Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Iphone 15 Pro Max- Real, authentic, unsponsored review

 

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Iphone 15 Pro Max- Real, authentic, unsponsored review

It was time for a phone upgrade for my family after 2 years. We aren’t rich at all, don’t splurge on expensive stuff often, and usually run on tight budgets. I am very tech savvy and have very specific needs for a phone. I have been running a Oneplus 8 since April of 2021. Although I constantly try out new phones, trying to find the perfect one, I’ve managed to consistently come back to this one. It suits my needs very well because of a few reasons which I am going to list. Firstly, I can only use an android phone. And here: I explain my reasoning against ios.

Why I prefer Android over Ios/ Iphones. And you should too.

 Ios doesn’t cut it for me. Notifications are lackluster, and seem very primitive compared to any modern android. Anyone who uses them side by side, can easily spot the difference. The three buttons on the bottom of an android are essential for quick universal moves across apps. The back button is irreplaceable in my opinion. No amount of swipes and different positional placements of the back arrow can replace a universal, easy to use, back button. The google keyboard on all androids is a thousand times better than the feature-less, more difficult to use, nonsensical keyboard Apple gives on its phones.The option of having a number line on the same main keyboard makes typing infinitely easier. Apple, why can’t you include it??

The most important deterrent on an iphone is the app drawer. Android, easy swipe up and you have all the apps in alphabetical order. Ios, Swipe right, to see them in mumbo-jumbo groups. Or click the top to start searching. Anyone in their right mind would say the android experience of app hunting is a world of difference. Easy, smooth, uncluttered.

So, which phone do you think I tried and which did my wife try? As you guessed, I went with the Pixel 8 Pro and my wife with the Iphone 15 Pro Max. To make this review unbiased and fair, I swapped after a week of use. 

Now, a little general information about both.

The new Iphone 15 Pro Max. IPhones have had a similar design since the iphone 12. What's new aesthetically, and perhaps functionally, is the action button replacing the iconic mute switch. Now you can program the button to 1 out of 8 tasks. You can use it for silent mode, focus modes, camera, flashlight, voicemail, magnifier, open an app on your favorite shortcut, quickly access your favorite accessibility feature, or do nothing. Wow that's a lot. Much better than the mute switch with only one simple function. I like the direction the iPhone is going, allowing us to customize what we actually need our phones to do. Although this is a major change in the new iPhone, most people will just simply not use it after the first few days. However it is fun to play with. 

The dynamic Island carries over from the 14 pro max. iPhones have had such a big cut out for face ID, that it's almost a necessary improvement that Apple had to include. Technically the cutout is even larger now, but it looks much nicer and has functional features such as letting you know when your Uber eats is going to arrive. This is another feature in that most people will not notice much after the first few days. Most Androids only have a small hole punch which is undistracting. However, no Android matches the ease and accessibility of face ID. Whether it's daytime or night time, rain or shine, face ID always works perfectly. Trust me, no Android has been able to match such sophistication. You just pick up your phone and it's unlocked securely. 

The most interesting new feature of the iPhone 15 pro Max is a titanium frame. It is lighter and supposedly stronger. However, in durability tests done by Zack from JerryRigEverything, we can see that the iPhone 15 pro Max is the least durable iPhone in recent history. Spending $1200 on the now new base 256 GB model, makes you think twice about your purchase due to these durability issues. I'm not sure if the durability issues are due to just the titanium frame or any other changes, but one thing to note is the iPhone 15 pro Max does get quite warm to the touch. I've noticed this in my one week of use, and this was after their supposed fix on the update. Mind you, I have not noticed such heat on previous iPhone models. So, something is up with this new iPhone and I don't think anyone knows yet what it is. If it is structural or due to the titanium frame, I doubt Apple is going to fix it in the next generation. Apple usually glosses over such mistakes and just moves on. I have noticed this on the MacBook Air M2 base model where the read and write speeds are half of what they were on the m1 model. And they didn't fix it going forward. The fix is getting a higher storage model. Well we'll wait and see.

The only other perceivable difference is that the weight is a bit less from the 14 pro Max weighing in at 221 g or 7.81 Oz. The display is still 6.7 in and is one of the better displays on any phone. This phone does have the new a17 pro trip which comes with a six core CPU with two performance and four for efficiency. It does have a six core GPU and a 16 core neural engine. All sounds well and good, but iPhones have never been sluggish. The new chips make zero difference for most consumers. My phone has a 48 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultrawide, and a 12 MP 5x telephoto camera. The pictures are much more than the 14 pro Max and all of the pictures support 24 MP and 48 mp. The telephoto lens is a major upgrade and has a tetra prism design. I, like most others, rarely use the telephoto lens. Unless you're a professional photographer I doubt it would make any difference to you. Video-wise, no one beats the iPhone. It captures one of the most stable and high-resolution videos of all time, very close to professional cameras. And this year you can easily record in Log directly to an external storage using the new Usb 3. USB C this year is a welcome port which just makes life a lot easier. Although Apple was forced to adapt it, I am sure no one is complaining. I just wish they were forced to do it sooner. No benefits of having the previous lightning port at all.

I really like the improved cameras this year and do think the iPhone 15 pro Max is worth it just for the cameras if the operating system is acceptable to you. The battery life is still phenomenal and will last you more than one day. The charging is still on the slower side compared to Android phones like the OnePlus where you get a full 0 to 100% charge in 25 minutes.

In my week of use, I felt I was taking more pictures than ever, and have been very satisfied with the results. They are now automatically saved as 24 MP photos, and it's a noticeable upgrade over the 12MP. Besides the Android bias I recognize I have, I love this new phone’s smooth and reliable experience. Cell reception, Facetime, Good battery life, smooth scrolling, amazing photos, and a plethora of Ios-only features have really made me think twice about swearing off Iphones for good.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro. Similarly sized as the Iphone Pro Max, it doesn’t feel as refined and polished as the Iphone. Seems much more slippery and cheaply made, but google has always been about the software. Which I have also been very disappointed in. It is noticeably slower than the Pixel 7 I used for a few months. Maybe I had a bad unit or maybe there's an update coming up… but it wasn’t a smooth experience at all. There was lag opening and switching betweens apps…Something we haven’t seen in any recent phone over $400. $1000 seemed like a waste and we quickly returned it before the return time frame was up.

Pixel 8 Pro starts at $1000 but will soon see a few hundred off for the holidays. It never sells at retail. It has the new Tensor G3 chipset (which is actually made by Samsung). It’s slow and weak. They should have placed a new Qualcomm chipset. Hell, even an old one like the * gen 1 plus would have been a lot better. The cell reception is the worst I’ve seen on any phone. Google knows they have always struggled with reception, yet they refuse to recognize and fix the problem. The fingerprint sensor is still just as bad. Come on Google, even $200 phones don’t frustrate you with this bad of a sensor. The display is new for this year, they named it the Super Actua display. It’s like any other Amoled display, but I’ll give the amazing brightness to google. It gets very bright under sunlight, a much needed improvement. The cameras on the pixel have always been excellent, and they are excellent this year as well. The magic AI stuff is a useless and overpriced gimmick that 99.9% of people won’t use beyond the first week. IT’s slow and frustrating. Never again. People like point and shoot cameras. And then they open the pic in photos to see what they’ve captured. And this is where Google really struggles. Every single time, I have noticed quite a bit of lag after clicking on a pic and opening it post-processing. Why Google??? Do the processing behind the scenes, and do it quickly like every other phone. I suspect it's due to the crap Tensor chip. Ditch it google.

Now, a  few features that are good and usable. Google spam detection and answering. Amazing. One of a kind. Next time you call me, my “assistant” will answer you and weed out all losers. 

The dictation on Google is nothing short of excellent. It gets the commas, periods, spelling and grammar, all perfect. 

All in all, and as nice as I can say it,  Google Pixels suck. Ditch the tensor, fix your fingerprint and face scanning technology, and allow us to get some signals….

This year, Iphone really stands out and I will most definitely give it the win. My wife gets it, as I continue my search for the perfect phone.

We have started this blog to talk. And we will talk about everything. From real estate, to phones and gadgets, to family life, and politics. Please feel free to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to hear from us once every week. And we promise to not sell your info, or spam the hell out of you. One simple email every week, sharing our thoughts.

Till next time…