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iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel XL face off in a stunning 4K video test

Published Oct 11th, 2016 3:37PM EDT
Pixel XL vs. iPhone 7 Plus 4K Video

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The iPhone 7 Plus seems to be the phone to beat this year when it comes to camera performance, but Google’s recently released Pixels are worthy adversaries. The Pixel and Pixel XL already got a higher score than the iPhone 7 in DxOMark tests, and Google insisted on stage last week that its latest smartphones can offer a great photo taking and video recording experience.

It seems like the second part of that, at least, is true. One photographer tested the Pixel’s 4K recording powers and concluded the phone is superior to the iPhone 7 Plus.

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“I shot this in two days,” YouTuber Ron8it said about the following video. “I used a piece of ND filter film over the lens for a couple of shots. Slow motion was done in phone with an app. This was edited in a 24p timeline. I must say that the PIXEL XL blows the doors off of the iPhone 7 Plus when it comes to 4K video when in terms of a cinematic look. The color palette is amazing. I will say the Image stabilization needs some work. Not overly sharp but [looks fantastic].”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLByqWyq5Js

As you can easily see, the video does have a Google watermark on it and seems to have been recorded for the company.

The same user recorded a few 4K videos using the iPhone 7 Plus in previous weeks, so he does have some experience with Apple’s latest phablet. Here they are, followed by their respective descriptions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu4WV130SKc

“I traveled coast to coast in the span of 3 days and only used an iPhone 7 Plus to take every shot. I used the Procam 4 app and a pre production Olloclip 21x lens attachment. I wasn’t that close to those bears. Also Attached the iPhone 7 Plus to a DJI Phantom 4 with a Hex4 Gimbal. No Color correction used. I just added a letterbox in post.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqJHzWWVq6A

“The Video was shot over the course of one day using an iPhone 7 Plus for 99 percent of the shots. No color grade was added. I added a letter box in post. Feel free to comment and ask questions. I used the ProCam 4 app for recording and an OlloClip 21x for a few shots.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1uFWcWn9f4

“This video was shot using an iPhone 7 Plus. It’s amazing in low light. I used the telephoto lens in a few shots. There is virtually no noise what so ever when shooting in 4k. I used the Procam 4 app to record!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scWUq30_pac

“The iPhone 7 Plus has industry leading autofocus. Utilizing both cameras you can achieve the highest quality video in stunning 4k. Also use both cameras hand in hand for wide angle video or pictures and use the telephoto mode for standard picture taking.”

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.