Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: The Ultimate Showdown

The Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro is a powerhouse designed for mobile gaming, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max remains a popular choice for its premium features and iOS ecosystem. But which phone truly delivers the best experience? We're pitting these two titans against each other in a comprehensive comparison.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The ROG Phone 5 Pro dominates in raw performance and charging speed, catering to gamers. However, the iPhone 11 Pro Max offers a more polished user experience, excellent camera quality, and unmatched battery endurance. It depends on your priorities: gaming or overall premium smartphone experience.

PHONES
Phone Names Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 711, 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
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA-
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 1400/150 Mbps, 5G 4 Gbps DLHSPA, LTE 1.6 Gbps DL, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
 -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
Announced2021, March 102019, September 10
StatusAvailable. Released 2021, July 02Available. Released 2019, September 20
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frameGlass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame
Dimensions172.8 x 77.3 x 10.3 mm (6.80 x 3.04 x 0.41 in)158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)
Weight238 g (8.40 oz)226 g (7.97 oz)
 Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers) Touch sensor; ROG Vision color PMOLED display (on the back)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 4m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusScratch-resistant glass
Resolution1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density)1242 x 2688 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
Size6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio)6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeAMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak)Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+)
GPUAdreno 660Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
OSAndroid 11, upgradable to Android 13, ROG UIiOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal512GB 16GB RAM64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM
 UFS 3.1NVMe
Main Camera
FeaturesLED flash, HDR, panoramaDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Single-13 MP, f/2.2, PDAF
Triple64 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/1.8, 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"
Video8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.
Selfie camera
FeaturesPanorama, HDRHDR
Single24 MP, f/2.5, 27mm (wide), 0.9µm12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video1080p@30fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with DTS:X stereo speakers (2 dedicated amplifiers)Yes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio-
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.0, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connectorLightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compassFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 -Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging65W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 70% in 30 min, 100% in 52 min 10W reverse wiredWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi)
TypeLi-Po 6000 mAhLi-Ion 3969 mAh, non-removable (15.04 Wh)
Misc
ColorsGlossy BlackMatte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green
ModelsZS673KS, ZS673KS-1A079INA2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5
PriceAbout 680 EUR$ 233.00 / C$ 369.75 / £ 226.95 / € 249.00
SAR-1.16 W/kg (head)     1.17 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-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 -94.3dB / Crosstalk -81.5dB
Battery life- Endurance rating 102h
Camera- Photo / Video
Display- Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker- -25.6 LUFS (Very good)
Performance- AnTuTu: 459713 (v7), 536883 (v8) GeekBench: 13870 (v4.4), 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro

  • Exceptional gaming performance
  • 144Hz AMOLED display
  • Blazing-fast 65W charging
  • Advanced cooling system
  • Expandable storage (via microSD)

  • Camera not as good as iPhone
  • Shorter battery life than iPhone
  • Android software can be less polished than iOS

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

  • Excellent camera quality
  • Long-lasting battery life
  • Seamless iOS experience
  • Premium build quality
  • Strong resale value

  • Older chipset compared to ROG Phone 5 Pro
  • Slower charging speed
  • No expandable storage
  • Higher price for older model

Display Comparison

The ROG Phone 5 Pro boasts a 144Hz AMOLED display, offering incredibly smooth visuals perfect for fast-paced games. The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a Super Retina XDR display with excellent color accuracy and brightness (820 nits), but lacks the high refresh rate. While the iPhone's contrast ratio is technically 'infinite' (nominal), the ROG Phone's higher refresh rate provides a more responsive feel.

Camera Comparison

The iPhone 11 Pro Max consistently delivers excellent photo and video quality, known for its natural colors and ease of use. While the ROG Phone 5 Pro has a capable camera system, it doesn't quite match the iPhone's overall image quality and video recording capabilities. The iPhone's computational photography is also a strong point.

Performance

The Snapdragon 888 in the ROG Phone 5 Pro delivers significantly more raw processing power than the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11 Pro Max. This translates to smoother gameplay, faster app loading, and better multitasking. However, iOS is generally well-optimized, so the iPhone still feels snappy in everyday use. The ROG Phone 5 Pro's cooling system is also a major advantage during extended gaming sessions.

Battery Life

The iPhone 11 Pro Max takes a clear victory in battery life, boasting an impressive endurance rating of 102 hours. The ROG Phone 5 Pro offers fast 65W charging, but its battery life is noticeably shorter, especially when gaming.

Buying Guide

Buy the Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro if you're a serious mobile gamer who demands the highest frame rates and fastest charging. Buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max if you prioritize a seamless iOS experience, a fantastic camera, and exceptional battery life, even if it's an older model.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is the ROG Phone 5 Pro good for everyday use?
Yes, the ROG Phone 5 Pro is capable for everyday tasks, but its focus is on gaming. The software can feel a bit cluttered compared to iOS.
❓ How does the iPhone 11 Pro Max's camera compare to newer iPhones?
While not the latest, the iPhone 11 Pro Max's camera remains excellent, offering great image quality and video recording. Newer iPhones have improved features, but the 11 Pro Max still holds its own.