iPhone 12 Pro vs. Google Pixel 6 Pro: Which Flagship Still Reigns?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Google Pixel 6 Pro offers a better overall package. Its slightly superior battery endurance (84h vs 81h) and brighter display (846 nits) coupled with a competitive price point make it the more compelling choice. However, the iPhone 12 Pro’s optimized software and established ecosystem remain strong advantages for Apple loyalists.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Google Pixel 6 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2341 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GLUOG, G8VOU |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2341 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - G8VOU |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2406 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GLUOG | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, October 13 | 2021, October 19 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 23 | Available. Released 2021, October 28 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in) | 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm (6.45 x 2.99 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 210 g (7.41 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~512 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.6 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) | Octa-core (2x2.80 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.25 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) | Google Tensor (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Mali-G78 MP20 |
| OS | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| NVMe | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 11.1 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.22µm |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) | 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/3.5, 104mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 4x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 17mm, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1.25µm |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 11.1 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.22µm |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update | 23W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 23W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 2815 mAh (10.78 Wh) | Li-Ion 5003 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue | Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, Stormy Black |
| Models | A2407, A2341, A2406, A2408, iPhone13,3 | GLUOG, G8VOU, GF5KQ |
| Price | $ 277.86 / C$ 419.75 / £ 250.00 / € 299.99 | € 199.99 / $ 204.99 / £ 275.00 / ₹ 29,699 |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) | - |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | $ 725.05 | - |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | $ 575.00 | - |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | $ 799.50 | - |
| RENEWED | $ 499.00 | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | Endurance rating 84h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.2 LUFS (Very good) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 596244 (v8) GeekBench: 4056 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 585485 (v8), 719815 (v9) GeekBench: 2831 (v5.1) GFXBench: 39 fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
- Excellent build quality and premium materials
- Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem
- Strong video recording capabilities
- Higher price point for comparable storage
- Slower wireless charging compared to Pixel 6 Pro
- Less versatile camera software
Google Pixel 6 Pro
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- Advanced computational photography features
- Faster wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
- Google Tensor chip may not match A14 in raw CPU power
- Software updates can be less consistent than Apple
- Larger and heavier design
Display Comparison
The Pixel 6 Pro boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 846 nits compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s unlisted peak brightness (though both claim infinite contrast ratios). This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. While both displays share an 'infinite' contrast ratio, the Pixel 6 Pro’s higher brightness is a tangible advantage for outdoor use. The iPhone 12 Pro’s display benefits from Apple’s color calibration, but the Pixel 6 Pro’s larger size and higher peak brightness offer a more immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography, but approach it differently. The iPhone 12 Pro’s camera system is known for its consistent, natural-looking images and excellent video recording capabilities. The Pixel 6 Pro, however, leverages Google’s computational photography prowess, delivering stunning dynamic range and detail, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. While both phones offer excellent image quality, the Pixel 6 Pro’s advanced image processing and features like Magic Eraser give it an edge in versatility. The iPhone 12 Pro’s video capabilities remain a strong point, offering cinematic mode and ProRes video recording (on higher storage models).
Performance
Both the iPhone 12 Pro’s A14 Bionic (5nm) and the Pixel 6 Pro’s Google Tensor (5nm) are built on a 5nm process, but their architectures differ significantly. The A14’s hexa-core CPU (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) focuses on high single-core performance, while the Tensor’s octa-core configuration (2x2.80 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.25 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) prioritizes AI and machine learning tasks. While the A14 generally edges out the Tensor in raw CPU benchmarks, the Tensor excels in on-device AI processing, powering features like Magic Eraser and Live Translate. Both phones feature 6GB of RAM, but iOS’s memory management is typically more efficient.
Battery Life
The Pixel 6 Pro edges out the iPhone 12 Pro in battery endurance, achieving 84 hours versus 81 hours. Both phones support 50% charging in 30 minutes via fast charging protocols (PD3.0 for Pixel, PD2.0 for iPhone). The Pixel 6 Pro also offers 23W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, features absent on the iPhone 12 Pro, which relies on 15W MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4) wireless charging. While the difference in endurance isn’t massive, the Pixel 6 Pro’s faster wireless charging and reverse wireless capabilities provide added convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro if you prioritize seamless integration with other Apple devices, value long-term software support, and prefer Apple’s established iOS ecosystem. Buy the Google Pixel 6 Pro if you prioritize camera versatility, a brighter display for outdoor visibility, and a more open Android experience with Google’s unique software features.