Honor Magic4 vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless experience and long-term software support, the iPhone 13 Pro Max remains the superior choice. While the Honor Magic4 boasts faster 66W charging, the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s optimized A15 Bionic, excellent camera system, and enduring battery life provide a more polished and reliable overall package.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic4 | 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 - China | 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 - China | 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, February 28 | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 30 | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 74.5 x 8.8 mm (6.44 x 2.93 x 0.35 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 | 199 g (7.02 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP54, dust and water resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1224 x 2664 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~431 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.81 inches, 113.5 cm2 (~93.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (peak) | 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 | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| - | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF 50 MP, f/2.2, 122˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5" 8 MP, f/3.4, (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom | 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 | 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, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 5W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4800 mAh | Li-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Cyan, Gold | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green |
| Models | LGE-AN00 | A2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3 |
| Price | About 900 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
- Significantly faster 66W wired charging
- Android OS offers greater customization
- Potential for lower price point
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can throttle under sustained load
- Long-term software support is less guaranteed than Apple
- Camera performance may not match iPhone's consistency
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Exceptional performance and efficiency with A15 Bionic
- Industry-leading camera system with ProRes video
- Guaranteed software updates for 5+ years
- Slower wired charging compared to Honor Magic4
- Less customization options with iOS
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s display achieves a measured peak brightness of 1050 nits, offering excellent visibility in direct sunlight. While the Honor Magic4’s display specifications aren’t provided, it’s likely to be competitive, but the iPhone’s infinite contrast ratio (typical of OLED panels) provides deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The iPhone’s ProMotion technology (adaptive refresh rate) isn’t mentioned for the Magic4, suggesting a potential advantage for smoother scrolling and animations on the iPhone. The lack of PWM dimming rate data for the Magic4 leaves open the possibility of greater eye strain for sensitive users compared to the iPhone.
Camera Comparison
Both devices excel in photo and video capture, but approach it differently. The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s camera system is renowned for its computational photography and natural-looking images. The Honor Magic4’s camera specifications are not detailed enough to make a direct comparison, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1’s ISP (Image Signal Processor) is capable. The iPhone’s ProRes video recording capabilities offer professional-grade video editing options not typically found on Android devices. Without sensor size or aperture data for the Magic4, it’s difficult to assess low-light performance relative to the iPhone.
Performance
The core architectural difference lies in the CPU design. The Honor Magic4’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 utilizes an octa-core configuration with an X2 prime core for peak performance, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s A15 Bionic employs a hexa-core setup with ‘Avalanche’ and ‘Blizzard’ cores. Despite having fewer cores, the A15 Bionic, built on a 5nm process, consistently outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in sustained workloads due to superior thermal management and architectural efficiency. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1’s 4nm node aims for efficiency, but the A15’s optimization is demonstrably more effective. The iPhone’s LPDDR5 RAM is likely faster than the Magic4’s, further contributing to its responsiveness.
Battery Life
Both the Honor Magic4 and iPhone 13 Pro Max achieve an impressive endurance rating of 121 hours, indicating similar overall battery life. However, the charging experience differs significantly. The Honor Magic4’s 66W wired charging is substantially faster than the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s wired charging (50% in 30 minutes). The iPhone offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.2), while the Magic4 provides 5W reverse wired charging, a niche feature for topping up accessories. The faster charging of the Magic4 is a clear advantage for users who frequently need to quickly replenish their battery.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic4 if you need blazing-fast 66W wired charging and prefer the flexibility of the Android operating system. It’s ideal for power users who frequently top up their phones and enjoy customization. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you prioritize a consistently smooth user experience, a mature and reliable camera system, and guaranteed software updates for years to come. It’s the better choice for those deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem.