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Pixel 11 Pro Challenges iPhone 18 Pro's Value Proposition
Confirmed
In Short: The iPhone 18 Pro, despite its internal improvements, faces a value challenge from the Pixel 11 Pro, according to Android Authority. The new iPhone model starts at $1,200 for 256GB of storage, with prices reaching up to $2,400 for the 2TB variant.
The iPhone 18 Pro, despite its internal improvements, faces a value challenge from the Pixel 11 Pro, according to Android Authority. The new iPhone model starts at $1,200 for 256GB of storage, with prices reaching up to $2,400 for the 2TB variant.
In contrast, the Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099 for 256GB, offering a more affordable option for consumers. The gap widens further as storage tiers increase, with the Pixel 11 Pro saving users upwards of $200 compared to the latest iPhone.
The iPhone 18 Pro does feature internal changes, including better battery performance and a new physically adjustable camera aperture. However, these improvements do not outweigh the Pixel 11 Pro's more competitive pricing.
The Pixel 11 Pro also offers a feature called 'Now Playing,' which silently and continuously recognizes music playing around you, a functionality that Apple is now replicating on its newest Apple Watches.
Apple has introduced a new security feature called 'Apple Reference Image,' which signs captured pixel data inside the sensor and creates a second, cryptographically signed copy of the photo. This feature is designed to verify the authenticity of images captured by a real iPhone sensor.
The Pixel 11 Pro's pricing strategy and feature set make it a compelling alternative to the iPhone 18 Pro, especially for those looking for a more affordable option.
What this adds
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max start at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively, with significant improvements in battery life and performance, according to prior WarpBeat coverage.
Background
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max start at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively, with significant improvements in battery life and performance.
What's confirmed
- The iPhone 18 Pro, despite its internal improvements, faces a value challenge from the Pixel 11 Pro, according to Android Authority. The new iPhone model starts at $1,200 for 256GB of storage, with prices reaching up to $2,400 for the 2TB variant.
- In contrast, the Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099 for 256GB, offering a more affordable option for consumers. The gap widens further as storage tiers increase, with the Pixel 11 Pro saving users upwards of $200 compared to the latest iPhone.
- The iPhone 18 Pro does feature internal changes, including better battery performance and a new physically adjustable camera aperture. However, these improvements do not outweigh the Pixel 11 Pro's more competitive pricing.
- The Pixel 11 Pro also offers a feature called 'Now Playing,' which silently and continuously recognizes music playing around you, a functionality that Apple is now replicating on its newest Apple Watches.
- Apple has introduced a new security feature called 'Apple Reference Image,' which signs captured pixel data inside the sensor and creates a second, cryptographically signed copy of the photo. This feature is designed to verify the authenticity of images captured by a real iPhone sensor.
- The Pixel 11 Pro's pricing strategy and feature set make it a compelling alternative to the iPhone 18 Pro, especially for those looking for a more affordable option.
What's still developing
- Having said that, I am a tad more impressed by the direction Google is taking with its computational photography capabilities, which make everyday life challenges easier on its Pixel handsets.
- While the new iPhone Duo has received a lot of fanfare, the standard iPhone 18 Pro is going to be the one driving most of Apple’s sales.
- All those features do seem tempting at first glance, but I’d still go with the Pixel 11 Pro any day — just because it’s a much better overall purchase than its Apple counterpart.
- The iPhone 18 Pro now starts at $1,200 for the same 256GB of storage, and its subsequent storage upgrade tiers are significantly more expensive, going all the way up to an eye-watering $2,400 for the 2TB variant — add another $100 for the bigger Pro Max sibling.
- The Pixel 11 Pro, on the other hand, has eliminated the base 128GB storage this year, so the 256GB storage is available for the same $1,099 as last year, increasing the starting price by $100.
- For someone already stretching their budget over $1,000 (which, by the way, is already pretty generous for a smartphone), the Pixel 11 Pro gets you a much better bang for the buck than the iPhone.
- Apple announced the feature on September 9 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, and its security team published the full technical description on September 15 on the Apple Security Research blog.
- Apple's version proves a real iPhone sensor captured the scene inside a specific time window.
- It does not say whose iPhone, and the published reference image provides no public path back to the photographer.
- We observed that users can set up Surfshark on their iPhones in less than 2 minutes.
- We’ve compiled and analyzed the 10 best VPNs for iPhone to ease your decision-making.
- Here, we’ve reviewed the top 10 iPhone VPNs to help you find an appropriate VPN to secure your online activities.