iPhone 6s Plus vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: A Generational Leap?
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the clear winner, offering vastly superior performance, a dramatically improved camera system, a brighter display, and significantly better battery life. While the 6s Plus remains functional, the 11 Pro Max represents a generational leap in smartphone technology.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 6s Plus | Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 - A1633 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2218 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (2CA) Cat6 300/50 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE 1.6 Gbps DL, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41 - A1634 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2161, A2220 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2015, September 09. Released 2015, September 25 | 2019, September 10 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2019, September 20 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Corning-made glass), aluminum back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm (6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) | 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 192 g (6.77 oz) | 226 g (7.97 oz) |
| Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 4m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating | Scratch-resistant glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~401 ppi density) | 1242 x 2688 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.5 inches, 83.4 cm2 (~67.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| 3D Touch display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister | Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder) |
| Chipset | Apple A9 (14/16 nm - maker dependant) | Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+) |
| GPU | PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | iOS 9, upgradable to iOS 15.8.5 | iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 16GB 2GB RAM, 32GB 2GB RAM, 64GB 2GB RAM, 128GB 2GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM |
| NVMe | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, PDAF, OIS | 13 MP, f/2.2, PDAF |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@120fps, 720p@240fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Face detection, HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP, f/2.2, 31mm (standard) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 16-bit/44.1kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay only) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | - | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi) |
| Stand-by | Up to 384 h (3G) | - |
| Talk time | Up to 24 h (3G) | - |
| Type | Li-Ion 2750 mAh, non-removable (10.45 Wh) | Li-Ion 3969 mAh, non-removable (15.04 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Space Gray, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold | Matte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green |
| Models | A1634, A1687, A1690, A1699, iPhone8,2 | A2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5 |
| Price | About 240 EUR | $ 233.00 / C$ 369.75 / £ 226.95 / € 249.00 |
| SAR | 1.12 W/kg (head) 1.14 W/kg (body) | 1.16 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.93 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 256GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 874.46 |
| 512GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 1,004.31 |
| 64GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 435.00 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 485.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -71.1dB | Noise -94.3dB / Crosstalk -81.5dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 85h | Endurance rating 102h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1382:1 (nominal), 3.530 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 65dB / Noise 65dB / Ring 64dB | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | Basemark OS II 2.0: 2261 | AnTuTu: 459713 (v7), 536883 (v8) GeekBench: 13870 (v4.4), 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| OUR TESTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -71.1dB | Noise -94.3dB / Crosstalk -81.5dB |
| Battery (old) | Endurance rating 85h | Endurance rating 102h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1382:1 (nominal), 3.530 (sunlight) | 820 nits max brightness (measured) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 65dB / Noise 65dB / Ring 64dB | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | Basemark OS II 2.0: 2261 | AnTuTu: 459713 (v7), 536883 (v8) GeekBench: 13870 (v4.4), 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 6s Plus
- Affordable
- Compact size (relative to modern phones)
- Still functional for basic tasks
- Outdated processor
- Poor camera quality
- Short battery life
- Limited storage options
- No 4G LTE
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Excellent camera system
- Long battery life
- Powerful performance
- Bright and vibrant display
- Supports fast charging
- 4G LTE
- Expensive
- Large size
- Can be heavy
Display Comparison
The iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts a Super Retina XDR display with a peak brightness of 820 nits, offering exceptional visibility even in direct sunlight. Its contrast ratio is effectively infinite. The 6s Plus, while having a respectable 1382:1 contrast ratio, pales in comparison, lacking the brightness and color accuracy of the 11 Pro Max. Sunlight readability is noticeably better on the 11 Pro Max.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 11 Pro Max's camera system is a major upgrade. It features a triple-lens setup (wide, ultrawide, and telephoto) with improved image processing and low-light performance. The 6s Plus's single-lens camera is adequate for basic photography but lacks the versatility and quality of the 11 Pro Max.
Performance
The A13 Bionic chip in the iPhone 11 Pro Max is a powerhouse, delivering significantly faster performance than the A9 chip in the 6s Plus. The 11 Pro Max's hexa-core design handles demanding tasks and games with ease, while the 6s Plus can feel sluggish at times. The 11 Pro Max also benefits from more RAM (4GB vs 2GB).
Battery Life
The iPhone 11 Pro Max offers significantly longer battery life, with an endurance rating of 102 hours compared to the 6s Plus's 85 hours. The 11 Pro Max also supports faster wired (PD 2.0) and wireless (Qi) charging.
Buying Guide
The iPhone 6s Plus is suitable for users on a very tight budget who primarily need a basic smartphone for calls, texts, and light browsing. The iPhone 11 Pro Max is ideal for anyone who values a premium camera, long battery life, powerful performance, and a modern display – especially photographers and power users.