Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: The Ultimate Showdown

The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate and the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max represent two distinct philosophies in smartphone design. One is a powerhouse built for mobile gaming, while the other is a polished, all-around flagship. Let's dive into a comprehensive comparison to see which device comes out on top.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate dominates in raw gaming performance and charging speed, boasting a brighter display and longer endurance. However, the iPhone 14 Pro Max offers a more refined user experience, superior software ecosystem, and arguably better overall camera quality, making it a more versatile choice for most users.

PHONES
Phone Names Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66 - International1, 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 bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International1, 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
SpeedHSPA, LTE (Up to 7CA), 5GHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - China1, 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
Announced2023, April 132022, September 07
StatusAvailable. Released 2023, MayAvailable. Released 2022, September 16
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frameGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frame
Dimensions173 x 77 x 10.3 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)
SIMNano-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)
Weight239 g (8.43 oz)240 g (8.47 oz)
 Built-in motorized cooling air vent (AeroActive Portal) IP54 water resistant 2" OLED display (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
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusCeramic Shield glass
Resolution1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density)1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)
Size6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.2% screen-to-body ratio)6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeAMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak)LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM)
 -Always-On display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm)
GPUAdreno 740Apple GPU (5-core graphics)
OSAndroid 13, up to 2 major Android upgradesiOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal512GB 16GB RAM128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM
 UFS 4.0 NTFS support for external storageNVMe
Main Camera
FeaturesLED flash, HDR, panoramaDual-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)
Triple50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (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)
Video8K@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
FeaturesPanorama, HDRHDR
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 29mm (wide), 1/3.2", 0.7µm12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 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 stereo speakers (2 amplifiers)Yes, with stereo speakers
 32-bit/384kHz audio-
Comms
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless5.3, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1 (side), DisplayPort 1.4; USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connectorLightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-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 Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving)
Battery
Charging65W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 100% in 42 min 10W reverse wiredWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update
TypeLi-Po 6000 mAhLi-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh)
Misc
ColorsStorm WhiteSpace Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple
Models-A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3
PriceAbout 780 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 131h Endurance rating 121h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -25.5 LUFS (Very good) -24.3 LUFS (Very good)
Performance AnTuTu: 1325105 (v9) GeekBench: 5139 (v5.5), 5567 (v6) GFXBench: 107fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate

  • Exceptional gaming performance
  • Brighter display
  • Faster charging (65W)
  • Reverse wired charging
  • Customizable gaming features

  • Camera not as good as iPhone
  • Less polished software experience
  • Larger and heavier design

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • Superior camera quality
  • Seamless iOS ecosystem
  • Excellent video recording
  • Premium design and build quality
  • Long-term software support

  • Slower charging (20W)
  • Less customizable
  • Higher price

Display Comparison

The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate takes the lead in display brightness, hitting a measured 1095 nits compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max's 1760 nits. While the iPhone's brightness is higher, both offer excellent contrast ratios (nominally infinite) and vibrant colors. The ROG Phone's larger size might be preferable for gaming, while the iPhone's smaller form factor offers better portability.

Camera Comparison

The iPhone 14 Pro Max consistently delivers superior image quality, particularly in video recording. Its computational photography is top-notch. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate's camera is capable, but doesn't match the iPhone's overall consistency and dynamic range. The iPhone also benefits from Apple's excellent video stabilization.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is a beast for gaming, offering exceptional raw power. The iPhone 14 Pro Max's A16 Bionic chip is incredibly efficient and delivers smooth performance across all tasks. While benchmarks might favor the ROG Phone, real-world gaming performance is remarkably close on both devices, though the ROG Phone's cooling system gives it an edge during extended gaming sessions.

Battery Life

Both phones offer impressive battery life, with endurance ratings of 131h and 121h respectively. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate's 65W wired charging is significantly faster than the iPhone 14 Pro Max's 20W charging, allowing for quicker top-ups. The ROG Phone also has reverse wired charging.

Buying Guide

The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is ideal for hardcore mobile gamers who prioritize performance, customization, and a dedicated gaming experience. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is perfect for users seeking a premium, user-friendly smartphone with a strong camera, seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem, and long-term software support.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone is better for gaming?
The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is specifically designed for gaming and offers superior performance and features for mobile gamers.
❓ Which phone has the better camera?
The iPhone 14 Pro Max consistently delivers better image and video quality thanks to Apple's advanced computational photography.
❓ Is the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate worth it if I don't game?
While it excels at gaming, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is still a capable smartphone. However, if you don't prioritize gaming, the iPhone 14 Pro Max offers a more well-rounded experience.