LeEco Le Max vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Tale of Two Flagships – Performance, Battery, and Value in 2024
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user in 2024, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the superior device. Its A14 Bionic chip delivers significantly faster performance and better efficiency, coupled with a more refined software experience and a superior camera system. However, the LeEco Le Max offers a compelling value proposition for those seeking a functional smartphone at a drastically lower price point.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | LeEco Le Max | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 7, 38, 40 | 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, 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 | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | 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 | 2016, January. Released 2016, January | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 167.1 x 83.5 x 9 mm (6.58 x 3.29 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 + Micro-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 204 g (7.20 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~464 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.33 inches, 110.5 cm2 (~79.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A57) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 (20 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 430 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 5.1 (Lollipop) | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| eMMC 5.0 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 21 MP, f/2.0, 1/2.4", AF, OIS | - |
| 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@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 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 |
| Single | 4 MP, f/2.0, 1/3", 2µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 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 |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.1, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C (MHL2 TV-out) | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 3400 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gold, Silver | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | - | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 350 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) |
LeEco Le Max
- Significantly lower price point
- Large display for its time
- Expandable storage (likely via microSD, based on LeEco’s history)
- Outdated chipset and architecture
- Poor software support and potential security vulnerabilities
- Slower charging speeds
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Exceptional performance with the A14 Bionic
- Superior camera system and image quality
- Long-term software support and security updates
- Higher price tag
- Lightning port (vs. USB-C)
- Limited customization options compared to Android
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 822 nits measured, compared to the LeEco Le Max’s unspecified brightness. While the Le Max offered a large screen for its time, the iPhone’s Super Retina XDR display provides superior color accuracy and contrast – described as 'infinite (nominal)' – likely due to its OLED technology. The iPhone’s display benefits from modern advancements in panel technology, offering a more vibrant and visually appealing experience.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer photo and video capabilities, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max holds a clear advantage. While specific sensor details for the Le Max are unavailable, Apple’s image processing pipeline and advanced features like Deep Fusion and Smart HDR provide superior image quality, especially in challenging lighting conditions. The iPhone’s camera system benefits from years of software refinement and hardware optimization, resulting in more consistent and detailed photos and videos. The Le Max, while capable, lacks the computational photography prowess of the iPhone.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The LeEco Le Max’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, built on a 20nm process, features an octa-core CPU with a mix of Cortex-A53 and A57 cores. This architecture, while capable in 2015, is dwarfed by the Apple A14 Bionic’s 5nm process and hexa-core design (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm). The A14’s smaller node and optimized architecture deliver substantially higher performance and significantly improved power efficiency, resulting in less throttling and a smoother user experience. The iPhone’s 6GB of RAM, paired with the A14, provides a more responsive multitasking experience than the Le Max’s 6GB.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro Max achieves an impressive endurance rating of 95 hours, despite its battery capacity being unspecified. This is likely due to the efficiency of the A14 Bionic chip and Apple’s software optimization. The LeEco Le Max, with its 18W wired charging, is significantly slower to charge than the iPhone’s support for PD2.0, achieving 50% charge in 30 minutes. The iPhone also offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4), providing convenient charging options not available on the Le Max.
Buying Guide
Buy the LeEco Le Max if you need a large-screen Android phone on an extremely tight budget and are comfortable with potential software limitations and a less polished user experience. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prioritize performance, camera quality, long-term software support, and a seamless ecosystem integration, and are willing to pay a premium for it.