<\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro, wide-angle lens with macro focus.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro, wide-angle lens with macro focus.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAnd it’s much the same in the pictures above when I used the phones to get a low-down shot of this dandelion, with the blue sky behind it. The Pixel 7 Pro’s shot has much more vibrant green tones in the grasses around the subject. The iPhone 14 Pro captured a warmer scene, with more yellow tones seen in the grasses that I personally don’t like as much.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro selfie camera test.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro selfie camera test.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Pixel 7 Pro is packing a 10.8-megapixel front-facing selfie camera, which is slightly below the iPhone 14 Pro’s 12 megapixels. It’s not a huge difference, there is slightly more detail visible when you zoom in. Both shots are generally solid, however, although I think the Pixel has gone a bit too “HDR” by reducing the highlights on my face too much. Personally, I prefer how I look in the iPhone’s image.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro wide-angle selfie test.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro wide-angle selfie test.<\/p>\n
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Both phones have a wider-angle option for the front-facing cameras, which is helpful if you want to capture more of your surroundings or want to squash more of your friends into the picture. I took the photos above in this mode, and the Pixel actually has the edge slightly in terms of fine image details. But again, I prefer the exposure and contrast from the iPhone as the Pixel’s HDR has flattened the tones in my face a bit too much for my liking.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro, night mode.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro, night mode.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhen switching to night mode on both phones, I had to give an early win to the iPhone in the photos above. Its white balance produced a nicer-looking shot without the overly warm orange tone seen in the Pixel’s image.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro night mode, 100% crop.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro, night mode, 100% crop.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIt’s also clear that the iPhone’s image is sharper when cropping in to 100% on both images, with the Pixel’s shot showing some motion blur, particularly on the pub sign. Look at the spotlights on the wall sculptures above; the Pixel’s shot hasn’t been able to capture the dynamic range here, resulting in blow-out areas, while the iPhone has done a much better job of keeping those bright tones under control.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro, night mode.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro, night mode.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThere’s not as much to choose between in these night-time shots above that I took overlooking Leith Shore. Both have similar color tones, exposure and only marginal improvements on the iPhone’s shot when viewed at 100%.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro night mode, 5x zoom.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro, night mode, 3x zoom.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSwitch to the zoom mode, and there’s a bigger difference between the two phones. In the images above, the Pixel’s shot is brighter and more vibrant but suffers hugely from motion blur, despite that fact that I stabilized myself against a bridge wall when taking the shot. I took three images here and this was the best I could get.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro, night mode, 5x zoom at 100% crop.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro, night mode, 3x zoom at 100% crop.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nYou can really see how blurry the Pixel’s image is when cropping in to 100%. Sure, the iPhone doesn’t have the same reach with its 3x zoom. But its shot is much sharper and clearer, and it easily takes the win here.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\nPixel 7 Pro, night mode.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/span><\/p>\niPhone 14 Pro, night mode.<\/p>\n
<\/span> \n Andrew Lanxon\/CNET \n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI also found that the Pixel 7 Pro is particularly susceptible to lens flare at night when shooting towards bright light sources like the street lamp shown in the pictures above. While both cameras suffer from lens flare, the Pixel’s is particularly problematic since most of the night sky is filled with red-pink flares surrounding the light. It’s a shame because this would otherwise have been a nice night-time scene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Which phone takes better pictures?<\/h2>\n Both phones took some truly superb photos during this test, and it’s not easy to give either one the definitive win. Some elements of what makes a “better” photo will come down to personal preference. In well-lit outdoor shots, I found that the Pixel 7 Pro achieved a more natural color tone from its main lens than the iPhone managed. But its colors weren’t as good in some wider-angle shots. Of course, you can set up different photographic styles on the iPhone to customize how the camera captures photos and make them look more natural if that’s your preference.<\/p>\n
At night the iPhone is the clear winner though, with better colors, crisper detail and a superior ability to handle bright light sources — both in terms of exposure and lens flare. However, the Pixel 7 Pro absolutely takes the win with its superior zoom skills, with its 5x zoom letting you snag beautiful, crystal-clear images that are simply out of reach of the iPhone’s 3x zoom. I also preferred the look of the Pixel’s macro images in all of the tests I shot.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/figure>\n \n Now playing:<\/span> \n Watch this:<\/span> \n <\/span> \n Pixel 7 Pro Review: Google’s Best Phone Gets Better<\/p>\n <\/p>\n10:14 \n <\/span><\/p>\n
So which is “best” will come down to what you want most from your phone camera. If night photography is important, then go for the iPhone 14 Pro. If you want zoom skills to find creative compositions in your landscapes and street photography, then the Pixel 7 Pro is for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you just want a great all around camera to snap vibrant shots of your kids at the beach, your friend’s food at a local market or some stunning woodland scenes on your next hike, then either phone will suit you incredibly well. Your bigger decision will instead come down to whether you want to go with iOS or Android as your operating system and whether spending the extra hundred bucks or so on the iPhone 14 Pro is worth it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pixel 7 Pro: Subtle Tweaks Improve Google’s Best Phone<\/h3>\n <\/p>\n <\/figure>\n <\/a><\/p>\n
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