Honor View40 vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Flagship Performance and Value
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless ecosystem, long-term software support, and a consistently polished experience, the iPhone 12 Pro Max remains the superior choice. However, the Honor View40 delivers exceptional value, offering comparable performance and blazing-fast charging for a fraction of the price.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor View40 | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | LTE | 1, 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 bands | SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342 |
| 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, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, January 22 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Cancelled | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 163.1 x 74.3 x 8 mm (6.42 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1236 x 2676 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~439 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.72 inches, 110.9 cm2 (~91.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, HDR10, 120Hz, 800 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.6 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 1000+ (7 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MC9 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, with Google Play Services (unconfirmed) | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 17mm (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) | 12 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) |
| Video | 4K, 1080p, 720p@1920fps, HDR, 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide) Color spectrum sensor | - |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 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 |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C, 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, 60% in 15 min, 100% in 35 min 50W wireless, 50% in 35 min 5W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight Black, Rose Gold, Titanium Silver | Silver, 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 View40
- Blazing-fast 66W wired charging
- Competitive price point
- Strong performance from Dimensity 1000+
- Less established software support
- Uncertainty regarding long-term updates
- Display refresh rate not specified
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Excellent camera system with computational photography
- Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem
- Long-term software support and updates
- Significantly higher price
- Slower charging speeds
- Less flexible operating system
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s display achieves a measured peak brightness of 822 nits, providing excellent visibility in direct sunlight. While the Honor View40’s peak brightness isn’t specified, its OLED panel likely offers vibrant colors. The iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED technology, delivers deep blacks. The lack of refresh rate information for the View40 is a drawback, as many competitors in its price range offer 90Hz or 120Hz panels, enhancing smoothness. The iPhone’s display benefits from Apple’s color calibration, ensuring accuracy for content creation.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are capable of capturing high-quality photos and videos, but their approaches differ. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s camera system is renowned for its computational photography and natural-looking images. While specific sensor sizes aren’t provided for either device, the iPhone’s image processing pipeline excels in dynamic range and detail preservation. The Honor View40’s camera performance relies heavily on its image processing algorithms, which may favor more saturated colors. Without detailed sensor information, a direct comparison is difficult, but the iPhone’s established reputation for camera quality gives it an edge.
Performance
Apple’s A14 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, demonstrably outperforms the Mediatek Dimensity 1000+ (7nm) in single-core CPU tasks. The A14’s hexa-core architecture, with its high-clocked Firestorm cores (3.1 GHz), provides a significant advantage in demanding applications. While the Dimensity 1000+’s octa-core configuration offers strong multi-core performance, the A14’s superior efficiency translates to better sustained performance and thermal management. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6GB of RAM is matched by the View40, but Apple’s software optimization allows it to manage memory more effectively.
Battery Life
Both the Honor View40 and iPhone 12 Pro Max achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, suggesting comparable overall battery life. However, their charging capabilities are vastly different. The Honor View40’s 66W wired charging can replenish the battery to 60% in just 15 minutes and fully charge it in 35 minutes. Its 50W wireless charging is also significantly faster than the iPhone’s 15W MagSafe/Qi2 charging. While the iPhone offers convenience with wireless charging, the View40’s speed is unmatched. The iPhone’s PD2.0 wired charging takes 30 minutes to reach 50%, slower than the View40.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor View40 if you need a phone with incredibly fast charging (66W wired, 50W wireless) and are comfortable with the Android ecosystem. It’s ideal for power users who frequently top up their devices and appreciate a high refresh rate display. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prioritize a mature software experience, strong resale value, and integration with other Apple devices. It’s the better option for users deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem and those who value long-term software updates.