Huawei nova 11 Ultra vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Speed, Power, and Ecosystem
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless experience and long-term software support, the iPhone 14 Pro Max remains the superior choice. However, the Huawei nova 11 Ultra’s 100W charging is a game-changer for those constantly on the move and willing to trade ecosystem benefits for unparalleled charging convenience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei nova 11 Ultra | Apple iPhone 14 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, 3, 4, 5, 8, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 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, 66 - A2894, A2896 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2894, A2896 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2895 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, April 17 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, April 27 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 164.3 x 74.4 x 7.9 mm (6.47 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 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 | 188 g (6.63 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Kunlun Glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1200 x 2652 pixels (~429 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.4 cm2 (~91.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, HDR10, 120Hz | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 670) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 4G (6 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 642L | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | HarmonyOS 3.0 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| - | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 50 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 25mm (wide), PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 112˚ (ultrawide), AF | - |
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x 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, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 8 MP, f/2.2, 52mm (telephoto), AF, 2x optical zoom 60 MP, f/2.4, 17mm, 100˚ (ultrawide), AF | - |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 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 |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/a/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, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Virtual proximity sensing BDS Satellite Message (Emergency SOS service) | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 100W wired, 20-80% in 10 min Reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Green | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | GOA-AL80U | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | About 590 EUR | € 530.79 / $ 489.81 / £ 446.75 |
| SAR | - | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.07 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei nova 11 Ultra
- Incredibly fast 100W charging
- Reverse wired charging capability
- Potentially more affordable price point
- Snapdragon 778G 4G chipset is less powerful than A16 Bionic
- Limited software update support compared to Apple
- 4G connectivity limitation
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Industry-leading A16 Bionic performance
- Bright and vibrant display with ProMotion
- Seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem
- Significantly slower charging speed
- Higher price point
- Limited customization options compared to Android
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1760 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the nova 11 Ultra’s display specs aren’t provided, it’s unlikely to match this peak brightness. The iPhone’s infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. The iPhone 14 Pro Max also benefits from ProMotion, Apple’s adaptive refresh rate technology (LTPO), which dynamically adjusts up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and animations – a feature likely absent on the nova 11 Ultra, impacting perceived fluidity.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are described as having capable Photo/Video capabilities, but details are sparse for the nova 11 Ultra. The iPhone 14 Pro Max benefits from Apple’s advanced image processing pipeline and likely a larger sensor size, enabling superior low-light performance and dynamic range. While the nova 11 Ultra may offer competitive image quality in ideal conditions, the iPhone’s computational photography prowess and video recording capabilities are likely to be more refined. The absence of specific camera specs for the Huawei makes a detailed comparison difficult, but Apple’s consistent track record in mobile photography gives it an edge.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. Apple’s A16 Bionic, fabricated on a 4nm process, represents a significant leap in performance and efficiency compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 4G (6nm) in the nova 11 Ultra. The A16’s hexa-core architecture (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) is designed for sustained performance, while the Snapdragon 778G, though capable, is positioned in a lower tier. This translates to faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming performance on the iPhone. The 4G limitation of the Snapdragon 778G is also a significant drawback in areas with widespread 5G coverage.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 121 hours, suggesting comparable overall battery life despite differing battery capacities. However, the charging experience is where they diverge dramatically. The Huawei nova 11 Ultra’s 100W wired charging can replenish 20-80% of the battery in just 10 minutes – a massive advantage over the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 50% charge in 30 minutes. While the iPhone offers 15W wireless charging (MagSafe and Qi2 with iOS 17.2), the nova 11 Ultra also supports reverse wired charging, adding further versatility. The iPhone’s endurance rating suggests efficient power management, but the nova 11 Ultra’s charging speed mitigates concerns about battery life for power users.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei nova 11 Ultra if you prioritize charging speed above all else, frequently find yourself needing a quick power boost, and are comfortable with the Android ecosystem. Buy the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max if you value a polished user experience, long-term software updates, tight integration with other Apple devices, and a robust app ecosystem.