Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Detailed Comparison of Performance, Camera, and Value
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing raw performance and a polished ecosystem, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the superior choice. However, the Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G delivers excellent value, offering a comparable display and solid battery life at a significantly lower price point, making it ideal for budget-conscious users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G | 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, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 66 - Europe | 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 | 40, 78 SA/NSA - Europe | 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 3.7/1.6 Gbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 41, 78 SA/NSA - China | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, December. Released 2019, December | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 159.4 x 72.4 x 7.7 mm (6.28 x 2.85 x 0.30 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 171 g (6.03 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 5 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~402 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 103.5 cm2 (~89.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 90Hz, 500 nits (typ) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1x2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G 5G (7 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 620 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, ColorOS 7 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Quad | 48 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.4, 53mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.2, 115˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.2", 1.4µm 2 MP B/W, f/2.4, 1/5.0", 1.75µm | - |
| 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@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS | 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/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 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 | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | 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, 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, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired, 50% in 20 min | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4025 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Starry Night, Sunrise, Classic Blue | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | PCRM00, PCRT00, CPH2009 | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 430 EUR | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR EU | 0.82 W/kg (head) 1.29 W/kg (body) | 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 100h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 308231 (v8) GeekBench: 1815 (v5.1) GFXBench: 18fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
- Faster 30W wired charging
- Significantly lower price
- Open Android ecosystem
- Less powerful Snapdragon 765G chipset
- Inferior camera performance compared to iPhone
- No wireless charging
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Superior A14 Bionic performance
- Excellent camera system with advanced features
- Wireless charging (MagSafe/Qi2)
- Higher price point
- Slower charging compared to Reno3 Pro
- Closed iOS ecosystem
Display Comparison
Both the Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G and iPhone 12 Pro Max boast 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratios, indicative of OLED panels. However, the iPhone 12 Pro Max edges out the Reno3 Pro with a measured peak brightness of 822 nits versus 819 nits. While the difference is minimal, it could be noticeable in direct sunlight. Both displays offer excellent viewing angles and color reproduction, but Apple’s color calibration is generally considered more accurate. The Reno3 Pro’s display technology isn’t specified beyond OLED, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max benefits from Apple’s Super Retina XDR display, known for its dynamic range.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but approach image processing differently. While both are listed as capable of Photo/Video, the iPhone 12 Pro Max likely benefits from Apple’s computational photography expertise and larger sensor size (though specific sensor sizes aren’t provided). The Reno3 Pro’s camera performance is respectable, but it likely won’t match the iPhone’s dynamic range and detail in challenging lighting conditions. The iPhone’s video recording capabilities are also superior, with features like Dolby Vision HDR recording. The Reno3 Pro’s camera system likely relies more heavily on software processing to enhance image quality.
Performance
The performance gap is significant. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s Apple A14 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, delivers substantially more processing power than the Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (7nm). The A14’s hexa-core architecture, with two high-performance Firestorm cores clocked at 3.1 GHz, dwarfs the Snapdragon 765G’s octa-core configuration. This translates to faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming performance on the iPhone. While the Snapdragon 765G is capable for everyday tasks, the A14 Bionic offers a future-proofed experience. The iPhone also benefits from 6GB of RAM, matching the Reno3 Pro, but the A14’s efficiency allows it to manage memory more effectively.
Battery Life
Endurance ratings show a slight edge to the Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G at 100 hours versus the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 95 hours. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. The iPhone 12 Pro Max offers faster charging with a 50% charge in 30 minutes, while the Reno3 Pro achieves 50% in 20 minutes with its 30W wired charging. The iPhone also supports 15W wireless charging (MagSafe and Qi2 with iOS 17.4), a feature absent on the Reno3 Pro. The A14 Bionic’s power efficiency also contributes to real-world battery performance, potentially offsetting the slightly smaller battery capacity.
Buying Guide
Buy the Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G if you need a capable 5G phone with a bright display and fast 30W charging, and prioritize value over absolute performance. You'll benefit from a more open Android ecosystem and a lower upfront cost. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prefer a seamless iOS experience, unmatched processing power with the A14 Bionic, and a premium camera system, and are willing to pay a premium for it.