Join us as we put two of the market’s latest smartphones head to head and see which one comes out on top.
OnePlus 9 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: At a Glance
Perhaps you have been looking at the OnePlus 9 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max and are wondering what the difference is between the two models, other than the price. Apple’s latest, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, is available to purchase now, with prices starting at $1099.99 at the time of writing. The OnePlus OnePlus 9 Pro comes in slightly cheaper with prices and is up for pre-order now, starting at $1069.
So they’re close in price, are they close in everything else? Let’s take a look at some rapid-fire highlights of each model and see how they stack up against one another. For those of you wanting a more in-depth analysis of the devices, we will jump straight into that after.
OnePlus 9 Pro
- 5G
- Tough, waterproof design (IP68)
- Fluid AMOLED display for excellent colour and contrast
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
- Extended battery life and super-fast charging
- Touch to focus, digital zoom, 48MP
- Decent speakers
- 525dpi
- Gorilla Glass
- Cheaper than the iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 12 Pro Max
- 5G
- Tough, waterproof design (IP68)
- HDR OLED display
- Ceramic shielded Gorilla Glass
- A14 Bionic chip – best in class
- Improved battery life
- Improved cameras for decent photos and videos
- Fast wireless charging
- No 3.5mm headphone jack
Design
The OnePlus 9 Pro has a curved front and back and a glossy finish, but is certainly lacking a little in the flair department. It is perfectly decent, but is a bit plain. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has brought back the squared-off sides, which were last seen on the iPhone 5. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has also got a stainless steel frame.
Both the OnePlus 9 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max utilize Gorilla Glass. This is a much more durable (as much as 4X) than any of Apple’s previous models and performs incredibly well in both drop tests and scratch tests.
The OnePlus 9 Pro has a 6.7 inch screen and the iPhone 12 Pro Max also has a 6.7 inch screen. The OnePlus 9 Pro is 6.42 x 2.89 x 0.34 inches, and weighs in at 197 grams. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches and weighs in slightly heavier at 228 grams.
Both of these phones are available in a variety of colours – Morning Mist, and Pine Green for the OnePlus 9 Pro, and Silver, Graphite, Gold, and Pacific Blue for the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
It is worth noting that the Morning Mist OnePlus 9 Pro does feel a little slippery in the hands.
Processor, Battery Life & Performance
With the OnePlus 9 Pro, you get the Snapdragon 888 processor – the best on the android market, paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. However, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is both a little faster and more capable with Apple’s A14 Bionic Chip. Both of these devices run with a 60Hz display.
In Geekbench 5 tests, the OnePlus 9 Pro scored 1126 in the single-core test, and 3685 in the multi-core. In the same tests, Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max scored 1595 on the single-core test, and 3880 on the multi-core test.
As you can see, the iPhone 12 Pro Max in particular is more than capable of running even the most demanding of mobile games and apps, and during testing, we came across zero slow-down or stuttering when playing games such as Call of Duty Mobile, or running several demanding apps. The OnePlus 9 Pro, on the other hand, although still a powerful device, does suffer when trying to run some of the more demanding games, and some titles will simply not even work. It is apparent that gaming will also drain the battery on the OnePlus 9 Pro a little faster than the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Both of these devices provide 5G, which will be available to you as long as it has rolled out in your area. 5G is the future of high-speed internet and connectivity, and both of these devices will be providing you with the best possible internet for a long time to come.
Whilst we’re on the subject of 5G, it’s important to note that 5G is known to drain your battery life faster. To try and counter this effect, Apple implemented a Smart Data Mode, which can switch between 4G and 5G when needed in order to properly balance performance and battery optimization.
The OnePlus 9 Pro averages approximately ten hours and forty minutes from a full charge. Apple claims that the 12 Pro Max should last an impressive twenty hours from a full charge, although they do not release official statistics.
The OnePlus 9 Pro runs on Android v11 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will come equipped with iOS 14, and are capable of receiving new updates.
Camera Quality
When it comes to camera quality, a huge advantage the iPhone 12 Pro Max has over the OnePlus 9 Pro is the inclusion of Lidar sensor technology (light detection and ranging). The device will actively use lasers to assess depth of field in your photos, as well as making tweaks and adjustments to allow for lighting conditions. The OnePlus 9 Pro’s camera does not stand up to the competition, unfortunately. The images have a tendency to come out a little muddy (although the colors, in general, are not bad). Certainly not what we would hope for on a device in this price range.
Storage and Costs
The OnePlus 9 Pro does not have expandable storage but is available with either 128GB or 256GB. The iPhone 12 Pro Max also does not have expandable storage, although it does have 128GB internal storage as standard (up to 256GB & 512GB).
So now that you’ve got this far you may be thinking: Which one is best for you? Well, we would have to say that the iPhone 12 Pro Max outshines the OnePlus 9 Pro in every category. If you prefer an Android over an Apple though, you won’t be disappointed with the OnePlus 9 Pro.
