Google Pixel 10 Pro vs iPhone 16

Google Pixel 10 Pro

Tensor G5 on TSMC 3nm with 16GB RAM. Marketing claims 30% CPU and 60% TPU improvements over Tensor G4, but lab measurements put the Pro at 88% single-core, 67% multi-core, and 55% GPU performance vs Snapdragon-class Galaxy S25 Edge. UI feels fluid; sustained loads throttle hard.

• Tensor G5 on TSMC 3nm with 16GB LPDDR5X RAM standard across the Pro lineup — Google claims '34% faster than last year's G4 chip' (W8bKwxZYMlg) and Linus measured 'a 17% increase in single core performance and around a 36% increase in multi-core performance compared to the Pixel 9 Pro XL.'
• Direct competitor gap per Linus: 'the Pixel significantly falls behind in benchmarks compared to the Galaxy S25 Edge with both the 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL getting around 88% of the single core performance, 67% of the multi-core performance, and just 55% of the GPU performance.'
• Stress-test sustainability: 'the story is pretty much the same with minor gains over the Pixel 9 series and only 50% of the S25 Edge's max output in its standard performance mode' — Tensor G5 collapses under sustained load.
• Notebookcheck stress test: 'In our prolonged stress tests, the phone underwent significant throttling down to around 40% of its max CPU performance.'
• Genshin Impact reality check per GSMArena: 'a visually demanding title such as Genshin Impact cannot maintain 60fps on the Pixel 10 Pro XL at its maximum settings, and the phone would routinely drop into the 50s or even the 40s.'
• Real-world fluidity verdict: 'Pixel UI is generally really fluid and the Tensor chip still holds up enough that day-to-day usage is wicked fast and smooth' — gap mostly invisible outside benchmarks/gaming.
• TSMC migration is a real architectural shift: 'Google moved their chip manufacturing to TSMC, where past tensor chips were manufactured by Samsung. TSMC produced Apple's beastly A series of chips for the iPhone.' — Long-term efficiency benefits expected.

iPhone 16

The A18 with 8GB RAM — the same RAM as the Pro this generation — is fast and a massive leap for anyone upgrading from an older iPhone.

• The base 16 sees a roughly 5x graphics gain in the 3DMark Solar Bay test versus the iPhone 15.
• Your tired iPhone XR may run iOS 18, but the iPhone 16 runs it exponentially better — the iterative criticism misses the point for upgraders.
• The A18 chip is shared across the iPhone 16 family with the same 8GB RAM — no performance compromise versus the Pro for everyday use.
• Switchers concede the iPhone's A-series still outclasses mid-range Android processors.

Google Pixel 10 Pro

4,870 mAh battery (+170 mAh vs Pixel 9 Pro), 30W wired charging with a real-world peak of 23W, 15W Pixelsnap Qi2 magnetic wireless. Notebookcheck's lab measurement: '9 hours and 53 minutes' overall active use score — below 2025 average. Real-world long-term reports vary from 'fine, all-day' to 'sits below 30% at end of day with light use.'

• 4,870 mAh battery — only 170 mAh up from the Pixel 9 Pro per GSMArena: 'On the 10 non-Pro they managed to fit an extra 270mAh compared to its predecessor, but the 10 Pro couldn't squeeze in quite as much.'
• Wired charging real-world peak: 'Testing with the 30W Google adapter, we got a momentary peak at just under 23W and about 15 minutes in the low 20s in the early stages of the charging process' — peak wattage is much lower than the rated 30W.
• Notebookcheck active-use score: 'an overall active use score of just 9 hours and 53 minutes... lower and below average for 2025' — substantially behind iPhone 17 Pro and S25 Ultra in the same test class.
• Full charge time per Notebookcheck: '0 to 45% in half an hour, and a full charge took an hour and 40 minutes' — full top-up is over an hour and a half, behind iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra.
• User long-term real-world: 'In my use case, the battery life on the 10 Pro has been good, getting me around 7 to 8 hours of screen on time and ending with about 20% remaining, which is comparable to the iPhone 16 and the S25.'
• Light-use 1-month report: 'in the entire month that I've been using this phone, there have only been a handful of days with very light use where the phone has been sitting above 30% at the end of the day' — heavier users struggle.
• 67W charger compatibility: 'We later obtained the recently released 67W dual-port Google charger... still provided the same peak of 23W as the 30W charger, but for longer' — even using a higher-spec charger doesn't unlock faster speeds.

iPhone 16

Improved over the iPhone 15 with all-day life for most; charging is slow, with Qi2/MagSafe up to 25W on a 30W brick.

• The iPhone 16 is rated for up to 22 hours of video playback and 80 hours of audio.
• Apple says the iPhone 16 line gets significantly better battery life than the iPhone 15, and units held up for full heavy days in testing.
• Updated MagSafe charges at up to 25W using the Qi2 puck and a 30W charger.
• iOS 18 adds a Battery Health charge-limit option (80–100%) plus visible cycle count to prolong cell lifespan.

Google Pixel 10 Pro

Premium glass back, polished aluminum frame, IP68 rating, 152.4 × 71.1 × 7.6 mm at 207g. Camera bar signature carried over with subtle refinements — slimmer bezel around the rear camera bar, second speaker opening at the bottom, SIM tray moved to the top (or dropped entirely on US models). Pixelsnap magnets built in.

• Premium materials per Snazzy Labs hands-on: 'right out of the box, it feels like Google's most refined piece of hardware yet. The texture, the edges, even the subtle matte frame, it all feels incredibly premium.'
• Dimensions per Unbox Therapy: '152.4 mm tall, 71.1 mm wide, and 7.6 mm thick with a weight of roughly 207 g' — compact 6.3-inch Pro form factor in the family.
• Repairability win — JerryRigEverything: 'With the new, near-foolproof screen removal process, a new removable battery, and most importantly, genuine replacement parts available from iFixit, plus the free repair manual, I think the Google Pixel 10 Pro is on track for the most repairable smartphone of the year.'
• SIM tray dropped in US models (eSIM only, like iPhone) — SuperSaf: 'they've dropped the SIM card, the physical SIM card support in the US, just like the iPhone.'
• Second speaker opening + slimmed bezels — SuperSaf: 'Google made the phone's rear G logo metallic, slimmed and bezel around the rear camera bar, moved the SIM card tray to the top of the phone, and added a second speaker opening to the bottom.'
• 1-month design verdict: 'whilst there is a lot to like about the Pixel 10 Pro's design, it's actually currently my least favorite out of Google's entire lineup' — dissenting view from a Pro reviewer.

iPhone 16

A 6.1-inch aluminium-framed body with Ceramic Shield, IP68 and USB-C at a light 170g, now adding the Action Button and the new Camera Control.

• It's IP68 (immersible to 6m for 30 min) with USB-C and Apple Pay support.
• The iPhone 16 is 6.1 inches and a light 170g — meaningfully lighter than the 199g Pro and Plus.
• The base iPhone 16 gained two extra buttons over the iPhone 15 — the Action Button and Camera Control — plus a new stacked dual-camera back.
• For the first time in recent years Apple used the same-generation 8GB RAM across all four iPhone 16 models.