vivo X90 vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Flagship Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing long-term software support, ecosystem integration, and consistently excellent camera performance, the iPhone 14 Pro Max remains the superior choice. However, the vivo X90 delivers a compelling alternative with significantly faster charging and competitive performance, appealing to Android enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo X90 | Apple iPhone 14 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, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - International | 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 - A2894, A2896 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2894, A2896 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA - China | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2895 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, November 22 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, November 30 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 164.1 x 74.4 x 8.5 mm or 8.9 mm | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 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 | 196 g / 200 g (6.91 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP64 dust/water resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2800 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~452 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.5 cm2 (~91.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.05 GHz Cortex-X3 & 3x2.85 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 9200 (4 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Immortalis-G715 MC11 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 13, Funtouch 13 (Global), OriginOS 3 (China) | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 - 256/512GB UFS 3.1 - 128GB | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Pixel Shift, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.49", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, AF, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.0, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, AF | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x 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@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 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 | 32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 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 | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC | GPS (L1+L5), 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/6, 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 Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, 50% in 8 min Reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | 4810 mAh | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Asteroid Black, Breeze Blue, Red | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | V2241A | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | About 300 EUR | € 530.79 / $ 489.81 / £ 446.75 |
| SAR | - | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.07 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
vivo X90
- Blazing-fast 120W wired charging
- Competitive performance with Dimensity 9200
- Reverse wired charging for accessory power
- Potentially more affordable price point
- Android ecosystem fragmentation and update timelines
- Uncertainty regarding long-term software support
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Seamless iOS ecosystem integration
- Long-term software support and updates
- Exceptional video recording capabilities
- High peak display brightness
- Slower charging speeds compared to vivo X90
- Higher price point
- Less customization options compared to Android
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts a peak brightness of 1760 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the X90’s display specs aren’t provided, it’s likely to be a high-quality AMOLED panel, but likely won’t match the iPhone’s peak brightness. The iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED displays, provides deep blacks and vibrant colors. The iPhone’s ProMotion technology (adaptive refresh rate) is also absent on the X90, potentially leading to slightly less smooth scrolling in some scenarios. The iPhone’s display is a key advantage for outdoor usability.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is renowned for its cinematic mode and consistently excellent video quality. The X90’s camera specs aren’t detailed enough to make a direct comparison, but vivo often focuses on computational photography and image processing to enhance detail and dynamic range. The iPhone’s image processing tends to be more natural, while vivo often aims for more vibrant, social media-ready results. Without knowing the X90’s sensor sizes and lens apertures, it’s difficult to assess its low-light performance relative to the iPhone.
Performance
Both devices utilize 4nm chipsets, but their architectures differ significantly. The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s A16 Bionic employs a hexa-core configuration with two high-performance ‘Everest’ cores clocked at 3.46 GHz, while the vivo X90 features an octa-core Dimensity 9200 with a Cortex-X3 prime core at 3.05 GHz. While clock speed isn’t everything, the A16’s architectural advantages and Apple’s software optimization generally translate to superior single-core performance. The Dimensity 9200, however, is a formidable competitor, offering excellent multi-core performance. The iPhone’s RAM configuration isn’t specified, but its efficient memory management often allows it to outperform Android devices with seemingly higher RAM counts. Thermal management will be crucial for sustained performance; the Dimensity 9200’s efficiency will be tested under prolonged load.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 121 hours, suggesting comparable overall battery life despite differing battery capacities. However, the charging speeds are drastically different. The vivo X90’s 120W wired charging can replenish 50% of the battery in just 8 minutes, a significant advantage over the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 30-minute 50% charge. The iPhone offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.2), while the X90 also supports reverse wired charging, adding to its versatility. The X90’s charging speed is a game-changer for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo X90 if you need blazing-fast charging, prefer the flexibility of Android, and prioritize raw performance benchmarks. You'll also appreciate the more aggressive pricing. Buy the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max if you value a polished user experience, long-term software updates, a tightly integrated ecosystem, and consistently high-quality video recording.