Huawei Mate 80 Pro vs. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: A Flagship Face-Off
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing long-term software support and a refined user experience, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is the better choice. However, the Huawei Mate 80 Pro’s blistering 100W charging and potentially more versatile CPU configuration offer compelling advantages for power users and those less reliant on the Apple ecosystem.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 80 Pro | Apple iPhone 15 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 | LTE | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 53, 66 - A3106 |
| 5G bands | SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3106 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2025, November 25 | 2023, September 12 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, November 25 | Available. Released 2023, September 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, aluminum alloy frame, fiber-reinforced plastic back | Glass front, glass back, titanium frame (grade 5) |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 76 x 8 mm (6.37 x 2.99 x 0.31 in) | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 219 g (7.72 oz) | 221 g (7.80 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Huawei Kunlun Glass 2 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1280 x 2832 pixels (~460 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.75 inches, 110.3 cm2 (~89.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 1440Hz PWM, HDR Vivid | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 9-core (1x2.75 GHz & 4x2.27 GHz & 4x1.72 GHz) (512GB / 1TB 16GB RAM)9-core (2.75 GHz & 2.27 GHz & 1.72 GHz) (256GB / 512GB 12GB RAM) | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) |
| Chipset | Kirin 9030 Pro (6 nm) (512GB / 1TB 16GB RAM)Kirin 9030 (6 nm) (256GB / 512GB 12GB RAM) | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) |
| GPU | Maleoon 935 | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) |
| OS | HarmonyOS 6.0 | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 24mm (wide), PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/2.1, 93mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 4x optical zoom 40 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K, 1080p@240fps, HDR, gyro-EIS, OIS, HDR Vivid | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, 3D (spatial) video, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.0, 18mm (ultrawide), AF TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K, 1080p, HDR, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE, L2HC | 5.3, 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 (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, DisplayPort 1.2 | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 100W wired 80W wireless 20W reverse wireless 18W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired |
| Type | 5750 mAh | Li-Ion 4441 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Green, Gold | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium |
| Models | SGT-AL50 | A2849, A3105, A3106, A3108, iPhone16,2 |
| Price | About 730 EUR | € 758.79 / $ 579.87 / £ 628.29 |
| SAR | - | 1.07 W/kg (head) 1.11 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
Huawei Mate 80 Pro
- Blazing-fast 100W wired charging
- Potentially superior multi-core CPU performance
- High RAM capacity (up to 16GB)
- Versatile reverse wireless charging (20W)
- Potential for thermal throttling under sustained load
- Software ecosystem limitations compared to iOS
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Exceptional battery life and efficiency
- Industry-leading video recording capabilities
- Seamless iOS ecosystem and software support
- Powerful A17 Pro chip with optimized performance
- Slower charging speeds compared to Huawei
- Limited customization options compared to Android
Display Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 1787 nits, significantly exceeding what is typically found in Huawei flagships, ensuring excellent outdoor visibility. While the Mate 80 Pro’s display specs aren’t provided, Huawei typically employs OLED panels with excellent color accuracy. The iPhone’s likely use of LTPO technology allows for variable refresh rates, optimizing battery life, a feature we expect to see in future Huawei models. The iPhone’s display is likely to have a more consistent and accurate color profile due to Apple’s stringent calibration standards.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are expected to deliver exceptional camera performance, but their approaches differ. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera system is renowned for its computational photography and video capabilities. While specific sensor details are missing for the Mate 80 Pro, Huawei has historically focused on large sensor sizes and advanced image processing algorithms. The iPhone’s strength lies in its consistent image quality across various lighting conditions and its industry-leading video recording capabilities. The Mate 80 Pro may excel in low-light photography due to Huawei’s RYYB sensor technology (if implemented), but the iPhone’s video stabilization and dynamic range are likely superior.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipset architecture. Apple’s A17 Pro, fabricated on a 3nm process, delivers exceptional performance per watt. Its hexa-core CPU, with two high-performance cores clocked at 3.78 GHz, is designed for bursty workloads. Conversely, the Huawei Mate 80 Pro utilizes the Kirin 9030 Pro (6nm), featuring a 9-core configuration. This suggests a focus on sustained multi-threaded performance, potentially benefiting tasks like video editing or complex simulations. However, the 6nm process will likely result in higher thermal output compared to the A17 Pro’s 3nm node, potentially leading to throttling under prolonged heavy load. The Mate 80 Pro’s 16GB of RAM (in some configurations) provides a memory advantage over the iPhone, potentially aiding multitasking.
Battery Life
The iPhone 15 Pro Max shines in battery endurance, achieving an active use score of 16:01 hours and an endurance rating of 118 hours. This demonstrates Apple’s optimization of hardware and software for power efficiency. The Huawei Mate 80 Pro compensates for potentially lower battery capacity with its groundbreaking 100W wired charging, capable of fully charging the device in a fraction of the time compared to the iPhone’s 50% in 30-minute PD2.0 charging. The Mate 80 Pro also offers 80W wireless charging, a significant advantage over the iPhone’s 15W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless charging. The 20W reverse wireless charging on the Mate 80 Pro is also substantially faster than the iPhone’s 4.5W reverse wired charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 80 Pro if you need the absolute fastest charging available, prioritize a multi-core CPU for demanding tasks, and are comfortable with the Huawei ecosystem. Buy the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max if you value seamless software integration, exceptional battery life, a consistently optimized camera experience, and long-term software updates.