Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max continues to reinforce its reputation as the gold standard in smartphone videography, leaving Google’s latest Pixel 10 Pro XL struggling to keep up. 
Tech YouTuber Dave2D recently pitted the two flagships against each other in a head-to-head camera showdown, and the results once again highlighted Apple’s dominance in video performance – just weeks before the iPhone 17 Pro is set to debut.
In various low-light scenarios, the iPhone 16 Pro Max effortlessly delivered sharp, detailed footage while the Pixel 10 Pro XL faltered. Google’s celebrated Night Sight feature remains a powerhouse for still photos, but when it comes to video, the Pixel’s results were dim and lacking consistency. Motion handling was another weakness, with quick pans introducing an unpleasant judder effect – a flaw that has lingered across previous Pixel generations, only slightly improved this year despite the new Tensor G5 chip built on TSMC’s 3nm architecture.
That said, the Pixel 10 Pro XL wasn’t without victories. In macro video, it outshined the iPhone, producing vibrant, cinematic close-ups with an impressive depth of field. Macro stills also looked striking, though they demanded careful manual focus. Google’s new Camera Coach software, designed to offer real-time shooting tips, received mixed reactions – helpful for beginners perhaps, but redundant for experienced users.
The heavily marketed 100x ProRes Zoom sounded great in theory but too often delivered grainy shots, while the much-hyped Video Boost feature required an impractical 20-hour processing time to produce results that Apple’s iPhone handles instantly in real time.
Ultimately, the verdict was clear: the Pixel 10 Pro XL still excels at photography, but Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max sets the standard for videography. With the iPhone 17 Pro lineup arriving on September 9, Google faces mounting pressure to close the gap if it wants to seriously challenge Apple’s throne in mobile video.
1 comment
idk guys, I still prefer Pixel colors over iPhone