Hi guys, its MTG here, and today I'm going to be comparing the iPhone X and the Google
Pixel 2 XL.
Both of these are terrific phone, but both of them also happen to be very expensive.
So if you happened to be stuck in between the two, I wanted to help you make an informed
decision which phone is the right one for you.
I'll be comparing them in six different categories: Design and Specifications, Battery, Camera,
Extra Features, Overall Usability and Software, and Price.
And in the end, I'll see how the two phones stacked up.
Let's get right into it.
In terms of design and specifications, I'll first look at the Pixel 2 XL.
Google has made a noticeable improvement over their previous phones in terms of their design.
The front of the phone is Corning's Gorilla Glass 5.
There is, like just about every phone this year, an almost bezel-less design.
The front isn't all screen though, as it also houses dual front firing speakers.
The actual display, is a 6 inch, P-OLED display with a QHD+ resolution of 1440x2880 (pixel
density of 538 ppi).
The back of the phone is mostly aluminum with a glass strip along the top.
Google was able to eliminate any sort of antenna lines, and personally, I really like the design
of the Pixel 2 XL.
It looks clean and professional.
Also, since the back isn't mostly glass like other phones, the Pixel 2 XL will be more
durable when it comes to back or side drops.
Powering the Pixel 2 XL is Qualcomm's Octa-core Snapdragon 835 chipset.
It has 4 GB of RAM, and either 64 or 128 GB of storage.
The iPhone X has a design that is unquestionably unique.
It has glass on both the front and the back, and has a stainless steal frame.
The screen on the X is a 5.8 inch OLED display with the infamous notch, and a resolution
of 2436x1125 (pixel density of 458 ppi).
The glass was advertised by Apple as the most durable glass ever put on a smartphone, but
numerous drop tests show that its still glass and it still breaks easily, which would lead
to very costly repairs.
But if you've ever held the iPhone X, you'll understand when I say that the phone feels
very premium.
There's something about the shiny stainless steel and the weight that make it feel like
a very premium phone.
Powering the phone is Apple's new A11 Bionic chip that is currently the most powerful chip
put on a smartphone.
It has 3 GB of RAM, and either 64 or 256 GM of storage.
Both are IP67 water and dust resistant.
The Pixel 2 XL is a nice looking phone, but the iPhone X has the more premium design.
And although the iPhone X does have a camera bump, the phone is seamless, and just looks
like the more premium phone.
This, coupled with its powerful chipset and higher quality OLED display, leads me to give
the win to the iPhone X in this category.
No matter how pretty a phone is, it has to at least get through most of a day otherwise
it's a useless phone.
Luckily, both of these phones have shown pretty good battery life.
The iPhone X has a battery with a capacity of 2716 mAh.
On the other hand, the Pixel 2 XL has a battery capacity of 3520 mAh.
But when it comes to battery life, there are many factors that come into play other than
simply the capacity.
Apple has such great optimization on their phones and have very efficient chipsets, completely
making up for the 800 less mAh capacity of their battery as opposed to the one on the
Pixel 2 XL.
In my testing, they both performed about the same.
On normal usage days where I mainly use them for social media and calls, they would be
at around 20% at midnight.
On heavier usage days, I would have to recharge both of them.
Both are fast charging compatible, but the iPhone X has wireless charging whereas the
Pixel 2 XL does not.
I expect to see a lot more wireless chargers in public spaces.
Because their battery life is about the same, and because they are both fast charging compatible,
the fact that the iPhone X has wireless charging gives the iPhone X the win in the battery
department as well.
I want to start off the discussion of the camera category by saying both of these phones
have phenomenal cameras.
The iPhone X has a dual 12 Megapixel camera system with apertures of f/1.8 and f/2.4.
The second telephoto lens allows you to have 2x optical zoom as well as take portrait-mode
pictures.
The camera can shoot 4K at up to 60 fps, and 1080p at up to 240 fps.
The Google Pixel 2 XL has only one 12.2 Megapixel rear camera with an aperture of f/1.8.
And the camera is capable of shooting 4K at up to 30 fps and 1080p at up to 120 fps.
Using AI and machine learning, the Pixel 2 XL is also able to take portrait mode pictures.
The front camera on the Pixel 2 XL is 8 Megapixels with an aperture of f/2.4 and can take 1080p
video at 30 fps.
Also using just software, Google's latest flagship can take portrait style pictures
with its front camera.
The TrueDepth camera on the iPhone X is 7 Megapixels with an aperture of f/2.2.
It utilizes some of the tech used in FaceID to also take front portrait style pictures.
I have an in-depth camera comparison of these phones out already, so check that video out
if you want to see more test shots.
The iPhone X did have some better shots and does have extraordinarily high frame rates
for its video, but in my testing, the Pixel 2 XL was really close behind in even the shots
that I'd say the iPhone X handled the scene better.
But when testing the portrait modes on each phone, the Pixel 2 XL would clearly take the
better picture.
Personally, most of the pictures I take are of people, so this really stood out to me.
You can take front camera portrait mode pictures on the Pixel 2 XL that could come out even
better than the back portrait mode of the iPhone X.
Also, the iPhone X's front portrait mode never seemed to see my hair as in the foreground.
In all other scenarios, an argument could be made for the Pixel 2 XL, and since the
2 XL has such a clear advantage when it comes to taking pictures of people, I give the win
in the camera category to the Pixel 2 XL.
Both Apple and Google don't add features just for the sake of adding them.
The iPhone X and Pixel 2 XL might not have the most features in the world, but the few
that they do have, work really well.
The Pixel 2 XL has dual front-firing speakers that can't be covered if you hold your phone
in any natural way.
The iPhone X uses its earpiece as another speaker and can create stereo sound as well,
but the bottom speaker can be covered when holding the phone landscape.
The Pixel 2 XL has an always on display that can show you your notifications and the time.
Whereas using FaceID and raise to wake, the iPhone X can allow you and only you to quickly
glance at notifications without having to unlock your phone.
Google has implemented a squeeze to activate the Google Assistant feature, and Apple has
implemented a dedicated button to activate Siri.
Every feature that I just mentioned is executed very well on both phones, and for every cool
thing the iPhone X can do, the Pixel 2 XL also has something to offer.
This has led me to decide that the extra features category will end in a tie.
Now I'll get into the category that I think is the most important when deciding between
phones: Software and Usability.
Surprisingly, the iPhone X is now the phone with the steeper learning curve right out
of the box.
It takes a little getting used to learn all of the different gestures, and to learn things
that you previously knew how to do like taking a screenshot and even turning off the phone.
But before the end of the first day I got it, I was so used to the gestures to the point
where I was accidentally trying to swipe up to go home on my other phones.
I appreciate the iPhone X's ability to seamlessly slide between apps.
I appreciate being able to iMessage and FaceTime using my number and no additional apps, and
being able to instantly just drop a file from my computer to my phone using AirDrop.
And I appreciate the massive amount of optimized apps in the App Store.
Love or hate iOS, you can also admit that coupled with the new A11 chipset, the phone
is incredibly snappy and responsive.
But in terms of usability, the iPhone X does have its flaws.
I hate how notifications aren't stacked because it makes the notification shade very cluttered,
and I don’t like how Apple didn't bother to include a fingerprint sensor in another
location because frankly, using your fingerprint lets you get into your phone much faster.
The Pixel 2 XL and its stock Android Oreo experience shows just how much Android has
improved over the years.
Android now rivals the cleanness of iOS, but still gives the user more control over the
appearance with widgets and launchers.
Also, the lack of bloat-ware on the Pixel 2 XL, along with some optimization on Google's
end, has made the Pixel 2 XL incredibly snappy as well.
With both, your phone won't stutter on any normal usage, and with both phones, your getting
stock experiences of the two respective operating systems.
Yes, the iPhone X has exclusive features like iMessage, AirDrop, and a terrific App Store,
but the Pixel 2 XL allows you to customize your phone the way you want it to look and
feel.
Because both phones are incredibly snappy and responsive, and because each operating
system has clear advantages but also clear disadvantages, I say that the category of
Software and Usability also ends in a tie.
With both phones, its hard to justify such big price tags because of how little extra
features each phone has.
But Apple and Google were not selling cool features, they were selling reliable smartphones
that will work without stutter in bodies that you could appreciate.
As you know, the iPhone X is priced at $1000, which is an insane starting price point for
a phone.
The Pixel 2 XL has a starting price of $850, which is also really expensive, but still
happens to be $150 cheaper than the iPhone.
As I've said in a previous review, I won't simply give the least expensive of the two
the win because of price alone.
I delve into what you get for the money.
First off, the iPhone X is fast charging compatible, but the fast charging accessories are not
included in the box.
For fast charging, Apple recommends you purchase their 29W USB-C power adapter, which costs
$49, and their USB-C to lighting adapter, which costs $25.
So to be able to fast charge your new iPhone X, you'll have to buy another $74 worth of
accessories.
Also, with the Pixel 2 XL, Google is providing unlimited storage of full-quality pictures
and videos with Google Photos for at least 2 years.
With the iPhone X, Apple only provides free storage through iCloud up to 5 GB, and any
amount after that will cost a monthly fee.
Lastly, I'd like to note that the Pixel 2 XL's screen will cost $220 to replace and
its back will cost $160 to replace, whereas the iPhone X's screen will cost $280 to replace,
and its back will cost $549 to replace.
So beyond the simple price tags of both phones, the Pixel 2 XL wins the category of price
because it includes a fast charging cable, includes unlimited cloud storage, and is much
less expensive to repair.
So it ended in a tie, something that I did not intentionally try to do, but is something
that makes sense.
Let me explain why.
In no category did one phone blow the other phone out of the water.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you to not buy the iPhone X because it's not worth
it, and I also will not tell you that no other phone trumps the iPhone X because I disagree
with both statements.
There is no "best phone."
Given what someone prefers more in a phone, maybe you can decide which phone is best for
that individual, but that doesn't mean that the phone will be the best choice for even
that person's sibling or best friend.
The iPhone X is the right choice for someone who is engulfed in the Apple ecosystem.
These are people who can't live without the convenience and features of iMessage, Facetime,
iCloud, and Safari, and that's totally okay.
Apple has finally made a new iPhone that has new features and they finally took a risk
in terms of design.
Because of this, I have no problem recommending the iPhone X for someone who is already invested
heavily into Apple.
Those people will believe the phone is worth the thousand dollars, and will most likely
love the phone, which makes sense.
But for people who are willing to switch, the phone landscape has never looked so intriguing.
With the Pixel 2 XL, Google is offering a software experience that is also very snappy
and easy to use.
They are offering limitless storage for photos and videos that would've otherwise been a
monthly fee with Apple.
Also, the Pixel 2 XL can take better depth effect pictures with its single lens than
the iPhone X can with its dual camera system.
So basically it comes down to your preferences in terms of the operating system.
Whichever phone you choose, you'll be very happy with your decision even if it's on a
two year contract.
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