iPhone lovers swear up and down that their phone reigns supreme when it comes to photos, but if we were to blind-test them, would they actually choose an iPhone over Android?
Seeking an answer to this question, I blind-tested 20 coworkers who own iPhones, presenting them with two pictures of the same subject: one taken on a Google Pixel 8 Pro — and the other on an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Let's see which photos, iPhone or Android, won the majority of the vote.
The photos
I went gallivanting through Midtown Manhattan and took some snapshots of popular points of interest, including the Vessel and the Empire State Building.
Without further ado, let's get into the results of the blind test.
The Vessel
Here are two wide shots of the Vessel, a beehive-like, artsy structure located in Hudson Yards. The left photo is richer and delivers better contrast. However, the one on the right appears to use software that enhances the photo's colors, which makes the golden-brown hues more striking.
In this photo, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is on the left, and the Google Pixel 8 Pro is on the right.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro won the vote here. I theorize it was victorious because the Pixel 8 Pro appears to be brighter, making the Vessel more visually appealing. But in the iPhone 15 Pro Max's defense, it delivered the most accurate representation of the scene.
Winner: Google Pixel 8 Pro
Illuminated hot air balloon
Across from the Vessel, you'll find a 32-foot, illuminated hot air ballon inside a sprawling upscale shopping center called "the Shops."
Here, the iPhone 15 Pro Max's wide shot, located on the right, showcases how well it recreates color accurately. In real life, the hot-air balloon emanates a stunning, vivid cerulean blue hue. The Google Pixel 8 Pro got it wrong here, reproducing a lilac-esque color.
The participants of the experiments appeared to recognize this; most chose the iPhone 15 Pro Max as the winner here.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
The Edge
In the backdrop of this photo, you'll find the Edge, one of the most popular observation decks in Manhattan, overlooking the city.
I switched to ultrawide for these photos. This one has a clear winner: Participants leaned toward the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the photo on the right. The Apple device perfectly captured the verdant grass and royal-blue signs. The Pixel 8 Pro image, on the left, looks a bit washed out.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
The Empire State Building
I snapped a 5x zoom photo of the Empire State Building after sunset, which kicked in both phones' night-mode processes. The right (Pixel 8 Pro shot) appears to have more definition and detail compared to the left, likely due to Google's post-processing enhancements. It's a little too "constrasty" for my tastes.
Interestingly, many of the participants in this experiment did not agree with me; they preferred the photo on the right.
Winner: Google Pixel 8 Pro
Rolex sign
In another 5x zoom shot, I took pictures of a green LED-lit Rolex sign inside the Shops in Hudson Yards.
Once again, it looks like the participants preferred the Google Pixel 8 Pro (right). The sign appears to be sharper, and there's less of that "glowy" effect obstructing the letters. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the first to feature 5x optical zoom; its predecessor maxed out at 3x.
The Pixel series, on the other hand, delivered 5x optical zoom since the Pixel 7 Pro, so you could argue that Google has had some more time to perfect the lens.
Winner: Google Pixel 8 Pro
Final thoughts
Do iPhone owners actually prefer Apple-branded phones when it comes to photos? Only in some cases.
According to this experiment, the iPhone owners preferred the iDevice for wide and ultrawide shots. However, when it comes to zoomed-in photos, iPhone users exhibited a preference for the Pixel 8 Pro.
iPhone 15 Pro Max
