ZTE nubia Z30 Pro vs. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a polished, long-lasting experience with excellent camera consistency, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max remains the superior choice. However, the ZTE nubia Z30 Pro delivers exceptional value with its blazing-fast 120W charging and strong performance, making it ideal for power users and gamers on a budget.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Z30 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 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, 18, 19, 20, 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, 66 - A2643, A2644, A2645 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644 |
| 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 |
| CDMA 800 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, May 20 | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, May 25 | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 161.8 x 73 x 8.5 mm (6.37 x 2.87 x 0.33 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 198 g (6.98 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 | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~90.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+ | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 11, nubia UI 9 | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Quad | 64 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/1.9, 35mm (standard), 1/1.97", 0.7µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/3.4, 123mm (periscope telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 64 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/1.97", 0.7µm | - |
| Single | 16 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps, 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 | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 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 | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | 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 | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, 100% in 15 min | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh | Li-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, Black, Black/Gold | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green |
| Models | NX667J | A2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3 |
| Price | About 640 EUR | € 423.38 / $ 394.86 / £ 355.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 1.20 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 | - | -24.0 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 801691 (v9) GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Z30 Pro
- Blazing-fast 120W wired charging
- Competitive price for the hardware offered
- Strong performance from the Snapdragon 888
- Android software updates may be less frequent
- Camera image processing may not be as consistent as the iPhone
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Exceptional camera quality and video recording
- Seamless iOS ecosystem and long-term software support
- Industry-leading performance with the A15 Bionic
- Significantly slower charging speeds
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 1050 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the nubia Z30 Pro’s display specifications aren’t provided, its market positioning suggests it likely doesn’t reach the same peak brightness. The iPhone’s infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s ProMotion technology (adaptive refresh rate) is absent on the nubia Z30 Pro, potentially resulting in less smooth scrolling for some users. The iPhone’s display is also known for its color accuracy, crucial for content creators.
Camera Comparison
Both devices excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is renowned for its cinematic mode and consistent image processing, delivering natural-looking photos and videos. While the nubia Z30 Pro’s camera specifications aren’t detailed beyond 'Photo / Video', its market segment suggests a focus on high megapixel counts and potentially more aggressive image processing. The iPhone’s sensor-shift stabilization and excellent low-light performance are key advantages. The iPhone’s video recording capabilities are widely considered industry-leading, offering ProRes video recording for professional workflows.
Performance
The Apple A15 Bionic, with its hexa-core architecture (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard), consistently outperforms the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks. While the Snapdragon 888 is a capable chip, the A15 Bionic’s superior architecture and efficiency translate to smoother performance in demanding tasks and better thermal management. The iPhone 13 Pro Max benefits from Apple’s tight software-hardware integration, optimizing performance across the board. The nubia Z30 Pro, however, offers a more open Android experience.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an impressive endurance rating of 121 hours, indicating similar overall battery life despite differing battery capacities. However, the charging experience is where they diverge dramatically. The ZTE nubia Z30 Pro’s 120W wired charging can fully charge the device in just 15 minutes, a significant advantage for users who need a quick power boost. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, with its 50% charge in 30 minutes via wired PD2.0, is considerably slower. The iPhone also offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.2), while the nubia Z30 Pro offers 100W wireless charging, though specific times aren't provided.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Z30 Pro if you need incredibly fast charging, prioritize raw performance for gaming, and are comfortable with the Android ecosystem. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you prefer a refined user experience, exceptional camera video capabilities, and guaranteed software updates for years to come, even if it means sacrificing charging speed.