If there’s one thing that the Pixel 10 Pro XL has proven to me, it’s that AI has an important role now more than ever — and Pro Res Zoom is proof of that. While it’s certainly an asset for this best Android phone contender, the Pixel 10 Pro XL still needs to overcome the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That’s why I shot over 200 photos with the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL to definitely say which is the better camera phone.
Apple has proven its snapshot capabilities in my 200 photo shootout with the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra. Even though there was controversy around the iPhone's "downgrade" from a 5x optical zoom camera to a 4x one, its 48MP main and ultrawide cameras still perform very well across different situations, as does its new 18MP Center Stage camera.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Daytime
Both main cameras cough up excellent results under daytime conditions, but that’s also true for most flagship phones I test. With these two, however, there are a few differences I can make out from the many shots I’ve captured.
For example, the Pixel 10 Pro XL has a habit of drawing out more detail in the shadows, which you can see in the example above. It’s not by a huge stretch and most people probably won’t notice unless they zoom in. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max captures just as good details with the bushes in the foreground and trees in the back, but the contrast is slightly stronger with a warmer color temperature.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Ultrawide
Even though it’s hard for me to make out from my photos, the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s ultrawide camera has a wider 123-degree field of view, compared to 120-degrees for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The difference is hardly anything substantial in my opinion, so they’re both great at capturing sprawling landscapes.
What I do notice with the shots above is that the iPhone 17 Pro Max has more detail and definition when I look closely at the textures of the stone and bricks around the fountain. Then again, the Pixel 10 Pro XL has its own strong characteristics — like how the areas in shadow with the trees in the background are brighter.
Winner: Tie
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Dynamic range
I test the dynamic range performance of the phones' main cameras by shooting scenes with a strong contrast of light source, like what you see above.
This one’s tough because while the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s shot isn’t as bright, the contrast with the entire scene looks better to me. In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro Max produces a lower contrast look, and it definitely draws more detail in the shadows.
However, in the photos below — a water fountain in the foreground with trees in the shade in the background — the Pixel 10 Pro XL boosts the shadowed areas better than the iPhone 17 Pro Max does.
Winner: Tie
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Macro
I must’ve taken more than a dozen different macro photos with both phones while I was visiting the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I actually compared these two phones in great detail in my Pixel 10 Pro XL vs iPhone 17 Pro Max macro photography face-off, with both phones producing highly detailed images of different flowers.
Neither one enjoys an overwhelming advantage over the other, as you'll find strong samples from either device. In the example above of the Chinese Aster, the Pixel 10 Pro XL gets my vote largely for its contrast and sharper look. However, the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers more detail and sharpness with a photo of a wilting zinnia in the gallery below.
Winner: Tie
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Selfies
Now this is a classic example of why you shouldn’t ever be deceived by the amount of megapixels a camera touts. Look no further than what the 18MP Center Stage camera of the iPhone 17 Pro Max produces compared to the 42MP front camera of the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
Despite its pixel crunching size, the Pixel 10 Pro XL fails to match the amount of detail I see with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. All of my facial features are in sharp focus in the iPhone's shots, such as my hairline and the freckles on my nose. Plus, I like how the iPhone adds a bit of exposure to my face.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Zoom
I took a bunch of photos between 2x and 5x zoom, and quite frankly, there’s hardly a difference at this range. When it becomes more apparent is at 10x zoom level because that’s where the 5x optical zoom of the Pixel 10 Pro XL is working better to capture more detail than the 4x optical zoom with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Notice how the Pixel 10 Pro XL captures more of the textures with the wooden sign hanging on the Torri gate, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro Max shows fewer of them. Even more impressive are the zoom photos I’ve captured at 40x. That’s because the Pixel is leaning on its Pro Res Zoom feature to enhance the details and textures with the help of AI.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Panorama
There’s no arguing this one because the iPhone 17 Pro Max captures panoramas better, thanks in part to how it manages to keep the exposure even throughout the shot. I notice it most with the trees in the background, seeing that the Pixel 10 Pro XL overexposes the ones on the right while underexposing those on the left.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Low light
No phone I’ve tested yet can beat the iPhone 17 Pro Max under low light conditions, it’s just a master at capturing everything in the dark. Frankly, I’m always shocked because it only takes a few seconds of holding still for the iPhone's night mode capture to complete — yet the end result looks like there’s a light source hitting the scene from somewhere.
With the near-pitch black conditions when I snapped the photos of the trees above, the iPhone 17 Pro Max boosts the exposure around the branches and trees. Other photos in the gallery below also show how well it looks compared to the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL: Verdict
This photo face-off came out a lot closer than I expected. It’s safe to presume that the main cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pixel 10 Pro XL perform very similarly to one another when it comes to the amount of detail they capture, color reproduction, and dynamic range performance. I can also say the same about their ultrawide cameras.
When I look at the other categories, however, there’s more of a gap in how they behave to capture the scene. If zoom performance is something that appeals more to you, then the Pixel 10 Pro XL is better suited for your needs, especially when it gets help from AI at 30x zoom and beyond. But the iPhone 17 Pro Max is still a master of the night, producing the brighter, more detailed images under low light. Likewise, its 18MP Center Stage camera has its own merits at capturing better looking selfies.
At the end of the day, the iPhone 17 Pro Max wins this shootout.
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