Pixel 4 vs. iPhone 11 Pro Max: Which Has Better Camera?

Google recently revealed its newest addition to the Pixel lineup, the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones. These devices appear to have the best features in any Pixel smartphone to date, and enjoy the best camera setup Google has ever released for its phones.

Apple, on the other hand, released the highly acclaimed iPhone 11 series handsets, which includes the popular iPhone 11 Pro and top-rated iPhone 11 Pro Max. Both have been on the receiving end of praises from a variety of people, and have been raking in a lot of cash for the Cupertino tech giant.

Both the Pixel and iPhone have been lauded for their camera capabilities. The Pixel 3's camera outperformed every rival in its time, including Apple's iPhones at the time. The iPhone 11 Pro, however, has overtaken the Pixel 3's camera performance this year. Will the Pixel 4 take the crown back?

MacRumors chose to compare the cameras on the Pixel 4 XL and iPhone 11 Pro Max to see which flagship has the better camera. Here's what the outlet found:

Stills using rear cameras

The Pixel 4 XL and iPhone 11 Pro Max are both capable of producing great images that really don't differ much in terms of quality. The key difference lies in tone: the Pixel 4 XLproduces images with warmer tones while the iPhone 11 Pro Max uses cooler tones.

Portrait Mode

The Pixel 4 XL outperformed the iPhone 11 Pro Max in most of MacRumors' test images. It boasted of creating sharper images with better edge detection.

Night photography

Both handsets are capable of taking great shots in low-light settings. The Pixel 4 XL's Night Sight feature allows the phone to create sharper, more vibrant images. The iPhone 11 Pro Max's Night Mode, on the other hand, produces more natural-looking photos.

More cameras

The iPhone 11 Pro Max has an advantage over the Pixel 4 XL: it has an ultra wide-angle camera. The Pixel 4 XL doesn't.

Front camera

Night Sight is available for use on the Pixel 4 XL's camera, allowing users to take great selfie shots even in low-light conditions. The iPhone 11 Pro Max doesn't have this feature.

Video recording

The Pixel 4 XL excels in taking stills. The iPhone 11 Pro Max's camera, on the other hand, is good at both stills and video. It can capture 4K videos at 60fps and has better color profile compared to the Pixel 4 XL.

Of course, regardless of which smartphone has better camera, it all boils down to preference. Users who are already invested in Apple's ecosystem should take advantage of the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Those looking for a top-performing non-Apple device, however, can go with the Pixel 4 XL.