Huawei Mate 40 Pro Max vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Detailed Comparison of Flagship Power
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless ecosystem and long-term software support, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is the stronger choice. Its A14 Bionic consistently delivers excellent performance, and the 95-hour endurance rating provides peace of mind. However, the Mate 40’s faster wired and wireless charging, and potentially more versatile camera system, appeal to power users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 40 | 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, December 21 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 158.6 x 72.5 x 8.8 mm (Glass) / 9.2mm (Leather) | 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 | 188 g (Glass) / 184 g (Leather) (6.49 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| IP53, dust and splash resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Asahi Dragontrail Glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2376 pixels (~402 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 102.7 cm2 (~89.3% 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 9000E 5G (5 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP22 | 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 | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica optics, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.0, 1/3.1", 1.12µm, AF | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 85mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide) | 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@30/60/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps, 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) | 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 | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | 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 | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired 40W wireless 5W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, White, Black, Green, Yellow | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | OCE-AN10 | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 630 EUR | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR EU | 0.49 W/kg (head) 0.76 W/kg (body) | 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
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging (40W)
- More customizable Android operating system
- Potential for greater camera versatility (based on Huawei's history)
- Reverse wireless charging capability
- Limited access to Google services due to geopolitical restrictions
- Potentially shorter software support lifespan
- Generally lower CPU performance compared to the A14 Bionic
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Seamless iOS ecosystem and long-term software support
- Superior CPU performance with the A14 Bionic
- Excellent video recording capabilities
- Strong resale value
- Slower charging speeds (15W wireless, 50% in 30 min wired)
- Less customizable operating system
- Higher price point for comparable storage options
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’s peak brightness isn’t specified, Huawei typically delivers vibrant displays. Both feature excellent contrast ratios, with the iPhone claiming an 'infinite' (nominal) ratio thanks to its OLED panel. The lack of high refresh rate (90Hz or 120Hz) on either device is a notable omission compared to some competitors, but both offer smooth scrolling and responsive touch input. The iPhone’s display benefits from the tight integration with iOS for color accuracy and calibration.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is renowned for its cinematic mode and consistent image processing, delivering natural-looking photos and videos. The Mate 40’s camera system, while details are limited in the provided data, is known for its computational photography prowess and potentially greater zoom capabilities. The absence of specific sensor size information makes a direct comparison difficult, but Huawei often prioritizes larger sensors for improved low-light performance. Both devices offer excellent image stabilization (OIS) and advanced video recording features. The iPhone’s tight integration with its image signal processor (ISP) and Neural Engine provides superior video processing capabilities.
Performance
Both the Kirin 9000E and the A14 Bionic are built on a 5nm process, but their architectures differ significantly. The A14’s hexa-core configuration (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) prioritizes peak performance with its high-clocked Firestorm cores, while the Kirin 9000E’s octa-core setup (1x3.13 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.54 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.05 GHz Cortex-A55) aims for a balance between performance and efficiency. Real-world testing consistently shows the A14 Bionic outperforming the Kirin 9000E in CPU-intensive tasks and GPU benchmarks. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6GB of RAM is paired with Apple’s optimized memory management, contributing to its smooth multitasking capabilities. The Mate 40 also has 6GB of RAM, but Android’s memory management is generally less efficient.
Battery Life
Both the Huawei Mate 40 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 Pro Max achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, indicating comparable battery life under similar usage conditions. However, the Mate 40 significantly outperforms the iPhone in charging speed. Its 40W wired and wireless charging capabilities allow for a full charge in under an hour, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is limited to 15W wireless charging (with MagSafe or Qi2) and a 50% charge in 30 minutes with wired PD2.0. The Mate 40 also offers 5W reverse wired charging, a feature absent on the iPhone.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 40 Pro Max if you need exceptionally fast charging speeds (40W wired and wireless), prefer a more customizable Android experience, and value potentially greater camera flexibility. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prioritize a polished, integrated ecosystem, guaranteed software updates, and consistently high performance across all tasks, especially video editing and demanding mobile games.