Google Pixel 3 vs Apple iPhone XS: Should You Go iOS Or Android?

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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Luis Silva (April 2020, updated: February 2021)

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Introduction

In September of 2018, Apple started selling its iPhone XS, while Google's Pixel 3 hit the stores in November of 2018.

Here you can look at the Pixel 3 and the iPhone XS, compare each other's features, and decide which one is best for you. Let us delve into the finer details.

If you have the time, click here to skip the spoilers and continue to the full comparison.

The price round is no contest. The Pixel 3 sounds like a bargain compared to the iPhone XS. That's something to consider when making a comparison between the two.

If you're considering the Pixel 3, it may lose it's security updates anytime soon (if not already).

Look out for a "Tek-Score" in every section of this article. All the specifications were examined to allow you a faster discerning of the variation between the phones. There's also a global rate for you to compare them to other phones if you're curious about other models aside from these two.  ? 

We've based our rate on a study from Globalwebindex.com about what people want from their next smartphones.

For additional information regarding our smartphone comparisons, check this FAQ.

Some features have a colored bar next to them. That can help you understand how they relate to the ones from similarly priced smartphones.  ? 

By clicking here:  i  you'll see which ones we've analyzed, but basically, we've excluded every smartphone that's not within a 20% (above or below) price range.

Feel free to click any feature title to check out several top 10 tables for every spending plan.

Price*			vs.
Device	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
Release Date	2018, November	2018, September	0y.
OS Updates	3 years	6 years	3y.
Security Updates	3 years	6 years	3y.

*Reference: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Performance

What about their chipsets? The Apple iPhone XS features the Apple A12 processor and the Google Pixel 3, the Snapdragon 845 processor.

If you're a gamer, you'll like to know that the former features a proprietary Apple GPU, and the latter has an Adreno 630.

In terms of performance, Geekbench 5 (IOS)(Android) scores the iPhone XS 45% ahead of its rival on the multi-core rankings. If you're a gamer, this should be an easy pick. You should be aware that apps on iOs usually run smoother because of the optimizations that Apple does.  ? 

The Pixel 3 features the Android 9 (Pie) OS, and the iPhone XS has iOS 12.

Although, in this case, since the Pixel 3 software updates are controlled directly by Google, you can count on support for at least 3 years.

Performance*			vs.
Features	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
SoC	Snapdragon 845	Apple A12
Graphics	Adreno 630	Apple GPU
Geekbench 5 Score	1874	2716	842
OS	Android 9 (Pie)	iOS 12
Tek-Score	5.1	6.5	1.4

*Reference: Apple iPhone 12.

Display

The iPhone XS features a 5.8" AMOLED display, while the Pixel 3 has a smaller 5.5" AMOLED display. There's no general contest here as each user has his personal preferences. To me, a 6.3 inches screen is where I draw the line.

If you're into small displays, stop searching, and just pick the iPhone XS. Other similarly priced smartphones just aren't that short.

The display of the iPhone XS has a resolution of 1125x2436 Full HD. The Pixel 3, in its turn, has 1080x2160 Full HD.

No one likes to look at a shattered screen, so it's essential to know what kind of glass protection they have. The iPhone XS has a Corning toughened glass display. The Pixel 3, in its turn, has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

There's a phone with an Always-On display here, the Google Pixel 3.

If you set these displays for auto-brightness, the Pixel 3 can do 450 nits, but the iPhone XS can go up to 210 nits above that.  ? 

If a device can't go over 500 nits, it isn't suitable for HDR content nor to use in direct sunlight visibility. Now about the HDR feature: The Pixel 3 supposedly does HDR video, while its rival can display HDR10 content.

Putting the Pixel 3 in perspective: none of its competitors have over 60hz of refresh rate, and only 9% of them feature Gorilla Glass 6 or Victus.

Considering the iPhone XS, I should say that 90% of its rivals can play HDR content and have an AMOLED screen, and 75% of them have an Always-On display. In contrast, only 20% of them have over 60hz of refresh rate and feature Gorilla Glass 6 or Victus.

Display Density (DPIs)*			vs.
Features	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
Size	5.5	5.8	0.3
Screen Type	AMOLED	AMOLED
Resolution (px)	1080x2160	1125x2436	407700
Refresh Rate	60hz	60hz	0
Dots per Inch	439.08	462.63	23.54
Always-On-Display	Yes	No
Notch	-	Wedge
Peak Brightness	450 nits	660 nits	210
HDR	HDR	HDR10
Sub Tek-Score	7.6	3.0	-4.5
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 5	Corning toughened glass
Tek-Score	6.3	5.9	-0.4

*Reference: Sony Xperia 1.

Cameras

Things are different when it comes to lenses. Google's Pixel 3 can record videos at up to 2160p. It also has a shooter with 12 MP, an aperture of f/1.8, a 28mm wide-angle lens, two flash LEDs, HDR capabilities, and Optical Image Stabilization.

Want to know about its selfie capabilities? It has an 8 MP (f/1.8) shooter and a 28 mm wide-angle lens.

This camera came out of DxOMark's labs with a score of 106. If you add its digital zoom abilities, that will go up to 112**. If you want to know more about it, click here.

To put things in perspective: keep in mind that 91% of its rivals can record videos in 4K or more, and all of them have an ultra-wide-angle lens. On the other hand, only 18% of them come with a telephoto lens.

On the back of the Apple iPhone XS is a 12 MP (f/1.8) camera and a 26mm wide-angle lens. Then you'll have one flash LED, HDR abilities, and Optical Image Stabilization too. It can also record videos at up to 2160p. The iPhone XS also sports a 12 MP sensor, packed with an f/2.4 lens plus a 52mm telephoto lens.

On the front, there's an f/2.2 7 MP camera and a 32mm lens.

The guys over at the DxOMark labs rated this camera with 118 points. By considering its telephoto lens, we end up with a rate of 126** points. For an out-and-out review, click here.

Lastly, all of its rivals can record videos in 4 or 8K and have an ultra-wide-angle lens, and 80% of them feature Optical Image Stabilization. Additionally, only 25% of them feature a macro lens.

Be aware that the iPhone XS's picture quality is, on average, 18 points above its rivals for the same budget. And the Pixel 3 isn't good enough to win this battle.

What I really like about the iPhone XS is the 2x telephoto lens. As soon as you get used to it, you'll know what I mean.

**This rate still needs improvement, especially with cameras with less than 40MP and no telephoto lens. They moved to a better camera test protocol, and there aren't enough reviewed phones to extrapolate a backward-compatible score.

Picture Quality*			vs.
Primary Camera	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
Megapixels	12	12	0
Aperture	1.8	1.8	0.0
Lens	28mm	26mm	-2
Lens Type	Regular	Wide-Angle
Flash	2	1	-1
HDR	Yes	Yes
OIS	Yes	Yes
Video	2160	2160	0
Score	112	126	14

*Reference: Huawei Mate 40 Pro.

Extra Camera(s)	Pixel 3	iPhone XS	vs.
Megapixels	-	12
Aperture	-	2.4
Lens	-	52mm (2x zoom)
Lens Type	-	Telephoto lens
Score	6	8	2

Selfie Camera	Pixel 3	iPhone XS	vs.
Megapixels	8	7	-1
Aperture	1.8	2.2	0.4
Lens	28mm	32mm	4

	Pixel 3	iPhone XS	vs.
Tek-Score	6.6	7.4	0.8

Body

The Pixel 3 comes at 145x68 mm (5.71x2.68 inches). The Apple iPhone XS, however, is a bit larger. Precisely 0.08 inches (2 mm) and a bit smaller: 0.08 inches (2 mm).

These two have about the same thickness: 7 mm (0.28 inches).

All of that goodness is presented in a sleek glass body. The iPhone XS is a little bit heavier: About 29 g. (1.14 oz). If you're curious, the Pixel 3 has a "weight to screen size" score of 6.9, meaning it has a pretty nice weight for its display size. Having said that, the iPhone XS has 4.2, so nothing to state here.  ? 

We do like having some color options. You get Clearly White, Not Pink, and Just Black in the Pixel 3. But you can get Space Gray, Gold, and Silver with the iPhone XS.

You're out of options in the size domain, so if you want something different, you'll have to find it elsewhere.

Is the lack of a fingerprint scanner a deal-breaker to you? There's one on the back of the Pixel 3!

Although a pin isn't the only login option in the iPhone XS. Some say Face ID isn't as secure, but it's there for you.

The Pixel 3 truly is water-resistant. It can be submerged 1 to 3 meters deep, on par with the iPhone XS. But remember: it's for a maximum period of half an hour, and it's freshwater in standby mode only.

Looks*			vs.
Body	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
Size	145 x 68 x 7 mm (5.11 x 2.40 x 0.25 in)	143 x 70 x 7 mm (5.04 x 2.47 x 0.25 in)	1050
Weight	148 g. (5.22 oz)	177 g. (6.24 oz)	29
Build	Front and back glass	Front and back glass
Colors	Clearly White, Not Pink, and Just Black	Space Gray, Gold, and Silver
Screen To Body Ratio	79.17%	82.53%	3.36
Disp.Size To Weight Score	6.9	4.2	-2.7
Looks	7.3/10	8.1/10	0.8
Waterproof	IP68	IP68
Biometrics	Fingerprint	Face ID
Tek-Score	8.9	7.6	-1.2

*100% = 4+ colors + front and back glass + S2BR: 86+%.

Battery

When it comes to battery life, in theory, the Google Pixel 3, with its 2915 mAh of battery capacity, wins over the Apple iPhone XS, with only 2658 mAh of battery capacity. But how would both perform in a real-world scenario? If you charge them up and run some tests, that's what you can expect from the Pixel 3:  ? 

• If you do 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 1 hour of video playback, you'll be at 77% of the battery charge.
• By talking for 1 hour, browsing the web for 3 hours, and playing videos for 1 hour, you'll still have 57% left for the rest of the day.
• For 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 3 hours of video playback, you'll be with 59%.

And this is how the iPhone XS handles these tests:

• For 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 1 hour of video playback, you'll end up with 74% of the battery charge.
• If you do 1 hour of talking, 3 hours of web browsing, and 1 hour of video playback, the battery charge will be about 54%.
• From 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 3 hours of video playback, you'll be with 56%.

I think this isn't surprising at all, but there's no real difference here.

This is one of the iPhone XS's worse features. Way worse than other price-liked phones. These tests show that it lasts up to 15% less.

Fast-charging's here, and both phones support it. The iPhone XS can go up to 15w, and the Pixel 3 up to 18.

There's also wireless charging (5w) in both of them. Cool.

And if you'd like to try out reverse wireless charging, you can try it with the Pixel 5, for example.

Battery*			vs.
Features	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
Capacity (mAh)	2915	2658	-257
1h Talk + 1h Web + 1h Video	77% left	74% left	-3
1h Talk + 3h Web + 1h Video	57% left	54% left	-3
1h Talk + 1h Web + 3h Video	59% left	56% left	-3
Bat. To Phone Size Score  ?	7.0	5.7	-1.3
Sub Tek-Score	6.4	6.1	-0.3
Fast Charging	18w	15w	-3
Wireless Charging	5w	5w	0
Tek-Score	5.8	5.5	-0.3

*Reference: Samsung Galaxy A31.

Storage

Google put 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage on the Pixel 3. Unfortunately, Google didn't include a MicroSD slot. While it shouldn't be a deal-breaker, you should keep that in mind when purchasing one.

The iPhone XS also offers 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. It also doesn't have a MicroSD slot. You may need to regularly move your video files out of your phone. You may already know, but you can get more storage and more RAM on most of its rivals. They'd give you around 122Gb of storage and 7Gb of RAM.

Both phones have more than enough storage and RAM for the average consumer. However, if you can't get enough of the record button, 64 GB may be too short for you.

Storage*			vs.
Features	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
RAM (GB)	4GB	4GB	0
Internal (GB)	64GB	64GB	0
Micro SD	No	No
Tek-Score	2.8	2.8	0.0

*Internal Storage + 256GB Memory Card (Max: 512GB).

Connectivity

Both phones have Bluetooth 5.0, so nothing special here. Both phones also have NFC.

Do you still favor wired headphones? None of them will help you with that. Want a piece of advice? Forget about adapters and go for the wireless buds. There also are other options out there if you don't care that much about them. The Pixel 4a can give you a headphone jack.

You can find these two in the LTE variant. If you want next-gen 5G connectivity, you should look at the Pixel 5 instead.

Connectivity			vs.
Features	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
Network	LTE	LTE
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
NFC	Yes	Yes
3.5mm jack	No	No
Tek-Score	4.6	4.6	0.0

Price

The Google Pixel 3 may not be the cheapest phone, but it's cheaper nonetheless. But with a great deal or a price drop, it can be an impressive finding. Promotions aside, the iPhone XS is more expensive, but I think that you can find some additional value in it. And if you end up selling the iPhone, it should count as a discount.

If you still aren't sure about any of them, let's check how much value you can expect.

If you're looking for old phones, I do hope you're considering second-hand here.

Here are their recently updated prices:

I earn a small fee from qualifying purchases. It doesn't affect the price you pay nor my opinions, but it will mean a lot if you click on one of these buttons before purchasing your next phone. You'll be helping to take this to the next level.

Prices on eBay are in $US but Europe-based. You can click to check the prices in your country.

Prices marked with ! are from renewed/refurbished/carrier-locked phones (except eBay prices that, as a last resort, can be from bids or used devices).

How much of a "phone" can your money buy?
That's how much "score" you can get with $100 based on the global score that you'll see in the next section (higher is better).

Have you found better prices elsewhere? The formula is simple: score/price*100.

Value for money	Pixel 3	iPhone XS	VS
Amazon	2.51	1.67 !	-
eBay	2.15	0.85	-1.30
Best Buy	-	-	-
Wallmart	1.90	1.46 !	-

And this is the "The Best Smartphones On A Budget" list.

Want to know about that global rate? Let me point out the average of its competitors. It's 5.4 for the Pixel 3 and 6.2 for the iPhone XS.

Verdict: Does any of them really stand out?

These two really are more alike than you may initially think of, despite their differences. These aren't also the best in their class, but if you're looking for a cheap and native software experience, I guess they are as good (if not better) as most. If you're looking for performance above all, you should clearly go for the iPhone XS. But performance isn't everything, and the Pixel 3 wins on the display, weight, and battery life. That's why they end up at about the same score. iPhone's chipset and camera alone aren't enough to make it stand out that much from the Pixel 3. In the end, they all have their MicroSD card and audio jack policies in common, since both want you to subscribe to cloud services or to buy an overpriced set of headphones.

Pros	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
#1	AMOLED	Performance
#2	Always-On-Display	AMOLED
#3	Cameras	Cameras
#4	Fast Charging	Fast Charging
#5	Wireless Charging	Wireless Charging
#6		Glass Protection

Cons	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
#1	MicroSD Slot	Always-On-Display
#2	3.5mm Jack	Battery Life
#3		MicroSD Slot
#4		3.5mm Jack
#5		Price

Relative Score*			vs.
Global Score	Pixel 3	iPhone XS
Gaming Score	4.9	5.7	0.8
Tek-Score	5.50	5.68	0.18

*Reference: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

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