Honor Magic4 Ultimate vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing long-term software support, seamless ecosystem integration, and consistently smooth performance, the iPhone 13 Pro Max remains the superior choice. However, the Honor Magic4 Ultimate’s significantly faster charging and potentially higher peak performance (depending on thermal throttling) make it compelling for power users and Android enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic4 Ultimate | Apple iPhone 13 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, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 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 - A2643, A2644, A2645 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, March 17 | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, April 22 | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, ceramic back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 74.7 x 11.4 mm (6.44 x 2.94 x 0.45 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 242 g (8.54 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1312 x 2848 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.81 inches, 113.7 cm2 (~93.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 12, Magic UI 6 | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.6, 23mm (wide), 1/1.12", 1.4µm, PDAF 64 MP, f/2.2, 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.7µm 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/2.5", PDAF TOF 3D (depth) | - |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10-bit video | 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 | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 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 stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit audio stereo recording | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | 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, ultrasonic), Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 100W wired, 100% in 30 min 50W wireless 5W reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4600 mAh | Li-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Ceramic Black, Ceramic White | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green |
| Models | LGE-AN20 | A2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3 |
| Price | About 1150 EUR | € 423.38 / $ 394.86 / £ 355.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 1.20 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 | - | -24.0 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 801691 (v9) GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Honor Magic4 Ultimate
- Blazing-fast 100W wired charging
- Potentially higher peak CPU performance
- Android OS flexibility and customization
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 prone to thermal throttling
- Long-term software support may be limited
- Camera consistency may vary
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Exceptional performance and efficiency with A15 Bionic
- Long-term software support and ecosystem integration
- Consistent and reliable camera performance
- Significantly slower charging speeds
- Less customization options with iOS
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 1050 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Magic4 Ultimate’s display specifications aren’t provided, Honor typically employs high-quality OLED panels. The iPhone’s infinite (nominal) contrast ratio delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. The lack of LTPO information for the Magic4 Ultimate means it likely lacks the variable refresh rate technology found in the iPhone, potentially impacting battery life during dynamic content viewing. The iPhone’s color accuracy is renowned, making it ideal for content creators.
Camera Comparison
Both devices excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is known for its consistent image processing and cinematic mode for video. The Magic4 Ultimate’s camera specifications are not detailed enough to make a direct comparison, but Honor often focuses on high megapixel counts and advanced computational photography. Without knowing sensor sizes and lens apertures, it’s difficult to assess low-light performance. The iPhone’s ProRes video recording capabilities are a significant advantage for professional videographers.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) in the Honor Magic4 Ultimate versus Apple’s A15 Bionic (5nm) in the iPhone 13 Pro Max. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 features an octa-core configuration with a Cortex-X2 prime core clocked at 3.00 GHz, the A15 Bionic utilizes a hexa-core design with Avalanche and Blizzard cores. The 5nm process node of the A15 Bionic generally translates to better power efficiency and sustained performance compared to the 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which is known to throttle under prolonged heavy loads. The iPhone’s optimized software further enhances its performance advantage. The Magic4 Ultimate’s LPDDR5x RAM should offer faster memory speeds, but the A15’s Neural Engine provides superior machine learning capabilities.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 121 hours, indicating similar overall battery life despite differing battery capacities. However, the Honor Magic4 Ultimate’s 100W wired charging is a game-changer, achieving a full charge in just 30 minutes. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, with its 50% charge in 30 minutes via PD2.0, lags significantly in charging speed. The Magic4 Ultimate also offers 50W wireless charging and reverse wireless/wired charging, features absent on the iPhone (beyond 15W MagSafe/Qi2). This makes the Magic4 Ultimate ideal for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic4 Ultimate if you need the absolute fastest charging speeds available, prioritize raw processing power for demanding tasks, and prefer the flexibility of the Android operating system. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you value a refined user experience, exceptional camera consistency, long-term software updates, and seamless integration with other Apple devices.