Nokia XR21 vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: A Detailed Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 14 Pro Max unequivocally wins on performance, camera quality, and display technology. However, the Nokia XR21 offers exceptional durability, a more accessible price point, and a clean Android experience, making it a compelling choice for users prioritizing ruggedness and value.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Nokia XR21 | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66, 71 | 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, 20, 25, 28, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 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, 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, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2895 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, May 03 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, June 11 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 168 x 78.6 x 10.5 mm (6.61 x 3.09 x 0.41 in) | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | · 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 | 231 g (8.15 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP68/IP69K dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 60 min) Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.8m MIL-STD-810H compliant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~406 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.49 inches, 101.7 cm2 (~77.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, 120Hz, 450 nits (typ), 550 nits (HBM) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 12 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Unspecified | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| - | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 64 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.0", PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, second LED flash, HDR, panorama | 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 | 1080p@30fps | 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4 (wide) | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 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, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | Unspecified | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 33W wired, PD2.0, QC3 | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4800 mAh | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight Black, Pine Green | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | - | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | About 570 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) |
Nokia XR21
- Rugged and durable design
- Clean Android experience
- Affordable price
- 33W fast charging
- Lower performance than iPhone
- Less impressive camera
- Less vibrant display
- Limited software updates compared to Apple
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Exceptional performance (A16 Bionic)
- Premium camera system
- Stunning display
- Long battery life
- Excellent software support
- High price
- Limited customization
- Closed ecosystem
- No expandable storage
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max's display is a clear winner. Its 1760 nits peak brightness and infinite contrast ratio provide stunning visuals, far surpassing the XR21's likely lower brightness and contrast. While the XR21's display is functional, it lacks the vibrancy and clarity of the iPhone.
Camera Comparison
Apple's camera system is renowned for its quality, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max continues that legacy. Expect exceptional image quality, advanced computational photography features, and impressive video recording capabilities. The XR21's camera is decent, but falls far short of the iPhone's capabilities.
Performance
The A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 Pro Max obliterates the Snapdragon 695 in the XR21. Expect significantly faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming performance on the iPhone. The XR21 is adequate for everyday tasks, but struggles with demanding applications.
Battery Life
The iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts an incredible endurance rating of 121 hours, suggesting exceptional battery life. The XR21's battery capacity is likely smaller, and while 33W charging is respectable, it won't match the iPhone's charging speeds (50% in 30 minutes).
Buying Guide
The Nokia XR21 is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, construction workers, or anyone needing a phone that can withstand harsh conditions. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is perfect for users deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, demanding top-tier performance, and prioritizing a premium camera experience.