Which phone has better performance, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max or the Google Pixel 8a?

In this performance comparison, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max with its A18 Pro (3nm) performs better than the Google Pixel 8a with the Tensor G3 (4nm), thanks to superior chipset efficiency.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 8a – Price, Specs & Features

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max alternatives

Tap above to see alternatives.

Samsung Galaxy S24+

Apple iPhone 16 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Google Pixel 8a alternatives

Tap above to see alternatives.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

Your comparison result will be shown here.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

A18 Pro
3 nm
4676 mAh
45W
6.9"
1320 x 2868 pixels
48 MP
4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps
Specs

Google Pixel 8a

Tensor G3
4 nm
4492 mAh
18W
6.1"
1080x2400 pixels
64 MP
4K@30/60fps,
Specs

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Comparison & Specs

Google Pixel 8a

General

Launch Date

September 09, 2024

May 07, 2024

Availability

Available Now

iOS 18

Android 14

OS Updates

7 Years

Security Updates

7 Years

AI Features

Apple Intelligence

Gemini - AI assistant, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser, Circle to Search, Pixel Call Assist, Audio Emoji

Body

Dimensions

163 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm

152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9 mm

Thickness

8.3 mm

8.9 mm

Weight

227 g

188 g

Back Material

Gorilla Glass

Build Details

Titanium Frame (grade 5)

Aluminum Frame, Plastic Back

IP Rating

IP68 (up to 6m for 30 min)

IP67 (up to 1m for 30 min)

Display

Size

6.9 inches

6.1 inches

Type

LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Always-On display

OLED, HDR10, Always-on display

Refresh Rate

120 Hz

Peak Brightness

2000 nits

Resolution

1320 x 2868 pixels

1080x2400 pixels

Pixel Density

460 ppi

431 ppi

Aspect Ratio

19.5:9

20:9

Screen to Body Ratio

91.4 %

81.6 %

Protection

Gorilla Glass

Gorilla Glass 3

Performance

Chipset¹

Apple A18 Pro

Google Tensor G3

Process Size

3 nm

4 nm

CPU

Hexa-core

Nona-core
1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X3
4x2.45 GHz Cortex-A715
4x2.15 GHz Cortex-A510

GPU

Apple GPU (6-core graphics)

Immortalis-G715s MC10

RAM & Storage

8GB 256GB (NVMe)
8GB 512GB (NVMe)
8GB 1024GB (NVMe)

8GB 128GB (UFS 3.1)
8GB 256GB (UFS 3.1)

RAM Type

LPDDR5X

Expandable Memory

Camera

Main Camera

48 MP
f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS

12 MP
f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 5x optical zoom

48 MP
f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 0.7µm, PDAF
TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)

64 MP
f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

13 MP
f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm

OIS

Yes

Features

Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)

Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra HDR, panorama, Best Take, Digital Zoom, Auto Flash, Face detection, Touch to focus, Fixed Focus

Video Recording

4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps
1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps

4K@30/60fps,
1080p@30/60/120/240fps

Video Recording Features

10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, 3D (spatial) video/audio, stereo sound rec.

OIS, Slo-motion

Selfie Camera

12 MP
f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS
SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)

13 MP
f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm

Selfie Features

HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec.

Auto-HDR, panorama

Selfie Video Recording

4K@24/25/30/60fps
1080p@25/30/60/120fps

4K@30fps
1080p@30fps

Connectivity

SIM

Dual SIM, GSM+GSM
SIM1: Nano, SIM2: eSIM

SIM 1

26 5G Bands

FDD: N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N12, N14, N20, N25, N26, N28, N30, N66
TDD: N38, N40, N41, N48, N53, N70, N71, N75, N76, N77, N78, N79

18 5G Bands

FDD: N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N12, N20, N26, N28
TDD: N38, N40, N41, N66, N75, N76, N77, N78

SIM 2

26 5G Bands

FDD: N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N12, N14, N20, N25, N26, N28, N30, N66
TDD: N38, N40, N41, N48, N53, N70, N71, N75, N76, N77, N78, N79

17 5G Bands

FDD: N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N12, N20, N28
TDD: N38, N40, N41, N66, N75, N76, N77, N78

VoLTE

Yes

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 6E

Wi-Fi Details

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/be/ax 5GHz 6GHz, MIMO

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 5GHz 6GHz, MIMO

Wi-Fi Features

Mobile Hotspot

USB

USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort

USB Type-C 3.2

Bluetooth

5.3

NFC

Yes

GPS

Yes with A-GPS, Glonass

Infrared

Yes

UWB (Ultra Wideband)

Yes

Battery

Capacity

4676 mAh

4492 mAh

Type

Li-Ion

Li-Polymer

Removable

Wired charging

45W

18W

Charging Speed

50% in 30 min

Wireless Charging

25W

7.5W

Reverse Wireless Charging

Charger in the Box

Sound

Stereo Speakers

Yes

3.5mm Headphone Jack

FM Radio

Extra Features

Sensors

Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Others

Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite

Colors and Pricing

Colors

Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium

Aloe, Bay, Obsidian, Porcelain

Price in India

₹134900

₹52999

FAQs

Which phone has better performance?

In this performance comparison, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max with its Apple A18 Pro (3nm) performs better than the Google Pixel 8a with the Google Tensor G3 (4nm), thanks to superior chipset efficiency.

Which phone offers longer software support?

Both Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8a offer the same software support — 7 years of OS updates and 7 years of security updates.

Which phone has a better display?

Both Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8a feature AMOLED displays, offering vibrant colors and deeper blacks. Both smartphones offer the same 120 Hz refresh rate. Both devices deliver the same brightness level at 2000 nits. Notably, Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max offers a higher screen resolution, resulting in sharper visuals and more detailed content.

Which phone has a bigger battery and faster charging?

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max comes with a larger 4676 mAh battery, which may offer longer usage on a single charge. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max also supports faster wired charging at 45W, compared to 18W on Google Pixel 8a. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max offers faster wireless charging at 25W, while Google Pixel 8a supports 7.5W.

Which phone has better water and dust resistance?

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max offers better protection against water and dust with an IP68 rating.

Can I buy these phones on Amazon?

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max – Check price here
Google Pixel 8a – Check price here

¹ Scores can vary even with the same chipset due to RAM, thermals, and software optimization.