Honor 500 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: A Clash of Chipset Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For users prioritizing raw processing power and incredibly fast charging, the Honor 500 Pro presents a compelling case. However, the iPhone 14 Pro Max maintains its edge in overall ecosystem integration, consistent software experience, and proven long-term reliability, making it the better choice for the average user.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor 500 Pro (China) | 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 | LTE | 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 | SA/NSA | 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, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 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 | 2025, November 24 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, November 27 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 155.8 x 74.2 x 7.8 mm (6.13 x 2.92 x 0.31 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 | 201 g (7.09 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Aluminosilicate glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1264 x 2736 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.55 inches, 105.4 cm2 (~91.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 3840Hz PWM, HDR Vivid, 6000 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 830 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 16, MagicOS 10 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| - | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, 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 | 200 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.4", 0.56µm, PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.4, 68mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 117˚ (ultrawide), AF | 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 | 4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS, OIS | 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 | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.0, (wide) | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC 5, Auracast, ASHA | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1C+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L1+L5), GLONASS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display), accelerometer, gyro, compass, proximity (ultrasound) | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 80W wired 50W wireless, 28% in 15 min 5W reverse wired Reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 8000 mAh | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Silver, Blue, Pink | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | MEP-AN00 | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | About 440 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) |
Honor 500 Pro (China)
- Potentially superior CPU performance with Snapdragon 8 Elite
- Significantly faster charging speeds (80W wired, 50W wireless)
- Likely more affordable price point (China market)
- Reverse wireless charging capability
- Limited availability (China only)
- Camera specifications unknown
- Software ecosystem less mature than iOS
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Mature and optimized iOS ecosystem
- Excellent camera system with consistent results
- High display brightness and contrast
- Long-term software support
- Slower charging speeds
- Higher price point
- Less powerful CPU compared to Snapdragon 8 Elite (on paper)
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s display achieves a measured peak brightness of 1760 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Honor 500 Pro’s display specifications are not provided, Honor typically employs high-quality OLED panels. The iPhone’s infinite contrast ratio, inherent to OLED technology, delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. The lack of LTPO information for the Honor 500 Pro means it may not dynamically adjust refresh rates as efficiently as the iPhone, potentially impacting battery life during variable content viewing. The iPhone’s display is a known quantity, while the Honor’s remains an unknown.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are equipped with sophisticated camera systems, but details beyond 'Photo / Video' are absent for the Honor 500 Pro. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is renowned for its computational photography prowess and consistent video quality. The Honor 500 Pro will likely feature a high-resolution main sensor, but without knowing the sensor size, aperture, or optical image stabilization (OIS) capabilities, a direct comparison is difficult. Apple’s image processing prioritizes natural-looking images, while Honor’s tends towards more vibrant, saturated colors. The absence of details regarding the Honor’s camera system makes it difficult to assess its capabilities against the well-established iPhone.
Performance
The core of this comparison lies in the chipsets. The Honor 500 Pro’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, fabricated on a 3nm node, features an octa-core CPU configuration with Oryon V2 Phoenix cores – 2x4.32 GHz ‘L’ and 6x3.53 GHz ‘M’ – promising significant performance gains and improved power efficiency compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 4nm A16 Bionic. The A16 Bionic utilizes a hexa-core CPU (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth). While core count isn’t everything, the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s architectural advantage and smaller node size suggest superior multi-core performance. However, Apple’s tight software integration and optimized silicon often translate to real-world performance that punches above its theoretical specifications. The Honor 500 Pro’s LPDDR5x RAM (speculation based on current flagship trends) will further enhance memory bandwidth, potentially benefiting demanding applications.
Battery Life
Both the Honor 500 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max achieve an endurance rating of 121 hours, suggesting comparable overall battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the Honor). However, the Honor 500 Pro’s charging capabilities are significantly faster, offering 80W wired charging (reaching 28% in 15 minutes) and 50W wireless charging. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is limited to slower wired charging (50% in 30 minutes) and 15W wireless charging via MagSafe/Qi2 (requiring iOS 17.2 for Qi2). The Honor’s faster charging speeds provide a substantial convenience advantage, allowing for quick top-ups throughout the day.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor 500 Pro (China) if you need bleeding-edge CPU performance for demanding tasks like mobile gaming and video editing, and value the convenience of 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. Buy the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max if you prioritize a seamless user experience, a mature camera system with consistent results, and the longevity of Apple’s software support, even if it means sacrificing some peak processing speed.