iPhone 17 vs Pixel 10: 3 features I need to see from Apple

The annual smartphone arms race has, over the years, evolved into an elaborate game of catch-up between companies like Apple and Google. The Pixel will do something first, then the iPhone will do it, and then the roles might be reversed the following year. So it goes for eternity.

With the big iPhone 17 event looming next week, it's time to take stock of what the recently released Pixel 10 did well and figure out which parts of it would make sense on Apple's newest handset. Not every new Pixel 10 feature is good, and not all of the good ones are things that make sense on an iPhone, but these three would undoubtedly improve the user experience for Apple fanatics.

3 features iPhone 17 should borrow from Pixel 10

With Apple's newest phone just a couple of weeks away (presumably), let's dig in to what it should borrow from Google's latest model.

Smooth displays for all

For a few years now, Apple has been way behind the curve on refresh rates in the base models of every new iPhone.

To be more specific, the iPhone 16 from a year ago still only has a 60Hz display, while even Google's budget phone, the Pixel 9a, has a 120Hz panel. This is, admittedly, not a huge deal; 60Hz is perfectly fine for everyday activities, and there's a decent chance that most people would barely notice the difference without it being pointed out to them. However, there is a difference, and it's meaningful to folks who have the eyes for it.

120Hz displays are just smoother and better to look at, even when doing simple things like doomscrolling on social media. It's just weird that Apple has locked this feature behind the Pro-label iPhones for the last few years. The good news is that all the rumors point to Apple remedying this problem with the iPhone 17. We'll all find out together next week.

Better zoom capabilities

Sticking to the base-level iPhones and Pixels for a moment, Google is eating Apple's lunch when it comes to camera zoom abilities.

With the Pixel 10, Google made the strong decision to add a telephoto lens to the rear camera module, giving it a total of three lenses back there. That gives it some parity with Pro-level smartphones. Its specs are not as strong as what you might find on the back of a Pixel 10 Pro, but 5x optical zoom is still leagues better than the 2x optical zoom on an iPhone 16.

I don't expect Apple to add a third lens to the back of the base-level iPhone 17, as no rumors or leaks have indicated that this is the case. But a man can dream, can't he?

Something to compete with Gemini Live

I am not a proponent of using AI for much of anything, but there's no doubt that Google is beating Apple in that department by a lot right now.

Perhaps the best example is Gemini Live, Google's AI-powered voice assistant that you can have somewhat naturalistic conversations with. It just recently got the ability to "see" and talk about things using a phone camera, while Siri is still...the same Siri it's always been. It's not anywhere close to as powerful as Gemini Live at this point, and that really stands out in a world where AI features are kind of the main selling point for any new smartphone, aside from camera improvements.

The good news is that we know Apple is working on a substantial AI upgrade for Siri. The bad news is that it probably won't be ready for the iPhone 17's launch later this month. All reports indicate we'll get it next spring, so that's how long we might have to wait before Apple can reasonably compete with Gemini Live.