Huawei P40 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: Which 2020 Flagship Still Holds Up?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless software experience and strong resale value, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the better choice. However, the Huawei P40 Pro offers competitive camera performance and significantly faster charging at a lower price point, making it compelling for Android enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei P40 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, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - ELS-NX9 | 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, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - ELS-NX9 | 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, March 26 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, April 07 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 158.2 x 72.6 x 9 mm (6.23 x 2.86 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 + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 209 g (7.37 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1200 x 2640 pixels (~441 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.58 inches, 105.2 cm2 (~91.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 90Hz, HDR10 | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Kirin 990 5G (7 nm+) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP16 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 12, 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, 512GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| - | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Leica optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 40 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), 1/1.54", PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) | 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@30/60fps, 720@7680fps, 1080p@960fps, 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 | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm, AF IR 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@30/60fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), 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 | Infrared Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired 27W wireless 27W reverse wireless | 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 Frost, Blush Gold, Deep Sea Blue, Ice White, Black | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | ELS-NX9, ELS-N04, ELS-AN00, ELS-TN00 | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | € 360.00 / £ 335.00 | $ 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 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | $ 714.88 | - |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 886.67 |
| RENEWED | $ 680.00 | $ 627.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 94h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.5 LUFS (Good) | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 496356 (v8) GeekBench: 12848 (v4.4), 3197 (v5.1) GFXBench: 31fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei P40 Pro
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging (40W/27W)
- Lower price point compared to the iPhone 12 Pro Max
- More RAM (8GB vs 6GB)
- Reverse wireless charging capability
- Software ecosystem limitations due to US sanctions
- Potentially less long-term software support
- Less consistent resale value
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Polished and intuitive iOS ecosystem
- Strong resale value
- Excellent video recording capabilities
- Long-term software support and updates
- Slower charging speeds (wired and wireless)
- Higher price point
- Less RAM (6GB)
- No reverse wireless charging
Display Comparison
Both the Huawei P40 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max boast displays with an 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, indicating excellent black levels. However, the iPhone 12 Pro Max distinguishes itself with a measured peak brightness of 822 nits, suggesting superior visibility in direct sunlight. While both utilize OLED technology, the P40 Pro’s display specifications lack specific refresh rate details, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s display is known for its color accuracy and calibration. The lack of high refresh rate on either device is a notable omission compared to later models.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in camera performance, but approach it differently. Both are capable of excellent photo and video capture. The P40 Pro’s camera system is known for its versatility, offering a range of focal lengths and computational photography features. The iPhone 12 Pro Max, while lacking the P40 Pro’s zoom range, excels in video recording, offering ProRes video capabilities (added in later software updates). The larger sensors and advanced image processing on the iPhone 12 Pro Max contribute to consistently accurate color reproduction and dynamic range. The P40 Pro’s image processing tends towards more saturated colors, appealing to some users. The absence of detailed sensor size information for the P40 Pro makes a direct comparison challenging, but its overall camera system is highly regarded.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets: Huawei’s Kirin 990 5G (7nm+) versus Apple’s A14 Bionic (5nm). The A14 Bionic, fabricated on a smaller 5nm node, inherently offers greater transistor density and improved power efficiency. This translates to sustained performance and reduced thermal throttling, particularly during demanding tasks. While the Kirin 990 5G’s octa-core configuration appears complex, the A14’s hexa-core design, with its focus on high-performance 'Firestorm' cores, delivers superior single-core and multi-core performance. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6GB of RAM is paired with Apple’s optimized memory management, providing a fluid user experience despite having less RAM than the P40 Pro’s 8GB.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve a remarkably similar endurance rating of around 94-95 hours, despite differing battery capacities (not specified in the provided data). However, the charging capabilities are drastically different. The Huawei P40 Pro supports a blazing-fast 40W wired charging, capable of significantly reducing charge times compared to the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s slower wired charging (50% in 30 minutes with PD2.0). Furthermore, the P40 Pro offers 27W wireless and reverse wireless charging, features absent on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is limited to 15W wireless charging via MagSafe or Qi2 (requiring iOS 17.4).
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei P40 Pro if you need exceptionally fast 40W wired and 27W wireless charging, prefer a more customizable Android experience, and prioritize camera versatility. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you value a polished iOS ecosystem, long-term software support, and a consistently high resale value, even if it means sacrificing charging speed and paying a premium.