Huawei Mate 30 5G vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: A 2024 Flagship Face-Off
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing long-term software support and a refined ecosystem, the iPhone 11 Pro Max remains the superior choice. However, the Huawei Mate 30 5G delivers comparable performance and faster charging at a potentially lower price, making it a compelling option for those less reliant on Apple’s services.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 30 5G | Apple iPhone 11 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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2218 |
| 5G bands | 41, 77, 78, 79 NSA/Sub6 | - |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA, LTE 1.6 Gbps DL, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2161, A2220 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, September. Released 2019, October | 2019, September 10 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2019, September 20 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 160.8 x 76.1 x 8.4 mm (6.33 x 3.00 x 0.33 in) | 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 196 g (6.91 oz) | 226 g (7.97 oz) |
| IP53, dust and splash resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 4m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Scratch-resistant glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~389 ppi density) | 1242 x 2688 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.62 inches, 107.6 cm2 (~87.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10 | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder) |
| Chipset | Kirin 990 5G (7 nm+) | Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP16 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 10, no Google Play Services | iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Leica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | - | 13 MP, f/2.2, PDAF |
| Triple | 40 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/1.54", PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.9µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, 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, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired 27W wireless Reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi) |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3969 mAh, non-removable (15.04 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Space Silver, Cosmic Purple, Emerald Green, Orange, Forest Green | Matte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green |
| Models | TAS-AN00, TAS-TN00 | A2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5 |
| Price | About 650 EUR | $ 233.00 / C$ 369.75 / £ 226.95 / € 249.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.16 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 256GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 874.46 |
| 512GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 1,004.31 |
| 64GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 435.00 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 485.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -94.3dB / Crosstalk -81.5dB |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 102h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 459713 (v7), 536883 (v8) GeekBench: 13870 (v4.4), 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei Mate 30 5G
- Faster wired and wireless charging (40W/27W)
- Integrated 5G modem for faster data speeds
- Potentially lower price point in 2024
- Reverse wireless charging capability
- EMUI software may not appeal to all users
- Long-term software support is less certain than Apple
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Excellent battery life (102h endurance)
- Seamless iOS ecosystem and software support
- Strong resale value
- Natural-looking camera image processing
- Slower charging speeds compared to Mate 30 5G
- Higher initial purchase price
Display Comparison
The iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 820 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Mate 30 5G’s display specifications aren’t explicitly provided, Huawei typically employs OLED panels with vibrant colors. The iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, characteristic of OLED technology, delivers deep blacks and a visually striking image. The lack of high refresh rate technology on either device is noticeable by today’s standards, but both offer excellent color accuracy for media consumption.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach image processing differently. The iPhone 11 Pro Max is known for its natural-looking images and excellent video stabilization. The Mate 30 5G, leveraging Huawei’s computational photography expertise, often produces more vibrant and saturated images. Without specific sensor size details for the Mate 30 5G, it’s difficult to make a direct comparison, but Huawei’s flagship typically features a large main sensor. Both devices offer robust camera systems capable of capturing stunning photos in various lighting conditions.
Performance
Both devices utilize 7nm+ fabrication processes, but their CPU architectures differ significantly. The iPhone 11 Pro Max’s A13 Bionic employs a hexa-core design (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder), optimized for single-core performance. The Mate 30 5G’s Kirin 990 5G features an octa-core configuration (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55), aiming for a balance between power and efficiency. While the Kirin 990 5G offers more cores, the A13 Bionic’s superior single-core performance translates to snappier app launches and smoother multitasking. The iPhone’s 4GB of RAM is a potential limitation compared to the Mate 30 5G’s likely higher RAM configuration (though not specified), potentially impacting multitasking with numerous apps open simultaneously.
Battery Life
The iPhone 11 Pro Max achieves an impressive endurance rating of 102 hours, indicating exceptional battery life. The Mate 30 5G compensates for a potentially smaller battery with significantly faster charging capabilities: 40W wired, 27W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 11 Pro Max supports wired charging via PD2.0, reaching 50% charge in 30 minutes, and Qi wireless charging. The Mate 30 5G’s faster charging speeds offer a significant convenience advantage, allowing for quicker top-ups throughout the day.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 30 5G if you need blazing-fast 5G connectivity, prefer faster wired and wireless charging, and are comfortable with Huawei’s EMUI software. Buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max if you prioritize a seamless user experience, guaranteed software updates, a strong resale value, and integration with the Apple ecosystem.