iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: What should you buy?

iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: What should you purchase?

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The iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max face-off is no longer the showdown information technology was a few months agone. In one case, those ii phones establish themselves at the caput of Apple's iPhone lineup. And while they remain pretty powerful — those A14 Bionic fries are nothing to sneeze at — they've since fabricated fashion for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone thirteen Pro Max.

Nonetheless, if you're mulling over picking up one of Apple'due south older phones, it pays to compare the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, as these devices sport some surprising differences. As we noted in our iPhone 12 Pro review, the regular Pro's six.1-inch display makes information technology easy to employ with one paw. And our iPhone 12 Pro Max review shows that going big with a 6.vii-inch display has its benefits. Just the differences become beyond screen size for these two Pro phones. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max also differ in terms of camera features and especially battery life.

The all-time phones right now
Track downward the all-time iPhone 12 Pro cases
Plus: The iPhone 13 is not a iPhone 13 Pro consolation prize

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are harder to come by now that Apple has dropped them from the iPhone lineup in favor of newer iPhone 13 options, it'south still worth looking at how the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max compare. (We've also got an iPhone 12. vs. iPhone 12 mini comparison as well as a expect at the iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 12 Pro differences. And if the new models interest yous after all, nosotros've got a wait at the iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max differences, too.)

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Specs compared

	iPhone 12 Pro	iPhone 12 Pro Max
Price	$999	$i,099
Display	6.1-inch OLED (2532 x 1170)	6.seven-inch OLED (2778 x 1284)
Colors	Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue	Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue
CPU	A14	A14
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Rear camera	12MP wide (f/1.6), 12MP ultra-wide (f/two.iv), 12MP telephoto (f/two.0)	12MP wide (f/1.vi), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.iv), 12MP telephoto (f/two.ii)
Zoom	2x optical/10x digital	two.5x optical12x digital
Front camera	12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2)	12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2)
5G	sub-6Ghz, mmWave	sub-6Ghz, mmWave
Bombardment life (hrs:mins)	9:06	10:53
Size	v.78 x 2.82 ten 0.29 inches	six.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches
Weight	6.66 ounces	8.03 ounces

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Toll

The iPhone 12 Pro debuted at $999 for 128GB of storage. Upgrading to the 256GB model costs $1.099, and the 512GB version costs $1,299.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 Pro Max made its debut at $1,099 for 128GB. The 256BG version costs $1,199 and the 512GB model is priced at a whopping $1,399 (or $100 more than the MacBook Pro).

If you're on the fence between the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, it's good to know that you lot can go double the storage on the regular Pro for the aforementioned price equally the entry-level Pro Max — at to the lowest degree back when the iPhone 12 Pro models were still on offer from Apple.

These days, Apple is focusing on the iPhone 13, with the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max among the models that Apple killed. You tin can all the same find both phones at other retailers and through wireless carriers. Just make certain the prices are lower than $999 and $one,099, as those are the new starting prices for the iPhone 13 models. We can aid you find lower-priced versions of the iPhone 12 Pro models in our circular-up of the best iPhone 12 Blackness Friday deals.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Design

If you want an iPhone that'southward easier to use with one hand, the obvious choice is the iPhone 12 Pro. It features a half-dozen.1-inch display in a fairly compact pattern that measures v.78 10 2.82 x 0.29 inches and weighs 6.6 ounces.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a brute of a handset. It packs a half-dozen.7-inch screen into a taller, wider and heavier chassis that comes in at 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches and 8.03 ounces. This is all-time for those who want an immersive screen and don't heed using two hands.

Both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro feature sleek apartment edges and narrower borders, equally well every bit a Ceramic Shield Display that'south designed to offer iv times better drop performance than the iPhone 11 serial. And the water resistance is great for both models, too, with an IP68 rating that allows them to be submerged in upward to half-dozen meters of h2o for 30 minutes.

I likewise like the matte glass back on both phones (which resists fingerprints) and the polished stainless steel band that runs along the outside of the handsets (which adds a bit of bling).

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Displays

The OLED displays on the 6.one-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.seven-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are simply amongst the best you'll notice on whatever telephone. These panels are bright, colorful and accurate, though the sheer size of the Pro Max may tempt you if you relish watching videos on the go. The Pro Max'southward display is likewise ideal for reviewing documents.

In our lab tests, the screens on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max were evenly matched in terms of colour reproduction. The iPhone 12 Pro registered 115.6% of the sRGB color gamut and 81.ix% of the more enervating DCI-P color infinite. Past comparison, the iPhone 12 Pro Max hit 119.7% and 84.8%, respectively.

The iPhone 12 Pro proved a bit brighter, as its brandish averaged 742 nits based on our testing, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max reached 654 nits. Both screens are plenty bright enough to come across in directly sunlight.

Both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have screens that refresh at 60Hz. Apple didn't add together faster refresh rates until the iPhone 13 Pro models debuted.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Cameras

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max both offer triple rear cameras along with Apple's computational photography upgrades, including Nighttime Mode portraits and Smart HDR 3 for better photos in tricky lighting. Plus, both phones record Dolby Vision video in 4K for stunningly colorful footage.

Simply there are some notable photographic camera differences here. The iPhone 12 Pro Max benefits from a larger main wide camera sensor, which lets in more light, and the larger iPhone also offers a slightly more powerful zoom than the iPhone 12 Pro.

Let's outset with the zoom on both phones, The telephoto lens on the iPhone 12 Pro has an optical zoom of 2x and a digital zoom of 10x. Nevertheless, the iPhone 12 Pro Max delivers a 2.5x optical zoom and 12x digital zoom.

As you can see in this shot of harvest decorations, the iPhone 12 Pro Max gets yous closer to your subject than the iPhone 12 Pro. It'south not a dramatic difference, but it's still a welcome upgrade.

I too challenged both phones in low light with this close-up of a Christmas tree. The iPhone 12 Pro Max did a slightly amend job capturing the gilded ornament on the left, as yous can see that it'south slightly sharper and more than in focus. Aforementioned thing goes for the icicle in the center.

I took this side by side photo of a holiday sign in almost darkness with Night manner engaged on both phones. While the iPhone 12 Pro shot is fairly brilliant, the iPhone 12 Pro Max epitome delivers much better texture and detail in the material on the dresser and in the flecks of paint on the sign. The words are in better focus, also.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Performance

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max share the same specs, as they're both powered past Apple'due south 5nm A14 Bionic bit and 6GB of RAM. So it'due south not a surprise that they offer comparable performance.

On Geekbench 5, which measures overall functioning, the iPhone 12 Pro notched a single-core score of 1,585 and a multi-core score of three,669. The iPhone 12 Pro Max scored a similar i,603 on single core simply hit an even college 4,111 multi-core marker.

We likewise transcoded a 4K video to 1080p using the Adobe Premiere Rush app, and the iPhone 12 Pro took only 27 seconds. The iPhone 12 Pro Max was right behind at 28.v seconds.

Lastly, nosotros ran the 3D Mark Wild Life graphics benchmark, and both phones excelled. The iPhone 12 Pro registered 51 frames per 2nd on the Unlimited test and the iPhone 12 Pro Max reached a slightly college 54 fps.

Whether y'all get the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max, expect better performance that the leading Android phones, even those powered by the newer Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip. The newer iPhone thirteen models feature the A15 Bionic, though, which figures to raise the performance bar even higher.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Battery life

Other than their sheer size, battery life is the biggest difference between the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 Pro has a 2,815 mAh bombardment, compared to three,687 mAh battery for the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

On on the Tom's Guide bombardment test, which involves continuous web surfing over 5G at 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPhone 12 Pro lasted nine hours and 6 minutes. The iPhone 12 Pro Max lasted a much longer ten:53. (This is one area where the iPhone thirteen outperforms the previous generation as both iPhone xiii Pro models outlast their predecessors and can exist found on our best telephone bombardment life list.)

Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max send without a charger. Y'all'll need to supply your own 20W ($19) charger if you want fast charging to 50% in 30 minutes. The magnetic MagSafe charger is one of the best wireless chargers still because it'southward and then easy to use, merely its 15W charging speed is slower than wired charging.

Nosotros would by and large avert the Apple MagSafe Duo. Information technology'southward too pricey at $129 and doesn't fifty-fifty come with a ability brick. Plus, information technology offers merely 11W charging when paired with Apple's 20W charger.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: iPhone xiii arrives

New iPhone 13 models are hither, as nosotros've mentioned, with the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone xiii Pro Max featuring the aforementioned-sized displays as their iPhone 12 counterparts.

The new phones characteristic the A15 Bionic processor and dynamically adjusting ProMotion displays. Even the notch on the iPhone 13 Pro screen is smaller, and in that location are improvements to the cameras as well, notably the telephoto lens and the ultrawide angle shooter.

In fact, an updated iPhone xiii vs. iPhone 13 Pro comparing concludes that the Pro models are the ones to get if you lot tin swing the higher prices. Otherwise, the iPhone 13 is the phone that will entreatment to the biggest audience.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Bottom line

Even with the iPhone xiii Pro models at present available, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max remain formidable flagship phones, even if they're neat for different types of users. Both phones run iOS 15, and they remain very evenly matched on display quality, performance and photography

However, the regular iPhone 12 Pro remains the choice for those who desire a meaty device. I personally prefer the iPhone 12 Pro Max for its larger screen and near ii extra hours of battery life. (In that location's a reason the iPhone 12 Pro Max took home superlative honors for smartphones in the Tom'south Guide Awards for 2021.) And while the photography differences are subtle, the Pro Max's camera offered better results in Nighttime Way.

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in primary of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for virtually xx years. In add-on to overseeing the direction of Tom'due south Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on Television set to discuss the latest trends. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.