Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design vs. iPhone 11 Pro Max: A Flagship Face-Off

Released in late 2019, the Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max represented the pinnacle of smartphone technology from their respective manufacturers. While both commanded premium prices, they took fundamentally different approaches to achieving flagship status. This comparison dissects their key differences, focusing on performance, camera capabilities, and battery life to determine which device offers the best overall experience, especially considering the current market landscape.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing a polished ecosystem and consistent performance, the iPhone 11 Pro Max remains a strong contender, offering excellent battery life and a refined user experience. However, the Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design’s 40W wired and 27W wireless charging, coupled with the Kirin 990 5G’s potential, make it a compelling alternative for those seeking faster charging and a unique design.

PHONES
Phone Names Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design 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
5G bands1, 3, 28, 77, 78, 79 NSA/Sub6-
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL)HSPA, LTE 1.6 Gbps DL, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / 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. Released 2019, November2019, September 10
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2019, September 20
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), leather/glass back, aluminum frameGlass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame
Dimensions158.1 x 73.1 x 9.3 mm (6.22 x 2.88 x 0.37 in)158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in)
SIMNano-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 mins)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 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55)Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder)
ChipsetKirin 990 5G (7 nm+)Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+)
GPUMali-G76 MP16Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
OSAndroid 10, EMUI 10, no Google Play ServicesiOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNano Memory (uses shared SIM slot)No
Internal512GB 12GB 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 Yes, with stereo speakersYes, 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, RedMatte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green
ModelsLIO-N29, LIO-AN00P, LIO-AN00A2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5
PriceAbout 1700 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 RS Porsche Design

  • Significantly faster wired and wireless charging (40W/27W)
  • Unique Porsche Design aesthetic
  • Potentially larger camera sensor for improved low-light performance
  • 5G connectivity

  • Software ecosystem less mature than iOS
  • Potential concerns regarding Google Mobile Services (GMS) availability

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

  • Polished and intuitive iOS ecosystem
  • Excellent video recording quality and stabilization
  • Strong app optimization and long-term software support
  • Wide availability of accessories

  • Slower charging speeds compared to Huawei
  • Less distinctive design
  • Limited customization options

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 RS Porsche Design’s display specifications aren’t explicitly provided, Huawei flagships of this era typically featured OLED panels with comparable brightness. However, the iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, characteristic of OLED technology, delivers deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The lack of high refresh rate technology (90Hz or 120Hz) on either device is notable, a feature becoming increasingly common in subsequent flagship models.

Camera Comparison

Both devices excel in camera performance, but approach it differently. The iPhone 11 Pro Max’s camera system is renowned for its natural color reproduction and excellent video recording capabilities. The Mate 30 RS Porsche Design, leveraging Huawei’s computational photography prowess, likely prioritizes dynamic range and detail enhancement. Without specific sensor size details for the Mate 30 RS Porsche Design, it’s difficult to make a definitive comparison. However, Huawei flagships often feature larger sensors, potentially offering better low-light performance. Both phones offer robust photo and video modes, but the iPhone’s video stabilization is generally considered best-in-class.

Performance

The core of the performance difference lies in the chipsets. Apple’s A13 Bionic, fabricated on a 7nm+ process, employs a hexa-core architecture (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder). This contrasts with the Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design’s Kirin 990 5G (also 7nm+), which utilizes an octa-core configuration (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55). While core count isn’t everything, the A13 Bionic’s superior single-core performance and optimized neural engine give it an edge in tasks like app loading and image processing. The iPhone 11 Pro Max’s 4GB of RAM is a potential limitation compared to the likely higher RAM configuration in the Mate 30 RS Porsche Design, but Apple’s software optimization mitigates this to a degree.

Battery Life

Both the Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design and the iPhone 11 Pro Max achieve an impressive endurance rating of 102 hours, indicating comparable battery life under similar usage conditions. However, the Mate 30 RS Porsche Design significantly outpaces the iPhone in charging speed, offering 40W wired charging and 27W wireless charging, including reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 11 Pro Max supports wired charging via PD2.0, achieving 50% charge in 30 minutes, and Qi wireless charging, but at a slower rate. This makes the Mate 30 RS Porsche Design the clear winner for users who prioritize rapid replenishment.

Buying Guide

Buy the Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design if you prioritize exceptionally fast charging speeds (both wired and wireless) and appreciate a distinctive, luxury design aesthetic. It’s ideal for users who frequently top up their phones and aren’t heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem. Buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max if you value a seamless user experience, a mature software ecosystem, and consistently reliable performance. It’s the better choice for users deeply integrated with Apple services and those prioritizing long-term software support.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Kirin 990 5G chipset in the Mate 30 RS Porsche Design suffer from significant thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions?
While the Kirin 990 5G is a powerful chipset, early reports indicated potential thermal management concerns under sustained load. However, the Porsche Design variant’s larger chassis and potentially improved cooling solutions may mitigate this issue compared to other Mate 30 models. Real-world performance will vary depending on the game and ambient temperature.
❓ How does the lack of Google Mobile Services (GMS) on the Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design impact the user experience?
The absence of GMS means users cannot directly access Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, and the Play Store. Huawei provides its own ecosystem, Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and the AppGallery, but app availability is still limited compared to the Play Store. Workarounds exist, but they require technical expertise and may not be stable.
❓ Is the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s 4GB of RAM sufficient for multitasking and demanding applications in 2024?
Despite having only 4GB of RAM, the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s iOS is highly optimized for memory management. It efficiently handles multitasking and most demanding applications without significant performance degradation. However, users who frequently switch between numerous resource-intensive apps may notice some slowdown.