iPhone 12 Pro Max Review: The Verdict
The size and price-tag mean the iPhone 12 Pro Max won't be for everyone, but if you're not a fan of compromises, it's the 2020 iPhone for you. The iPhone 12 Pro Max goes above and beyond when it comes to camera performance and battery life, and it's one of our favourite phones we've tested this year.
What we love
- Exceptional primary camera
- Great battery life
- Lovely drop-resistant display
- No compromises
What could be improved
- Will be too big for some
- Expensive
The essentials
- Performance: Top of the pack.
- Battery: Between a day-and-a-half and two days per charge. Reliable.
- Screen: Gorgeous.
- Camera: Exceptional. The new primary lens is the arguably the best camera on any smartphone right now.
90/100
Sitting atop the iPhone 12 food chain, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a change of pace for Apple. The iPhone 11 Pro Max and the iPhone XS Max were just bigger versions of a smaller phone, maybe with a little extra battery.
On the other hand, the iPhone 12 Pro Max isn't just bigger than the remainder of the iPhone 12 family, on paper, it's also better. You get the largest display of any iPhone to date, but you also get higher quality cameras and a significantly longer lasting battery than every other iPhone 12. The question is, just how important are these improvements in practice?
Before we start, here is how all four 2020 iPhone models compare:
2020 iPhone specifications
| iPhone 12 mini | iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 12 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.4-inch OLED | 6.1-inch OLED | 6.1-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED |
| Resolution | Super Retina | Super Retina | Super Retina | Super Retina |
| Rear Cameras | 2x 12MP | 2x 12MP | 3x 12MP + LiDAR | 3x 12MP + LiDAR |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP |
| Processor | A14 | A14 | A14 | A14 |
| Storage | 64GB - 256GB | 64GB - 256GB | 128GB - 512GB | 128GB - 256GB |
| Water-Resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| 5G | Sub 6 | Sub 6 | Sub 6 | Sub 6 |
| Price | From $1,199 | From $1,349 | From $1,699 | From $1,849 |
One shot
The majority of the iPhone 12 family has a pretty similar camera configuration. The iPhone 12 mini, the standard iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro all share the same primary and ultra-wide lenses. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the one exception, featuring a better primary sensor with improved stabilisation. The improvements aren't always noticeable, but the exceptional primary camera makes the iPhone 12 Pro Max the iPhone to beat in terms of photography, and arguably the best smartphone camera around right now.
On paper, these improvements stem from a larger sensor and a new form of lens stabilisation when compared to the iPhone 12 Pro. If you're shooting in good lighting, you won't be able to tell photos from the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max apart. They're close to identical. Where the new primary lens is in lowlight. Photos shoot faster, are sharper, a little brighter, and exhibit less noise.
For example, if you're using night mode to take a lowlight image, the iPhone 12 Pro Max may only need a one second exposure to take the photo, where the iPhone 12 Pro may need three. Since you don't need to hold your hands steady for as long, you're also going to get a sharper image.
Lowlight photos are all less noisy across the board. For context, camera noise is the grainy look you can get when you're shooting images at night that can obscure details. As such, lowlight images from iPhone 12 Pro Max are just clearer across the board when compared even to the iPhone 12 Pro.
If you're just looking at these photos on your phone, you may not notice the benefits of the iPhone 12 Pro Max's better primary camera. But as soon as you zoom or crop in and start looking at details, the difference is clear. The same holds true when you compare to other top end devices. The iPhone 12 Pro Max primary lens simply delivers when it comes to clear, sharp lowlight photography.
Here's a lowlight shot from the iPhone 12 Pro:
And here's the same image from the iPhone 12 Pro Max:
Honestly, they don't look too different. But here's a 100% crop of the iPhone 12 Pro photo:
And here's a crop of the iPhone 12 Pro Max photo:
We're not looking at the focal point in either case, but the image from the iPhone 12 Pro Max exhibits less noise and is a touch brighter.
Here's another shot from the iPhone 12 Pro, this time indoors:
And here's the same image from the iPhone 12 Pro Max:
You can tell the iPhone 12 Pro Max image is a little brighter, but once again, the devil is in the details. Here's a 100% crop of the iPhone 12 Pro shot:
And here's a 100% crop from the iPhone 12 Pro Max:
It's like day and night.
Like the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a telephoto lens - a feature you won't find on the two more affordable models. But while the iPhone 12 Pro has a 2x zoom lens, the iPhone 12 Pro Max zoom is a little punchier with 2.5x magnification. It might not sound like a huge difference on paper, but I enjoyed having a tighter zoom. It gives you more reasons to use the zoom lens over the primary. There is however a slight trade off with the iPhone 12 Pro Max zoom lens - it has a slower aperture than the 2x lens you'll find on the iPhone 12 Pro, which can make it a little harder to use in lowlight.
Here's a 2x shot from the iPhone 12 Pro:
And here's a 2.5x shot from the iPhone 12 Pro Max:
Of course, 2.5x isn't quite as deep as the 5x and 10x optical zoom we're seeing on Android devices right now, but it's still nice to see improvement on the Apple front. And as welcome as the long range zoom we've seen on Android flagships is, it isn't without issues. The lenses themselves have rather slow apertures, so images can be prone to motion blur and they perform poorly at night - to the point where sometimes they'll swap to a crop from the primary lens. I'm a big fan of manufacturers like Huawei, OPPO, and Samsung pushing boundaries in terms of optical zoom on phones, but can understand why Apple stuck with a more conservative zoom range in terms of reliability.
While the iPhone 12 Pro Max's primary lens and telephoto lens are unique to it, it shares the same ultra-wide lens as its siblings. This time around, the ultra-wide lens supports night mode which is welcome in a pinch, but for the most part, you're best off using the primary lens for lowlight photography. Here's a lowlight ultra-wide shot:
The iPhone 12 Pro Max also benefits from a LiDAR sensor, which you'll also find on the standard iPhone 12 Pro. LiDAR sensors measure depth, which can then be utilised for augmented reality apps and photography. Augmented reality apps are a gimmick right now – and the standard iPhone 12 can still run them – but LiDAR helps measure the world around you more accurately.
LiDAR does, however, genuinely make a noticeable difference when it comes to photography, improving both autofocus at night and low light portrait shots. When trying to take a portrait at night, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max flat out deliver brighter, more consistent results than the standard iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini. The Pros are also able to more reliably lock onto a subject, especially when it comes to portrait photography.
Here's an attempted lowlight portrait from the iPhone 12 mini:
And here's the same shot from the iPhone 12 Pro Max:
Even in cropped form, you can see so much noise on the image from the iPhone 12 mini. For context, these images were taken at about 10pm, using just the light from the street for illumination.
There's not a huge difference when it comes to LiDAR between the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Lowlight portrait shots taken by the iPhone 12 Pro Max are a little sharper and exhibit less noise, but that's due to the lens, rather than the LiDAR itself.
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max owners will soon get access to ProRAW – Apple’s new photo format – which should be a nice treat for camera nerds. RAW photos capture more detail from your camera sensor, giving you more options when it comes to editing a photo. The trade-off is a larger file size. I'm pretty excited about it, but it's one of those features that definitely falls more in the realm of prosumer and professional functionality, rather than something most will use day to day.
Once again, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is arguably the best smartphone camera you can buy. The primary lens is the most reliable camera I've seen on a smartphone to date. Some of the improvements made won't be noticeable when compared to the iPhone 12 - or even at last year's models - when you're just looking at photos on your phone. But as soon as you start to move past the realm of your screen and Instagram, they genuinely help the iPhone 12 Pro Max live up to the "Pro" part of its name.
Large and in charge
The iPhone 12 Pro Max has the best battery of any iPhone 12, which you'd hope, given its generous stature. On a mix of 4G, 5G, and WiFi, I found I could comfortably get around seven or eight hours of screen time, which translates to about a day-and-a-half to two days of battery per charge. Considering the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are very much single day phones, the extra longevity is very welcome.
Using the iPhone 12 Pro Max feels like it's a little more demanding than on previous generation iPhones, presumably because of 5G connectivity. The only days I came close to burning through the chonky battery is when I added an hour or two of tethering to my routine.
I was honestly a bit anxious about the iPhone 12 Pro Max battery life, given the upper echelon of 5G Android phones have all struggled with longevity this year. In our testing, we found the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and the OPPO Find X2 Pro were all single day phones, and that was when we disabled functionality like 5G and high refresh rate displays. As such, it is nice to see a top-tier device where 5G doesn't compromise the battery.
It is of course worth noting that the iPhone 12 Pro Max doesn't have a high refresh rate display. While smoother scrolling and animations certainly are a treat, personally I'm not fussed about the omission. I don't find they make a huge difference in my day-to-day usage of a device. The iPhone 12 Pro Max display is still a joy to use.
An iPhone 12 is an iPhone 12
Other than the size, battery, and camera, the iPhone 12 Pro Max isn't that different to the rest of the iPhone 12 family. So strange, right? Rather than regurgitate my iPhone 12 Pro review, here are of the most important features in the iPhone 12 Pro Max:
Ceramic Shield Display: The iPhone 12 Pro Max's gorgeous display has what Apple calls Ceramic Shield protection, which makes it up to four times more drop-resistant than last year's models. The back doesn't is still more traditional glass, so you'll probably still want to wrap it before you crack it. By which I mean, put a case on it .
Of course, the iPhone 12 Pro Max screen is also massive, measuring in at 6.7-inches. It's the largest iPhone to date, even dwarfing last year's iPhone 11 Pro Max. I'm used to large phones, but if you've got concerns about the size, you'll definitely want to check this one in person first.
Stainless steel and matte glass: Like the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a stainless steel frame and a matte glass back. The stainless steel frame is prone to collecting fingerprints, while the matte glass back masks them very well. This year's Pros come in a neat new shade - Pacific Blue - and I'm very much in love with it.
A14 Processor: The iPhone 12 Pro Max is powered by the same A14 chipset you'll find in every single iPhone 12. It's very fast. Just be aware that you're not sacrificing power if you'd prefer to go for the iPhone 12 mini or standard iPhone 12. Which, honestly, is a great thing.
5G: All four iPhone 12 models have 5G connectivity. Of course, 5G networks are still very much in their infancy. Telstra's 5G network currently only covers 40% of the population, while Vodafone's is the smallest but growing. Optus is somewhere in between. 5G support doesn't mean much right now, but it's a nice bit of future-proofing. There's no reason to buy a 5G phone right now, but if you were going to buy a new phone this year and the phone you're after has 5G, why not?
No charger in the box: Apple made the rather interesting decision to no longer include headphones or a power brick in iPhone 12 boxes this year for environmental reasons. Apple's bundled EarPods were pretty awful anyway, so that's not a big deal. A USB C wall plug - which you'll need to go with the USB C to Lightning cable you'll find in the box - will set you back an extra $29 if you don't have one. You can also always use your old iPhone charger, but you'll want a USB C one for the fastest possibly charging speeds. While this might seem a little price gougey, every iPhone 12 Pro model is about $50 cheaper than their predecessors cost at launch last year.
MagSafe: Apple has a new wireless charging ecosystem that's kinda cute. MagSafe is a puck-like charger that magnetically clips onto the back of your iPhone. It ensures ideal alignment for a faster charge, and means you can still use your phone, which you can't do on a traditional wireless charging pad. Given the charger is $65 and a bit slower than a wired charge, it's more of a fun novelty for now. After all, who doesn't like playing with magnets? What's more interesting is where the MagSafe ecosystem will go. I really want a MagSafe car mount. Or a clip on MagSafe battery pack.
If you want more detail about any of these features, read out our iPhone 12 Pro review here.
iPhone 12 Pro Max - Final Thoughts
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the no compromise iPhone. It's genuinely hard to fault. The lowlight camera performance is incredible, it has the best battery life of any 5G flagship smartphone, the display is stunning, and the processor is zippy as hell. The only genuine concern is the price. Starting at $1,849, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the priciest iPhone in the current range. It's right up there with the likes of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
But as far as hella expensive smartphones go, the iPhone 12 Pro Max feels like it delivers value for money. Other than maybe a high refresh rate display, there's nothing that's missing when you consider the price-tag. It delivers on every bit of core functionality. And mercifully, Apple has upped the starting storage to 128GB, so sticking with the base model is a little more feasible than it has been in previous years.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max certainly isn't a phone for everyone - especially considering the large form factor, and well, price. Most will honestly be better suited by a more affordable iPhone 12, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the most complete flagship phone of 2020. If you want the best of the best, and you're willing to pay for it, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is it.
iPhone 12 Pro Max camera samples
Find a better phone plan
Thousands of mobile phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
