With all of the major phablets now available, the iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 battle can begin! These are undoubtedly the three major larger smartphones available on the market today, so it is intriguing to see how these three handsets stack up against one another.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Size
It is logical to begin the iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 comparison here. The size of the three devices is rather similar, but the Galaxy Note 8 is marginally the largest.
iPhone 8 Plus – 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm (6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 in)
Pixel 2 XL – 157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm (6.22 x 3.02 x 0.31 in)
Galaxy Note 8 – 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm (6.40 x 2.94 x 0.34 in)
However, this is understandable considering that the Samsung device has the largest display. This can in fact be considered an impressive design parameter, as the device is only slightly smaller than the Google and Apple offerings.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Weight
And despite being larger than the iPhone 8 Plus and Pixel 2 XL, the Galaxy Note 8 is not the heaviest of the smartphones.
iPhone 8 Plus – 202 grammes
Pixel 2 XL – 175 grammes
Galaxy Note 8 – 195 grammes
The Apple device is 7g heavier than the Galaxy Note 8, despite the fact that its display is 0.8-inches smaller. Again, this is credit to the ergonomic design of Samsung engineers.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Display
As mentioned previously, the Galaxy Note 8 has the largest display of the three devices, which is obviously a major selling point.
iPhone 8 Plus – 5.5-inches
Pixel 2 XL – 6.0-inches
Galaxy Note 8 – 6.3-inches
The 5.5-inch display of the iPhone 8 Plus is beginning to look a little small and dated, particularly in comparison to these other phablet contenders.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Resolution
The iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 battle is also particularly informed by the resolution and pixel density of the three smartphones.
iPhone 8 Plus – 1,080 x 1,920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~401 ppi density)
Pixel 2 XL – 1,440 x 2,880 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~538 ppi density)
Galaxy Note 8 – 1,440 x 2,960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~521 ppi density)
It could be argued that the Pixel 2 XL is the winner here, as although the Galaxy Note 8 has the capability to display slightly more pixels, the Google device offers a superior pixel density. The iPhone 8 Plus is undoubtedly trailing behind the other two contenders in this department.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Camera
Another key area of the iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 comparison is the camera provisions of the three devices.
iPhone 8 Plus – Dual 12 MP, (28mm, f/1.8, OIS & 56mm, f/2.8), phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, quad-LED (dual tone) flash
Pixel 2 XL – 12.2 MP, f/1.8, OIS, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED flash
Galaxy Note 8 – Dual 12 MP (26mm, f/1.7, PDAF & 52mm, f/2.4, AF), OIS, autofocus, 2x optical zoom, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
What can be noted here is that the Google Pixel 2 XL does not feature a dual-camera, which is disappointing despite positive reviews of the photographic capabilities of the device. While there are strong similarities between the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the Samsung unit features the superior aperture in both lenses. However, the quad-LED flash of the iPhone 8 Plus is undoubtedly superior, and this benefits the shooting of the Apple device in low light conditions in particular.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Processor
The iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 battle is also particularly informed by the processors included in the four units.
iPhone 8 Plus – Hexa-core (2 x Monsoon + 4 x Mistral; 2.2 GHz max)
Pixel 2 XL – Octa-core (4 x 2.35 GHz Kryo & 4 x 1.9 GHz Kryo)
Galaxy Note 8 – Octa-core (4 x 2.35 GHz Kryo & 4 x 1.9 GHz Kryo)
There is very little to choose between the three devices here, and almost nothing to choose between the Google Pixel 2 XL and Galaxy Note 8. The iPhone 8 Plus trails slightly behind, with both the Google and Samsung units featuring an octa-core processor, as opposed to the hexa-core Apple unit.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Memory
iPhone 8 Plus – 3GB
Pixel 2 XL – 4GB
Galaxy Note 8 – 6GB
While Apple has always relied on its combination of proprietary software and hardware, the 3GB of memory included in the iPhone Plus range is beginning to look a little paltry. While the Apple handset doesn’t fall too far behind the Pixel 2 XL, it offers half of the RAM memory of its Galaxy Note 8 rival.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Storage
The storage options provided by these three handsets are as follows:
iPhone 8 Plus – 64 / 256 GB
Pixel 2 XL – 64 / 128 GB
Galaxy Note 8 – 64 / 128 / 256GB
It is perhaps surprising that Google did not include a 256GB variant in its Pixel 2 XL. Meanwhile, Samsung can be commended for providing three storage options in the Galaxy note 8 range, even if the entry-level and premium iPhone 8 Plus offers identical storage to the Galaxy Note 8.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Battery
iPhone 8 Plus – Non-removable Li-Ion 2691 mAh battery
Pixel 2 XL – Non-removable Li-Ion 3520 mAh battery
Galaxy Note 8 – Non-removable Li-Ion 3300 mAh battery
Quite simply, the Pixel 2 XL has the largest battery, and delivers the greatest lifecycle of the three units. Samsung was relatively cautious in this area, after the Galaxy Note 7 explosion fiasco.
iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 – Price
The iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 comparison is inevitably informed by the pricing of the three devices, and this reveals a picture that would have been considered extremely surprisingly until recently.
iPhone 8 Plus – $799
Pixel 2 XL – $849
Galaxy Note 8 – $949
No one would expect the iPhone 8 Plus from Apple to be the most affordable of the three units, considering the reputation that Apple has for producing expensive electronic equipment. But with the iPhone X considered the premium device of the Apple range in 2017, the $799 price tag of the iPhone 8 Plus looks rather reasonable.
Conclusion
When making the iPhone 8 Plus vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 comparison, it is certainly the case that the usual spec-packed Samsung device delivers this policy once more. The Galaxy Note 8 wins out over both the Google Pixel 2 XL and iPhone 8 Plus in spec terms, but one must pay $100 more than the Google smartphone to pick one up, with the iPhone 8 Plus coming in at an extremely competitive $799. In this context, it will be interesting to see what the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 cost next year.
It could certainly be argued that the Apple phablet provides the greatest value for money, considering that the specs of the Apple smartphone have been significantly improved over the last generation, and are generally rather competitive. This phablet also delivers an excellent camera, which will obviously be an attractive feature for many smartphone consumers.