ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 14 Pro Max wins on overall polish, ecosystem integration, and consistently excellent camera performance. However, the Axon 40 Ultra offers incredible value with its impressive specs and unique design, making it a compelling choice for Android enthusiasts seeking flagship power at a lower price.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition | Apple iPhone 14 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, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66 | 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, 2, 3, 5, 7, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 | 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 |
| CDMA2000 1x | 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 29 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, December 06 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, ceramic back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 163.3 x 73.6 x 8.4 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.33 in) | 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 | 204 g (7.20 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1116 x 2480 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~92.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 12, MyOS 12 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 18GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 1.22µm, under display | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.6, 35mm (standard), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.5, 91mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom (vs. 26mm cam) 64 MP, f/2.4, 16mm, 112˚ (ultrawide), 1/1.7", PDAF | 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 | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10‑bit video | 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/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 1.22µm, under display | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 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 | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, 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 | 80W wired, PD3.0, QC4 | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | A2023P | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | About 800 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) |
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition
- Exceptional Value
- Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- Fast 80W Charging
- Unique Design
- High-Resolution Main Camera
- Software Support Less Consistent
- Image Processing Not as Refined as iPhone
- Potential for Throttling under Heavy Load
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Industry-Leading Performance (A16 Bionic)
- Exceptional Camera System
- Seamless iOS Ecosystem Integration
- Long-Term Software Support
- Bright and Accurate Display
- Higher Price
- Slower Charging Speed
- Less Customization Options
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts a stunning display with a peak brightness of 1760 nits, offering exceptional visibility even in direct sunlight. Its infinite contrast ratio provides deep blacks and vibrant colors. The Axon 40 Ultra's display is also excellent, but doesn't quite reach the same level of brightness or contrast. While both offer smooth refresh rates, the iPhone's color accuracy and overall visual fidelity are slightly superior.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max's camera system is renowned for its exceptional image quality, consistently delivering stunning photos and videos across various lighting conditions. Its computational photography is top-notch. The Axon 40 Ultra features a high-resolution main sensor and offers impressive zoom capabilities, but its image processing isn't quite as refined as the iPhone's. Video recording on the iPhone also holds a significant advantage.
Performance
Both phones pack powerful chipsets. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Axon 40 Ultra is a beast, delivering flagship-level performance. However, Apple's A16 Bionic chip consistently outperforms Android competitors in raw processing power and efficiency. The iPhone 14 Pro Max handles demanding tasks and games with effortless ease, while the Axon 40 Ultra might show slight throttling under sustained heavy load.
Battery Life
Both phones offer excellent battery life, with endurance ratings around 121 hours. However, the iPhone 14 Pro Max's optimization and power efficiency give it a slight edge in real-world usage. The Axon 40 Ultra's 80W wired charging is significantly faster than the iPhone's 15W wireless charging (MagSafe/Qi2).
Buying Guide
The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition is ideal for Android users who prioritize raw performance, a unique design, and a more affordable price tag. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is best suited for those deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, valuing seamless integration, long-term software support, and a consistently top-tier camera experience.