iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro: Specs compared

Google has just launched its new Pixel smartphone line, with the Pixel 11 Pro going toe-to-toe with Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro. Here’s how the spec sheets compare.

Google launched the Pixel 11 Pro as the compact half of its top-tier lineup, sitting below the larger Pixel 11 Pro XL. It lines up naturally against Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro, the non-Max Pro model, and becomes the default option if you want a serious smartphone without the massive size.

That is, if you also don’t want the Pixel 11 Pro Fold either.

Both are the smaller premium option in their respective ranges, with each providing top-tier performance.

This is how the iPhone 17 Pro compares against the Google Pixel 11 Pro.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Specifications

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Physical dimensions

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro are the compact members of their respective Pro ranges. Both sit below a larger sibling, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Pixel 11 Pro XL, respectively.

The iPhone 17 Pro measures 5.91 inches long and 2.83 inches wide. The Pixel 11 Pro is fairly similar, at 6.0 inches long and 2.8 inches wide.

In terms of thickness, the Pixel pips the iPhone, but only just. At 0.34 inches thick, or 8.75 millimeters, the iPhone is a bit chunkier than the Pixel 11 Pro’s 0.34-inch (8.4mm) frame.

That said, it’s a difference that’s extremely marginal.

For weight, the iPhone comes in at 7.27 ounces, 204 grams, according to Apple’s measurement. However, the Pixel is 204 grams too, making it oddly similar.

There’s a considerable similarity in design, too. Google habitually uses its horizontal rear camera bar in the Pixel, while the iPhone 17 Pro uses the camera plateau.

Both phones use tough materials for protection, as you would expect from any flagship. The Pixel 11 Pro uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back with a spacecraft-grade aluminum frame, while the iPhone 17 Pro uses Ceramic Shield 2 on the front.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Display

Both phones use a 6.3-inch OLED display, making them closely matched in size. The panels differ in their peak capabilities.

The iPhone 17 Pro uses a Super Retina XDR panel at 2,622 by 1,206 pixels. That gives it a pixel density of 460 pixels per inch.

It also has ProMotion, an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, and reaches 3,000 nits for outdoor peak brightness.

Google’s Super Actua panel runs at a higher resolution of 2,856 by 1,280. In terms of pixel density, that works out to be 495 pixels per inch, much higher than the iPhone.

Its adaptive refresh rate also spans 1 to 120Hz, matching the iPhone’s smoothness.

On paper, the Pixel leads on two display numbers. It has the higher pixel density and a higher 3,600-nit peak brightness against the iPhone’s 3,000 nits.

Both displays are excellent and support HDR content.

In theory, all this means the Pixel 11 Pro has the better display, at least until Apple comes out with the iiPhone 18Pro.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Cameras

Both phones carry three rear cameras, but their sensor choices differ. This is often where Pixel and iPhone diverge most in philosophy.

The iPhone 17 Pro uses a 48MP Fusion Main, a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, and a 48MP Fusion Telephoto with a 4x optical zoom.

Apple does a trick of cropping the telephoto sensor produces an 8x optical-quality zoom, for a 16x optical-quality range. Likewise, for the Fusion Main, it creates a 2x 12MP optical-quality zoom using that sensor, with the same method.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro: There’s large camera bumps on both smartphones.

The Pixel 11 Pro leads with a 50MP wide main camera on a large 1/1.3-inch sensor. It pairs this with a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP telephoto offering 5x optical zoom.

Google pushes zoom further on paper. Its Pro Zoom reaches up to 120x using AI processing, against the iPhone’s 40x digital maximum.

Of course, bringing in AI means your mileage may vary when it comes to the results, especially at maximum zoom.

Google leans heavily on computational photography, with features like Magic Capture and Instant Night Sight. Apple also has considerable experience with computational photography to improve the shots.

The rear cameras also benefit from lasers on both models. Google’s rear cameras can make use of a multi-zone laser detect autofocus (LDAF), while Apple employs a LiDAR scanner for the same purposes.

On the front, the difference is stark. The Pixel 11 Pro has a 42MP selfie camera with a 103-degree field of view, against the iPhone 17 Pro’s 18MP Center Stage camera.

Apple’s Center Stage camera has its own trick, using a square sensor to switch between orientations without rotating the phone. It also allows for an intelligent reframing of the shot on the fly, which is handy for FaceTime calls.

Both approaches have merit, and sample photos will decide it for most buyers.

When it comes to video, Apple brings in things like 4K Dolby Vision support at 120fps, 4K Cinematic Mode at 60fps, and 4K 120fps Dolby Vision Slo-Mo. Its industry chops also come into play with support for ProRes and ProRes RAW, ACES, and Apple Log 2.

Google’s video includes capturing at up to 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps, and slo-mo at 240fps.

There are many shared standard features across both platforms, too, including active video stabilization, night mode timelapses, and macro modes.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Processing and Performance

The two phones take very different chip approaches. Apple designs for raw performance, while Google designs around AI features.

The iPhone 17 Pro uses the A19 Pro, a six-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores. Its six-core GPU adds Neural Accelerators in each core, working alongside a 16-core Neural Engine for machine learning tasks.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro: The Google Tensor G6

The Pixel 11 Pro uses Google’s Tensor G6. RAM depends on storage, with 12GB on the 256GB model and 16GB on the 512GB and 1TB versions, against the iPhone’s fixed 12GB.

Apple includes 12GB of memory across the board of capacities.

Google says the Tensor G6 delivers 50 percent more TPU compute capability than its predecessor. Translated, that means it can do a lot more in terms of AI processing than the previous model

Both phones also use a vapor chamber to manage heat during demanding tasks. This is a method that uses a slim enclosed chamber filled with liquid, which evaporates with heat from the chips and then condenses.

In raw benchmark terms, Apple’s A-series chips have historically led Google’s Tensor line by a wide margin. The Tensor’s strength is not raw speed but its tight integration with Google’s on-device AI models.

At this time, we don’t have any real third-party benchmarks for the Google Pixel 11 Pro to use, which makes a direct comparison hard. That said, both will be easily able to handle the workload of most users.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – AI and software

This is the clearest philosophical split between the two. Each phone is a showcase for its maker’s AI platform.

The iPhone 17 Pro runs iOS with Apple Intelligence. Apple’s approach favours on-device processing and tight integration across its ecosystem, but it can offload to the cloud if necessary.

The Pixel 11 Pro is built around Gemini Intelligence, with Gemini Nano running on-device. Google positions it as proactive, able to handle tasks across apps such as ordering groceries or booking a ride.

Google’s AI reach is broad, reflecting its lead in large language models. Features like Magic Capture, Circle to Search, and Live Translate lean on Google’s cloud and on-device models.

However, users of Apple’s developer betas for iOS 27 will be familiar with Siri AI, which is a considerable boost versus the existing Siri experience. It also happens that Apple made a deal with Google to use Gemini to help build its Foundation Models.

Then there are extended services to consider.

The Pixel also bundles six months of Google AI Pro, a $119 value. That includes expanded Gemini limits and 5TB of cloud storage.

Apple currently doesn’t have any higher chargeable tier of Apple Intelligence or Siri AI. However, we know they are on the way.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Connectivity

Both phones connect to 5G networks and use Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Each also offers satellite-based emergency features and crash detection.

Ultra Wideband is also present, which aids rangefinding, such as in Apple’s Find My. Thread networking support is also included, as is NFC.

The Pixel 11 Pro uses dual eSIM with no physical tray in the United States, while the rest of the world gets a single Nano SIM and eSIM. For the iPhone, Apple uses eSIM only in the United States and select other territories, but Nano SIM and eSIM is available in others.

Both use USB-C for wired connection, though the Pixel uses the newer USB 3.2 standard versus USB 3 for the iPhone.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Power and Battery

Battery comparisons are difficult, as each company measures differently. Apple quotes up to 33 hours of video playback for the iPhone 17 Pro.

Google quotes 30-plus hours of battery life for the Pixel 11 Pro. Its battery has a typical capacity of 4,850mAh.

For charging, the Pixel 11 Pro reaches up to 55 percent in about 30 minutes with a 30W charger. The iPhone 17 Pro hits 50 percent in 20 minutes with a 40W adapter.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro: IP68 ratings mean there’s ample water and dust resistance.

While not quite directly comparable, you’ll at least get a lot of battery charging done after watching an episode of a sitcom, regardless of which smartphone you’re using.

The Pixel 11 Pro adds Pixelsnap, a Qi2.2-certified magnetic accessory system comparable to Apple’s MagSafe. Its wireless charging reaches up to 25W, matching MagSafe.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Other Features

Both phones carry an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. That means the occasional splash won’t be an issue for either device.

Biometrics differ, as the iPhone 17 Pro uses Face ID. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro uses both a fingerprint reader and Face Unlock, giving you more options.

The Pixel 11 Pro also uses the Titan M3 security coprocessor for hardware-level protection. Google highlights quantum-safe secure boot as a further security measure.

Apple has a history of building security into its iPhones and services, including the use of the Secure Enclave to keep your Face ID and other data private.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Capacity, Color, and Pricing

Both phones start at $1,099 for 256GB of storage. For 512GB of storage, Google charges $1,219, while Apple has a $1,299 price tag for its device.

At 1TB, price parity returns, as both the iPhone and Pixel cost $1,499.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro: The Pixel Pro’s colors

The iPhone 17 Pro ships in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver colorways. The Pixel 11 Pro offers Canyon, Olive, Fog, and Obsidian.

iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro – Which to buy

These two phones are closely matched on price and hardware, so the choice comes down to ecosystem and priorities. Both are, by and large, excellent compact flagships.

When you look at the figures, there’s a lot to benefit from the Google Pixel 11 Pro. It certainly makes the case when it comes to the screen’s pixel density, the cameras, and AI.

It’s altogether quite a compelling package, even against the iPhone 17 Pro.

That said, the key to remember is that this flagship battle only really matters for a few weeks at most. With the upcoming launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, that will change the landscape considerably.

So too will iOS 27 and the vastly improved Siri AI.

Both smartphones are highly capable and will certainly do enough for those who buy them and use them on a daily basis.

But when September comes, it will be a very different situation.

Where to buy the iPhone 17 Pro and Google Pixel 11 Pro

The Google Pixel 11 Pro can be picked up at Amazon starting at $1,099. Wireless carriers are already offering incentives on the new device, with offers from T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T bringing the device down to as low as $0 per month*.

Wireless carriers are offering incentives on the iPhone 17 Pro as well, with the best iPhone 17 Pro prices providing up to $1,100 in bill credits.

• T-Mobile: Get an iPhone 17 Pro for as little as $0 per month with a new line and eligible plan.*
• AT&T: Get an iPhone 17 Pro for as low as $0 per month with a qualifying trade and unlimited plan.*
• Verizon: Get an iPhone 17 Pro for as little as $30.55 per month.*


*Terms and conditions apply, and offers are subject to change. Please see the carrier’s site for details.