Compare > Google Pixel 10 vs Apple iPhone 17
Google Pixel 10 vs iPhone 17: Same Price, Very Different Cameras
By Sarah Jenkins • Updated 3 October 2026
These two launched at exactly the same UK price, which makes this the cleanest comparison in the current flagship market. There is no budget argument to make — only a question of what you want the phone to do.
Google Pixel 10 vs Apple iPhone 17: Full Specifications
| Google Pixel 10 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
| Price (RRP) | £799 (128GB) | £799 (256GB) |
| Base storage | 128GB | 256GB |
| Display | 6.3in OLED, 1080 x 2424, 120Hz | 6.3in LTPO OLED, 1206 x 2622, 120Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits | 1,600 nits |
| Processor | Google Tensor G5 (3nm) | Apple A19 (3nm) |
| Memory | 12GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Main camera | 48MP f/1.7, OIS | 48MP f/1.6, OIS |
| Telephoto | 10.8MP f/3.1, 5x optical | None (2x sensor crop) |
| Ultrawide | 13MP f/2.2 | 48MP f/2.2 |
| Front camera | 10.5MP f/2.2 | 18MP f/1.9 Center Stage |
| Battery | 4,970mAh | 3,692mAh |
| Charging | 30W wired, 15W Qi2 | 25W wired, 25W MagSafe |
| Software | Android 16, 7 years of updates | iOS 26 |
| Weight | 204g | 177g |
| Thickness | 8.6mm | 8mm |
The telephoto is the whole argument
The Pixel 10 has a 10.8MP periscope with 5x optical zoom. The iPhone 17 has no telephoto at all — its 2x is a crop from the main sensor.
This matters more than spec sheets usually do, because zoom is the one thing software cannot fake. Computational photography can rescue low light and dynamic range; it cannot invent detail that never reached the sensor. At 5x the Pixel produces shots that are simply not available on the iPhone at this price.
The trade is at the other end: the iPhone’s 48MP ultrawide is far stronger than the Pixel’s 13MP, which is the weakest of the Pixel’s three lenses.
Storage: read the small print
Both are £799, but the iPhone gives you 256GB and the Pixel 128GB. Neither has a card slot. Matching the iPhone’s storage costs £899 on the Pixel.
That is a genuine £100 swing in the iPhone’s favour that the headline price hides, and it is the single most overlooked point in this comparison.
Battery: no contest
The Pixel carries 4,970mAh against the iPhone’s 3,692mAh. Raw capacity is not directly comparable across operating systems — iOS and the A19 are more efficient — but the gap here is large enough that the Pixel is the more dependable phone for a long day.
The cost is weight. At 204g the Pixel is 27g heavier, which you notice in a shirt pocket.
Performance: the iPhone wins, but ask whether you care
The A19 is comfortably faster than Tensor G5 in raw terms, and if you play demanding games at high settings you will see it.
Tensor was never built to win benchmarks. It is built around on-device AI, and Gemini Nano runs locally, so those features work with no connection and nothing leaving the device. Whether that trade is worth it depends entirely on whether you use them.
The verdict
This is a genuine split decision, which is rare. The Pixel 10 is the better camera for stills and the better phone for battery; the iPhone 17 is the better camera for video, lighter, faster, and gives you double the storage for the same money.
If zoom matters to you at all, take the Pixel. If it does not, the iPhone is the better-value package at the same headline price.
Where to buy
Check Google Pixel 10 price on Amazon UK →
Check Apple iPhone 17 price on Amazon UK →
Read our full Google Pixel 10 review • Read our full Apple iPhone 17 review
RRP figures are manufacturer recommended prices, correct at the time of writing, and retail prices change frequently — always check the live price before buying. We have not independently tested these devices; any measured figures are attributed to the publication that recorded them. We may earn a commission from links on this page.