Specs Showdown: iPhone X VS Google Pixel 2 XL

The war of the smartphones rages on with two commanding challengers recently entering the field within the last month: the iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2 XL!

Like any typical smartphone buyer, you would likely be daunted by the changes and improvements presented by these 2 phones. After all, this is at least a $1000 decision. So what better thing to do then put them in a battle for consumers hearts? So how do they stack up against each other? Let’s take a look at the specs.

Specs at a glance

So what are the major differences between the iPhone X and Google Pixel 2?

Design & Colours: Choose your look

The iPhone X has a metal and glass design and its entire rear is glass. There’s a dual-camera on the top left corner, along with an Apple logo in the middle of the rear. The front is all screen, with just a small notch on top for the front camera and Face ID sensors. The stereo speakers are positioned at the side of the Lightning port at the bottom of the device. Space Grey and Silver seem to be the only choices for now, but it looks amazing nonetheless.

The Google Pixel 2 XL features a combination of glass and metal – a metal frame and a glass panel at the top of the rear housing the camera’s sensor. It comes in 2 sizes and a few colours: Kinda Blue, Just Black and Clearly White for the smaller one and Just Black and Clearly White for the bigger one. The back looks like a futuristic design combined with a polished finished for all 3 colours. The naming convention is unique and will raise some eyebrows, while the phone gives a slight ultramodern feel.

Both the Google Pixel 2 XL and the Apple iPhone X are waterproof but the Apple iPhone X is compatible with wireless charging.

Both phones come close in the design aspect, adopting different takes of the smartphone consumers. One goes for the usual iPhone sleek and stylish look, while the other goes for a bold futuristic uppercut against all the current smartphones out there. We actually love the Google Pixel 2’s colours and design because of its fresh look against its competitors, and Apple’s camera placement is a bit of an eyesore for now.

Likely winner: Google Pixel 2 XL

Camera: Is two better than one?

These 2 smartphones emphasise a lot on their new camera functions. The first thing you’ll notice about the Pixel 2 is that Google stuck with a single-lens system instead of the dual lenses adopted by Apple.

The iPhone X, just like all its other Apple predecessors, packs a punch in the camera department. Boosting 12MP just like the Google Pixel 2, it focuses on taking portrait photos with its hardware-induced Portrait Mode and Portrait Lightning mode. This can be done on both the front and back cameras, even with a dual-lens camera in the back and a single lens camera in the front.

The Google Pixel 2 boosts a 12.2MP camera, and features both dual pixel phase detection, autofocus, laser detection autofocus, optical and electrical image stabilisation, and also has a software-induced portrait mode for bokeh images. They called Apple’s single lens front camera and raised the stakes by ditching the dual camera set up entirely. Yet, pictures still come out amazing, even for the front camera.

If we had to choose one, our hearts would go to the iPhone X. Single lens for a portrait effect kind of defeats the purpose of a well-taken photo, leaving it to effects rather than a pure photo. After all, the iPhone has always impressed us with their photos.

Likely winner: Apple iPhone X

Display & Screen: To bezel or not

The hype is all about Bezel-less displays, and the iPhone X certainly brought that to the table. With their screens incredibly close to the edge of the phone, you can see the entire display of the screen in its true glory.

A potential slight bother is a nook at the top of the screen. Other than that, the home screen display looks amazing. The small changes include the Time and Battery indicators being on the sides of the nook. Other than that, the screen covers almost the entire phone, with the colours of the screen coming at you in full.

The iPhone X has 2 video modes, full screen or a widescreen mode. Full-screen mode looks amazing, but it is blocked by that said nook on the top of the wide. Widescreen mode eradicates this problem, but the phone ends with black space on the top and bottom.

For the Google Pixel 2, the display isn’t a bezel-less one much like the iPhone X, with a lot of space given to the front speakers. As such, the screen appears smaller, but the display is still as robust as the iPhone X. Screen modes look the same as any other typical Android phone.

If you’re going for a full-screen bezel-less display, which is the hype of the town now, the answer is obvious.

Likely winner: Apple iPhone X

Software & Gestures: It’s what’s inside that counts

iPhone X runs on iOS 11 and includes all the latest features Apple has to offer like a personal assistant in the form of Siri. The Pixel 2 XL runs on Android Oreo and has a Google Assistant, which is easily accessible by squeezing the phone’s frame.

For Apple, it is an entirely new user experience. For starters, the Home Button is gone. Unlocking the phone will now require a Face ID which matches each phone to a person’s face, where only the owner can unlock the phone. Ignoring the potential security issues, this certainly is an interesting new feature that Apple adopted, and will definitely make the user experience more intuitive. The Home Button is now replaced with a swipe up motion to bring you back to the Home Screen. All the experience thus far seems seamless, provided you spend some time ‘unlearning’ what you’ve always been doing with the iPhone.

Google Pixel has a ‘Flick-to-change-camera’ function, which is largely similar to other gestures such as using your hand to take a selfie, etc. 

For the iPhone X, there was the animated emoji, which allowed the user to become an emoji.

For the Google Pixel, it was Google Lens that came incorporated with it. Combined with machine learning, Google Lens could search whatever you see, be it pictures of landmarks, people, emails, etc.

Likely winner: Draw

Hardware & Battery-life: How long can it go?

The Apple iPhone X runs on the A11 Bionic chip with a neural engine and embedded M11 motion coprocessor. Storage options are 64GB and 256GB, neither of which have microSD. Apple claims it will last up to 21 hours for talk time. It can be charged via lightning or wirelessly, at up to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

The Google Pixel 2 XL runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, supported by 4GB of RAM. Storage options are 64GB and 128GB, neither of which offer microSD support for storage expansion. Charged via USB Type-C, it can deliver up to 7 hours in 15 minutes and offers day-long usage.

Likely winner: Draw

Price: It’s all about the money

The Apple iPhone X is available at S$1,648 (64GB) and S$1,888 (256GB), and the Google Pixel 2 XL is slightly cheaper at S$1,098 (64GB) and S$1,499 ($128GB). Choose your poison wisely!

Apple iPhone X vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Conclusion

In the end, it all boils down to functionality against style, and which operating system you’re more comfortable with. Apple has the cooler style overall, with its bezel-less display certainly trumps over the front screen display of the Pixel. Alternatively, Google Lens sounds amazing in theory, and Android has always taken pride in its customisation.

Are you planning to get one? If so, which would you choose? Let us know below!

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