iPhone 11 Pro vs Pixel 4 (2021): Battle Of The Next-Gen Cameras

Updated 24 March 2020: The final round of the 2019 camera wars has come and gone. Google has a strong track record for putting the best cameras on a mobile device, which the new Pixel 4 aims to continue. With an impressive triple-camera array aimed at professional photographers, the iPhone 11 Pro wants to be the smartphone to beat. It’s an exciting time indeed for mobile photography warriors. Check out our comparison of these two topnotch smartphones.

iPhone 11 Pro vs Pixel 4 Comparison Chart

Design

Both the iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4 look fantastic, with a minimalist modern vibe.

One look should tell you that these are among the best looking smartphones this year, though in slightly different ways. With color choices from Space Gray to Midnight Green, the iPhone 11 Pro sets an industrial tone featuring curves cut with surgical precision. On the other hand, Google opted for cheeky colors — Just Black, Clearly White, and Oh So Orange — giving the Pixel 4 a much younger, perkier feel. Still, both handsets sport matte finishes, proofing the back from fingerprint marks while also making them more secure to grasp. Another similarity between the two are the rectangular bezels surrounding each phone’s rear cameras. Both stick out ever so slightly but it should hardly be noticeable.

Perhaps the biggest letdown about the iPhone 11 Pro is that, aside from the intimidating three-camera array at the back, it looks very similar to last year’s iPhone XS, while being thicker and heavier. Increasing its dimensions a tad is a fine price to pay for more battery life and faster performance, but there are practically no other exciting changes in how the iPhone 11 Pro looks viewed upfront. When you’re spending this much on a smartphone, you’ll want to invest in a case no matter how tough Apple says its glass is, so it would’ve been nice to have a clear design feature that makes the iPhone 11 Pro stand out from previous generations.

In comparison, the improved aesthetics of the Pixel 4 from the Pixel 3 is a much bigger leap. Gone are the fingerprint divot and two-tone glossy back, resulting in a sleeker, fresher look. The top and bottom bezels look even thinner than before. Where the iPhone 11 Pro has glossy metallic sides around it, the Pixel 4 opted for a matte black band, further improving grip. Videos leaking purported models of the Pixel 4 mention how compact and lightweight it is and confirm how comfortably the matte finish feels in your hands.

Display

The iPhone 11 Pro has a brighter and more color-accurate display than the Pixel 4.

Apple extols how the Super Retina XDR display on the iPhone 11 Pro is “the brightest, sharpest iPhone display ever” and it’s an undisputed claim. Even though tests confirm this with an average reading of 750 nits and above, seeing it in action by viewing it under direct sunlight is something else. Other flagship phones, which can’t even break 700 nits, will look positively dim in comparison, even in max brightness settings.

Even though the iPhone 11 Pro has the smallest screen among this generation of iPhones, its 5.8″ display still packs more pixels than the iPhone 11 while retaining the 458 ppi density found in the iPhone 11 Pro Max. There are still plenty of people who prefer compact phones — likely the biggest reason Apple continues to offer two sizes for its very top-end models — and they’re going to love how amazing the Super Retina XDR is over the Liquid Retina LCD of the iPhone 11. It’s one of the two best reasons to get a Pro version (more on the second reason later) and it makes it really tough for any other flagship phone to claim the display crown.

The Pixel 4’s 5.7″ Full HD+ display has a resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels, which is just a slight bump over the Pixel 3’s 2160 x 1080. Pixel density sees more of an increase though, with 444 pixels per inch. However, its most impressive figure is its 90 Hz refresh rate, which enables silky smooth animations while browsing. Given how Google’s flagship has traditionally lagged with its displays, the Pixel 4’s screen looks quite impressive indeed.

Performance

The iPhone 11 Pro is much faster than the Pixel 4.

Already, numerous benchmarking sites have confirmed that the iPhone 11 Pro reigns in every test, cementing Apple’s claim that the Apple A13 Bionic chip is the fastest ever. It’s around 20% faster than the previous A12 chip and consumes almost 40% less power, with a Neural Engine performing machine learning processes up to 20% faster as well. Other current top-end offerings from Android posted benchmark scores that are significantly behind the iPhone 11 Pro, and it’s not changing anytime soon.

As such, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip powering the Pixel 4 is speedy enough, but it doesn’t stand out among other flagships. It does have 6 GB of RAM, a 50% jump from the Pixel 3’s 4 GB. Though the Pixel 4 won’t be among the fastest smartphones of 2019, it’s most attractive performance perk is a leaner, pure Android experience free from the usual bloatware that other manufacturers pump into their reskins.

Cameras

The Pixel 4 and iPhone 11 Pro both have fantastic cameras.

Previous iterations of the Google Pixel have outperformed their Android and iPhone contemporaries with its combination of topnotch sensors, computational photography, and AI. The Pixel 4 sports a new telephoto lens with a 16 megapixel sensor which joins the 12.2 megapixel wide angle at the back. This allows you to take detail-rich photos with up to 8x zoom. New modes for astrophotography and motion photography are also included. It sets a new standard for night mode shots, with the ability to track stars and brighten them, while reducing the typical graininess resulting from low-light conditions.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 11 Pro has what are arguably the best cameras on a smartphone today. It’s able to capture fantastic looking photos with massive improvements in its camera software and capabilities. All three 12-megapixel sensors are able to work together to merge separate raw images into the best version possible through the power of the A13 Bionic chip. It also utilizes what it calls Smart HDR technology which uses algorithms and machine learning to determine your image’s highlights and shadows and enhancing their level of detail depending on whether they’re in the foreground or background. The result: richer colors, fuller textures, and sharper contrasts.

It should be noted that the iPhone 11 Pro finally takes night time and low light photos with quality and vividness comparable to the Pixel 3. The difference between shots taken when Night mode is on or off is huge, and is a big point in Apple’s favor for those looking to capture dramatic evening moments or moody compositions.

Storage, Battery, and Other Features

The iPhone 11 Pro has the lead on storage and battery capacities over the Pixel 4.

Devoted iPhone fans should finally rejoice that Apple has heard your plea for longer battery life. With a bigger 3,046 mAh battery, the iPhone 11 Pro can last up to 4 hours longer than last year’s iPhone Xs. This is the biggest increase that the iPhone has ever experienced, and Apple isn’t shy about letting you know. It should finally have enough juice to let you use it for a full day without a trip to the charging dock. The longer battery life isn’t just the result of a physically bigger component, too. Further streamlining the display, CPU and GPU’s power efficiency allowed Apple to squeeze more out of every bar.

The Pixel 4’s 2,800 mAh battery isn’t too great at holding up for long, which may be due to the 90 Hz display taking a significant bite out of its power rationing. It can last for most of the day but you’re likely going to need to recharge at some point to keep using it.

Storage-wise, it’s a bit disappointing that both phones’ starting internal memory is just 64GB. This is even more true for the iPhone 11 Pro, with its high initial price point. Still, you can splurge to get up to 512GB of storage, which should be plenty for professionals and creators who are purposely getting a Pro model to shoot 4K videos and ultrawide angle scenery. Normally, Android phones trump iPhones in this aspect since they still include a slot for expandable memory, but it seems the Pixel 4 won’t have that feature so users will have to make do with up to 128 GB.

Finally, there are a few exciting new features that the Pixel 4 is rumored/announced to have, the topmost of which is motion-sensing technology through a built-in radar. Google calls it Soli, and it’ll primarily work via a sensor located at the top bezel in the front, next to the selfie camera. You’ll be able to control the Pixel 4 with hands-free gestures, such as swiping to skip songs or silence alarms and incoming phone calls, and turning the lock screen on just by reaching for the device. It’ll also work together with the new face unlocking security feature that’s being introduced in the Pixel 4: once the phone recognizes your face it will automatically unlock to your home screen, saving you an upward swipe that the iPhone requires.

Verdict

The iPhone 11 Pro is a true top-end phone but the Pixel 4 offers better value.

For the first time, Apple felt that their current iPhone offering is powerful enough to add “Pro” to its name. And it’s completely justified. A three-prong attack consisting of a gorgeous, vibrant display, dazzling camera tools, and the A13 chip providing both brains and brawn propel the iPhone 11 Pro to the top of this year’s list of best smartphones. With speed that just extended its lead over competitors, as well as much improved battery life, it’s difficult to recommend another device if you’re looking for the best camera on a smartphone this year.

While its cameras are definitely impressive, the Pixel 4 doesn’t really surpass expectations given how Google has managed to stay ahead in the camera department for years now. Still, it’s one of the best you can get today, and it brings numerous photography modes and other advanced features into the mix. The Pixel 4 is also more affordable than other flagships, so you can get excellent value with your money.

Last update on 2022-05-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API