The Pixel 4 and iPhone 11 Pro: A Tale of Two Phones

The video capabilities on both phones are an area where Apple seems to be holding back, while Google takes a more laid-back approach. The pixel 4 does take very good videos, but when it comes to shooting 4K at 60 frames per second, it's not an option. Google said people prefer to shoot at 30, and so they've stuck with that. This is seen as an Apple-like response, where the company seems to be doing what it thinks the user wants, rather than giving them a choice. The iPhone, on the other hand, does offer 4K at 60 frames per second, but this comes at the cost of stability in video quality.

The front-facing camera on the Pixel 3 had two speakers that were always on and usable for listening to music or watching videos, which has been removed from the Pixel 4. Instead, it uses the earpiece and speaker found on other phones. The iPhone 11 Pro also uses these same features. Another key difference is in terms of storage capacity, with the iPhone going up to 512GB of storage, while the Pixel 4 is capped at 128GB.

One area where Google completely outshines Apple is in their assistance technology, known as Google Assistant. It's so much better than Siri in almost every scenario, and it's not even close. The iPhone does have a similar feature called "Siri" but it doesn't compare to the Google Assistant in terms of functionality.

In terms of other features, both phones are very similar, with wireless charging being one of the few standout differences. The Pixel 4 uses official IP ratings, while the iPhone does not. However, when it comes to price, there is a significant gap between the two phones. The Pixel 4 starts at $800, while the iPhone 11 Pro starts at $1000.

In retrospect and in hindsight, both devices seem to be following similar paths, with software manufacturers making hardware decisions that are more aligned with their own interests than those of their users. This is in stark contrast to Google's vertically integrated approach, where they control both the software and hardware. However, this approach has not necessarily translated into better results for Android users.

The Pixel 4 seems to be full of contradictions, doing some things amazingly well, but others that don't make sense. For example, it does have a great camera system, but it's limited by its inability to shoot 4K at 60 frames per second. The screen is also beautiful, but it kills battery life. Overall, the Pixel 4 seems like a step forward for Google in many ways, but it's not without its flaws.

The iPhone 11 Pro, on the other hand, has a more consistent approach. It does one thing well, and that's taking great photos with its camera system. The ultra-wide lens and telephoto lens make it a more versatile camera system than the Pixel 4. However, when it comes to video capabilities, it doesn't quite live up to the Pixel 4.

Ultimately, the decision between these two phones will depend on what you need from your device. If you want flexibility in terms of camera capabilities and battery life that lasts all day, the iPhone 11 Pro may be the better choice. However, if you prioritize software updates, timely security patches, and a more affordable price point, the Pixel 4 is worth considering.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhen the iPhone 11 Pro came out there seemed like there was always something hanging over its head a specter yet to be tested was a pixel for now that we've got it in hand was a weight worthwhile we've got a full pixel for review coming it's gonna get into more minutiae and more detail about the devices but generally how do these to flagships behemoths compare most importantly which one should you buy ever been what Google has been going for with the pixel now having said that I think this is the best-looking version of any pixel device but that's not to say it is objectively beautiful nor is the iPhone 11 Pro it's a decent looking phone but I don't think it's particularly beautiful it's not the best-looking iPhones ever been put out looking at these two phones side-by-side definitely looks like they were inspired by the same design language let's say it's metal it's glass they've got the same square camera humps the iPhone is a better looking device though it's a like a Ron Howard Clint Howard situation here but neither of these to our beauty queens there's a lot to talk about when it comes to screens I don't think Google has done a very good job with screens on pixels in the past there's been burnin issues color saturation problems this is a really good screen and I commend Google for going the 90 Hertz route things look beautiful they look smooth there's dynamic refresh switching here so for doing something that Google doesn't deem 90 Hertz worthy it will scale itself down it is a really good screen that's something I haven't been able to say about pixel screens in the past colors are bright and vibrant blacks look obviously really black with the older technology it's definitely not the brightest and sort of the best instance I can give of that and that was again taking pictures of my kid at a soccer game and I had a hard time seeing the screen on pixel 4 so doesn't matter how good a refresh rate is if you can't see a screen that's going to be a problem on the iPhone side in the same situation the screen gets brighter I see the screen at that same soccer game it's not ninety Hertz it doesn't look as smooth but amongst the non ninety Hertz panels I think it's still one of the best screens going I initially started testing the pixel using a regular pixel for not the excel and I thought my device was broken I thought I had a defective pixel come 4:35 I was almost at zero percent battery life turns out my phone was not broken the pixel 4 has absolutely horrendous battery life now it's better on the 4 XL I could almost get through a full day it gave me a bad extra 20 to 25% battery life and that is a giant deal the battery life on the pixel 4 is almost inexcusable to the point where you can't use this phone if you're not going to be near a charger all day and the battery life was so horrendous especially you compare it to battery life on the iPhone now admittedly you're sacrificing that 90 Hertz green which to some might be a big deal but the iPhone 11 Pro and the pro max are almost 2 day phones the very least day and a half and they are so good at battery life it made the pixel for look that much worse face unlock is also a big deal here it's a first time Google themselves have included it on their phones and obviously comparing it to face ID it works insanely fast it is quicker than the already quick face ID but on the other side very happily will unlock with your eyes closed and Google said the fix is coming in months but until that fixes here I can only evaluate it based on eyes closed now I don't have anything that I'm really worried about somebody holding my phone up while I'm sleeping but it's a security risk if you're comparing these technologies side by side you get to decide which one's better for you so i I've said it before but I think Google including the 855 and say 55-plus was a Miss v55 is a bit outdated but a very capable processor on the Apple side the a13 Bionic is an absolute beast it's four gigabytes of RAM on the iPhone side versus six on the pixel side and what that means in use case is really almost nothing both phones are incredibly fast I didn't have any stuttering I know some have had Ram and even issues on the iPhone side but I haven't experienced those booms were incredibly quick and anything I threw at him so if there's one category that separates these phones above most others and is the biggest issue of contention debate it's a cameras the pixel has been the camera King for years I think the benchmark of camera quality set by the pixel three was unmatched for almost an entire year Apple came back with an answer they came back with holes that were being filled we've got night mode better HDR video improvements but Google stepped up their games too so looking at the images that just straight up come out of the cameras from auto mode you might not see that much of a difference I think the pixels images look a little more processed but to some eyes that actually looks a lot better the iPhone photos look a little more true to life so what Google did with one relatively generic Sony sensor on the pixel three again it's pretty amazing but they're two now onboard you've got the regular wide-angle that we saw last year and now you've got a two x telephoto and that was controversially a lot of folks are hoping that ultra wide I'm clearly in the telephoto camp I like having it ultra wide is nice to have - if I had to pick one I'm gonna go telephoto and when it comes to the photos taken from the telephoto well I do have issues with with Google's UI I think generally the photos that come from telephoto look better to my eye on the pixel than they do on the iPhone just regular photos taken from the wide-angle I think it can be a draw sometimes the iPhone photos look better sometimes a pixel of phone looks better there wasn't anything that was too Regehr indeed winner for me on that category where you do see a difference though is the iPhone 11 Pro brings a third sensor here you've got an ultra wide well I might not be the biggest ultra wide user there are cases where I like to have it over the weekend I went out with my wife and a bunch of friends and I could take an ultra wide shot and get us all into one photo that was awesome so well my use case might not be every day I have the option of taking those photos when I want one of the big stories I think we saw here was night mode Apple didn't have one and the pixels three night mode seemed really good but apples swung back we've got a night mode now the automatically turns itself on what do you want to take pictures and I've been blown away by what kind of shots you can get Apple is not trying to make nighttime look like daytime they just trying to make the shot look like what you can generally see with your eyes and do a really good job at it now they're not noise free by any stretch of the imagination they do look really good and again I'm not trying to make a dark sky look blue what Google is doing is a bit different trying to completely brighten up the images it's almost makes a dark sky look a blue ish I think you're getting a lot more noise on the pixel side then you do with the IFO inside it's also a separate mode that you have to go into to use now to something that might not be an issue but I like that the iPhone does it automatically as good as the still cameras have been on the pixel and other Android devices video has been a huge rift between what Apple is capable of and what Google's devices can do and while the pixel 4 does take very good video comes back to that more choice it will not shoot 4k at 60 and to you that might not be a problem Google said people prefer to shoot at 30 so we just that's what we did that seems like an Apple type answer that seems like you're holding it wrong it seems like it will tell you what you like and you use it it's weird to see that come from Google I would have liked you've had the option I want to shoot 4k 60 let me shoot 4k 60 that's not the case here either the front or any of the back cameras and well still the video looks good it's more options we get with the iPhone the iPhone just stability the video quality looks better the HDR images look better it's still not quite close on the video front and for the price you're paying for these devices the more options the better and having more options in choice is generally not something you associate with Apple that's usually been androids Jam but here having the flexibility of that ultra wide having the telephoto having a really good regular standard lens makes the iPhone 11 pro a more versatile camera system so intangibles a lot of little things that make these phones unique and one area where Google completely outshines eclipses and beat Apple is the assistance Google assistant is so much better than Siri and almost every scenario it's not even close to also new on the pixel for is radars formerly projects Ollie it does work and I do want to give the caveat that it works as advertised but what it does is not so useful waving our hands to change songs is nice I don't really have to use it I do like that makes a phone aware of kind of what's going on so if I'm picking it up moving my hand towards it things like that are nice at the iPhone without radar does a lot of things very similarly so it's nice to have it's not a reason to buy a phone but certainly it's a welcome addition here and perhaps a software updates come it'll add more features and give it more utility so both these phones have a lot of things that are similar I liked the two front facing speakers on the pixel three those are gone now now the four and the after 11pro use the earpiece and speaker of other things here you've got wireless charging on both apples got an official IP rating obviously price is a big deal here as well starting at 800 bucks for the pixel and then a thousand for the iPhone that's a big deal on the flip side though you're really gonna go up to 128 of storage with the pixel it's a hundred bucks to get to that point on the iPhone side you double the one to wait and go to 256 if you want more than that though the pixel is capped out at 128 where's the iPhone and go away up to 512 so we've battled these phones out and in retrospect and in hindsight both devices are telling very similar stories it's the software manufacturers making hardware an apples case the only ones that do the hardware when it comes to Google they are controlling Android they're controlling the hardware here it's pletely a vertically integrated product so in theory this should be the best version of Android available the best example of a Google software and hardware prowess can do together but in practice it's really not the case you've got an amazing camera system with limited video you've got a beautiful screen that's killing battery life the pixel 4 seems to be full of contradictions it does some things amazingly well best in the industry and then some weird strange emissions that I can't understand why well I love what Google is trying to do with the pixel line the pixel for well taking a few steps forward it seems like a giant step back some of the pixel through represented taking OS preference out if I have both these phones on a table and I have to pick one I'll pick the one that's gonna give me more flexibility on the camera giving more flexibility for video has a good enough screen has battery life that's gonna last me an entire day that's what matters more than anything that's what matters to me more than iMessage or airdrop can it last the day and it'll give you the flexibility to do what I need it to do and when I leave in the morning I don't know what I'm gonna need my phone to do maybe I'm gonna need it to last until midnight even gonna want to take ultra white pictures or maybe I'm just gonna be able to charge it at noon and just take a few normal shots I don't know the iPhone answers those questions the pixel still leaves a lot to be desiredwhen the iPhone 11 Pro came out there seemed like there was always something hanging over its head a specter yet to be tested was a pixel for now that we've got it in hand was a weight worthwhile we've got a full pixel for review coming it's gonna get into more minutiae and more detail about the devices but generally how do these to flagships behemoths compare most importantly which one should you buy ever been what Google has been going for with the pixel now having said that I think this is the best-looking version of any pixel device but that's not to say it is objectively beautiful nor is the iPhone 11 Pro it's a decent looking phone but I don't think it's particularly beautiful it's not the best-looking iPhones ever been put out looking at these two phones side-by-side definitely looks like they were inspired by the same design language let's say it's metal it's glass they've got the same square camera humps the iPhone is a better looking device though it's a like a Ron Howard Clint Howard situation here but neither of these to our beauty queens there's a lot to talk about when it comes to screens I don't think Google has done a very good job with screens on pixels in the past there's been burnin issues color saturation problems this is a really good screen and I commend Google for going the 90 Hertz route things look beautiful they look smooth there's dynamic refresh switching here so for doing something that Google doesn't deem 90 Hertz worthy it will scale itself down it is a really good screen that's something I haven't been able to say about pixel screens in the past colors are bright and vibrant blacks look obviously really black with the older technology it's definitely not the brightest and sort of the best instance I can give of that and that was again taking pictures of my kid at a soccer game and I had a hard time seeing the screen on pixel 4 so doesn't matter how good a refresh rate is if you can't see a screen that's going to be a problem on the iPhone side in the same situation the screen gets brighter I see the screen at that same soccer game it's not ninety Hertz it doesn't look as smooth but amongst the non ninety Hertz panels I think it's still one of the best screens going I initially started testing the pixel using a regular pixel for not the excel and I thought my device was broken I thought I had a defective pixel come 4:35 I was almost at zero percent battery life turns out my phone was not broken the pixel 4 has absolutely horrendous battery life now it's better on the 4 XL I could almost get through a full day it gave me a bad extra 20 to 25% battery life and that is a giant deal the battery life on the pixel 4 is almost inexcusable to the point where you can't use this phone if you're not going to be near a charger all day and the battery life was so horrendous especially you compare it to battery life on the iPhone now admittedly you're sacrificing that 90 Hertz green which to some might be a big deal but the iPhone 11 Pro and the pro max are almost 2 day phones the very least day and a half and they are so good at battery life it made the pixel for look that much worse face unlock is also a big deal here it's a first time Google themselves have included it on their phones and obviously comparing it to face ID it works insanely fast it is quicker than the already quick face ID but on the other side very happily will unlock with your eyes closed and Google said the fix is coming in months but until that fixes here I can only evaluate it based on eyes closed now I don't have anything that I'm really worried about somebody holding my phone up while I'm sleeping but it's a security risk if you're comparing these technologies side by side you get to decide which one's better for you so i I've said it before but I think Google including the 855 and say 55-plus was a Miss v55 is a bit outdated but a very capable processor on the Apple side the a13 Bionic is an absolute beast it's four gigabytes of RAM on the iPhone side versus six on the pixel side and what that means in use case is really almost nothing both phones are incredibly fast I didn't have any stuttering I know some have had Ram and even issues on the iPhone side but I haven't experienced those booms were incredibly quick and anything I threw at him so if there's one category that separates these phones above most others and is the biggest issue of contention debate it's a cameras the pixel has been the camera King for years I think the benchmark of camera quality set by the pixel three was unmatched for almost an entire year Apple came back with an answer they came back with holes that were being filled we've got night mode better HDR video improvements but Google stepped up their games too so looking at the images that just straight up come out of the cameras from auto mode you might not see that much of a difference I think the pixels images look a little more processed but to some eyes that actually looks a lot better the iPhone photos look a little more true to life so what Google did with one relatively generic Sony sensor on the pixel three again it's pretty amazing but they're two now onboard you've got the regular wide-angle that we saw last year and now you've got a two x telephoto and that was controversially a lot of folks are hoping that ultra wide I'm clearly in the telephoto camp I like having it ultra wide is nice to have - if I had to pick one I'm gonna go telephoto and when it comes to the photos taken from the telephoto well I do have issues with with Google's UI I think generally the photos that come from telephoto look better to my eye on the pixel than they do on the iPhone just regular photos taken from the wide-angle I think it can be a draw sometimes the iPhone photos look better sometimes a pixel of phone looks better there wasn't anything that was too Regehr indeed winner for me on that category where you do see a difference though is the iPhone 11 Pro brings a third sensor here you've got an ultra wide well I might not be the biggest ultra wide user there are cases where I like to have it over the weekend I went out with my wife and a bunch of friends and I could take an ultra wide shot and get us all into one photo that was awesome so well my use case might not be every day I have the option of taking those photos when I want one of the big stories I think we saw here was night mode Apple didn't have one and the pixels three night mode seemed really good but apples swung back we've got a night mode now the automatically turns itself on what do you want to take pictures and I've been blown away by what kind of shots you can get Apple is not trying to make nighttime look like daytime they just trying to make the shot look like what you can generally see with your eyes and do a really good job at it now they're not noise free by any stretch of the imagination they do look really good and again I'm not trying to make a dark sky look blue what Google is doing is a bit different trying to completely brighten up the images it's almost makes a dark sky look a blue ish I think you're getting a lot more noise on the pixel side then you do with the IFO inside it's also a separate mode that you have to go into to use now to something that might not be an issue but I like that the iPhone does it automatically as good as the still cameras have been on the pixel and other Android devices video has been a huge rift between what Apple is capable of and what Google's devices can do and while the pixel 4 does take very good video comes back to that more choice it will not shoot 4k at 60 and to you that might not be a problem Google said people prefer to shoot at 30 so we just that's what we did that seems like an Apple type answer that seems like you're holding it wrong it seems like it will tell you what you like and you use it it's weird to see that come from Google I would have liked you've had the option I want to shoot 4k 60 let me shoot 4k 60 that's not the case here either the front or any of the back cameras and well still the video looks good it's more options we get with the iPhone the iPhone just stability the video quality looks better the HDR images look better it's still not quite close on the video front and for the price you're paying for these devices the more options the better and having more options in choice is generally not something you associate with Apple that's usually been androids Jam but here having the flexibility of that ultra wide having the telephoto having a really good regular standard lens makes the iPhone 11 pro a more versatile camera system so intangibles a lot of little things that make these phones unique and one area where Google completely outshines eclipses and beat Apple is the assistance Google assistant is so much better than Siri and almost every scenario it's not even close to also new on the pixel for is radars formerly projects Ollie it does work and I do want to give the caveat that it works as advertised but what it does is not so useful waving our hands to change songs is nice I don't really have to use it I do like that makes a phone aware of kind of what's going on so if I'm picking it up moving my hand towards it things like that are nice at the iPhone without radar does a lot of things very similarly so it's nice to have it's not a reason to buy a phone but certainly it's a welcome addition here and perhaps a software updates come it'll add more features and give it more utility so both these phones have a lot of things that are similar I liked the two front facing speakers on the pixel three those are gone now now the four and the after 11pro use the earpiece and speaker of other things here you've got wireless charging on both apples got an official IP rating obviously price is a big deal here as well starting at 800 bucks for the pixel and then a thousand for the iPhone that's a big deal on the flip side though you're really gonna go up to 128 of storage with the pixel it's a hundred bucks to get to that point on the iPhone side you double the one to wait and go to 256 if you want more than that though the pixel is capped out at 128 where's the iPhone and go away up to 512 so we've battled these phones out and in retrospect and in hindsight both devices are telling very similar stories it's the software manufacturers making hardware an apples case the only ones that do the hardware when it comes to Google they are controlling Android they're controlling the hardware here it's pletely a vertically integrated product so in theory this should be the best version of Android available the best example of a Google software and hardware prowess can do together but in practice it's really not the case you've got an amazing camera system with limited video you've got a beautiful screen that's killing battery life the pixel 4 seems to be full of contradictions it does some things amazingly well best in the industry and then some weird strange emissions that I can't understand why well I love what Google is trying to do with the pixel line the pixel for well taking a few steps forward it seems like a giant step back some of the pixel through represented taking OS preference out if I have both these phones on a table and I have to pick one I'll pick the one that's gonna give me more flexibility on the camera giving more flexibility for video has a good enough screen has battery life that's gonna last me an entire day that's what matters more than anything that's what matters to me more than iMessage or airdrop can it last the day and it'll give you the flexibility to do what I need it to do and when I leave in the morning I don't know what I'm gonna need my phone to do maybe I'm gonna need it to last until midnight even gonna want to take ultra white pictures or maybe I'm just gonna be able to charge it at noon and just take a few normal shots I don't know the iPhone answers those questions the pixel still leaves a lot to be desired\n"