Pixel 7 Pro on its way to steal iPhone 14 Pro's thunder: Half the number, twice the value?

The smartphone market is extremely competitive, but if there's one brand that's probably feeling pretty secure in its dominance of it, it's Apple. This year's iPhone 14 Pro series finally brought some much-needed, long-awaited features, such as always-on display and sort-of-but-not-really the removal of the notch.

Other than that – we have the usual incremental spec upgrades inside the same body, basically improving upon what Apple likely considers the optimal smartphone shape and form. No need for drastic changes.

Even if the iPhone really is the peak of smartphones, which, judging historically by its popularity and insane sales numbers, it might just be, it's understandable for some of us to start looking elsewhere for our next smartphone. At some point, trying something new can be pretty refreshing after all, although to be fair, it can be a big mistake too. I would know, I do it all the time.

So in this scenario most of the world would turn to Samsung. After all, following Apple, this South Korean goliath is dominating a lot of smartphone markets in the west, especially the budget, mid-range, and most notably – the folding phone markets.

And while Samsung never fails to excite us with creative, packed-full-of-features smartphones like the Galaxy Z Fold 4, what if you want Apple's more tight and focused phone experience? What if you want stock Android, with the basics covered very well – those being display and camera quality, plus performance?

Well, big daddy Google has its own Pixel phones for sale, albeit not nearly in as many regions as Apple or Samsung.

And now, just in the recent days, even hours, leakers and Google itself have been teasing a new "Pro" device (since Apple isn't the only one who can release phones with "Pro" in their name)!

Here's why I'm more excited for the Pixel 7 Pro, than I ever was for the iPhone 14 Pro.

Lower price, yet bigger screen

The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999, while the Pixel 7 Pro has been confirmed to start at $100 less – $899. For that less money, you're getting a much bigger display – 6.7-inch, as opposed to 6.1-inch on the iPhone 14 Pro. Both phones share 120 Hz OLED tech for the screens, so good on either one, but let's face it – bigger is better.

Do keep in mind that the Pixel 7 Pro's specs are still unconfirmed, but very likely to be equal or better to last year's Pixel 6 Pro, which bodes well for Pixel fans, and not so much for Apple fans.

I personally really value display width, not just diagonal size, and am happy to report that last year's Pixel 6 Pro was wider than the iPhone 13 Pro (check out our Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro comparison). Bigger and wider displays mean a more enjoyable movie and YouTube-watching experience, along with a better web browsing and social media one!

And speaking of the Pixel 7 Pro's display – no notch, no "Dynamic Island" cutout; the Pixel just gets a small holepunch camera and that's about it. Tiny bezels, slightly rounded display corners – it's looking beautiful. But hey, let Google sell you on it with its brand new Pixel 7 Pro teaser video:

Lower price, faster charging and a bigger battery

Not that Apple itself shared this information, but the iPhone 14 Pro has a 4352 mAh battery, which is notably smaller than its predecessor, it didn't get bigger. And, this fruit-based smartphone only has 20W fast charging.

Now, battery size doesn't matter that much when we're talking about iPhones – Apple's iOS is fantastically optimized, its processors are very efficient too, so iPhones can last for quite a while on a single charge, almost always beating the competition.

Even so, when we compared last year's iPhone 13 Pro against the Pixel 6 Pro, the two weren't very far off in our web browsing and video streaming battery tests:



And this year we expect similar results from the iPhone 14 Pro against the Pixel 7 Pro. But the Pixel's 5000 mAh battery has a charging speed edge – it's reportedly getting 30W fast charging, if not higher, which is 10W faster than the iPhone.

If you've ever had a busy day, only to come home for a quick shower or a snack, you know how important fast charging is – you want to plug your phone for a couple of minutes and get enough juice for the rest of the day.

The complete opposite of Apple's design aesthetic

A few years back I wasn't exactly thrilled with Google trying to copy Apple in many ways, instead of searching for its own, unique voice (or more accurately – its own smartphone design). For example, Google tried to copy the notch of all things, and it was a widely mocked disaster. Check out the Pixel 3 XL, may we never see something like it again.

But eventually Google got on the right track, and now its Pixel phones are unmistakably Pixel. Their designs are very unique, and best of all – a polar opposite of the iPhone. So wanting something different, a user is bound to be attracted to Google's phones.

While the iPhone 14 Pro is still inarguably beautiful and minimalist, with those perfectly-flat edges that I really appreciate, it can feel a bit too industrial and lacking character.

Meanwhile the Pixel 7 Pro has a bold horizontal camera module on the back, slightly curved display edges too; just enough for a beautiful effect, but not too curved as to cause accidental touch issues.

The display is also clear of any notches or horizontal cutouts for multiple sensors, just a single, small camera cutout.

This is basically elegance against minimalism. A slightly more unique style, against one that's been designed to appeal to as many people as possible, and be as unoffensive as can be. I prefer that first one.

Is Google on the right track? Are you excited for the Pixel 7 Pro?

What do you think – do you agree or disagree that the Pixel 7 Pro is the better value phone? Are you planning to get it, and are you happy with Google's direction? Or do you think Apple's iPhone 14 Pro beats the Pixel in other key areas, and Google doesn't stand a chance?

Join the conversation and share your thoughts in the comments section below!