Sony Xperia 5 Plus vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Detailed Comparison of Flagship Powerhouses
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing raw performance and long-term software support, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the clear winner. Its A14 Bionic chip significantly outperforms the Snapdragon 855, and the 95-hour endurance rating provides peace of mind. However, the Xperia 5 Plus offers a compelling alternative for those seeking a more compact form factor and a unique, customizable Android experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 5 Plus | 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 | LTE | 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 | SA/NSA | 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 (2+ Gbps DL) | 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 | Not announced yet | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Cancelled | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 168.2 x 71.6 x 8.1 mm (6.62 x 2.82 x 0.32 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 | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | - | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~415 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.6 inches, 101.8 cm2 (~84.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR BT.2020 | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| - | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Quad | 12 MP, (wide), 1/1.5", predictive dual pixel PDAF, 5-axis OIS 8 MP, (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 64 MP, f/1.7, (wide), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm 2 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) | - |
| 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@24/30/60fps HDR, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (5-axis 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 | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS) | 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 |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | 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, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, PD2.0 | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Blue, Red, Black, Grey | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | - | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | - | $ 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) |
Sony Xperia 5 Plus
- More compact and pocketable design
- Customizable Android experience
- Neutral color science in photography
- Significantly slower processor
- Slower charging speeds
- Less robust software support
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Industry-leading performance with A14 Bionic
- Exceptional battery life and fast charging
- Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem
- Larger and heavier design
- Less customization options
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 822 nits, compared to the Xperia 5 Plus’s unspecified peak brightness. While the Xperia 5 Plus likely offers excellent color accuracy, typical of Sony displays, the iPhone’s higher brightness translates to better outdoor visibility. Both devices support HDR content, but the iPhone’s infinite contrast ratio (nominal) provides deeper blacks and a more vibrant image. The larger screen size of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a key differentiator for media consumption and productivity.
Camera Comparison
Both devices excel in camera performance, but approach it differently. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s camera system is renowned for its computational photography and consistent results. While specific sensor sizes aren’t provided, Apple’s image processing pipeline prioritizes natural-looking images with excellent dynamic range. The Xperia 5 Plus, known for its focus on manual controls and a more neutral color profile, caters to photography enthusiasts. The iPhone’s video capabilities are particularly strong, offering cinematic mode and ProRes video recording (on higher storage models). The lack of detailed camera specs for the Xperia 5 Plus makes a direct sensor comparison difficult, but Sony’s expertise in image sensor technology is undeniable.
Performance
The Apple A14 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, represents a substantial leap in performance over the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7nm) found in the Xperia 5 Plus. The A14’s hexa-core CPU, with its 3.1 GHz Firestorm cores, delivers significantly faster single-core and multi-core performance. While the Xperia 5 Plus’s octa-core CPU is capable, it simply cannot compete with the A14’s efficiency and raw power. The iPhone’s GPU also holds a considerable advantage, resulting in smoother gaming and faster video editing. The 6GB of RAM in both devices is adequate, but the A14’s superior architecture allows it to manage memory more effectively.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro Max achieves an impressive 95-hour endurance rating, indicating exceptional battery life. While the Xperia 5 Plus’s battery capacity isn’t specified, its 18W wired charging with PD2.0 is slower than the iPhone’s faster charging, capable of reaching 50% in 30 minutes. The iPhone also supports 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4), offering convenient charging options. The iPhone’s superior battery endurance, combined with its faster charging capabilities, provides a more reliable and convenient user experience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Sony Xperia 5 Plus if you prioritize a more compact, pocketable flagship experience, value customization options within Android, and appreciate a more neutral color science in photography. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prefer a larger display, seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem, industry-leading processing power for demanding tasks, and guaranteed software updates for years to come.