Google Pixel 5 vs Apple iPhone 12: Which is Better?

The Google Pixel 5 was announced just a few weeks ago. It offers 5G support and continues the Pixel tradition of having great cameras and innovative features. That’s all in a phone that costs $ 699. This week, Apple announced the iPhone 12, which also packs impressive hardware and software in a phone that costs just $ 100 more at $ 799. But which one is better: the Pixel 5 versus the iPhone 12?

Continue reading: Comparison of the iPhone 12 series

We haven’t fully reviewed both devices yet, but we still have some initial thoughts and opinions based on their spec sheets and our first Pixel 5 review. Here’s our early look at Google Pixel 5 versus iPhone 12.

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Google Pixel 5 versus iPhone 12

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Technical specifications

	Google Pixel 5	Apple iPhone 12
display	6-Zoll-OLED Resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 432ppi 90Hz refresh rate 19.5: 9 aspect ratio > 1,000,000: 1 contrast ratio	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED Resolution 2,532 x 1,170 HDR, True Tone Width color (P3) Contrast ratio 2,000,000: 1 625 nits maximum brightness (typical); Maximum brightness of 1200 nits (HDR) Ceramic shield on the front
processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 2x Cortex-A76 6x Cortex-A55 Titan M security module	Apple A14 Bionic
RAM	8 GB LPDDR4x	N / A
Storage	128 GB No microSD slot	64/128/256 GB No microSD slot
Cameras	back Main: 12.2 MP, 1: 1.7 aperture, 1.4 µm pixels, optical + electronic image stabilization Secondary: 16 MP, f / 2.2 aperture, 1 micron pixel, ultra wide (107 degrees FoV) 4K at 60 fps / 30 fps front 8MP Sensor, Aperture 1: 2.0, 1.12 Pixm Pixels, Fixed Focus, 83-Degree FoV	Back: -Wide angle 12MP, ƒ / 1.6, OIS, 7-element lens – Ultra-wide 12MP, ƒ / 2.4, 120 ° field of view, 5-element lens, lens correction 2x optical reduction, digital zoom up to 5x, night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 Video: HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 30 frames per second 4K video at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps 1080p HD video at 30 fps or 60 fps 720p HD video at 30 frames per second OIS for video (wide) 2x optical reduction, digital reduction up to 3x Front: -TrueDepth 12MP, ƒ / 2.2
Headphone jack	No	No
Drums	4.080 mAh 18W charging 12W wireless charging Reverse Wireless Charging	N / A Qi wireless charging up to 7.5 W. Up to 50% charge in approx. 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher (sold separately) MagSafe: Wireless charging up to 15W Magnetarray Alignment magnet Accessory identification NFC Magnetometer
IP rating	IP68	IP68
Software	Android 11	iOS 14
Dimensions and weight	144,7 x 70,4 x 8 mm 151 g	146,7 x 71,5 x 7,4 mm 164 g
Colours	Just black, Sorta Sage	Black, white, product red, green, blue

Design

The Google Pixel 5 has a 6-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 and a refresh rate of 90 Hz. The iPhone 12 has a slightly larger 6.1-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2,532 x 1,170, but is limited to 60 Hz.

For the front-facing camera, the Pixel 5 has a hole cutout in the top left corner of the screen. Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 continues to use a large notch at the top for the front camera and face-scanning sensors. The notch is a little dated at this point, but if you’re already using an iPhone, you’re probably used to it – and it enables Apple’s Face ID technology.

The Pixel 5 uses Gorilla Glass 6 on its display, while the iPhone 12 opts for a new material called Ceramic Shield. It is made using a process that incorporates nanoceramic crystals into the glass. This is said to offer better protection against falls compared to previous iPhone models.

See also: Google Pixel 5 Vs Pixel 4a 5G Vs Pixel 4a – Which Should You Buy?

Google’s latest flagship uses aluminum for the back of the phone, but it supports wireless charging thanks to a unique design feature. The Pixel 5 has a hole in the housing that is covered by a bio-resin material. The iPhone 12 also has an aluminum case and supports wireless charging.

This year, the new Pixel returns to the tried and tested fingerprint sensor on the back and leaves the Soli movement sense of last year behind. The iPhone 12 uses face reading sensors in the notch mentioned above to unlock the phone. Both phones have IP68 certification for water and dust resistance, but neither have a headphone jack.

The Pixel 5 is available in the colors Just Black and Sorta Sage. The iPhone 12 offers a greater variety of colors with the options black, white, product red, green and blue.

Hardware

Google incorporated the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip into the Pixel 5, which isn’t top-notch but has enough performance for everyday use. Apple is offering its latest and greatest internal chip, the Apple A14 Bionic, in the iPhone 12. While we haven’t tested the iPhone 12’s chip performance yet, we’ll bet the Apple A14 Bionic will blow the Snapdragon 765G chip away in the benchmark test. Both phones support low frequency and mmWave 5G networks. However, the iPhone 12 only offers mmWave support for the US market.

Continue reading: Snapdragon 765G versus Snapdragon 865

The Pixel 5 has 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128 GB of onboard storage. We don’t have information about the RAM specs for the iPhone 12 yet, but iOS is generally optimized to do more with less. The phone is available with 64, 128 and 256 GB for storage. There is no way to add storage on either of the phones.

The Pixel 5 has a 4,080mAh battery and supports wired charging speeds of 18W and wireless charging of 12W. We don’t have specifications for the iPhone 12 battery yet, but we know it supports what Apple calls MagSafe . This feature allows new accessories, including cases and wireless chargers, to be attached to the back of the phone using magnets. The new wireless chargers from Apple MagSafe can increase wireless charging on the iPhone 12 by up to 15 W. The phones continue to support the most popular Qi wireless charging standard, but only charge iPhone 12 models up to 7.5W.

Cameras

The Pixel 5 has the same 12.2-megapixel main camera we’ve seen in previous Pixel phones for the past two years. However, the secondary camera is a 16-megapixel ultra-wide shooter that dumps the Pixel 4 series telephoto sensor. The phone’s portrait mode now includes Google’s low-light night vision feature and adds locked, active, and cinematic panning modes for better video clips. There is also an 8MP selfie camera on the front. In our initial review of the phone, we found that the Pixel 5 can take solid pictures, but continued use of older sensors shows up compared to other phones with newer sensors and higher numbers of megapixels.

The iPhone 12 includes two rear cameras. One is a 12MP wide sensor while the other is a 12MP ultra wide camera. It also has a 12MP front camera in that big notch on top of the display. We’ll have to wait to see how the iPhone 12’s cameras perform in our full test, but we know it supports HDR and Dolby Vision HDR video recording at up to 30 frames per second. Users can even edit their Dolby Vision HDR video clips on the phone. We also know that it has time-lapse support for night mode as well as night mode for the ultra-wide camera and the front camera.

Software

The Pixel 5 is made by Google, which hopefully you already know is also developing and updating the Android operating system. This means that the latest operating system update, Android 11, is immediately available for this phone. You don’t have to wait to get the latest Android updates compared to the vast majority of phones that use Google’s mobile operating system. Google says it will provide at least three major operating system updates for the Pixel 5.

Like all new iPhone models for 2020, the iPhone 12 will be shipped with iOS 14, which Apple has already released for older iPhone models. It includes new features like support for widgets on the phone’s home screen and an app library to help you organize your apps better. It also provides picture-in-picture support for watching videos or making FaceTime calls while still using another app on the phone. You can expect the iPhone 12 to get a long update cycle too.

price

• Google Pixel 5 – $ 699 / £ 599 / € 629
• iPhone 12
  • 64 GB – $ 799 / £ 799 / € 909
  • 128 GB – $ 849 / £ 849 / € 959
  • 256 GB – 949 USD / 949 GBP / 1.079 EUR

Pre-orders for the Pixel 5 are available now in the US for $ 699 through the Google Store, Google Fi, Verizon, and retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Shipping of the phones is expected to begin in late October.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 will begin on Friday, October 16, and the phone will go on sale in Apple stores on October 23. Prices for the 64GB model start at $ 799 if you buy it through AT&T or Verizon, or at $ 829 with a fully unlocked model phone.

Google Pixel 5 vs iPhone 12: Which Should You Choose?

There’s no doubt that the Pixel 5 is a formidable Android phone for its price point. It has a large 90Hz display, supports Android 11 out of the box, and the camera’s hardware and software are still solid. On paper, however, the iPhone 12 also has a lot going for it, with a slightly larger display, more storage options, and most importantly, a new internal processor that will almost certainly knock the one in the Pixel 5 away inside the Pixel 5. The iPhone 12 also ships with iOS 14 and, like the Pixel 5, is updated very quickly with security fixes and major and minor operating system updates.

Software and price can be the decision maker.

If you’re dying to get an Android phone over an iPhone, the Pixel 5 might be the best product in this price range, just for the OS updates. The iPhone 12 seems to have some impressive specs too, but it’s at least $ 100 more expensive than the Pixel 5. We’ll have to wait for our full review to see if the iPhone 12 is your time and money compared to the iPhone 12 Pixel 5 is worth it, but both look like fantastic purchases on paper.