Sony Xperia Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 12 Pro Max offers a more polished and user-friendly experience with a superior ecosystem and faster charging. However, the Xperia Pro’s HDMI input and focus on professional workflows make it a compelling choice for videographers and photographers seeking direct camera connectivity. Ultimately, it depends on your priorities.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia Pro | Apple iPhone 12 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, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 | 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 | 2, 5, 66, 260, 261 Sub6, mmWave | 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, February 24. Released 2021, January 27 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 170.2 x 76.2 x 10.2 mm (6.70 x 3.00 x 0.40 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 | 225.1 g (7.94 oz) | 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 | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~76.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, HDR BT.2020 | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.X | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Zeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, 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@24/25/30/60fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis 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 | 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 | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, micro HDMI | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, 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 |
| Native Sony Alpha camera support | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 21W wired, PD | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | - | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 2000 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) |
Sony Xperia Pro
- HDMI Input for Direct Camera Connection
- Professional Workflow Focus
- Accurate Color Reproduction
- 120Hz Refresh Rate
- Slower Processor
- Shorter Battery Life
- Less Polished Software
- Higher Price
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Exceptional Performance (A14 Bionic)
- Long Battery Life
- Superior Camera Processing
- Seamless Ecosystem Integration
- Faster Charging
- Less Customization
- Lightning Port (vs. USB-C)
- Repair Costs
- Pricey
Display Comparison
Both phones boast excellent displays. The iPhone 12 Pro Max's OLED panel delivers vibrant colors and impressive brightness (822 nits measured) with a near-infinite contrast ratio. The Xperia Pro's display, while not as bright, offers accurate color reproduction and a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling. The iPhone's display is generally considered more visually appealing for everyday use.
Camera Comparison
Both phones have exceptional camera systems. The iPhone 12 Pro Max excels in computational photography, delivering consistently excellent results in various lighting conditions. The Xperia Pro, while having a capable camera, prioritizes direct camera connectivity and manual controls, appealing to professionals who want more control over their images. The iPhone's video recording capabilities are also generally considered superior.
Performance
The iPhone 12 Pro Max's A14 Bionic chip is a performance beast, consistently outperforming the Snapdragon 865 in the Xperia Pro. While the Xperia Pro is still capable, the A14 offers noticeably faster processing speeds and better graphics performance, especially in demanding games and applications. The iPhone's optimization also contributes to a smoother overall experience.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro Max takes a clear lead in battery life, boasting an endurance rating of 95 hours. The Xperia Pro's battery life is respectable but falls short of the iPhone's longevity. The iPhone's faster charging speeds (PD2.0, MagSafe, Qi2) further enhance its advantage.
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia Pro is ideal for professional photographers and videographers who need a direct HDMI input for external monitoring and recording. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is perfect for users deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, prioritizing ease of use, and wanting a top-tier camera and performance.