I've had the moto Z Force for about 45 days and the Pixel XL for about 7 days. I'm one of the many Note 7 refugees looking for a new device after years of Samsung fanboy devotion. I had every Note other than the original and never thought I could live without the Spen. I went with the moto Z Force and I'm happy with its performance. I had the opportunity to pick up a Pixel XL for basically nothing, so I did. Now I must compare them and I'll be handing one down to my youngest daughter.
Screen:
Pixel is a bit better, but only noticeable to me when holding them side by side, both are very good.
FPS:
Personal preference, I like it on the front much better than the back. Edit: as I spend more time with the Pixel, I've come to dislike the sensor on the back quite a bit.
Speed:
If there is a difference, I can't tell. Both are very fast and smooth.
Battery:
Both seem about the same. I can get through a normal day without looking for a charge. I have been getting over 4 hours SOT from each in a 10 to 12-hour day.
Photos:
Pixel is very, very fast to take the photo. If you have small children running around you're attempting to photograph, the Pixel is your only choice between these two.
As far as photo quality and lighting conditions go, I've taken a few photos in different lighting to compare.
The moto Z Force and Pixel XL both take good photos for the most part. As expected, lighting plays a big factor in the outcome. I have added notes to a few of the photos to explain the color variations. In some cases, the difference is extreme. The Pixel tends to be closer to true color and a little flat or washed out at times while the moto seems to look a bit more vibrant but over saturated in some cases. So, personal taste, of course, is a big factor here.
In the following photos, first shot is Moto Z Force followed by the Pixel XL.
The moto adjust very well to the lighting. The Pixel XL is more accurate, but is that a good thing in this situation?
Moto photo shows an awesome red in the side of this one, but there is no red on the car. Pixel is much more accurate.
Both look great, but the car is orange.
The reds seem better in the moto and the blacks in the Pixel XL.
Both look good, hard to tell much difference to me.
Both look good, I think the moto with its rich color looks better in this situation.
In this situation the red is more accurate in the moto shot, the Pixel looks dull or flat to me.
Feel in hand:
Both are good to me. The Pixel seems a lot more like the Z with style shell. The Z Force is a bit thicker when you have a moto style shell installed. But if you're like most, you'll be putting a case on the Pixel XL, which makes it about the same as the Z Force. If you go naked, you'll probably like the Pixel better. I put a TPU case on both and can't tell much difference.
Build Quality:
Although I believe both are well built, I prefer the moto. I'm very partial to the Z Force having the ShatterShield and Style Shell. I have the leather and red nylon style shells. Not sure why anyone would want a glass or aluminum back, neither would be my first choice.
The ShatterShield gives a piece of mind you just can't get otherwise. It's a big deal to me personally.
Android Auto:
The Z Force hooked up to my 2016 Chevrolet Silverado first try and every time after that without issue and has worked great with all the features.
The Pixel XL has been glitchy each time I've tried to connect. It will connect one time and then not connect several times afterwards. Requires disconnecting the cable a few times and even a reboot once. Edit: Pixel has settled in and is now connecting with Android Auto like it should. Not sure why it wanted to fight with me to start with, but seems to have given up and is responding as you would expect.
Bluetooth:
Z Force has connected perfectly each time. Both to my truck and to my LG Tone Plus headset.
Pixel XL connects to headset without any problems, but it has been difficult getting it to connect as easily and stay connected to my truck.
Nougat seems to be a bit less stable in both Bluetooth and Android Auto.
Other:
For some reason my Pixel will not install the Verizon "out of the box" update for a Wi-Fi issue it is supposed to have. I spoke with Google support and they connected me to Verizon support. Google support pretty much just passed me along to Verizon, which is fair, after all it is a Verizon update. I went through level one support with Verizon quick (I'd already done everything including a factory reset) and moved on to level two. Although both Verizon support agents were very friendly, I'm now waiting on further instructions.
I'm not knocking the Pixel for this. It's more likely to be a Verizon issue and I've not experienced any Wi-Fi issues. The update is not available if the Verizon SIM is not installed.
Other Considerations: (pros/cons)
Z Force - ShatterShield, battery mod, style shell, front fps (after a few days, rear fps is almost a deal breaker for me)
Pixel - direct updates, camera speed, slightly better display
My summary:
Both are smooth and fast. So it comes down to what is most important to you. I'll be keeping my Moto Z Force and handing the Pixel XL down to one of my daughters. Both are very good but the advantages of the Z Force are more important to me, making the moto my choice.
Screen:
Pixel is a bit better, but only noticeable to me when holding them side by side, both are very good.
FPS:
Personal preference, I like it on the front much better than the back. Edit: as I spend more time with the Pixel, I've come to dislike the sensor on the back quite a bit.
Speed:
If there is a difference, I can't tell. Both are very fast and smooth.
Battery:
Both seem about the same. I can get through a normal day without looking for a charge. I have been getting over 4 hours SOT from each in a 10 to 12-hour day.
Photos:
Pixel is very, very fast to take the photo. If you have small children running around you're attempting to photograph, the Pixel is your only choice between these two.
As far as photo quality and lighting conditions go, I've taken a few photos in different lighting to compare.
The moto Z Force and Pixel XL both take good photos for the most part. As expected, lighting plays a big factor in the outcome. I have added notes to a few of the photos to explain the color variations. In some cases, the difference is extreme. The Pixel tends to be closer to true color and a little flat or washed out at times while the moto seems to look a bit more vibrant but over saturated in some cases. So, personal taste, of course, is a big factor here.
In the following photos, first shot is Moto Z Force followed by the Pixel XL.
The moto adjust very well to the lighting. The Pixel XL is more accurate, but is that a good thing in this situation?
Moto photo shows an awesome red in the side of this one, but there is no red on the car. Pixel is much more accurate.
Both look great, but the car is orange.
The reds seem better in the moto and the blacks in the Pixel XL.
Both look good, hard to tell much difference to me.
Both look good, I think the moto with its rich color looks better in this situation.
In this situation the red is more accurate in the moto shot, the Pixel looks dull or flat to me.
Feel in hand:
Both are good to me. The Pixel seems a lot more like the Z with style shell. The Z Force is a bit thicker when you have a moto style shell installed. But if you're like most, you'll be putting a case on the Pixel XL, which makes it about the same as the Z Force. If you go naked, you'll probably like the Pixel better. I put a TPU case on both and can't tell much difference.
Build Quality:
Although I believe both are well built, I prefer the moto. I'm very partial to the Z Force having the ShatterShield and Style Shell. I have the leather and red nylon style shells. Not sure why anyone would want a glass or aluminum back, neither would be my first choice.
The ShatterShield gives a piece of mind you just can't get otherwise. It's a big deal to me personally.
Android Auto:
The Z Force hooked up to my 2016 Chevrolet Silverado first try and every time after that without issue and has worked great with all the features.
The Pixel XL has been glitchy each time I've tried to connect. It will connect one time and then not connect several times afterwards. Requires disconnecting the cable a few times and even a reboot once. Edit: Pixel has settled in and is now connecting with Android Auto like it should. Not sure why it wanted to fight with me to start with, but seems to have given up and is responding as you would expect.
Bluetooth:
Z Force has connected perfectly each time. Both to my truck and to my LG Tone Plus headset.
Pixel XL connects to headset without any problems, but it has been difficult getting it to connect as easily and stay connected to my truck.
Nougat seems to be a bit less stable in both Bluetooth and Android Auto.
Other:
For some reason my Pixel will not install the Verizon "out of the box" update for a Wi-Fi issue it is supposed to have. I spoke with Google support and they connected me to Verizon support. Google support pretty much just passed me along to Verizon, which is fair, after all it is a Verizon update. I went through level one support with Verizon quick (I'd already done everything including a factory reset) and moved on to level two. Although both Verizon support agents were very friendly, I'm now waiting on further instructions.
I'm not knocking the Pixel for this. It's more likely to be a Verizon issue and I've not experienced any Wi-Fi issues. The update is not available if the Verizon SIM is not installed.
Other Considerations: (pros/cons)
Z Force - ShatterShield, battery mod, style shell, front fps (after a few days, rear fps is almost a deal breaker for me)
Pixel - direct updates, camera speed, slightly better display
My summary:
Both are smooth and fast. So it comes down to what is most important to you. I'll be keeping my Moto Z Force and handing the Pixel XL down to one of my daughters. Both are very good but the advantages of the Z Force are more important to me, making the moto my choice.