Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Deep Dive for Power Users
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a polished experience and strong camera, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the better choice. However, gamers and power users who demand maximum performance and customization will find the ROG Phone 3 Strix a more compelling option, despite its less refined software.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2342 |
| 5G bands | 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps, 5G 4.0 Gbps DL | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, July 22. Released 2020, July 23 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 171 x 78 x 9.9 mm (6.73 x 3.07 x 0.39 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 240 g (8.47 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| RGB light panel (on the back) Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~391 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.59 inches, 106.6 cm2 (~79.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 650 nits (typ) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, ROG UI | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, 11mm, 125˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro) | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Panorama, HDR | HDR |
| Single | 24 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 0.9µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with DTS:X stereo speakers (2 dedicated amplifiers) | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connector | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired, PD3.0, QC4 10W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 6000 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black Glare | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | ASUS_I003DD | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 1400 EUR | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 599.99 |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 728.45 |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 886.67 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 627.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix
- Superior gaming performance with Snapdragon 865
- Higher refresh rate display for smoother visuals
- Faster wired charging (30W vs 20W)
- Less refined software experience compared to iOS
- Potentially bulkier and heavier design
- Camera system not as consistently strong as iPhone
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Polished and intuitive iOS ecosystem
- Exceptional camera quality and video recording
- Long-term software support and updates
- Lower refresh rate display
- Less powerful processor for demanding games
- Ecosystem lock-in may be restrictive for some users
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 822 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the ROG Phone 3 Strix’s peak brightness isn’t specified, its focus on gaming suggests a similarly bright panel. However, the ROG Phone 3 Strix likely features a higher refresh rate (typically 120Hz or 144Hz, based on the ROG Phone 3 line) compared to the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s standard 60Hz, resulting in smoother motion for gaming. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 'infinite' contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors, but the ROG Phone 3 Strix’s display is optimized for fast response times, crucial for competitive gaming.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer excellent camera systems, but approach photography differently. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is renowned for its computational photography, delivering consistently pleasing images with accurate colors and excellent dynamic range. The ROG Phone 3 Strix, while capable, prioritizes speed and features geared towards content creation for social media. Details on the ROG Phone 3 Strix’s camera sensors are limited, but it likely focuses on versatility rather than outright image quality. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s video recording capabilities are particularly strong, offering cinematic mode and ProRes video recording (on higher storage models).
Performance
The Apple A14 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, delivers exceptional single-core performance with its 3.1 GHz Firestorm cores. This translates to incredibly responsive app launches and smooth multitasking. However, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+) in the ROG Phone 3 Strix, with its octa-core configuration, excels in sustained multi-core performance, particularly beneficial for demanding games. While the A14 Bionic is more power-efficient, the ROG Phone 3 Strix’s larger size allows for more robust cooling solutions, mitigating thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6GB of RAM is sufficient for most tasks, but the ROG Phone 3 Strix, also offering 6GB, benefits from optimized memory management for gaming.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, indicating comparable battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the ROG Phone 3 Strix). The iPhone 12 Pro Max supports 20W wired charging, reaching 50% charge in 30 minutes, and 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4). The ROG Phone 3 Strix offers 30W wired charging with PD3.0 and QC4 support, potentially providing faster charging speeds, and 10W reverse wired charging for topping up accessories. The ROG Phone 3 Strix’s larger size likely accommodates a larger battery, contributing to its endurance.
Buying Guide
Buy the Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix if you need a dedicated gaming device with high refresh rates, powerful cooling, and extensive customization options. You'll benefit from the Snapdragon 865's raw power and the phone's gaming-centric features. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prefer a premium, user-friendly experience with a best-in-class camera, long-term software support, and seamless integration with other Apple devices. You'll value the A14 Bionic's efficiency and the iPhone's overall polish.