vivo X60 Pro+ vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Head-to-Head Comparison of Flagship Power

The vivo X60 Pro+ and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max represent the pinnacle of smartphone engineering from their respective ecosystems in 2021. While the iPhone 12 Pro Max enjoyed a higher starting price and brand recognition, the X60 Pro+ offered a compelling alternative with its Snapdragon 888 chipset and aggressive charging speeds. This comparison dissects their strengths and weaknesses to determine which device delivers the best overall experience.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing a seamless ecosystem and long-term software support, the iPhone 12 Pro Max remains a strong choice. However, the vivo X60 Pro+ delivers comparable performance with significantly faster charging and a competitive camera system, making it a compelling value proposition for Android enthusiasts.

PHONES
Phone Names vivo X60 Pro+ Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - International1, 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 bands1, 28, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5GGSM / 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
Announced2021, January 212020, October 13
StatusAvailable. Released 2021, January 30Available. Released 2020, November 13
Body
BuildGlass front, eco leather back, aluminum frameGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frame
Dimensions158.6 x 73.4 x 9.1 mm (6.24 x 2.89 x 0.36 in)160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)
Weight191 g (6.74 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
Resolution1080 x 2376 pixels (~398 ppi density)1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
Size6.56 inches, 104.6 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeSuper AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm)
GPUAdreno 660Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
OSAndroid 11, Funtouch 12 (International), OriginOS 1.0 (China)iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM
 -NVMe
Main Camera
FeaturesLaser AF, color spectrum sensor, Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Pixel Shift, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Quad50 MP, f/1.6, (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 32 MP, f/2.1, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.8", 0.8µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, gimbal OIS, PDAF-
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)
Video8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+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
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video1080p@30fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
3.5mm jack -No
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker YesYes, with stereo speakers
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD5.0, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, NavICGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGLightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compassFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 -Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging55W wiredWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update
Type4200 mAhLi-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh)
Misc
ColorsOrange, Emperor BlueSilver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue
ModelsV2056A, V2047A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4
PriceAbout 800 EUR$ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00
SAR0.80 W/kg (head)     0.47 W/kg (body)-
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)

vivo X60 Pro+

  • Significantly faster 55W wired charging
  • Android OS offers greater customization
  • Competitive performance with Snapdragon 888

  • Long-term software support is less guaranteed than Apple
  • Camera details are lacking, making a direct comparison difficult

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

  • Excellent ecosystem integration and software support
  • Industry-leading video recording capabilities
  • Strong single-core performance with A14 Bionic

  • Slower charging speeds compared to the X60 Pro+
  • Less customization options with iOS

Display Comparison

Both the vivo X60 Pro+ and iPhone 12 Pro Max boast excellent displays, achieving measured peak brightnesses of 816 nits and 822 nits respectively – virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s ‘infinite’ (nominal) contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, provides deep blacks. While both offer a premium viewing experience, the X60 Pro+’s display technology isn’t specified, potentially lacking features like LTPO for variable refresh rates found in some competing Android flagships. This could impact power consumption during dynamic content viewing.

Camera Comparison

Both devices excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. While both are capable of excellent results, detailed sensor information for the X60 Pro+ is missing. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is known for its cinematic mode and excellent video stabilization. The X60 Pro+ likely relies heavily on computational photography to enhance image quality, a common trait among vivo’s flagship devices. Without specific sensor size details for the X60 Pro+, it’s difficult to definitively declare a camera winner, but the iPhone’s consistent video performance and established image processing pipeline give it an edge for video-centric users.

Performance

The core battle lies between the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G in the X60 Pro+ and the Apple A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The A14’s hexa-core architecture, with its 3.1 GHz Firestorm cores, generally outperforms the Snapdragon 888’s octa-core setup in single-core tasks. However, the Snapdragon 888’s Cortex-X1 prime core offers strong multi-core performance. Both chips are fabricated on a 5nm process, but Apple’s chip design and optimization typically yield superior efficiency. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6GB of RAM is matched by the X60 Pro+, but Apple’s memory management is renowned for its efficiency, potentially mitigating the impact of identical RAM capacity.

Battery Life

Both phones achieve an endurance rating of approximately 95 hours, indicating similar overall battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the X60 Pro+). However, the charging experience is where the X60 Pro+ truly shines. Its 55W wired charging dramatically outperforms the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 20W wired charging (50% in 30 minutes) and 15W wireless charging (MagSafe/Qi2). This means the X60 Pro+ can replenish its battery significantly faster, minimizing downtime. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s wireless charging convenience is offset by its slower speeds.

Buying Guide

Buy the vivo X60 Pro+ if you need blazing-fast 55W charging, prefer the flexibility of Android, and prioritize raw performance in demanding applications. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you value a tightly integrated ecosystem, guaranteed software updates for years to come, and a refined user experience with a focus on video recording.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Snapdragon 888 in the vivo X60 Pro+ suffer from significant thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions?
While the Snapdragon 888 is a powerful chip, it is known to generate more heat than some of its competitors. The X60 Pro+ likely employs cooling solutions to mitigate throttling, but sustained, demanding tasks may still result in some performance reduction over time. Real-world performance will depend on ambient temperature and the specific game being played.
❓ How does the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s MagSafe ecosystem enhance the user experience beyond wireless charging?
MagSafe allows for a range of accessories to magnetically attach to the back of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, including wallets, cases, and car mounts. This provides a convenient and secure way to expand the phone’s functionality without relying on adhesives or bulky mounts. It also enables faster wireless charging with compatible MagSafe chargers.
❓ Is the lack of a specified refresh rate on the X60 Pro+ display a significant drawback?
The absence of a high refresh rate (90Hz or 120Hz) on the X60 Pro+ display means scrolling and animations won't appear as smooth as on some competing Android flagships. While not a dealbreaker for all users, those accustomed to higher refresh rates may notice the difference.