vivo S19 vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Mid-Range vs. Flagship Power
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a balance of features and affordability, the vivo S19 offers excellent value. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s superior performance, exceptional camera system, and long-term software support justify its higher price tag for those demanding the absolute best.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo S19 | Apple iPhone 15 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, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 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, 53, 66 - A3106 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3106 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2024, May 30 | 2023, September 12 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, May 30 | Available. Released 2023, September 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, plastic frame, glass back | Glass front, glass back, titanium frame (grade 5) |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 75.7 x 7.2 mm (6.44 x 2.98 x 0.28 in) | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · 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 | 193 g (6.81 oz) | 221 g (7.80 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2800 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~453 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 4500 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.63 GHz Cortex-A715 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4x1.8GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7550-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (4 nm) | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 720 | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 14, OriginOS 4 | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.56", PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.2, 106˚ (ultrawide) | - |
| Features | Ring-LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, 3D (spatial) video, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR |
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), AF | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS, BDS (B1I+B1c) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 80W wired, PD Reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 6000 mAh | Li-Ion 4441 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, Peach, Light Blue | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium |
| Models | V2364A | A2849, A3105, A3106, A3108, iPhone16,2 |
| Price | About 320 EUR | € 758.79 / $ 579.87 / £ 628.29 |
| SAR | - | 1.07 W/kg (head) 1.11 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
vivo S19
- 80W Fast Charging: Significantly faster than iPhone's wired charging.
- More Affordable: Offers a compelling feature set at a lower price point.
- Reverse Wired Charging: Allows charging of other devices.
- Less Powerful Processor: Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is not as capable as the A17 Pro.
- Potentially Lower Camera Quality: Likely won't match the iPhone's image processing and detail.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Unmatched Performance: A17 Pro delivers industry-leading speed and efficiency.
- Exceptional Camera System: Superior image and video quality.
- Long-Term Software Support: Apple provides years of software updates.
- High Price: Significantly more expensive than the vivo S19.
- Slower Wired Charging: 50% in 30 minutes is slower than the S19's 80W.
Display Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1787 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the vivo S19’s display specifications are not provided, it’s likely to be a high-quality AMOLED panel, but will likely fall short of the iPhone’s peak brightness. The iPhone’s ProMotion technology (LTPO) dynamically adjusts the refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and animations, a feature likely absent on the S19. Bezels are expected to be minimal on the iPhone, contributing to a more immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is renowned for its exceptional camera system, offering advanced computational photography and high-quality video recording. While specific sensor details for the S19 are unavailable, the iPhone’s larger sensors and advanced image processing algorithms will likely result in superior image quality, particularly in low-light conditions. The iPhone’s video capabilities are industry-leading, supporting ProRes video recording and cinematic mode. The S19 will likely focus on providing a versatile camera experience for social media and everyday photography, but won’t match the iPhone’s professional-grade capabilities.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. Apple’s A17 Pro, fabricated on a 3nm process, features a hexa-core CPU with peak clock speeds of 3.78 GHz, delivering unparalleled performance. In contrast, the vivo S19 utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (4nm), an octa-core processor designed for efficiency and solid mid-range performance. The A17 Pro’s architectural advantages and higher clock speeds translate to significantly faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming capabilities. The iPhone also benefits from faster RAM (likely LPDDR5X) compared to the S19, further enhancing performance. Thermal management will be crucial for sustained performance; the 4nm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 should offer good efficiency, but the A17 Pro’s advanced thermal design in the iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely allow for less throttling under heavy load.
Battery Life
The iPhone 15 Pro Max excels in battery life, achieving an active use score of 16:01 hours and an endurance rating of 118 hours. The vivo S19 compensates with significantly faster charging – 80W wired charging, capable of quickly replenishing the battery. The iPhone 15 Pro Max supports 50% charge in 30 minutes with wired PD2.0, 15W wireless charging (MagSafe and Qi2), and a slow 4.5W reverse wired charging. While the S19’s battery capacity is unknown, its faster charging speed provides a significant convenience advantage, allowing for quick top-ups throughout the day.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo S19 if you need fast 80W charging, a vibrant display for media consumption, and solid mid-range performance for everyday tasks and casual gaming. Buy the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max if you prioritize top-tier performance for demanding applications like video editing, professional photography, and extended gaming sessions, coupled with Apple’s ecosystem and long-term software updates.