The most powerful variant of the latest Apple lineup is the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It packs amazing specifications but it is sold at a very expensive price: it is one of the most expensive phones in the market. But is it also the best phone out there? There is no better way to understand it than comparing it to the best top-tier Android flagships. For this comparison, we choose the most powerful flagships from the most important smartphone manufacturers in terms of sales (alongside Apple): Huawei Mate 40 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Huawei Mate 40 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G | Huawei Mate 40 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm, 228 g | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm, 208 g | 162.9 x 75.5 x 9.1 mm, 212 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.7 inches, 1284 x 2778p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.9 inches, 1440 x 3088p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.76 inches, 1344 x 2772p (Full HD+), OLED |
| PROCESSOR | Apple A14 Bionic, hexa-core | Samsung Exynos 990, octa-core 2.73 GHz or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, octa-core 3.1 GHz |
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 9000 5G, octa-core 3.13 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 6 GB RAM, 512 GB | 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – micro SD slot | 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 512 GB – nano memory card slot |
| SOFTWARE | iOS 14 | Android 10, One UI | Android 10, EMUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 12 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.6 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2 front camera |
Triple 108 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/3.0 + f/2.2 10 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Triple 50 + 12 + 20 MP, f/1.9 + f/3.4 + f/1.8 Dual 13 MP + TOF 3D f/2.4 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3687 mAh, fast charging 20W, fast wireless charging 15W | 4500 mAh, fast charging 25W, Fast wireless charging | 4400 mAh, fast charging 66W, and fast wireless charging 50W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | 5G, Dual SIM slot, IP68 waterproof, eSIM | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging 9W, waterproof IP68, 5G, eSIM | Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging 5W, 5G, IP68 waterproof |
Design
iPhone 12 Pro Max, Huawei Mate 40 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G all feature an astonishing design. The first has a stainless steel frame and narrow bezels with a symmetric look, the second distinguishes from its rivals for its extremely curved display which allows replacing physical keys with touch controls to regulate the volume. The third has a very high screen-to-body ratio, stainless steel frame, and a single punch hole. In each case, you get an amazing build quality and a waterproof device with the IP68 certification, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max is waterproof up to 6 meters deep, while Huawei Mate 40 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G go up to 1.5 meters. The design of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the trendiest one, but my favorite one is the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, despite it is the biggest device from the trio.
Display
The most stunning display belongs to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. First of all, it has a higher resolution with 1440 x 3088 pixels. Further, the refresh rate goes up to 120 Hz, while on the iPhone 12 Pro Max and on the Huawei Mate 40 Pro it stops at 60 and 90 Hz, respectively. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G has a wider diagonal and it is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, while iPhone 12 Pro Max has Ceramic Shield to improve the protection. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G and Huawei Mate 40 Pro support a stylus (S Pen and M Pen 2 respectively) which allows handwriting and drawing with up to 4096 pressure levels.
Hardware and Software
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is fueled by the most powerful and efficient processor of the trio: the Apple A14 Bionic built at 5 nm. Further, the high optimization of the iOS operating system makes the phone even faster. Despite it sports just 6 gigs of RAM, the iPhone 12 Pro Max should be the most performing device of the trio. But in each case, we are talking about top-tier flagship smartphones with no limits in every scenario. You can play the most demanding games, use the most demanding apps and you can do everything you want. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G and Huawei Mate 40 Pro run Android 10 out of the box, but Huawei Mate 40 Pro will lack Google apps in the global market, replaced by Huawei Mobile Services.
Camera
It looks like the Huawei Mate 40 Pro provides the best camera performance. It is not the most advanced device of this comparison to record videos, but it clicks the best photos. But you do not need to necessarily go for the Huawei Mate 40 Pro if you need a top camera phone: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G and iPhone 12 Pro Max are still amazing camera phones and they are even better at video recording.
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G has the biggest battery, but its battery life is not so good. The Huawei Mate 40 Pro should be able to last a lot more on a single charge thanks to its more efficient display (with Full HD+ resolution and 90 Hz refresh rate) and more efficient chipset (the Kirin 9000 built at 5 nm). Unfortunately, no one tested the iPhone 12 ProMax because it will be available to purchase starting from November. Huawei Mate 40 Pro supports the fastest technology to charge the battery.
Price
The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a €1289/$1099 starting price, Huawei Mate 40 Pro costs €1249/$1480 globally, and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G begins at €1309/$1299 There is not a definitive winner of this comparison: I love the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra due to its advanced S Pen and better display, but its battery life is disappointing. Huawei Mate 40 Pro has better cameras, while iPhone 12 Pro Max offers higher performance.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Huawei Mate 40 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: PRO and CONS
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
PROS
- S Pen
- Widest display
- Micro SD slot
- Ultrasonic fingerprint reader
CONS
- Dimensions
Huawei Mate 40 Pro
PROS
- Super cameras
- Fastest wireless charging
- Fastest wired charging
- 3D facial recognition
CONS
- Inferior display
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
PROS
- Better water resistance
- MagSafe connectors
- Awesome build quality
- Great performance
CONS
- Price
