vivo X50 vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Performance and Value
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless, long-lasting experience and top-tier camera capabilities, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the clear winner. Its A14 Bionic chip delivers significantly superior performance, and the 95-hour endurance rating provides peace of mind. However, the vivo X50 offers a compelling value proposition for budget-conscious users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo X50 | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 40 | 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 | - | 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 | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | 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, July 07. Released 2020, July 16 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 159.5 x 75.4 x 7.6 mm (6.28 x 2.97 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 | 173 g (6.10 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | 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 (~87.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+ | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM730 Snapdragon 730 (8 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 618 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, Funtouch 10.5 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Quad | 48 MP, f/1.6, (wide), PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.5, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.8", 0.8µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm 5 MP (macro) | - |
| Single | 5 MP, AF | - |
| 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@30fps, 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 | 32 MP, f/2.5, 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 | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | - | |
| 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, 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, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Virtual proximity sensing | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 33W wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Stand-by | Up to 570 h (2G) / Up to 420 h (3G) | - |
| Talk time | Up to 17 h 50 min (2G) / Up to 8 h 20 min (3G) | - |
| Type | 4200 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Glaze Black, Frost Blue | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | 2004 | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 400 EUR | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR EU | 0.52 W/kg (head) | 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -87.8dB / Crosstalk -87.3dB | - |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 853:1 (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 69dB / Noise 66dB / Ring 67dB | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
vivo X50
- More affordable price point
- Faster wired charging (33W)
- Potentially more vibrant image processing
- Significantly less powerful processor
- Lower battery endurance
- Less refined software experience
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Superior performance with A14 Bionic
- Exceptional battery life (95h endurance)
- Premium build quality and software ecosystem
- Higher price tag
- Slower wired charging compared to vivo X50
- Requires iOS ecosystem commitment
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 822 nits, compared to the vivo X50’s nominal 853:1 contrast ratio. While the contrast ratio suggests good color separation on the vivo X50, the lack of a specified peak brightness figure indicates it won’t perform as well in direct sunlight. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, delivers deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The iPhone’s display also benefits from Apple’s color calibration, ensuring greater accuracy for content creation and consumption.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but approach image processing differently. While both are listed as offering Photo/Video capabilities, the iPhone 12 Pro Max benefits from Apple’s computational photography expertise and larger sensor sizes (specs not provided in context data, but known from market analysis). The iPhone’s image processing prioritizes natural-looking images with accurate colors, while vivo often leans towards more saturated and vibrant results. The lack of detailed camera specs for the vivo X50 makes a direct sensor comparison difficult, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s reputation for video quality and low-light performance gives it a distinct advantage.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Apple A14 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, is a hexa-core powerhouse with two high-performance Firestorm cores clocked at 3.1 GHz and four efficiency cores. This architecture allows for both blistering speeds and excellent power efficiency. In contrast, the vivo X50’s Snapdragon 730, built on an 8nm process, features an octa-core configuration with lower peak clock speeds (2.2 GHz). The A14 Bionic’s superior architecture and smaller node size translate to significantly faster processing speeds and improved graphics performance, making the iPhone 12 Pro Max the clear winner for demanding tasks like video editing and gaming. The 6GB of RAM on both devices is adequate, but the A14’s efficiency allows it to manage memory more effectively.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 95-hour endurance rating is a standout feature, indicating exceptional battery life. While the vivo X50’s battery capacity isn’t specified, its 33W wired charging is faster than the iPhone’s 50% charge in 30 minutes via PD2.0. The iPhone also supports 15W wireless charging with MagSafe and Qi2 (requiring iOS 17.4), offering convenient charging options. However, the iPhone’s superior power efficiency, thanks to the A14 Bionic, allows it to maintain its charge for significantly longer, even with moderate to heavy use.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo X50 if you need a capable smartphone with a focus on camera features at a significantly lower price point, and are comfortable with a less powerful processor. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prioritize raw performance, a refined software experience, exceptional battery life, and a premium camera system, and are willing to pay a premium for it.