comes to GPU performance, the iPhone still has the upper hand.
We can observe that the iPhone first performs well in the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test before quickly throttling. Even after reaching that slower nominal speed, it is still far faster than the Pixel and frequently outperforms it in even the most impressive graphical testing.
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13: Storage
Since neither phone allows microSD cards for expanded capacity, the amount of storage you purchase is the amount of storage you receive for the duration of the device.
There is a 256GB variant of the Pixel 6 in addition to the 128GB base model. The iPhone 13 also comes in 128GB and 256GB models, but for heavy users that require more capacity, there is a 512GB option.
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13: Battery and Charging
iPhone 13 battery size might be a bit bigger, but not quite as big as on the Pixel
Apple increased the battery size of the iPhone 13 from the previous iPhone 12 model’s 2,815mAh cell to the 13’s 3,227mAh cell. On the other hand, the Google Pixel 6’s 4,600mAh battery is incredibly enormous.
Even while this is a sizable advantage for the Pixel, keep in mind that Android on the Pixel behaves differently than iOS on the iPhone and that iOS is more power-efficient, especially when your phone is idle.
The Pixel 6 boasts a “all-day” battery life, according to Google, which is comparable to the iPhone 13.
We have independently tested the battery life of both phones, and the results show that the Pixel 6 has a significantly longer battery life when streaming videos and a very slight advantage in our smallest, web surfing test.
The iPhone 13 does not come with a charger in the box, and Google swiftly followed Apple’s lead by omitting the charger from the packaging of the Pixel 6.
Therefore, you will need to purchase a charger individually for each of these phones unless you already own a suitable charger. Remember that the Pixel 6 supports cable charging at speeds of up to 30W, which is far faster than the iPhone’s 20W maximum.
Both phones allow wireless charging, however the Pixel again outperforms its rival in terms of speed. You can charge the Pixel at up to 21W wireless charging speeds if you buy the new Google Pixel Stand (but a regular Qi wireless charger will only deliver up to 12W). On the other hand, the iPhone is compatible with MagSafe, which offers wireless speeds of up to 15W.
Pixel 6 vs iPhone 12: Specs Comparison
The Pixel 6’s extremely cheap price caught everyone off guard. It competes with the iPhone 13 and even conventionally more inexpensive brands like OnePlus starting at just $600, but when compared to the iPhone 13, which costs $830 unlocked or $800 if you purchase it with a carrier contract. That’s a difference of at least $200, thus using the Pixel undoubtedly enables you to save money.
| Google Pixel 6 Pro | iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Dimensions | 6.5x3x0.4 inches | 5.78×2.81×0.3 inches |
| Display | 6.7-inch OLED, 120Hz; 31,200 X 1,440 pixels, 512 PPI | 6.1-inch OLED, 120Hz, 2,532 X 1,170 pixels, 457 PPI |
| Cameras | 50MP Wide, 48MP Telephoto, 12MP Ultra-wide | 12MP main, 12MP Telephoto, 12MP Ultra-wide |
| Processor | Google Tensor | Apple A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 12GB | 6GB |
| Storage | Non-expandable, 128GB, 256GB | Non-expandable, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Battery | 5,003 mAh | 3.095 mAh |
| Unlock Security | Under-display fingerprint sensor | Face ID recognition |
| Durability | IP68 | IP68 |
| Software | Android 12 | iOS 15.4 |
| Colors | Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, Stormy Black | Alpine Green, Silver, Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue |
But availability is one thing that Google still hasn’t fully worked out. Like the iPhone, the Pixel 6 is sold on all three major US carriers, but it is difficult to find in other countries, whereas iPhones are available in more places and are much simpler to locate.
Which one would you choose, the iPhone 13 with its smaller size and iOS environment or the Pixel 6 with its more cheap price, larger screen, smooth refresh rate, and superior camera?
Conclusion
The decision between the Pixel 6 and iPhone 13 series comes down to whose ecosystem you are already a part of, as it always does. A MagSafe charger or an Apple Watch are prerequisites for purchasing the latest iPhone. The iPhones are a wonderful investment because they also have a tone of other benefits. If you still think iPhone 13 is not the right competitor to Google Pixel 6 then you can read our other deadly comparison of the Oneplus 9 Vs Google Pixel 6 to buy the best phone in the current era.
You can obtain as much as 1TB of storage with the Pro models. If you’re searching for a tiny flagship, the iPhone 13 Mini is pretty much your only choice. Of course, Apple offers the best software support available. These phones would be simple to keep for five years without any problems. Although the iPhone 13 series isn’t the largest update, it checks all the key boxes, including fantastic performance and cameras.
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, on the other hand, are the most intriguing Google smartphones in years. The cameras are considerably better, the series received a much-needed design update, and the proprietary chip is a first for an Android phone.
Convincing an Android user to convert to Apple is challenging, and the opposite is even more challenging. For obvious reasons, we choose the Pixel 6 series, but in terms of the competition, the iPhone 13 is among the best.