Huawei Mate 40 Pro+ vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Clash of Flagship Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless software experience and strong resale value, the iPhone 12 Pro Max emerges as the more practical choice. However, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro+ offers a compelling alternative with its faster wired and wireless charging, and potentially more versatile camera system, albeit within the constraints of the Huawei ecosystem.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 40 Pro+ | 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) / 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, 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 | 1, 3, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79, 80, 84 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 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 | 2020, October 22 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, November 01 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, ceramic back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 75.5 x 8.8 mm (6.41 x 2.97 x 0.35 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 | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 230 g (8.11 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1344 x 2772 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~456 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.76 inches, 115.7 cm2 (~94.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10, 90Hz | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.13 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.54 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.05 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Kirin 9000 5G (5 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP24 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 11, no Google Play Services | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| SFS 1.0 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica optics, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 8 MP, f/4.4, 240mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 20 MP, f/2.4, 14mm (ultrawide), PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) | - |
| Triple | - | 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@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480fps, 720p@960fps, 720p@3840fps, 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps | 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 |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC | 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/6, dual-band, 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 | 66W wired 50W wireless 5W reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4400 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Ceramic White, Ceramic Black | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | NOP-AN00 | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 1400 EUR | $ 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) |
Huawei Mate 40 Pro+
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging.
- Potentially more versatile camera system with advanced zoom.
- 5G connectivity with the Kirin 9000 chipset.
- Reverse wireless charging capability.
- Limited access to Google Mobile Services (GMS).
- Software updates may be less frequent and consistent.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Seamless iOS ecosystem integration.
- Strong resale value.
- Excellent software support and updates.
- Robust app ecosystem.
- Slower charging speeds compared to the Mate 40 Pro+.
- Less flexible camera software compared to Huawei.
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 822 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Mate 40 Pro+’s display specifications aren’t provided, Huawei typically prioritizes color accuracy and vibrancy. The iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, delivers deep blacks and vivid colors. The lack of LTPO technology in either device means refresh rates are capped at 60Hz, a notable omission compared to some competitors. The iPhone’s display benefits from the robust color management within iOS, offering accurate color reproduction for content creation.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography, but approach it differently. The Mate 40 Pro+’s camera system, while details are limited in the provided data, is known for its advanced zoom capabilities and computational photography prowess. The iPhone 12 Pro Max focuses on delivering natural-looking images with accurate color reproduction and excellent dynamic range. Both devices offer robust video recording capabilities. The iPhone’s Photographic Styles allow for personalized image processing, while Huawei’s camera software often emphasizes scene optimization. Without specific sensor size data for the Mate 40 Pro+, it’s difficult to definitively assess low-light performance, but Huawei’s history suggests a strong emphasis on this area.
Performance
Both the Kirin 9000 and the A14 Bionic are fabricated on a 5nm process, indicating comparable transistor density and efficiency. However, architectural differences are crucial. The Kirin 9000 utilizes a tri-cluster configuration with Cortex-A77 cores, while the A14 Bionic employs Apple’s custom Firestorm and Icestorm cores. The A14’s Firestorm cores, clocked at 3.1 GHz, are designed for peak performance, while the Icestorm cores handle background tasks efficiently. The Kirin 9000’s octa-core setup aims for a balance between performance and power consumption. While benchmark scores often favor the A14, real-world performance differences may be less pronounced for typical usage. The iPhone’s 6GB of RAM is matched by the Mate 40 Pro+, but iOS’s memory management is generally more efficient.
Battery Life
Both the Huawei Mate 40 Pro+ and the iPhone 12 Pro Max achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, suggesting comparable battery life under similar usage conditions. However, charging speeds are where the Mate 40 Pro+ truly shines. Its 66W wired charging can replenish the battery significantly faster than the iPhone’s PD2.0 charging, which reaches 50% in 30 minutes. The Mate 40 Pro+ also offers 50W wireless charging, a substantial advantage over the iPhone’s 15W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless charging. The iPhone’s wireless charging requires iOS 17.4 for full Qi2 compatibility, highlighting Apple’s software-driven approach to feature implementation.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 40 Pro+ if you prioritize extremely fast charging speeds (66W wired, 50W wireless) and a camera system that emphasizes flexibility and potentially superior zoom capabilities. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you value a polished, long-term software experience, tight ecosystem integration, and a device with consistently high resale value. The iPhone is also the better choice for users heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem.