Asus ROG Phone 6D vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: A Deep Dive for Power Users
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the iPhone 14 Pro Max offers a more polished and reliable experience with a superior camera and ecosystem integration. However, dedicated mobile gamers will find the ROG Phone 6D’s Dimensity 9000+ and aggressive cooling provide a sustained performance edge, justifying its specialized design.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Asus ROG Phone 6D | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48 - A version | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2894, A2896 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A version | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2894, A2896 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/11.5 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/210 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - B version | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2895 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, September 19 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, October 11 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 173 x 77 x 10.4 mm (6.81 x 3.03 x 0.41 in) | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 239 g (8.43 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IPX4 water resistant Illuminated RGB logo (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 Victus | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.35 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ (4 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G710 MC10 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 12 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 NTFS support for external storage | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro) | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS, HDR10+ | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Panorama, HDR | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, 28mm (wide) | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@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, with stereo speakers (2 amplifiers) | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1), NavIC (L5) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, 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/6e, tri-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 Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 65W wired, PD3.0 10W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 6000 mAh | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Space Gray | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | AI2203, AI2203_D | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | About 690 EUR | € 530.79 / $ 489.81 / £ 446.75 |
| SAR | - | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.07 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Asus ROG Phone 6D
- Superior gaming performance with active cooling
- Faster 65W wired charging
- Customizable gaming features (AirTriggers)
- Likely inferior camera quality
- Less refined software experience
- Bulkier design
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Best-in-class camera system
- Seamless ecosystem integration
- Long-term software support
- Slower charging speed
- Higher price point
- Less customizable gaming experience
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts a peak brightness of 1760 nits, significantly outshining the ROG Phone 6D (brightness data unavailable, but typically lower in gaming phones). This translates to superior visibility in direct sunlight. While the ROG Phone 6D likely features a high refresh rate, the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s LTPO technology dynamically adjusts refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz, optimizing battery life. The iPhone’s infinite contrast ratio, inherent to OLED technology, provides deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. Bezels are similarly minimal on both devices, but the iPhone’s display is generally considered more color accurate.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s camera system is a clear advantage. While both phones offer photo and video capabilities, the iPhone’s image processing and computational photography are industry-leading. Sensor sizes are not specified for the ROG Phone 6D, but the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s larger sensor captures more light, resulting in better low-light performance. The iPhone’s ProRAW format provides greater editing flexibility. The ROG Phone 6D may offer unique camera features geared towards content creation, but it’s unlikely to match the iPhone’s overall image quality and consistency. Ignoring the likely low-resolution macro lens on the ROG Phone 6D, the iPhone’s cinematic mode and ProRes video recording are significant advantages for videographers.
Performance
The core battle lies between the Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ in the ROG Phone 6D and the Apple A16 Bionic in the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Both are fabricated on a 4nm process, but Apple’s A16, with its hexa-core architecture (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth), consistently benchmarks higher in single-core performance. The ROG Phone 6D’s octa-core configuration (1x3.35 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) excels in multi-core tasks. However, the A16’s Neural Engine provides a significant advantage in machine learning tasks. Crucially, the ROG Phone 6D’s active cooling system allows it to sustain peak performance for longer periods, mitigating thermal throttling – a common issue in high-performance Android phones. RAM speed (likely LPDDR5X on both) is not specified, but the A16’s memory controller is highly optimized.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an impressive endurance rating of 121 hours, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the ROG Phone 6D). The ROG Phone 6D’s 65W wired charging is significantly faster than the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s PD2.0 charging (50% in 30 minutes). The iPhone 14 Pro Max offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (requiring iOS 17.2), while the ROG Phone 6D provides 10W reverse wired charging, a useful feature for topping up accessories. The faster wired charging of the ROG Phone 6D is a key advantage for users who frequently need to quickly replenish their battery.
Buying Guide
Buy the Asus ROG Phone 6D if you demand maximum gaming performance, prioritize sustained frame rates over all else, and appreciate customizable features like AirTriggers. Buy the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max if you value a refined user experience, a best-in-class camera system, seamless integration with other Apple devices, and long-term software support.