Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google

8.5

Best Pixel of 2023 — AI camera + 7-year update commitment

iPhone 16 Pro

Apple

8.5

Excellent Pro, premium hard to justify

Google Pixel 8 Pro

What Reviewers Agree On

Industry-first 7-year software update commitment (through 2030) — meaningfully longer than Samsung's 4 OS / 5 sec at the time
Magic Editor, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser and Zoom Enhance — Tensor G3 enables a Google-only AI camera/editing suite
6.7-inch LTPO at 2400-nit peak — brighter than the iPhone 15 Pro Max (2000 nits) and S23 Ultra (1750 nits) of its era
Triple-camera upgrade: 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide (up from 12MP on Pixel 7 Pro), 48MP 5x telephoto periscope
Magic Editor lets you reposition subjects, change backgrounds, add detail — most-discussed new feature of late 2023

Pros & Cons

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Pros

Industry-first 7-year software update commitment (through 2030) — meaningfully longer than Samsung's 4 OS / 5 sec at the time
Magic Editor, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser and Zoom Enhance — Tensor G3 enables a Google-only AI camera/editing suite
6.7-inch LTPO at 2400-nit peak — brighter than the iPhone 15 Pro Max (2000 nits) and S23 Ultra (1750 nits) of its era
Triple-camera upgrade: 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide (up from 12MP on Pixel 7 Pro), 48MP 5x telephoto periscope
Magic Editor lets you reposition subjects, change backgrounds, add detail — most-discussed new feature of late 2023

Detailed Comparison

Battery & Charging

Google Pixel 8 Pro

4,950mAh battery + Tensor G3 efficiency delivers ~6 hours of SOT typical, fully a day for most. 30W wired charging is modest — slower than 45W on S23+/Ultra, much slower than OnePlus 11's 80W.

4,950mAh battery (largest in a Pixel) — fully a day for most users, ~6 hours of screen-on time typical.
Multi-phone drain test (7-phone shootout): Pixel 8 Pro knocked off first at 8h10m — beaten by iPhone 15 Pro Max (~11h), Vivo X100 Pro, OnePlus 12 and even the S23 Ultra (8h21m).
30W wired charging — modest by 2023 standards, 0-50% in ~30 min, full in ~1h20m. Slower than S23+/Ultra's 45W.
23W Qi wireless via Pixel Stand 2; standard Qi caps at 12W — wireless charging is a real-world strength on the Pixel.

iPhone 16 Pro

A 3,582mAh battery (~10% bigger than the 15 Pro) with solid all-day life for most — but ~2 hours less than the Pro Max, slow charging, and a vocal minority reporting poor longevity.

TechTalkTown may earn a commission from purchases made through links below. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not influence our reviews. Learn more.

Buy Google Pixel 8 Pro

Buy iPhone 16 Pro

AmazonCheck price

People Also Compare

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Motorola Razr Fold iPhone 16 Pro vs Motorola Razr Fold Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Oppo Find X9 Ultra iPhone 16 Pro vs Oppo Find X9 Ultra Google Pixel 10a vs Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Pixel 10a vs iPhone 16 Pro Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Vivo X300 Ultra iPhone 16 Pro vs Vivo X300 Ultra Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Nothing Phone (4a) Pro iPhone 16 Pro vs Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Google Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 15T

Browse all reviews

iPhone 16 Pro

What Reviewers Agree On

The 6.3-inch size is, for many reviewers, the best iPhone size for most people — pocketable yet roomy.
The A18 Pro delivers some of the best performance on a phone, with class-leading sustained gaming.
The new 5x 120mm periscope telephoto (replacing the 15 Pro's 3x) is the standout Pro hardware upgrade.
Cameras and pro video are excellent — 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 4K/120fps, studio mics and Audio Mix.
Long-term durability and battery health are strong — most owners report 94–100% battery health after a year.

Deal Breakers

It's the most incremental of incremental upgrades over the 15 Pro, and the far-improved base iPhone 16 makes the Pro premium hard to justify.
Apple Intelligence arrived late and underwhelmed; there's no must-have AI perk worth upgrading for alone.
A vocal minority of owners report disappointing battery longevity (10%/hr drops, ~5h SOT), and charging is slow.

iPhone 16 Pro

Pros

The 6.3-inch size is, for many reviewers, the best iPhone size for most people — pocketable yet roomy.
The A18 Pro delivers some of the best performance on a phone, with class-leading sustained gaming.
The new 5x 120mm periscope telephoto (replacing the 15 Pro's 3x) is the standout Pro hardware upgrade.
Cameras and pro video are excellent — 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 4K/120fps, studio mics and Audio Mix.
Long-term durability and battery health are strong — most owners report 94–100% battery health after a year.

Cons

It's the most incremental of incremental upgrades over the 15 Pro, and the far-improved base iPhone 16 makes the Pro premium hard to justify.
Apple Intelligence arrived late and underwhelmed; there's no must-have AI perk worth upgrading for alone.
A vocal minority of owners report disappointing battery longevity (10%/hr drops, ~5h SOT), and charging is slow.

Value & Verdict

Google Pixel 8 Pro

$999 starting (128GB base) — the first Pixel Pro at four figures. Now $600-800 used in 2026 with 4 more years of support remaining. Best for Google ecosystem users; iPhone/Samsung win on raw performance.

Launched at $999 (128GB base) — $100 increase over the Pixel 7 Pro's $899, made the Pixel 8 Pro the first Pixel Pro at four figures.
At $600-800 used in 2026 with 4 more years of Google updates remaining (through 2030) — exceptional long-term value for Pixel ecosystem buyers.
vs iPhone 15 Pro Max ($1,199) — Google wins on camera AI features + update commitment; Apple wins on chip performance + ecosystem.
vs Samsung S23 Ultra ($1,199): Samsung wins on battery/zoom/S Pen; Pixel wins on camera AI processing and pure-Android software.
Phone Arena: 'the best Pixel yet by a comfortable margin' — most complete Google flagship to date.

iPhone 16 Pro

At $999 (128GB) it's a great Pro that ages superbly, but the incremental nature and excellent base iPhone 16 complicate the value case.

'I love it, but I wouldn't buy it' — the regular iPhone 16 is so good it makes justifying the 16 Pro complicated.
It's harder this year to justify the higher price of the Pro over the far-improved standard iPhone 16.
It's a great flagship with excellent, fast cameras and editing tools.
It's hard to find fault even as an Android enthusiast — value retention and ecosystem make it a compelling 2–3 year investment.
It's the most incremental of incremental upgrades over the iPhone 15 Pro.