iQOO 9 vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Android Speed and iOS Stability
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless experience and long-term value, the iPhone 13 Pro Max remains the superior choice. Its more efficient A15 Bionic chip, coupled with a longer battery endurance rating of 121 hours, outweighs the iQOO 9’s faster charging. However, gamers and power users on a budget will find the iQOO 9 a compelling alternative.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo iQOO 9 | Apple iPhone 13 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 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 - A2643, A2644, A2645 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644 |
| 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, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, February 23 | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 02 | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Panda Glass), aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 159.1 x 75.1 x 8.6 or 8.7 mm | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 200 g / 202 g (7.05 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| Splash and dust resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Panda Glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2376 pixels (~398 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.56 inches, 104.6 cm2 (~87.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Monster Touch support | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.99 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 12, Funtouch 12 | iOS 15, 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, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 48 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, gimbal OIS 13 MP, f/2.5, 50mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 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 | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm | 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 |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, 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 | 120W wired, 50% in 6 min, 100% in 18 min | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | 4350 mAh | Li-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Legend, Alpha, Phoenix Orange | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green |
| Models | - | A2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3 |
| Price | About 510 EUR | € 423.38 / $ 394.86 / £ 355.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 1.20 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 105h | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) | -24.0 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 745168 (v8), 852898 (v9) GeekBench: 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 65fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 801691 (v9) GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
vivo iQOO 9
- Incredibly fast 120W charging
- Powerful Snapdragon 888+ processor
- More affordable price point
- Shorter battery endurance
- Less refined software experience
- Potentially more thermal throttling
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Superior performance with A15 Bionic
- Longer battery life and endurance
- Polished iOS ecosystem and software support
- Slower charging speeds
- Higher price tag
- Less customization options
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 1050 nits compared to the iQOO 9’s 749 nits. This translates to superior visibility under direct sunlight. Both displays share an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, but the iPhone’s higher peak brightness provides a more vibrant and engaging viewing experience. While both likely utilize OLED technology, Apple’s ProMotion adaptive refresh rate (not specified in the data, but standard for the model) offers smoother scrolling and animations, a feature absent from the iQOO 9’s specifications. The iQOO 9’s display is still very good, but the iPhone’s is demonstrably superior in real-world usage.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are capable of capturing high-quality photos and videos, but details beyond 'Photo/Video' are lacking. However, given Apple’s computational photography prowess and sensor-shift stabilization, the iPhone 13 Pro Max likely holds an advantage in image processing and low-light performance. The iQOO 9’s camera system, while likely competent, doesn’t benefit from the same level of software optimization and brand recognition. Without specific sensor size or aperture information for the iQOO 9, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgment, but Apple’s consistent camera performance gives it the edge.
Performance
The chipset battle pits Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888+ 5G in the iQOO 9 against Apple’s A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13 Pro Max. While the Snapdragon 888+ features an octa-core configuration with a high-clocked Cortex-X1 prime core (2.99 GHz), the A15 Bionic’s hexa-core design (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) consistently outperforms it in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks. The A15 Bionic’s architectural advantages and optimized software integration deliver a smoother, more responsive experience, particularly in demanding tasks. The iQOO 9 will handle most tasks with ease, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max offers a noticeable performance edge. The iQOO 9’s reliance on the 5nm Snapdragon 888+ also means it may experience more thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions compared to the A15 Bionic.
Battery Life
The iPhone 13 Pro Max edges out the iQOO 9 in battery endurance, achieving 121 hours versus the iQOO 9’s 105 hours. This difference, while not massive, is significant for users who prioritize all-day battery life. However, the iQOO 9 compensates with its incredibly fast 120W wired charging, capable of reaching 50% charge in just 6 minutes and 100% in 18 minutes. The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s charging is comparatively slow, taking 30 minutes to reach 50% with wired PD2.0. The iQOO 9’s charging speed is a game-changer for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly, but the iPhone’s longer endurance reduces the need for frequent charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo iQOO 9 if you need blazing-fast 120W charging, prioritize raw performance for gaming, and are comfortable with the Android ecosystem. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you prefer a polished, intuitive user experience, value long-term software support, and are deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, even if it means sacrificing charging speed.