Honor View30 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Detailed Comparison of Flagship Power

The Honor View30 Pro, released as a 5G powerhouse, now finds itself in a fascinating comparison with the still-relevant Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. While separated by operating systems and brand philosophies, both represent premium experiences. This comparison dissects their core strengths – Honor’s aggressive charging and connectivity versus Apple’s refined ecosystem and processing power – to determine which phone delivers the best value in today’s market.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing a seamless ecosystem, long-term software support, and consistently excellent camera performance, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the superior choice. However, the Honor View30 Pro offers significantly faster wired and wireless charging, and 5G connectivity at a substantially lower price point, making it compelling for budget-conscious power users.

PHONES
Phone Names Honor View30 Pro Apple iPhone 12 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, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 411, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2342
5G bands1, 3, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL)HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 -1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412
Launch
Announced2020, February 24. Released 2020, April 272020, October 13
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2020, November 13
Body
BuildGlass front, glass back, aluminum frameGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frame
Dimensions162.7 x 75.8 x 8.8 mm (6.41 x 2.98 x 0.35 in)160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)
Weight206 g (7.27 oz)228 g (8.04 oz)
 -IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
Display
ProtectionYesCeramic Shield glass
Resolution1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density)1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
Size6.57 inches, 104.7 cm2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio)6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeIPS LCDSuper Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55)Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm)
ChipsetKirin 990 5G (7 nm+)Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm)
GPUMali-G76 MP16Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
OSAndroid 10, Magic UI 3, no Google Play ServicesiOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM
 UFS 3.0NVMe
Main Camera
FeaturesLaser AF, LED flash, HDR, panoramaDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Triple40 MP, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1.4µm, AF12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)
Video4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@960fps, (gyro-EIS)4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec.
Selfie camera
Dual32 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm 8 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide)-
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single-12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker YesYes, with stereo speakers
Comms
Bluetooth5.1, A2DP, LE5.0, A2DP, LE
Infrared portYes-
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGLightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Features
SensorsFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compassFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 -Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging40W wired, 70% in 30 min 27W wireless, 52% in 30 min Reverse wirelessWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update
TypeLi-Po 4100 mAhLi-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh)
Misc
ColorsOcean Blue, Midnight Black, Icelandic frost, Sunrise OrangeSilver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue
Models-A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4
Price-$ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00
SAR EU-0.99 W/kg (head)     0.99 W/kg (body)
Pricing
128GB 6GB RAM-$ 599.99
256GB 6GB RAM-$ 728.45
512GB 6GB RAM-$ 886.67
RENEWED-$ 627.00
Tests
Battery life- Endurance rating 95h
Camera- Photo / Video
Display- Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker- -23.8 LUFS (Very good)
Performance- AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Honor View30 Pro

  • Significantly faster wired and wireless charging
  • Lower price point
  • 5G connectivity

  • Less refined software experience
  • Potentially shorter software support lifespan

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

  • Superior performance with the A14 Bionic
  • Excellent camera system and video recording
  • Seamless ecosystem integration and long-term software support

  • Slower charging speeds
  • Higher price

Display Comparison

The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 822 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Honor View30 Pro’s peak brightness isn’t specified, its OLED panel likely offers vibrant colors. The iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED displays, delivers deep blacks and a stunning visual experience. The lack of LTPO technology in either device means refresh rates are fixed, but the iPhone’s color accuracy is renowned, making it ideal for content creators. The View30 Pro’s display, while good, doesn’t have the same level of calibration and refinement.

Camera Comparison

Both phones excel in photography, but approach it differently. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is known for its consistent image processing and excellent video recording capabilities. While specific sensor sizes aren’t provided, Apple’s computational photography algorithms deliver natural-looking images with accurate colors. The Honor View30 Pro likely features a more aggressive image processing style, potentially boosting saturation and contrast. The iPhone’s video recording is a clear advantage, offering ProRes and Cinematic mode. The View30 Pro’s camera system, while capable, doesn’t match the iPhone’s overall refinement and video prowess.

Performance

The Apple A14 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, demonstrably outperforms the Honor View30 Pro’s Kirin 990 5G (7nm+). The A14’s hexa-core architecture (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) focuses on both peak performance and efficiency. While the Kirin 990’s octa-core setup (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) is capable, the A14’s superior architecture and process node translate to faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and better sustained performance under heavy loads. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6GB of RAM is comparable to the View30 Pro, but Apple’s software optimization allows it to manage memory more efficiently.

Battery Life

Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the View30 Pro). However, the charging speeds are drastically different. The Honor View30 Pro’s 40W wired charging can reach 70% in just 30 minutes, while its 27W wireless charging achieves 52% in the same timeframe. The iPhone 12 Pro Max, with its 50% charge in 30 minutes via PD2.0, lags significantly behind in wired charging. While the iPhone offers 15W wireless charging with MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4), it’s still slower than the Honor’s offering. This makes the View30 Pro the clear winner for users who prioritize quick top-ups.

Buying Guide

Buy the Honor View30 Pro if you need blazing-fast charging speeds (40W wired, 27W wireless), prioritize 5G connectivity, and are comfortable with the Android ecosystem. It’s ideal for users who frequently top up their phones and want a feature-rich device without the premium Apple price tag. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prefer a polished, integrated experience, value long-term software updates, and prioritize camera consistency and video recording capabilities. It’s the better choice for users deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem and willing to pay a premium for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Kirin 990 5G in the Honor View30 Pro overheat during prolonged gaming sessions?
While the Kirin 990 5G is a capable chip, its 7nm+ process isn't as thermally efficient as the A14 Bionic's 5nm process. Users have reported some throttling during extended gaming, particularly with graphically demanding titles. However, the Honor View30 Pro does incorporate cooling solutions to mitigate this, and performance remains generally good for most use cases.
❓ How does the iPhone 12 Pro Max's MagSafe charging compare to the Honor View30 Pro's wireless charging in terms of convenience?
MagSafe offers a more secure and aligned wireless charging experience due to its magnetic attachment. While the Honor View30 Pro’s 27W wireless charging is faster, it requires precise placement on the charging pad. MagSafe provides a more convenient 'snap-on' experience, though it's limited to 15W charging speeds.
❓ Is the lack of a specified battery capacity for the Honor View30 Pro a concern?
While the exact capacity isn't listed, the 95-hour endurance rating suggests it's well-optimized. The faster charging speeds mitigate concerns about a potentially smaller battery, allowing for quick top-ups throughout the day. Real-world usage will determine if the battery capacity meets individual needs.