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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a phone with a top-of-the-line camera and excellent overall quality, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max stands out, but it comes at a premium price. It offers a high-resolution camera system and superior video capabilities. On the other hand, the Google Pixel 7a is more budget-friendly with a midrange price, and still offers quality camera features suitable for everyday use. The iPhone also has a larger screen, which might be better for viewing content, but this means the phone is bigger and heavier, which might not suit everyone. The battery life on the iPhone is longer, giving you more usage time before needing to recharge. Both phones have their own operating system with iOS on the iPhone and Android on the Pixel, which could influence your decision based on your preference for a particular ecosystem. 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 15 Pro Max
- Best in class for taking photos
- Best in class for recording videos
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class display quality
- Best in class performance
Advantages of the Google Pixel 7a
- The Google Pixel 7a has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
10.0
8.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has best in class overall camera quality, while the Google Pixel 7a has very good overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has the best cameras, featuring outstanding selfie quality due to its superior software experience which enhances both photos and videos, and this is particularly noteworthy for users who prioritize front-facing camera performance.
Photo Quality
10.0
8.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class photos, while the Google Pixel 7a takes very good photos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes the best photos partly because it has a superior selfie score compared to the Google Pixel 7a, which is very important when considering front-facing camera performance. Additionally, while both phones offer a best score in the photos software experience, the iPhone 15 Pro Max edges out with its dynamic range, low light performance, and camera versatility, all of which contribute to its overall photo-taking capabilities.
Video Quality
10.0
7.3
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class videos, while the Google Pixel 7a takes good videos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max provides a superior video experience with top-notch stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance, also benefiting from high-resolution and frame rate capabilities. In contrast, while the Google Pixel 7a offers very good video quality, particularly in software experience and stabilization, it lacks the same level of resolution, dynamic range, and low light prowess as the iPhone, and its microphone quality is not as high.
Battery
9.8 Hours
6.9 Hours
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has 9.8 hours of battery life. The Google Pixel 7a has 6.9 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has a screen size of 6.7 inches and the Google Pixel 7a is 6.1 inches.
Cost
$1,100
$499
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has a price of $1,100 and the Google Pixel 7a costs $499.
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How the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 7a compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Google Pixel 7a |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $499 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | ||
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 22, 2023 | May 10, 2023 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.7" | 6.1" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2796 x 1290 | 2400 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | Yes | Yes | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 429 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A17 | TensorG2 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 256 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 10/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 10/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide, Super Telephoto | Main, Ultrawide | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 48 megapixels + OIS | 64 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.8 Hours | 6.9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 4441 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 | 6.3" x 3.02" | 5.98" x 2.87" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.80 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 | 5.3 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6e | 6e | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 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 Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium | Sea, Snow, Coral, Charcoal | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | Yes | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Mark Spoonauer | September 2023
"The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a powerful flagship phone that delivers upgrade-worthy features, including a lighter and more compact titanium design, a bigger 5x zoom and a useful Action button. The A17 Pro chip is the fastest around and enables console-quality gameplay, while the battery lasts an epic 14 hours."
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 15 Pro Max 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
7,820
Phones stats compiled
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Proprietary Phones ratings developed
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Recommendations made
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Consumer hours saved
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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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