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iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

Apple's new iPhone heavyweight faces the AI powerhouse that is the Pixel.

By Victor Hristov

Published: Sep 23, 2025, 7:01 PM

14comments

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

The iPhone 17 Pro Max brings an updated tetra-prism telephoto camera and an innovative new square sensor for the front camera that allows for some very cool tricks.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL, on the other hand, offers the latest and greatest generation of Google's computational photography magic and with new AI tricks with ProRes Zoom it proclaims itself to be the best camera on a phone ever.

To test the real capabilities of these two camera powerhouses we took dozens of photos in various conditions. Take a look at the samples side by side with and tell us which one you think wins this battle.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL Camera Specs:


Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

Camera

Main camera
48 MP (Sensor-shift OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm	50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.7 Focal length: 25 mm Sensor size: 1/1.3" Pixel size: 1.2 μm
Second camera
48 MP (Ultra-wide, Sensor-shift OIS) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm	48 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F1.7 Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Third camera
48 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Optical zoom: 4.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 100 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm	48 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Optical zoom: 5.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 113 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Front
18 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR)	42 MP

See the full Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 10 Pro XL specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Phone Comparison tool

The most notable thing about the Pixel 10 Pro XL is... that there is very little new in terms of hardware. You have a triple camera system with the same specs as the Pixel 9 Pro XL from last year.

So Google better really step up its software processing game...

Zoom Quality

iPhone 10X - iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

Pixel 10X - iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

< iPhone 10X Pixel 10X >

iPhone 4X - iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

Pixel 5X - iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

< iPhone 4X Pixel 5X >

iPhone 8X - iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

< iPhone 8X Pixel 10X >

< iPhone 4X Pixel 5X >

< iPhone 8X Pixel 10X >

Selfies

iPhone - iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

Pixel - iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

< iPhone Pixel >

Main Camera (Day photos)

< iPhone Pixel >

Portrait Mode

Pixel 3X - iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Sample Photos Comparison

< iPhone 4X Pixel 3X >

< iPhone 4X Pixel 5X >

*5X photo with added background blur effect as the Pixel does not have a native 5X portrait mode.

Main Camera (Night photos)

< iPhone Pixel >

Ultra-wide Camera (Night photos)

< iPhone Pixel >

Zoom Quality (Night photos)

< iPhone Pixel >

So, do you prefer the images from the iPhone 17 Pro Max or the Pixel 10 Pro XL?

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View Full Bio

Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.

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