The smartphone market is one of the hotly contested areas and consumers are frequently greeted with new handsets that are feature rich, as well as attractively priced.
With the holiday season round the corner, we help you decide which of the three handsets – the iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S7 or the Google Pixel – is ideal for gifting a loved one, or even yourself!
Here's a detailed look at the specs, features and prices of the three flagship smartphones to clue you in on their pros and cons.
Display
The iPhone 7 tout a 4.7-inch IPS LCD screen (resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels) and a pixel density of 326ppi.
The Google Pixel has a bigger 5-inch FHD AMOLED screen (resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels) than the Apple offering. Moreover, the handset boasts a higher pixel density of 441 ppi.
By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S7 sports the biggest screen of the three – a 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED screen (resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels). The device offers a pixel density of 576 ppi, which easily surpasses that of the Apple and Google handsets.
Processor
The Google Pixel houses a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 4 GB of RAM. The Samsung handset's U.S. variant touts an older Snapdragon 820 processor by comparison and 4 GB of RAM.
The iPhone 7 houses the latest 64-bit A10 processor from Apple. However, it has the lowest memory capability of the bunch – 2GB of RAM.
Storage
The Google Pixel is available in two storage options – 32 GB and 128 GB. The iPhone 7 comes in 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB on-board memory options. The Galaxy S7, on the other hand, is available only in the 32 GB option in the United States.
However, unlike its rivals, the Samsung flagship is the only one which offers an expandable storage option – an additional 256 GB via a microSD card.
Camera
The Google Pixel offers a 12.3-megapixel primary snapper and an 8-megapixel secondary camera.
Both the Samsung and Apple flagships tout a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera by comparison. The Google smartphone also has the edge when it comes to the selfie snapper as the iPhone 7 and the Galaxy S7 offer a 7-megapixel and 5-megapixel secondary camera, respectively.
The Google Pixel is the undisputed winner in the camera ranks on paper and as the company asserts, it has the "highest rated smartphone camera" ever.
All three handsets offer support for 4K videos.
OS
The iPhone 7 is currently getting updated to the latest iOS 10.2 OS, whereas the Google Pixel comes with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box. The Galaxy S7, on the other hand, is still on Android 6.0 Marshmallow but is expected to get updated to Android N in the near term.
Battery
The Galaxy S7 houses a bigger 3000 mAh battery when compared to the 2770 mAh one on the Google Pixel. Apple did not disclose the battery size of the iPhone 7, but teardowns have pointed to a 1960 mAh battery.
The iPhone 7 reportedly supports 14 hours of talk time (on 3G), which pales next to the 26 hours (on 3G) offered by the Google Pixel.
Price
The price of a smartphone can be the determining factor when purchasing a handset.
The SIM-free Google Pixel is priced at $649 and $749 for the 32 GB and 128 GB models, respectively. It retails in Really Blue, Quite Black and Very Silver color options.
The SIM-free 32 GB iPhone 7 will set one back by $649. Those eyeing the 128 GB model will need to shell out $749 and the 256 GB variant costs $849. You can purchase the handsets here.
The colors that the iPhone 7 is available in are Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black and Jet Black.
The Samsung Galaxy S7's unlocked model is the cheapest of the three and will set consumers back by $549.99. However, only the Onyx Black hue is available at this price point.
Conclusion
If budget is your determining factor then the Galaxy S7 is the best buy of the three as you get a feature-rich handset at the cheapest price point.
Those who are looking to buy or gift a smartphone that is robust and can withstand an accidental dunk in water or brave the outdoors, then opt for the Galaxy S7 or iPhone 7 as both the devices are water resistant.
If the smartphone is for the tech buff who would like to pair the smartphone with a VR headset, then the Google Pixel or Galaxy S7 are perfect. Moreover, if the person being gifted is lazy and would like to charge their handset wirelessly – the Galaxy S7 with its always-on display is the ideal present.
All three devices have a fingerprint scanner, but the Google Pixel has the functionality embedded on the rear of the device and not on the home button unlike the other two.
All three handsets boast top-end features and functionalities and, therefore, it boils down to consumer preference and what the buyer is after.
