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What we think
The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple iPhone 12 offers a premium build quality and typically has a stronger ecosystem, particularly if you're already using other Apple devices and services. It's known for its powerful processor and overall performance, but it comes at a higher cost. The Google Pixel 7a is more wallet-friendly and is celebrated for its clean Android experience and camera capabilities that are impressive for its price point. However, it may have a battery life that's not as robust as the iPhone 12 and often comes with less powerful hardware compared to Apple's offering. If photography and cost savings are your priorities, Pixel 7a might suit you well, but if you prioritize performance, build quality, and seamless integration with other devices and services, and are willing to pay extra, the iPhone 12 would be a better fit. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 12
- Very good display quality
Advantages of the Google Pixel 7a
- Very good for taking photos
- Good for recording videos
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.3
8.0
The Google Pixel 7a has very good overall camera quality, while the Apple iPhone 12 has good overall camera quality.
The Google Pixel 7a offers very good selfie quality and overall, its camera system including photos and videos outperforms with a stronger software experience, greater dynamic range, and superior low light performance. In contrast, the Apple iPhone 12 presents a good selfie camera and its own advantages in video stabilization and mic quality, but doesn't quite match the Pixel's prowess in software and versatility for photos and videos.
Photo Quality
7.1
8.0
The Google Pixel 7a takes very good photos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good photos.
The Apple iPhone 12 delivers good selfie photos, bolstered by solid performance across various camera features but has a less versatile camera system compared to its competitor. The Google Pixel 7a, on the other hand, takes very good selfie photos and benefits from Google's Pixel-exclusive camera software features like Magic Eraser, enhancing its photo-taking capabilities beyond hardware specs.
Battery
6.2 Hours
6.9 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 has 6.2 hours of battery life. The Google Pixel 7a has 6.9 hours of battery life.
Cost
$600
$499
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Apple iPhone 12 has a price of $600 and the Google Pixel 7a costs $499.
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Key similarities
Video Quality
7.2
7.3
The Google Pixel 7a and Apple iPhone 12 both have good videos.
The Google Pixel 7a takes very good videos because it has superior video software experience, stabilization, and microphone quality compared to the iPhone 12, which offers very good video quality overall but is slightly behind in these specific aspects. However, the iPhone 12 has better video dynamic range and low light performance, making it a strong contender for video recording if those factors are more critical to your needs.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 12 has a screen size of 6.1 inches and the Google Pixel 7a is 6.1 inches.
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How the Apple iPhone 12 and the Google Pixel 7a compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 12 | Google Pixel 7a |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $499 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | ||
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 23, 2020 | May 10, 2023 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.1" | 6.1" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2532 x 1170 | 2400 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | Yes | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 429 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A14 | TensorG2 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.1/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 7.3/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 64 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.2 Hours | 6.9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2815 mAh | 4385 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 7.5 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | No | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 5.78" x 2.81" | 5.98" x 2.87" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.78 oz | 6.84 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Plastic | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 6e | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | Yes (Except Verizon Models) | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, Purple, Green, White, Black, Red | Sea, Snow, Coral, Charcoal | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | Yes | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 12
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Dig into reviews and images
Pocket-lint
Stuart Miles | March 2022
"The iPhone 12 offers many of the important things that you want from the iPhone: a decent camera, 5G, great screen, fast processor. For the group of people who want a new iPhone without the price tag of the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 range, this is a great choice. There's no settling for second best with this smartphone."
Google Pixel 7a
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Allison Johnson | May 2023
"The Pixel 7a is the best midrange Android phone — period. The camera doesn’t always nail it, but it’s impressively capable for this class. And even though it’s pricier than last year’s model, it comes with some serious upgrades not often seen in this class, like wireless charging."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 or the Google Pixel 7a
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
About Google
Google can be considered a relatively new player in the smartphone industry, joining as late as 2016 with their phone, the Google Pixel. Since then, the Pixel lineup has undergone many changes, but it has always been characterized by a focus on photography and clean software, by providing a pure Android experience. By virtue of Google being the creator of the Android operating system, Pixels are known for receiving timely software updates and for being supported with updates for a long time. Additionally, over the past few generations of devices, Google started designing their own processors. This allowed for the implementation of unique software features that are not present in any other phone, such as automatic call screening and unique voice transcribing capabilities.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
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Recommendations made
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About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
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Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
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Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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