Google Pixel 8a / Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Google Pixel 8a: 8 GB RAM, 128/256 GB; North America GKV4X, rest of world G6GPR, Japan G576D, mmWave model G8HHN.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: iPhone 15 Pro Max; 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB storage. US models (A2848 and A2849 as listed) use eSIM only; models sold outside the US have a SIM tray. The iPhone 15 Pro is a separate, smaller model.

SpecificationGoogle Pixel 8aApple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Release year20242023
Display6.1-inch Actua OLED; 1080 × 2400, 430 ppi, 20:9; always-on display

The always-on display shows the time, notifications and the song playing nearby (Now Playing) at low power while the phone is locked.

Google
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2796 × 1290 pixels, 460 ppi; ProMotion up to 120 Hz; Always-On display; Dynamic Island

ProMotion changes the refresh rate with the content: it rises to 120 Hz for scrolling and drops on still images to save battery. The Always-On display shows the time and notifications dimmed while locked.

Apple
Refresh rateSmooth Display, up to 120 Hz

The upper limit, 90 Hz on earlier A-series phones, rises to 120 Hz on this model; Google notes it is not available in every app.

Google
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Brightness and contrastUp to 1,400 nits (HDR) and up to 2,000 nits peak; >1,000,000:1 contrast

HDR brightness is measured with the whole screen lit and peak brightness with only 5% lit.

Google
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Cover glass and buildCorning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front; matte composite back; matte aluminium frame

The aluminium in the housing and camera bar is 100% recycled; the back cover uses 76% recycled plastic.

Google
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DurabilityIP67 dust and water resistance (IEC 60529)

IP67 means full dust protection and resistance to brief immersion; it is one step below IP68. Protection can diminish over time.

Google
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ProcessorGoogle Tensor G3; Titan M2 security coprocessor

It is the same chip as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Google
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Memory and storage8 GB LPDDR5X RAM; 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage

There is no card slot; the 256 GB option is not offered in every country.

Google
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Main camera64 MP Quad PD wide; 0.8 μm pixels, f/1.89, 80° field of view, 1/1.73-inch sensor; optical + electronic stabilisation

Super Res Zoom up to 8x is software magnification; there is no telephoto camera.

Google
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Ultrawide camera13 MP; 1.12 μm pixels, f/2.2, 120° field of view, lens correction Google—
Front camera13 MP; f/2.2, fixed focus, 96.5° ultrawide Google12 MP TrueDepth, ƒ/1.9, autofocus; Face ID Apple
VideoRear: 4K and 1080p at 30/60 fps, slow motion up to 240 fps, digital zoom up to 5x; front: 4K and 1080p at 30 fps; HEVC and AVC Google4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; Dolby Vision HDR 4K at 60 fps; ProRes 4K at 60 fps with external recording; Log video; Cinematic mode 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode 2.8K at 60 fps; spatial video at 1080p 30 fps

Log recording gives a flat image for colour grading; Action mode reduces shake with software stabilisation and crops the image to 2.8K.

Apple
Battery4,492 mAh typical (minimum 4,404 mAh); 24+ hours, up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver

According to Google, average battery life in testing was at least 31 hours; figures are based on a median user profile.

Google
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ChargingWired up to 18 W (with the Google 30 W USB-C charger); Qi-certified wireless charging

No charger is included; the box contains a USB-C cable and a Quick Switch adapter for transferring data from an old phone.

Google
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WirelessWi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz; Wi-Fi 6 in India); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; Google Cast Google—
LocationGPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou (no BeiDou in the US, NavIC added in India) Google—
Cellular and SIM5G Sub-6: North America GKV4X, rest of world G6GPR, Japan G576D (FeliCa); mmWave model G8HHN; single nano-SIM + eSIM Google—
Authentication and sensorsUnder-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock; proximity, ambient light, accelerometer, gyrometer, magnetometer, barometer Google—
USB and audioUSB-C 3.2; stereo speakers, two microphones Google—
Software and updatesLaunched with Android 14; seven years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates

The seven years count from the first sale date on the US Google Store; this was the first A-series phone with the promise.

Google
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Dimensions and weight152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm; 189 g Google—
Colours and warrantyObsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Aloe; one-year warranty in the US, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and India, two years in Europe and Australia Google—
Brightness—1000 nits typical; 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor)

2000 nits is a peak reached with automatic brightness in sunlight; manual brightness stays lower.

Apple
Chip—A17 Pro; 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine Apple
Storage—256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB

Storage cannot be expanded later. 4K 60 fps ProRes recording works only to external storage.

Apple
Rear cameras—48 MP main (24 mm, ƒ/1.78, sensor-shift OIS); 12 MP ultra wide (13 mm, 120°); 12 MP 5x telephoto (120 mm, ƒ/2.8, tetraprism); up to 25x digital zoom

The tetraprism design folds light inside the body so a 120 mm focal length fits in the thin case. Values above 5x are digital zoom and lose detail.

Apple
USB-C—Charging, DisplayPort and USB 3 (up to 10 Gb/s)

The 10 Gb/s speed needs a USB 3 capable cable; the charge cable in the box does not provide it. DisplayPort output can drive an external display at 4K HDR.

Apple
Battery and charging—Up to 29 hours of video playback; about 50% in 30 minutes with a 20 W or higher adapter; MagSafe 15 W, Qi2 15 W, Qi 7.5 W; lithium-ion battery

No power adapter is included. Qi2 support brings magnetic alignment to compatible chargers beyond MagSafe.

Apple
Cellular and wireless—5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation Ultra Wideband; Thread; NFC; precision dual-frequency GPS

Dual-frequency GPS uses two satellite frequencies together to reduce position drift between tall buildings. mmWave 5G works only on the US model and with carriers that offer it.

Apple
SIM—US model: dual eSIM, no physical SIM slot; models sold outside the US have a SIM tray

The phone can store eight or more eSIM profiles; two lines can be active at once.

Apple
Action button—Silent mode, Focus, Camera, Flashlight, Voice Memo, Translate, Magnifier, Shortcut or Accessibility

It replaces the ring/silent switch of earlier models; pressing and holding runs the chosen function.

Apple
Durability and materials—IP68 (up to 6 metres for up to 30 minutes); titanium design, Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back

Water and dust resistance is not permanent and can decrease over time.

Apple
Size and weight—159.9 × 76.7 × 8.25 mm; 221 g Apple
Known software fix—iOS 17.0.3: addressed an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected

Apple released this fix in October 2023; heat reports continued with later versions, see owner experiences.

Apple
Colours—Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium Apple