Huawei Mate 30 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro Max: A Detailed Comparison of Flagship Power

Released in 2019, both the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max represent the pinnacle of smartphone technology from their respective manufacturers. While the iPhone 11 Pro Max continues to be a relevant option due to software support and brand recognition, the Mate 30 Pro offers a compelling alternative, particularly for users prioritizing camera capabilities and fast charging. This comparison dissects their key differences, helping you determine which device best suits your needs in 2024.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user, the iPhone 11 Pro Max remains a more straightforward choice due to its established ecosystem and long-term software support. However, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro edges ahead in battery endurance and offers significantly faster charging, making it ideal for power users and photography enthusiasts.

PHONES
Phone Names Huawei Mate 30 Pro Apple iPhone 11 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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - Global1, 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
SpeedHSPA, LTEHSPA, LTE 1.6 Gbps DL, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTEGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China1, 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
Announced2019, September 19. Released 2019, September 262019, September 10
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2019, September 20
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frameGlass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame
Dimensions158.1 x 73.1 x 8.8 mm (6.22 x 2.88 x 0.35 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· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)
Weight198 g (6.98 oz)226 g (7.97 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 min)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 4m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 6Scratch-resistant glass
Resolution1176 x 2400 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~409 ppi density)1242 x 2688 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
Size6.53 inches, 108.7 cm2 (~94.1% screen-to-body ratio)6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, HDR10Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.09 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.86 GHz Cortex-A55)Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder)
ChipsetKirin 990 (7 nm)Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+)
GPUMali-G76 MP16Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
OSAndroid 10, EMUI 11, no Google Play ServicesiOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNano Memory (uses shared SIM slot)No
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM
 UFS 3.0NVMe
Main Camera
FeaturesLeica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDRDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Single-13 MP, f/2.2, PDAF
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 40 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), 1/1.54", PDAF TOF 3D, (depth)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"
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 1080p@960fps, 720p@7680fps, gyro-EIS4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDR, panoramaHDR
Single32 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video1080p@30fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker YesYes, with stereo speakers
 32-bit/384kHz audio -
Comms
Bluetooth5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE5.0, A2DP, LE
Infrared portYes-
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5)GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1, OTGLightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Features
SensorsFace ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compassFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 -Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging40W wired 27W wireless Reverse wirelessWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi)
TypeLi-Po 4500 mAh, non-removableLi-Ion 3969 mAh, non-removable (15.04 Wh)
Misc
ColorsBlack, Space Silver, Cosmic Purple, Emerald GreenMatte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green
ModelsLIO-L09, LIO-L29, LIO-AL00, LIO-TL00A2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5
PriceAbout 1290 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 103h Endurance rating 102h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -29.3 LUFS (Average) -25.6 LUFS (Very good)
Performance AnTuTu: 378950 (v7), 484529 (v8) GeekBench: 11936 (v4.4), 3038 (v5.1) GFXBench: 34fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 459713 (v7), 536883 (v8) GeekBench: 13870 (v4.4), 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Huawei Mate 30 Pro

  • Significantly faster wired and wireless charging (40W/27W)
  • Slightly better battery endurance (103h rating)
  • More versatile camera system with 5x optical zoom
  • Reverse wireless charging capability

  • Lack of Google Mobile Services (GMS) – potential app compatibility issues
  • Software updates may be less frequent and consistent

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

  • Seamless iOS ecosystem and long-term software support
  • Excellent video recording capabilities
  • Strong app compatibility and wider accessory availability
  • Generally more efficient memory management

  • Slower charging speeds (wired and wireless)
  • Slightly lower battery endurance (102h rating)
  • Less versatile zoom capabilities compared to Mate 30 Pro

Display Comparison

Both devices feature 'infinite' contrast ratios, typical of OLED panels. However, the iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display at 820 nits compared to the Mate 30 Pro’s 686 nits. This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight for the iPhone. While both offer excellent color accuracy, the higher peak brightness of the iPhone provides a more vibrant and readable experience in bright outdoor conditions. The Mate 30 Pro’s display technology isn’t specified beyond OLED, while Apple’s Super Retina XDR display is known for its color calibration.

Camera Comparison

Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. The context data doesn’t specify sensor sizes, but the Mate 30 Pro is known for its innovative camera system, including a large 1/1.7-inch sensor and a telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The iPhone 11 Pro Max features a triple-camera system with a wider field of view and excels in video recording, offering cinematic mode and excellent dynamic range. The Mate 30 Pro’s image processing tends to be more saturated and contrasty, while the iPhone aims for a more natural look. Both offer excellent low-light performance, but the Mate 30 Pro’s larger sensor and advanced night mode give it a slight edge in extremely dark conditions.

Performance

The core difference lies in the chipsets: Huawei’s Kirin 990 (7nm) versus Apple’s A13 Bionic (7nm+). While both are 7nm chips, Apple’s A13 Bionic benefits from a more refined architecture and process node, resulting in superior single-core performance. The Kirin 990 utilizes an octa-core configuration (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76, 2x2.09 GHz Cortex-A76, 4x1.86 GHz Cortex-A55), while the A13 Bionic employs a hexa-core setup (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder). The A13’s Neural Engine also provides a significant advantage in machine learning tasks. Both phones have 4GB of RAM, but iOS generally manages memory more efficiently, mitigating the impact of the lower RAM capacity.

Battery Life

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro boasts an endurance rating of 103 hours, slightly surpassing the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s 102 hours. This difference, while small, is noticeable in real-world usage. More significantly, the Mate 30 Pro supports 40W wired charging, allowing for a full charge in under an hour, and 27W wireless charging, a substantial advantage over the iPhone’s slower wired charging (PD2.0, 50% in 30 min) and 7.5W Qi wireless charging. The Mate 30 Pro also includes reverse wireless charging, a feature absent on the iPhone.

Buying Guide

Buy the Huawei Mate 30 Pro if you need exceptional battery life, prioritize fast wired and wireless charging, and value a versatile camera system with strong zoom capabilities. Buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max if you prefer a seamless iOS experience, prioritize long-term software updates, and are deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem. The iPhone also offers a more consistent app experience and wider accessory availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Huawei Mate 30 Pro’s lack of Google Mobile Services (GMS) significantly impact usability?
The absence of GMS is the Mate 30 Pro’s biggest drawback. While Huawei has developed its own ecosystem, Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), many popular apps require GMS to function. Users can sideload some apps, but the experience isn’t always seamless. This is a major consideration for users heavily reliant on Google apps like Gmail, Maps, and YouTube.
❓ How does the A13 Bionic’s performance translate to real-world usage compared to the Kirin 990?
The A13 Bionic consistently outperforms the Kirin 990 in benchmark tests, particularly in single-core performance. In real-world usage, this translates to snappier app launches, smoother multitasking, and better performance in demanding games. While the Kirin 990 is still a capable chip, the A13 Bionic offers a more fluid and responsive experience.
❓ Is the 27W wireless charging on the Mate 30 Pro truly faster than the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s wireless charging?
Yes, the Mate 30 Pro’s 27W wireless charging is significantly faster than the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s 7.5W Qi wireless charging. A full wireless charge on the Mate 30 Pro will take considerably less time, making it a more convenient option for users who frequently utilize wireless charging.
❓ How does the camera processing differ between the two phones, and which is better for social media?
The Mate 30 Pro tends to produce images with more saturated colors and higher contrast, often appealing for immediate social media sharing. The iPhone 11 Pro Max aims for a more natural and realistic look. Which is 'better' depends on personal preference, but the Mate 30 Pro’s processing often requires less editing for social media platforms.