Its the time of the year were most of the premium flagship smartphones has already here. The iPhone 8 Plus and the Google Pixel XL 2 are priced similarly, the iPhone 8 Plus with 64 GB storage costs INR 77,000 and the Pixel XL 2 is priced at INR 73,000. So, what does the extra INR 4,000 will get you?
Display: In terms of display, the Pixel XL 2 offers a 6-inch QHD+ 1440p OLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with 3D curved tempered glass. The iPhone 8 Plus offers a 5.5-inch Super Retina FHD 1080p display with Apple’s own tempered curved glass on the top (which is the hardest glass that has been ever used any smartphone). So, who has an upper hand, on the one hand, the Pixel XL 2 offers a denser OLED display with punchier colour and contrast compared to an IPS LCD panel, but, in reality, Apple retina display panels are always known for their vibrant display with punchier colour as well. So, if you are not using this device mainly for the VR experience, then both devices will offer similar user experience.
Audio: This time none of the devices offer 3.5 mm headphone jack, making them weirdo smartphones. Both devices offer a 3.5 mm to the proprietary connector, which goes against the removal of the same. Both smartphones offer a stereo speaker solution, with a different approach. The Google Pixel XL 2 offers dedicated dual stereo speakers and the Apple iPhone 8 Plus comes with the main speaker and the main microphone doubles as the secondary stereo speaker. However, due to the fact that, the Pixel XL 2 has the dedicated speakers, so, it will outperform the Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus’s stereo speakers. So, Pixel XL 2 is the winner here.
Built Quality: The Apple iPhone 8 Plus offers a full glass design with a re-enforced aluminium frame to give overall structural rigidity. The Pixel XL 2 offers an Aluminium body with a small glass portion on the top, which serves two purposes (aesthetics and network reception), so, if the device falls accidentally, then the Apple iPhone 8 Plus will break easier than that of the Google Pixel XL 2. However, there are few reasons from that made Apple replace Aluminium by a tempered glass. So, to conclude, it depends on the personal choice between these two devices.
Processor: This is the part where Apple has an edge over Google. The Apple iPhone 8 Plus is powered by its own Apple A11 Bionic Chipset, whereas the Google Pixel XL 2 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core SoC, which is the go-to-go processor on most of the premium flagship Android smartphones. In terms of RAW performance, the device offers X2 single core processing power and X4 multi-core processing (according to GFXBench). As the content for VR and AR is rising, having a powerful processor is always a better option, at least for a few years from now. So, clearly, Apple iPhone 8 Plus is the winner.
Storage: Both models don’t offer a micro SD card slot, so, choose before as there is no option to increase the storage. The Apple iPhone 8 Plus comes in 64 GB or 256 GB onboard flash storage and the Pixel XL 2 comes with a 64 GB or 128 GB onboard flash storage. So, if you are planning to shoot 4k UHD video, then go with the higher storage model to be future proof.
Operating system: Both iOS 11 and Android Oreo are the best mobile operating system with its own pros and cons. However, Google supports their smartphones for 2 years after the launch and the Apple support until 4 years from the date of actual launch. So, if you are considering a smartphone, which can last for longer and with timely software updates which adds new capabilities and future, then going with Apple iPhone 8 Plus is a great option. However, if you like to control your device, by rooting, installing the custom operating system, then Google offers plenty of features, as, there are many enthusiasts, who are into third-party operating system development.
Camera: According to DXO rating, the Pixel XL 2 has the best camera in the smartphone. However, static benchmarks will always don’t tell the actual story. The Apple iPhone 8 Plus is fitted with dual 12 MP camera (normal sensor and a telephoto sensor) with X2 optical zoom and portrait mode with the studio lightening feature. This is also the first smartphone to offer 4K video recording capability up to 60 frames per second and 1080p video recording up to 24frames per second. The Google Pixel XL 2 offers a single 12.2 MP rear-facing camera with 4-axial optical image stabilisation and 4k video recording capability up to 30 frames per second. So, Apple iPhone 8 Plus is a winner in terms of camera capability.
Battery: The iPhone 8 Plus is equipped with a 2691 mAh Li-ion battery. As per the Apple games are concerned, the iPhones are known for heavy software and hardware optimisation, so, the device is likely to last for one complete day without actually looking for a charger. This is also the first iPhone to support fast charging as well as Wireless charging capability (based on Qi wireless charging technique), however, the twist is, one has to buy a separate charger to utilise the fast charging capability of the iPhone 8 Plus. On the other hand, The Google Pixel XL 2 comes with a 3520 mAh Li-ion battery with Qualcomm Quick charge 4.0 capability (the device can give up to 7 hours of battery with just 15 minutes of charging via the stock charger. As we have seen Android smartphone before, the device might just last for one complete day of usability, making it par with the Apple iPhone 8 Plus, but, having a wireless charging is always a great thing over the no wireless charging.
Conclusion: Apple iPhone 8 Plus and Google Pixel XL 2 is a great smartphone, so, it just depends on the individual requirements. However, according to us, Apple iPhone 8 Plus offers great value for the money.