Phone Comparisons: ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Google Pixel 7

The ZenFone 10 is ASUS’ brand new compact flagship. That’s not something we see often these days, a very compact smartphone that can compete with the best offerings out there. In this article, we’ll compare the ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Google Pixel 7, with Google’s very own high-end offering. Truth be said, the Pixel 7 Pro is Google’s top-of-the-line phone, but the Pixel 7 is also a high-end device, and more compact than the Pixel 7 Pro, hence this comparison.

These two devices are also somewhat similar in the price segment. So, it makes all the sense in the world to compare them. We’ve reviewed both phones at this point, and you may be surprised by what we’re about to share in this article. We’ll first list their specifications, and then we’ll compare the two phones across a number of different categories. Having said that, let’s get started, shall we?

Specs

	ASUS ZenFone 10	Google Pixel 7
Screen size	5.9-inch FullHD+ Super AMOLED display (up to 144Hz refresh rate, 1,100 nits peak brightness)	6.3-inch fullHD+ flat AMOLED display (90Hz refresh rate, 1,400 nits peak brightness)
Screen resolution	2400 x 1080	2400 x 1080
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Google Tensor G2
RAM	8GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)	8GB (LPDDR5)
Storage	128GB/256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0), non-expandable	128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1), non-expandable
Rear cameras	50MP (f/1.9 aperture, 24mm wide-angle lens, 1.0um pixel size, gimbal OIS, PDAF) 13MP (f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size)	50MP (Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, 1.2um pixel size, f/1.85 aperture, 82-degree FoV, Super Res Zoom up to 8x) 12MP (ultrawide, 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 114-degree FoV, lens correction)
Front cameras	32MP (f/2.5 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)	10.8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 92.8-degree FoV, Fixed Focus)
Battery	4,300mAh, non-removable, 30W wired charging Charger included	4,355mAh, non-removable, 21W wired charging, 23W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging Charger not included
Dimensions	146.5 x 68.1 x 9.4mm	155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm
Weight	172 grams	197 grams
Connectivity	5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C	5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C
Security	Side-facing fingerprint scanner	Face Unlock In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
OS	Android 13 ZenUI	Android 13
Price	$799	$599/$699
Buy	Available Q3 2023	Amazon

ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Google Pixel 7: Design

These two smartphones are easy to differentiate, as they’re sporting entirely different designs. The ZenFone 10 is more rounded, and looks different in every way, basically. One thing they have in common is the fact their frames are made out of aluminum, that’s basically it. The ZenFone 10 is considerably shorter, narrower, and a bit thicker. It’s also lighter on top of everything, and you will feel the difference.

The ASUS ZenFone 10 comes with flat sides, all around, and a flat display. It has a display camera hole in the top-left corner, while all of its physical buttons are placed on the right side. The bezels are not uniform, but they are quite thin. Two camera islands are included on the back, and each of them is housing one camera sensor. The backplate on the device is made out of soft-touch plastic, of sorts. The feel is somewhere between regular plastic, and OnePlus’ sandstone finish, the phone is quite grippy, and very comfortable to hold. That backplate sticks out towards the back, and is curved to make holding the device more pleasant.

The Pixel 7, on the other hand, doesn’t have flat sides, though it has a flat display too. It has a centered display camera hole, and its bezels are also thin, but not uniform. All the physical buttons are located on the right side, while there’s a camera visor on the back. That camera visor is covered by metal, and it attaches to both the left and right sides of the frame. The Pixel 7 has a glass back, which is slightly curved towards the edges.

Both phones feel premium in the hand, though entirely different. The ZenFone 10 is much easier to use with one hand, and it’s also much grippier than the Pixel 7. Both phones offer an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Google Pixel 7: Display

The ZenFone 10 features a 5.9-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display. That panel is flat, and it supports a 144Hz refresh rate, though it’ll only activate during gaming. HDR10+ content is supported here, while the panel goes up to 1,100 nits of brightness at its peak. It has a 20:9 aspect ratio, while the Gorilla Glass Victus protects this panel.

The Pixel 7, on the other hand, includes a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. That panel is also flat, and it supports a 90Hz refresh rate. HDR10+ content is supported here too, while the display can reach 1,400 nits of brightness at its peak. It also has a 20:9 aspect ratio, while the Gorilla Glass Victus protects it, the same as it does the ZenFone 10’s panel.

Both of these displays are good, though they’re not the very top-of-the-line. They’re more than sharp enough, and offer vivid colors, with deep blacks, and very good viewing angles. The touch response is also very good. The ZenFone 10’s panel does offer a higher refresh rate, and during regular usage, you may notice the difference between 120Hz and 90Hz, though most people probably won’t. Both displays could be brighter outdoors, as you’ll notice that under direct sunlight, if you’ve used a considerably brighter display. For all intents and purposes, they’re more than bright enough.

ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Google Pixel 7: Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 fuels the ASUS ZenFone 10. ASUS also included up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM inside of this phone, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Pixel 7, on the other hand, comes with the Google Tensor G2 processor, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The ZenFone 10 has better performance-related hardware, there’s no doubt about that, does that reflect actual usage, though?

Well, yes, you can see the difference. The ZenFone 10 is more snappy than the Pixel 7, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 plays a major part in that. Don’t get me wrong, the Pixel 7 is not a slow phone, not at all, but when you use it next to the ZenFone 10, it is visibly slower. Both phones handle regular, everyday tasks without a problem, though. The ZenFone 10 is more prominent when it comes to gaming, though.

You can play the most demanding games on the ZenFone 10 without a problem, though do note the phone will get quite warm after a while. The Pixel 7 does a good job with gaming, but the most demanding titles will perform worse than on the ZenFone 10. The Pixel 7 wasn’t exactly made for gaming, though, and Google never claimed it was.

ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Google Pixel 7: Battery

The ASUS ZenFone 10 features a 4,300mAh battery on the inside. The Pixel 7, on the flip side, has a 4,355mAh unit. These battery sizes may not seem huge, but do keep in mind both of these phones are smaller than your regular flagships these days. In fact, the ZenFone 10 in particular offers outstanding battery life. The Pixel 7 is not bad in that regard, but it cannot compete with ASUS’ offering.

During our usage, we were able to cross the 10-hour screen-on-time mark, a number of times. In fact, the phone managed to get over the 11-hour screen-on-time mark, and keep on going. That’s incredible for a phone of that size, that’s for sure. The Pixel 7, on the other hand, will fly closer to 7-7.5 hours of screen-on-time, as it struggles to reach that 8-hour mark. Do note that your mileage may vary, though, of course. You’ll use different apps, in different ways, and with different signal strengths. One thing is for sure, though, the ZenFone 10 trumps the Pixel 7 in terms of battery life, by quite a margin.

The ZenFone 10 supports 30W wired, 15W wireless, and 5W reverse wired charging. The Pixel 7, on the flip side, supports 20W wired, 20W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. Unlike Google’s offering, the ZenFone 10 does include a charger in the box. For the Pixel 7, you’ll have to buy one separately, if you don’t already own it.

ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Google Pixel 7: Cameras

The ASUS ZenFone 10 has a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV) on the back. The Pixel 7, on the other hand, includes a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (114-degree FoV). Pixels are well-known for their photo prowess, while the ZenFone 10 did a good job in our testing too. They’re quite different in terms of final products, though.

The ZenFone 10 provides noticeably brighter images than its predecessor, while it also toned down on sharpening, which was an issue on the ZenFone 9. It provides good-looking photos, with ample detail, and offers good performance in HDR conditions. The thing is, autofocus can be a hit or miss, but ASUS is expected to fix that via a software update. The Pixel 7 offers contrasty photos, which end up looking a bit unrealistic, but great overall. It rarely misses, and is one of the most reliable smartphones for taking photos.

Ultrawide cameras on both smartphones do a good job, though we’d give the end to the Pixel 7 here. The ZenFone 10 does have a wider FoV on that camera, but the photos end up looking a bit different than the ones provided by the main camera. On top of that, ASUS removed autofocus support for that camera, which destroys its macro prowess. We’re not sure why that happened, but there you go.

Video footage ends up looking good on both phones, but the stabilization is ZenFone 10’s forte. ASUS improved upon its gimbal OIS stabilization, and it truly does wonders on the ZenFone 10. If you have a tendency to film while you’re running, riding a bike, or something of the sort, the ZenFone 10 is the way to go.

Audio

Both of these phones do have stereo speakers, and offer good sound output. They’re nowhere near the loudest speakers in the market, but they do a good job. The Pixel 7’s speakers are slightly louder, while both sets are well-optimized across the spectrum.

If you need a headphone jack, however, the ZenFone 10 is your only choice here. ASUS included an audio jack at the top, while you’ll need to use the Type-C port on the Pixel 7 in order to connect your headphones via a wire. If you decide to go wireless, the ZenFone 10 offers Bluetooth 5.3, compared to Bluetooth 5.2 on the Pixel 7.