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Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max Smartphone Review: A leap forwards or more of the same?

Max reloaded - Apple returns with three new iPhones, just as it did last year. The biggest and heaviest among them is the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which aims to convince those who like big screens and even photographers with its high-quality triple rear-facing cameras. We put Apple's latest most expensive iPhone under the microscope in this live review.
Update: Live Review finished.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

With the iPhone 11 Pro Max, there will once again be a large iPhone on the market this year. As an effective successor to last year's iPhone XS Max, the Pro Max has a 6.5-inch screen, many pixels, a handsome-sized battery and of course three rear-facing cameras. Apple has also brought the latter to the iPhone 11 Pro, but not the iPhone 11.

The idea of ​​a big iPhone did not convince everyone last year, with its exorbitant pricing also drawing criticism. Apple has pitched the Pro Max at the pricing of its predecessor, which it has now withdrawn from sale. Sadly, Apple has continued with its year-on-year price rises, with the most expensive Pro Max costing US$1,449. The company still sells the iPhone 8 too though, which starts at US$449.

A pertinent question of all modern smartphone releases is how much it differs from its predecessor. So, is the Pro Max a slightly better iPhone XS Max? The new camera setup with its ultra-wide-angle lens and larger battery would suggest otherwise, but the brighter and more contrast-rich display, along with the A13 Bionic SoC would imply the Pro Max is an iterative update. The lack of 5G integration suggests so too.

It should go without saying that we will compare the Pro Max with the iPhone XS Max, but we also consider Apple's new most expensive flagship against the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, along with the Galaxy S10+. Our comparison devices will also include the OnePlus 7 Pro and Huawei P30 Pro, two other smartphones to sport a "Pro" moniker, and the Sony Xperia 1 too. All our comparison devices, save for the OnePlus 7 Pro, cost close to or more than US$1,000.

  • 10.10.2019: Live Review finished.
  • 10.04.2019: Battery life result at idle added.
  • 09.27.2019: Communication & GPS, Camera, Display and Battery Life sections expanded. Emissions & Power Consumption sections added.
  • 09.24.2019: Wi-Fi and Display values added.
  • 09.19.2019: Live review started.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (iPhone Series)
Processor
Apple A13 Bionic 6 x - 2.7 GHz, Lightning and Thunder
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
6.50 inch 2.16:1, 2688 x 1242 pixel 456 PPI, Capacitive touchscreen, ten-point multitouch, Super Retina XDR Display, OLED, True Tone Display, Oleophobic coating, haptic touch, glossy: yes, HDR
Storage
64 GB SSD, 64 GB 
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: Lightning Port, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, barometer, digital compass, iBeacon micro-locator, 3-axis gyro, proximity sensor, Ultra-wideband chip for spatial awareness
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850, 900, 1,800, 1,900 MHz. UMTS/HSPA+: 850, 900, 1,700/2,100, 1,900, 2,100 MHz. LTE FDD: Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32 and 66. LTE TDD: Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.1 x 158 x 77.8 ( = 0.32 x 6.22 x 3.06 in)
Battery
3969 mAh Lithium-Ion
Charging
wireless charging, fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Apple iOS 13
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix (f/1.8, OIS, 6 elements) + 12 MPix (ultra-wide-angle, 120° field of view, f/2.4, 5 elements) + 12 MPix (telephoto, 2x zoom, f/2.0, OIS, 6 elements), UHD videos at up to 60 FPS
Secondary Camera: 12 MPix (TrueDepth, f/2.2), UHD videos at up to 60 FPS
Additional features
Speakers: stereo speakers, Keyboard: onscreen, Lightning to USB Type-C cable, modular charger, EarPods, documentation, 12 Months Warranty, eSIM compatible, IP68 certified, notch. SAR values: Body - 1.17 W/kg, Head - 1.16 W/kg, fanless, waterproof
Weight
226 g ( = 7.97 oz / 0.5 pounds), Power Supply: 74 g ( = 2.61 oz / 0.16 pounds)
Price
1249 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - An iPhone with frosted glass

Looking at the iPhone XS Max, the Pro Max seems rather light on innovation. Apart from the new and rather eye-catching camera module and a new colour option, the design of the Pro Max remains close to that of the iPhone XS Max. It still consists of a metal frame and tempered glass on both sides. The Pro Max carries over the notch too, with Apple refraining from bringing imaginative solutions like punch-hole or pop-up cameras to its smartphones.

The dimensions also remain largely the same, with the Pro Max being a bulky and heavy smartphone. Our review unit weighs 226 g, making it noticeably heavier than its predecessor and almost 30 g more than the Galaxy Note 10+.

Apple calls the new colour option Midnight Green, which has a subtle finish befitting a "Pro" product. Midnight Green, as marketing images also show, is a mix between grey and light green. Apple has IP68-certified the Pro Max against the ingress of dust and liquids too, with the company also claiming that the device can withstand being submerged in up to four metres of water.

Apple iPhone XS Pro Max
Apple iPhone XS Pro Max
Apple iPhone XS Pro Max
Apple iPhone XS Pro Max
Apple iPhone XS Pro Max

Size Comparison

167 mm / 6.57 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 178 g0.3924 lbs162.6 mm / 6.4 inch 75.9 mm / 2.99 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 206 g0.4542 lbs162.3 mm / 6.39 inch 77.2 mm / 3.04 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 196 g0.4321 lbs158.01 mm / 6.22 inch 73.37 mm / 2.89 inch 8.41 mm / 0.3311 inch 192 g0.4233 lbs158 mm / 6.22 inch 77.8 mm / 3.06 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 226 g0.4982 lbs157.6 mm / 6.2 inch 74.1 mm / 2.92 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 198 g0.4365 lbs157.5 mm / 6.2 inch 77.4 mm / 3.05 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 208 g0.4586 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity - Neither 5G nor USB Type-C

4 GB of RAM makes a return, with Apple continuing to offer three storage options as it did last year. The Pro Max costs as follows:

  • 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage: US$1,099
  • 4 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage: US$1,249
  • 4 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage: US$1,449

A US$350 surcharge for 448 GB more storage seems steep, especially when no device supports microSD card expansion. You may also think that 4GB of RAM is meagre for a 2019 flagship, but iOS manages RAM usage better than Android does in our experience, so 4 GB remains enough for the time being.

Many mobile service providers now also support eSIMs, a feature that Apple has included in the Pro Max. The main advantage that eSIMs have over traditional SIMs is flexibility, with it possible to switch carriers without needing to switch your SIM for a new one. The Pro Max has a nano-SIM card slot too.

Apple continues to equip iPhones with its proprietary Lightning connector, despite it switching to USB Type-C for its latest iPad Pro series. You can, of course, connect traditional 3.5 mm headphones with an appropriate adapter or use the bundled Lightning headphones instead.

Top side: No connections
Top side: No connections
Left-hand side: volume buttons, mute switch
Left-hand side: volume buttons, mute switch
Right-hand side: power button, SIM card slot
Right-hand side: power button, SIM card slot
Underside: speaker, Lightning port, microphone
Underside: speaker, Lightning port, microphone

Software - Finally, an iOS with dark mode

New iPhone and a new version of iOS: That has been the tradition with Apple. The company remains true here too, releasing iOS 13 alongside its iPhone 11 series. The most notable change here is probably the new dark mode, which Apple has applied system-wide.

The photos app now curates moments from specific days or months and presents them as best-of too. Moreover, you can now edit videos, while Apple has also expanded upon the editing options and filters it includes. Apple includes the option to sign into apps and websites with your Apple account, and it even requires app providers that they offer this login method. iOS 13 brings map app enhancements too, with it able to show more detail than in iOS 12, and it can make fluid 360° walks through certain cities. Furthermore, Apple has included more memojis and a reminder app that intelligently prompts you to message a contact referred to in a reminder if you are using iMessage. CarPlay has been given a redesign too.

As always, iOS 13 should be even faster than its predecessor, particularly when using FaceID. We shall, of course, check this in the Input Devices & Operation section of this review.

Apple is bringing iOS 13 to a host of other devices too, so you need not buy an iPhone 11 to experience the changes it brings. iOS 13 should be rolled-out as far back as the iPhone 6S, which Apple released in 2015, although it will not support software features for which it lacks the hardware, like FaceID.

Default home screen
Default home screen
Quick settings
Quick settings
Advanced Bluetooth quick settings
Advanced Bluetooth quick settings
Task Switcher
Task Switcher

Communication & GPS - An iPhone with Wi-Fi 6

The Pro Max supports a host of LTE bands but only slightly expands upon those supported by its predecessor. Ultimately, the European version of the Pro Max should be better suited for intercontinental trips to China, Japan and the US, but that is about it. We would always recommend checking whether your device will work abroad before travelling, though. As with its predecessor, Apple has included a 4x4 MIMO antenna, which can send and receive four data streams simultaneously as its name suggests.

One new feature is Wi-Fi 6 support, which you may have seen referred to elsewhere as IEEE 802.11ax. You will need a corresponding Wi-Fi 6 router, of which there are currently few, but the Pro Max can theoretically achieve up to 11 Gb/s transfer speeds. Wi-Fi 6 brings other benefits too though, including reduced interference from neighbouring networks and new power-saving features. Apple has included 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi antennas too.

Apple continues to limit the capabilities of NFC in its iPhones, but it has allowed more applications to utilise the hardware in iOS 13. As with its predecessor, the Pro Max supports Bluetooth 5.0, but aptX and aptX HD are still missing. Apple includes its in-house codecs for high-quality audio streaming, though.

Following on from Wi-Fi 6 is the new ultra-wideband chip, which Apple claims will give the Pro Max spatial awareness of sorts. Our review unit, for example, can sense nearby smartphones equipped with this chip and communicate with them. In practical terms, this simplifies AirDrop, with two iPhone 11s able to transfer files or information between each other seamlessly. More applications should integrate this functionality over time too.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Huawei P30 Pro
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
670 (542min - 717max) MBit/s +14%
Huawei P30 Pro
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
541 (129min - 633max) MBit/s -8%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
A12 Bionic GPU, A12 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
602 MBit/s +2%
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
A13 Bionic GPU, A13 Bionic, 64 GB SSD
589 (461min - 625max) MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9825, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
558 (496min - 582max) MBit/s -5%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9825, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
534 (468min - 587max) MBit/s -9%
Sony Xperia 1
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
531 (414min - 620max) MBit/s -10%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Adreno 640, SD 855, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
471 (438min - 506max) MBit/s -20%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 512 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
457 (398min - 508max) MBit/s -22%
iperf3 receive AX12
Huawei P30 Pro
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
1014 (944min - 1115max) MBit/s +75%
Huawei P30 Pro
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
661 (624min - 683max) MBit/s +14%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9825, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
670 (326min - 802max) MBit/s +16%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9825, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
349 (310min - 384max) MBit/s -40%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 512 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
633 (561min - 684max) MBit/s +9%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
A12 Bionic GPU, A12 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
624 MBit/s +8%
Sony Xperia 1
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
617 (356min - 662max) MBit/s +6%
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
A13 Bionic GPU, A13 Bionic, 64 GB SSD
580 (550min - 597max) MBit/s
OnePlus 7 Pro
Adreno 640, SD 855, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
467 (375min - 519max) MBit/s -19%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -35%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø579 (550-597)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø590 (461-625)

The Pro Max uses Galileo, Glonass, GPS including A-GPS, and QZSS for location services. Apple continues to omit support for BeiDou, though.

We took our review unit on a bike ride to compare its location accuracy against a Garmin Edge 500, one of our reference bike computers. The Pro Max performed well overall, but it could not match the accuracy of the iPhone XS Max. The Garmin plotted a more stable route than the Pro Max too, but you should have no issues with using the smartphone for general navigation tasks.

GPS test: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max - Overview
GPS test: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max - Overview
GPS test: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max - Loop
GPS test: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop

Telephone Features & Call Quality

Phone app
Phone app

The Pro Max has decent call quality. Our review unit sounded good in both directions when using the earpiece, but we did notice a light echo when we switched to hands-free. Our call partner also complained, as they did with the iPhone 11 Pro, that our voice sounded rather tinny over loudspeaker. We could not move too far away from the Pro Max when calling over loudspeaker either; otherwise our voice would start to sound overly quiet.

The Pro Max supports voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi calling (VoWiFi) just like its iPhone 11 siblings. An eSIM makes a return too, which works perfectly but only with supporting carrier contracts.

Cameras - Triple rear-facing sensors and night mode

Taking a selfie with portrait mode on the iPhone 11 Pro Max
Taking a selfie with portrait mode on the iPhone 11 Pro Max

Another noticeable change with the Pro Max compared to its predecessor is with the rear-facing cameras, with Apple now including three of them. All are 12 MP sensors, but they have different focal lengths, so Apple has been able to combine them in the default camera app to offer continuous optical zoom: The Pro Max has a telephoto lens like its predecessor does too, allowing you to zoom further into scenes than the main rear-facing camera can. Apple has also included an ultra-wide-angle lens, which can give your photos a larger field of view than the other two sensors can.

The front facing-camera has received an upgrade too. Apple has switched out the 7 MP sensor in the iPhone XS Max for a 12 MP one, which can also record 4K videos at up to 60 FPS. However, the software has some problems with fine transitions between the background and foreground. Hair proved a problem for our review unit, in particular.

Our test pictures photographed using the main rear-facing camera look great, at least in our opinion. Fine details like the rabbit's coat look sharp, while the sensor reproduces the sky in a detailed fashion. The sensor does produce some slight artefacts compared to the sensors in many of our other comparison devices, though. The Pro Max generally exposes shots well too, and we only notice details falling victim to dynamic range when in HDR mode. The device cannot quite keep pace with the P30 Pro in low light, with our test shots looking a touch washed-out. The new night mode works well though and will likely be a frequently used feature in daily life. Annoyingly, the default camera app automatically activates the night mode, which we did not always find useful. Incidentally, the white balance is slightly too warm by default, but we are fans of Apple's approach. Ultimately, this is a matter of taste.

As we covered in our iPhone 11 Pro review, the Pro Max has excellent video capabilities. Apple has made a sterling effort at improving the default camera app compared to the one it included with the iPhone XS Max.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3

We also subjected the Pro Max to camera tests under controlled lighting conditions for a closer look at the accuracy of its colour reproduction. Our review unit performed well in our ColorChecker Passport test and even managed to reproduce colours in low light reasonably well. The latter is not always the case even with modern flagships, so the Pro Max does well here.

Likewise, there are generally no issues with how our review unit reproduced our test chart, although contrast levels drop off in the lower corners of the image. We have encountered this issue with most modern smartphones though, so the Pro Max is not alone in this regard. The main rear-facing camera reproduces text against coloured backgrounds without any noticeable artefacts too, but transitions between colours could have been cleaner.

We then photographed our test chart again but at 1 lux to see the difference that the new night mode makes in low-light shots. As the photos below demonstrate, night mode exposes low-light scenes better than the automatic mode can, while reducing image noise too. The night-mode shot has its issues, not least of which image noise, but it takes a nicer-looking photo overall than automatic mode does.

ColorChecker
22.1 ∆E
10.7 ∆E
16.1 ∆E
23.3 ∆E
12.9 ∆E
8.8 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
8.6 ∆E
11 ∆E
10.2 ∆E
9.6 ∆E
14.4 ∆E
12.5 ∆E
7.6 ∆E
9.8 ∆E
13.2 ∆E
5.3 ∆E
4.1 ∆E
10.7 ∆E
12.7 ∆E
10 ∆E
3.8 ∆E
ColorChecker Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max: 11.23 ∆E min: 3.76 - max: 23.3 ∆E
ColorChecker
23.9 ∆E
40.4 ∆E
29.4 ∆E
26.8 ∆E
33.6 ∆E
48.3 ∆E
38.4 ∆E
24.4 ∆E
29.2 ∆E
22.9 ∆E
48.3 ∆E
49.3 ∆E
21.6 ∆E
34.8 ∆E
23.7 ∆E
46.1 ∆E
31.1 ∆E
32.9 ∆E
47.7 ∆E
46.6 ∆E
40.4 ∆E
31.3 ∆E
22.7 ∆E
13.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max: 33.64 ∆E min: 13.35 - max: 49.29 ∆E
Our test chart photographed with the main rear-facing camera
Our test chart photographed with the main rear-facing camera
Our test chart in detail
Our test chart photographed with the main rear-facing camera at 1 lux with automatic mode
Our test chart photographed with the main rear-facing camera at 1 lux with night mode set to three seconds exposure
Our test chart photographed with the ultra-wide-angle sensor
Our test chart photographed with the telephoto lens

Accessories & Warranty - Pricier Apple Care

The Pro Max comes with a one-year limited manufacturer's warranty. However, you may receive up to two years' coverage if you live in the EU, for example. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Apple continues to offer its AppleCare+ service too, which still costs 229 Euros (~$253) and covers two accidental damage repairs. Even with AppleCare+, Apple charges a 29-Euro (~$32) service fee for a display replacement and 99 Euros (~$109) to repair any other damage to the device. In theory, the latter should also cover a total loss of the device too. AppleCare+ is valid for two years from the date of purchase and can be purchased up to 60 days after purchase.

The Pro Max, like its predecessor, comes with a Lightning cable, a pair of Lightning headphones, a SIM tool, a quick-start guide and a set of stickers. However, there are two notable changes from the accessories that Apple included in last year's iPhone XS Max. Firstly, the Lightning cable no longer has Type-A at the other end but Type-C, which may surprise some people. Secondly, Apple has included an 18 W fast charger in the box, which is a big upgrade from the puny 5 W charger it bundled with previous iPhones.

Apple sells plenty of other accessories for the Pro Max too, including clear, leather or silicone cases, the latter of which comes in eight colours. You can also still buy AirPods and third-party wireless chargers.

Input Devices & Operation - Proven principles with minor improvements

Apple has done away with 3D Touch completely from its current iPhone line-up, probably much to the dismay of some people. However, Apple and other developers never made much use of it, so the company introduced Haptic Touch instead. Haptic Touch reacts to the length of time a part of the screen is pressed, rather than how hard as 3D Touch did. The Pro Max still emits a vibration when Haptic Touch is activated, as 3D Touch-enabled iPhones also did. We have encountered no issues when using Haptic Touch, so do not consider the omission of 3D Touch as a huge loss.

Touch ID, or a fingerprint scanner if you are used to Android smartphones, has not made a return, but Apple has promised to have improved the recognition speed of FaceID. These improvements are software-based, so the iPhone XS Max should receive them with iOS 13 too. We would be interested to know whether you can notice a speed improvement between iOS 12 and iOS 13, though.

The preinstalled in-house keyboard now supports swiping gestures, which is nothing new in itself. Third-party alternatives have had this feature for years, but it is good to see Apple finally include it in its keyboard too. The default keyboard converts swipes to words reliably too.

Display - A bright and colour-accurate OLED panel

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The Pro Max, as we mentioned earlier, has a 6.5-inch display just like its predecessor. Its panel continues to resolve at 2688x1242 too, which puts it just short of being 4K. Apple continues to use OLED panels that support HDR but claims to have improved maximum brightness and contrast compared to the panel it included in the iPhone XS Max.

True Tone technology makes a return too, which adapts the white balance of the screen according to ambient light. In short, it should prevent your eyes from feeling strained after a prolonged period of staring at your iPhone.

Our review unit lives up to Apple's claim that it can reach 800 cd/m². However, it can only do so in one area, with the panel achieving an average maximum luminosity of 790 cd/m² with 97% evenness according to X-Rite i1Pro 2. While the display cannot quite reach 800 cd/m² across its entire panel, it is 17% brighter than the display in the iPhone XS Max.

The Pro Max can get between 9% and 26% brighter than our comparison devices too. The Pro Max also uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate its brightness, as many OLED-equipped devices do. The display in our review unit flickers at between 235.8 and 245.1 Hz, which drops to 60 Hz at maximum luminosity. You can also set this by enabling manual brightness.

790
cd/m²
784
cd/m²
788
cd/m²
803
cd/m²
790
cd/m²
792
cd/m²
795
cd/m²
780
cd/m²
788
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Super Retina XDR Display tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 803 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 790 cd/m² Minimum: 1.82 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 790 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.6% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.23
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
OLED, 2688x1242, 6.50
Apple iPhone Xs Max
OLED, 2688x1242, 6.50
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
OLED, 3040x1440, 6.40
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Dynamic AMOLED, 3040x1440, 6.80
OnePlus 7 Pro
AMOLED, 3120x1440, 6.67
Huawei P30 Pro
OLED, 2340x1080, 6.47
Sony Xperia 1
OLED, 3840x1644, 6.50
Screen
-6%
-61%
-32%
-2%
-17%
12%
Brightness middle
790
656
-17%
710
-10%
683
-14%
586
-26%
597
-24%
541
-32%
Brightness
790
659
-17%
721
-9%
694
-12%
584
-26%
608
-23%
543
-31%
Brightness Distribution
97
88
-9%
97
0%
96
-1%
97
0%
89
-8%
99
2%
Black Level *
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.4
1.7
-21%
3.7
-164%
2.9
-107%
1.39
1%
2.2
-57%
0.8
43%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.4
2.8
18%
10.3
-203%
4.8
-41%
2.7
21%
3.6
-6%
1.7
50%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.9
1.7
11%
1.5
21%
2.2
-16%
1.6
16%
1.6
16%
1.2
37%
Gamma
2.23 99%
1.998 110%
2.1 105%
2.11 104%
2.243 98%
2.23 99%
2.2 100%
CCT
6466 101%
6487 100%
6611 98%
6247 104%
6672 97%
6268 104%
6601 98%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 245.1 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 245.1 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 245.1 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The Pro Max has a theoretically infinite contrast ratio and absolute blacks, as its OLED panel can switch off pixels individually. This should result in richer-looking colours and deeper blacks than an LCD panel could produce.

We also subjected the Pro Max to further display tests with CalMAN software and our spectrophotometer. Our review unit has small colour deviations from the reference sRGB colour space, but we must deactivate True Tone to achieve this. The Pro Max matches the iPhone XS Max in this regard and covers almost all the sRGB colour space. Please keep in mind that CalMAN only gives indicative results in this regard.

The display also has comparatively short response times. Hence, the Pro Max should be good enough for gamers and even professional filmmakers.

CalMAN: Grayscale (True Tone deactivated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Grayscale (True Tone deactivated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Mixed colours (True Tone deactivated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Mixed colours (True Tone deactivated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Colour space (True Tone deactivated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Colour space (True Tone deactivated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Saturation (True Tone deactivated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Saturation (True Tone deactivated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Grayscale (True Tone activated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Grayscale (True Tone activated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Mixed colours (True Tone activated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Mixed colours (True Tone activated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Colour space (True Tone activated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Colour space (True Tone activated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Saturation (True Tone activated, sRGB target colour space)
CalMAN: Saturation (True Tone activated, sRGB target colour space)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
2.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 1.6 ms rise
↘ 1.2 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 8 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 3.6 ms rise
↘ 3.4 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

We had hardly any issues with using the Pro Max outdoors. Its exceptionally bright display makes it easy to use the device even on sunny days, although the time of year when we tested it meant that we could not check whether it dimmed its luminosity when the SoC got hot. Its predecessors did so, so we would not rule out the Pro Max doing the same. If that does occur, then moving to a shadier spot should resolve any issues.

The Pro Max has just as stable viewing angles as any other OLED smartphone does. We did not notice a colourful film occurring at acute viewing angles as we used to with LCD panels, nor are there any colour inversions. The display does look a touch cool at oblique angles, but this should not hinder readability.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - A strong performer

Apple has equipped the Pro Max with an A13 Bionic SoC, which the company claims is 20% more powerful than the A12 Bionic, which it also stated was around 15% more powerful than the A11 Bionic. The real-world difference between the A13 Bionic and its predecessor will probably be negligible, and the absence of any manufacturing processes suggests that the SoC will not be much more efficient either. Apple is focusing heavily on machine learning, which it also claims it has improved with the A13 Bionic.

The Pro Max performed well in synthetic benchmarks, at least those that it would run without crashing. 3DMark, for instance, would stop working for some reason. However, the ones that worked demonstrated that the A13 Bionic scored between 22 and 42% better than its predecessor. Similarly, the A13 Bionic GPU is up to 60% faster than the A12 Bionic GPU depending on the benchmark. Our review unit even doubled the performance of the iPhone XS Max in some GFXBench benchmarks.

We have no complaints with system performance too. iOS 13 runs quickly and without any stutters, so with the power of A13 Bionic we expect the Pro Max to be future-proofed for several years.

Geekbench 5.0
5.0 Single-Core (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
1344 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
836 Points -38%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
805 Points -40%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
698 Points -48%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (1343 - 1344, n=3)
1343 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (703 - 1668, n=12, last 2 years)
963 Points -28%
5.0 Multi-Core (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
3242 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2306 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
2177 Points -33%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
2544 Points -22%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (3242 - 3575, n=3)
3427 Points +6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1908 - 4353, n=12, last 2 years)
3139 Points -3%
OpenCL Score 5.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4274 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
4567 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
3494 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (498 - 9123, n=7, last 2 years)
3975 Points
Vulkan Score 5.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2507 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
2837 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
2204 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (261 - 7988, n=6, last 2 years)
3373 Points
Metal Score 5.0 (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
6448 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (6292 - 6448, n=3)
6346 Points -2%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
96826 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
77599 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
55740 Points -42%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
54233 Points -44%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
64389 Points -34%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
51779 Points -47%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
65656 Points -32%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (96826 - 97290, n=4)
97152 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
206190 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
159735 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
70318 Points -66%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
66142 Points -68%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
106829 Points -48%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
63469 Points -69%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
105718 Points -49%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (206190 - 209431, n=4)
208254 Points +1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
33898 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
27717 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
32302 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
33268 Points -2%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
26936 Points -21%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
31483 Points -7%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
28223 Points -17%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (33851 - 33925, n=4)
33885 Points 0%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
7893 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
5205 Points -34%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4465 Points -43%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
4502 Points -43%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7501 Points -5%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4969 Points -37%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7197 Points -9%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (6168 - 7893, n=2)
7031 Points -11%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points -55%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
11302 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
7055 Points -38%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5303 Points -53%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
5043 Points -55%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9845 Points -13%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5431 Points -52%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9447 Points -16%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (9218 - 11302, n=2)
10260 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points -65%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
3839 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
2713 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2875 Points -25%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
3273 Points -15%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4091 Points +7%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
3828 Points 0%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3656 Points -5%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (2857 - 3839, n=2)
3348 Points -13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points -22%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
6667 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4052 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
4618 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7955 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5313 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5552 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (9199 - 10699, n=3)
10108 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
10374 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4449 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
5083 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
10420 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5767 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9158 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (17853 - 20154, n=3)
19381 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
2961 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3087 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
3498 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4352 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4164 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
2345 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (3411 - 4052, n=3)
3780 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
5471 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
3544 Points -35%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4452 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
4940 Points -10%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
5581 Points +2%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4264 Points -22%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4556 Points -17%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (4050 - 5471, n=4)
4706 Points -14%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points -51%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
6088 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
3726 Points -39%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5186 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
5712 Points -6%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
6248 Points +3%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4400 Points -28%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5663 Points -7%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (4573 - 6088, n=4)
5537 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points -56%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
4038 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
3027 Points -25%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2977 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
3353 Points -17%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4063 Points +1%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
3849 Points -5%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
2705 Points -33%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (2429 - 4038, n=4)
3144 Points -22%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points -23%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
4121 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4529 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
5143 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
6270 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4317 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3969 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (5362 - 6067, n=4)
5781 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
4828 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5371 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
6036 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7115 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4361 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5674 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (7847 - 9773, n=4)
8528 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
2723 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2925 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
3389 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4429 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4171 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1934 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (2078 - 3219, n=4)
2803 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4348 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
4713 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4969 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4242 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3832 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (365 - 6439, n=96, last 2 years)
2611 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5530 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
6186 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
5794 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4688 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5007 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (298 - 8601, n=96, last 2 years)
2775 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2488 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
2571 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
3317 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
3183 Points
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
2104 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (1667 - 3525, n=96, last 2 years)
2671 Points
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
59 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
60 fps +2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
58 fps -2%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
58 fps -2%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
60 fps +2%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
60 fps +2%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
60 fps +2%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (59 - 60, n=5)
59.8 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +42%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
287 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
226 fps -21%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
96 fps -67%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
95 fps -67%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
166 fps -42%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
138 fps -52%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
167 fps -42%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (250 - 322, n=5)
295 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps -15%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
60 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
59 fps -2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
53 fps -12%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
56 fps -7%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
55 fps -8%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
59 fps -2%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
60 fps 0%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (60 - 60, n=5)
60 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +19%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
157 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
107 fps -32%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
67 fps -57%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
89 fps -43%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
101 fps -36%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
91 fps -42%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
100 fps -36%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (149 - 175, n=5)
163.2 fps +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps -12%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
60 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
58.9 fps -2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
37 fps -38%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
36 fps -40%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
36 fps -40%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
47 fps -22%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
41 fps -32%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (57 - 60, n=5)
59.4 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps 0%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
100 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
69.3 fps -31%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
67 fps -33%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
65 fps -35%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
71 fps -29%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
56 fps -44%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
55 fps -45%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (93 - 117, n=5)
106.4 fps +6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps -3%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
48 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
31 fps -35%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
23 fps -52%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
18 fps -62%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
21 fps -56%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
27 fps -44%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
33 fps -31%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (43 - 60, n=5)
52 fps +8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps -11%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
63 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
40 fps -37%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
43 fps -32%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
28 fps -56%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
42 fps -33%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
33 fps -48%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
42 fps -33%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (59 - 73, n=5)
65.4 fps +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps -7%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
58 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
47 fps -19%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
26 fps -55%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
27 fps -53%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
23 fps -60%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
32 fps -45%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
34 fps -41%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (50 - 60, n=5)
57 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps -25%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
75 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
36.8 fps -51%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
46 fps -39%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
48 fps -36%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
42 fps -44%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
36 fps -52%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
42 fps -44%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (72 - 87, n=5)
78 fps +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps -16%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
46 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
32.1 fps -30%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
16 fps -65%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
17 fps -63%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
15 fps -67%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
20 fps -57%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
17 fps -63%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (35 - 60, n=5)
49.2 fps +7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps -30%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
29 fps
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
16.3 fps -44%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
17 fps -41%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
18 fps -38%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
16 fps -45%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
14 fps -52%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
22 fps -24%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (29 - 33, n=5)
30.6 fps +6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps -14%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
462516 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
302955 Points -34%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
333277 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
347229 Points -25%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
369294 Points -20%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
316199 Points -32%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
334123 Points -28%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
  (456891 - 462516, n=3)
459752 Points -1%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
5607 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
4895 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4520 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
4637 Points -17%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4982 Points -11%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4701 Points -16%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4112 Points -27%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
 
5607 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +2%
System (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
14189 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
11675 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
8344 Points -41%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
7965 Points -44%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9143 Points -36%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
8572 Points -40%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
8870 Points -37%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
 
14189 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points -32%
Memory (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
2350 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
1815 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4306 Points +83%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
4646 Points +98%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
5243 Points +123%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5210 Points +122%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
2661 Points +13%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
 
2350 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +165%
Graphics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
16996 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
15659 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
8401 Points -51%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
9092 Points -47%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9421 Points -45%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
7758 Points -54%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9318 Points -45%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
 
16996 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points -18%
Web (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
1745 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
1731 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
1383 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Samsung Exynos 9825, Mali-G76 MP12, 12288
1374 Points -21%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
1364 Points -22%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
1409 Points -19%
Sony Xperia 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1300 Points -26%
Average Apple A13 Bionic
 
1745 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points -15%

The Pro Max has no issues with web-browsing, either. Our review unit performed well in daily use and in synthetic benchmarks too.

Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average Apple A13 Bionic (128.5 - 142.2, n=5)
134.5 Points +4%
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
129.1 Points
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104 Points -19%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chrome 74)
62.5 Points -52%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
60.5 Points -53%
Sony Xperia 1 (Chrome 75)
59.5 Points -54%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samung Browser 9.0)
44.13 Points -66%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samung Browser 9.2)
42.69 Points -67%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
301.9 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic (279 - 302, n=5)
293 Points -3%
Apple iPhone Xs Max (Safari 12)
273 Points -10%
Sony Xperia 1
110.8 Points -63%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
91.8 Points -70%
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points -72%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
84.5 Points -72%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average Apple A13 Bionic (153 - 171, n=5)
158.4 runs/min +4%
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
153 runs/min
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
104.7 runs/min -32%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
67.8 runs/min -56%
Sony Xperia 1 (Chrome 75)
64.2 runs/min -58%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chome 74)
61.5 runs/min -60%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
56 runs/min -63%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
runs/min -100%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
181 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic (146 - 202, n=5)
179.2 Points -1%
Apple iPhone Xs Max (Safari 12)
155 Points -14%
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points -28%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
122 Points -33%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
118 Points -35%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
115 Points -36%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chrome 74)
111 Points -39%
Sony Xperia 1 (Chrome 75)
106 Points -41%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
49388 Points
Average Apple A13 Bionic (47288 - 49388, n=5)
48727 Points -1%
Apple iPhone Xs Max (Safari 12)
43114 Points -13%
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points -32%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chrome 74)
24730 Points -50%
Sony Xperia 1 (Chrome 75)
23318 Points -53%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
22447 Points -55%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
20849 Points -58%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
19135 Points -61%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
2528 ms * -343%
Sony Xperia 1 (Chrome 75)
2040 ms * -257%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
2009 ms * -252%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chrome 74)
1965 ms * -244%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
1857 ms * -225%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * -190%
Apple iPhone Xs Max (Safari 12)
603 ms * -6%
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
571 ms *
Average Apple A13 Bionic (545 - 573, n=5)
562 ms * +2%

* ... smaller is better

Games - A powerful gaming phone with a few quirks

The Pro Max has everything it takes to be a great gaming smartphone. A strong battery, stereo speakers, a large display and plenty of performance all combine to create an excellent gaming experience. GameBench underlines this, with our review unit able to maintain stable frame rates at high graphics levels. Small graphics errors still occurred in PUBG Mobile though, as proved the case during our iPhone 11 Pro tests. These only occur when our character is near water, for reference.

The large display and stereo speakers deliver an engrossing gaming experience. However, we often found our hands obscuring at least one speaker during our tests.

Dead Trigger 2
PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 0.14.0: Ø40.9 (39-60)
Dead Trigger 2
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 1.6.2: Ø59.7 (58-60)

Emissions - hot and occasional thermal throttling

Temperature

GFXBench T-Rex
GFXBench T-Rex
GFXBench Manhattan
GFXBench Manhattan

Our review unit runs rather hot even when idling, with surface temperatures peaking around 35 °C on some areas of the device. The entire device exceeds 35 °C under sustained load too, with several areas breaching the 40 °C mark. However, the device should never feel too hot to hold even during prolonged gaming sessions.

We also ran GFXBench battery tests to see whether Pro Max throttles under sustained load. Our review unit maintained peak performance during the older T-Rex benchmark, but frame rates had dropped by a few percent by the end of the more complex Manhattan benchmark. The Pro Max performs much better than its predecessor in this regard though, with the iPhone XS Max throttling by 22% by the end of our Manhattan benchmark loop.

Max. Load
 39.2 °C
103 F
40.1 °C
104 F
38 °C
100 F
 
 38.5 °C
101 F
39.5 °C
103 F
37.4 °C
99 F
 
 36 °C
97 F
38 °C
100 F
36.9 °C
98 F
 
Maximum: 40.1 °C = 104 F
Average: 38.2 °C = 101 F
37.9 °C
100 F
41.9 °C
107 F
42.3 °C
108 F
35.9 °C
97 F
40.5 °C
105 F
40.6 °C
105 F
36.1 °C
97 F
38.4 °C
101 F
38.6 °C
101 F
Maximum: 42.3 °C = 108 F
Average: 39.1 °C = 102 F
Power Supply (max.)  28 °C = 82 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.2 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.1 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.3 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.6 °C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test

The Pro Max has stereo speakers like the iPhones that came before it, but Apple has equipped the device with louder drivers than the ones it used in the iPhone XS Max. The Pro Max comes with specialist ARTA software and has a directional microphone too that theoretically should improve sound reproduction. The sound that they produce still lacks depth, though.

The Pro Max also has Dolby Atmos and spatial audio onboard, but these are for use with headphones or external speakers. You can simultaneously pair two pairs of AirPods or wireless Beats headphones to the Pro Max too. Even if our pink noise tests do not certify that the speakers are linear, audio sounds good to our ears at medium volumes. However, the speakers distort audibly at maximum volumes, which does not sound great when playing music.

Sadly, the Pro Max does not support high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs. Worse still, you must buy a Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter should you wish to use conventional high-end headphones.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.239.42536.225.53129.126.8403027.75042.342.46326.827.28020.325.21002536.712517.244.816017.954.320017.153.825017.95331516.253.640016.55650015.35963015.664.480015.664.8100014.867.2125014.472.3160014.673200014.776.9250014.176.4315014.476.9400014.475.9500014.973.5630014.773.8800014.5721000014.866.61250015631600016.649.4SPL27.185.8N0.961median 15median 64.8Delta1.39.740.441.73634.540.928.533.230.441.14224.734.524.624.622.930.22038.717.545.718.849.818.951.11749.915.655.918.955.614.653.312.856.512.759.81264.31166.71168.91169.410.768.210.962.910.961.61162.711641161.911.158.111.152.862.324.877.215.60.637median 12.7median 56.5median 57.14.98.920.1hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseApple iPhone 11 Pro MaxApple iPhone Xs Max
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple iPhone Xs Max audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 57.1% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 57.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 57.1% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (121.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 89% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 97% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

The Pro Max is comparatively economic under sustained load, with our review unit peaking at 6.18 W during our tests. The device averaged 3.65 W under load too, which is lower than all our comparison devices. However, it also has comparatively high power consumption when idling, which allows the Galaxy S10+, Galaxy Note 10+ and OnePlus 7 Pro to average lower values overall. The Pro Max consumes much more than its predecessor when idling too.

The Pro Max idles with a higher draw at maximum luminosity, but only because it can reach peak brightness manually, unlike its predecessor. The Pro Max can hit 800 cm/m² manually, while the iPhone XS Max could only reach 370 cd/m², for reference.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.47 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.92 / 2.9 / 2.94 Watt
Load midlight 3.65 / 6.18 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
3969 mAh
Apple iPhone Xs Max
3174 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
4100 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
4300 mAh
OnePlus 7 Pro
4000 mAh
Huawei P30 Pro
4200 mAh
Sony Xperia 1
3330 mAh
Average Apple A13 Bionic
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
10%
-3%
-12%
-9%
6%
9%
-10%
2%
Idle Minimum *
0.92
1
-9%
0.73
21%
0.7
24%
0.9
2%
0.68
26%
1
-9%
0.76 ?(0.44 - 1.3, n=5)
17%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
3%
Idle Average *
2.9
1.4
52%
1.53
47%
1.81
38%
1.8
38%
2.6
10%
1.48
49%
3.39 ?(1.56 - 7.5, n=5)
-17%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
50%
Idle Maximum *
2.94
1.7
42%
2.07
30%
1.92
35%
2.9
1%
2.77
6%
1.56
47%
3.44 ?(1.63 - 7.58, n=5)
-17%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
44%
Load Average *
3.65
4.6
-26%
6.03
-65%
7.57
-107%
5.5
-51%
3.74
-2%
3.76
-3%
4.66 ?(2.32 - 10, n=5)
-28%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-52%
Load Maximum *
6.18
6.7
-8%
9.18
-49%
9.34
-51%
8.2
-33%
6.82
-10%
8.48
-37%
6.42 ?(4.12 - 10.9, n=5)
-4%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-33%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Pro Max comes with a 3,969 mAh battery, which is much larger than the one that was included in the iPhone XS Max. Apple claims that the former will last around five hours longer than the latter between charges, but our practical Wi-Fi battery test demonstrates otherwise. Our review unit lasted a class-leading 15:09 hours in this test, but that is under three hours longer than what the iPhone XS Max achieved in the same test.

Overall, only the P30 Pro comes close to matching the runtimes that the Pro Max achieved in our tests, despite the former having a 231-mAh larger battery than the latter. By contrast, our other comparison devices average between 30% and 50% shorter runtimes than our review unit, even though all but the iPhone XS Max and Xperia 1 have at least 4,000 mAh batteries. In short, the Pro Max has excellent battery life and should easily last over a day's use between charges.

It is good to see that Apple has bundled a fast charger in the box too. Likewise, the Pro Max supports the Qi wireless-charging standard, which is handy.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
43h 38min
WiFi Websurfing (Safari Mobile 13.1)
15h 9min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
22h 26min
Load (maximum brightness)
6h 48min
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
3969 mAh
Apple iPhone Xs Max
3174 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
4100 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
4300 mAh
OnePlus 7 Pro
4000 mAh
Huawei P30 Pro
4200 mAh
Sony Xperia 1
3330 mAh
Battery Runtime
-38%
-43%
-34%
-33%
-15%
-49%
Reader / Idle
2618
1305
-50%
1560
-40%
1585
-39%
1745
-33%
1966
-25%
1067
-59%
H.264
1346
801
-40%
921
-32%
934
-31%
802
-40%
1193
-11%
712
-47%
WiFi v1.3
909
742
-18%
483
-47%
532
-41%
768
-16%
838
-8%
441
-51%
Load
408
223
-45%
187
-54%
305
-25%
236
-42%
344
-16%
246
-40%

Pros

+ powerful SoC
+ a bright OLED display with HDR10
+ long battery life
+ Wi-Fi 6
+ wide LTE frequency support
+ great triple rear-facing cameras with excellent video options
+ dustproof and waterproof

Cons

- no expandable storage
- weak audio performance
- restricted NFC
- only 12 months warranty
- no 5G
- lame wired data transmission speeds

Verdict - The battery makes the difference

The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max smartphone review.
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max smartphone review.

The release of the iPhone 11 Pro Max coincides with the withdrawal of the iPhone XS Max, which may be a smart move by Apple. There are differences between the two models, but they are not great enough to justify selling both devices alongside each other. The Pro Max does include more power, an additional camera lens, a higher megapixel front-facing camera and support for Wi-Fi 6 among other innovations than its predecessor, though. The device has faster Face ID unlocking too, although this will arrive on the XS Max courtesy of iOS 13. A big difference with the iPhone 11 Pro Max compared to its predecessor is its 25% larger battery which, coupled with reduced power consumption under load, results in significantly better longer runtimes.

Overall, the Pro Max does not shine because of its new features but because of the combined effect of many minor improvements over its predecessor. Many of these have been around for a while in the Android cosmos, but Apple has implemented these features well within their ecosystem. The new triple rear-facing cameras are a noticeable improvement over the ones in the XS Max, especially in low-light. The new night mode helps distinguish the Pro Max from its predecessor too. While Apple's new most-expensive flagship may not have the best cameras on the market, its video capabilities cannot be faulted.

The iPhone 11 Pro Max offers extremely long battery life, good cameras and performance in abundance.

However, Apple could have done more with the audio capabilities of the Pro Max. Its stereo speakers are good but not great, while the lack of even a Lightning to 3.5 mm jack adapter in the box stings. Likewise, the omission of high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs should effectively rule out the device for audiophiles.

You should play with the iPhone 11 Pro Max before buying it in our opinion, as it is a bulky and heavy device, which will not suit everyone. In short, the Pro Max is not a worthwhile upgrade from the XS Max, with most of the improvements that the latter has being iOS 13-based, rather than because of any substantial hardware changes. Externally, it is difficult to tell the two apart unless you buy the Midnight Green version, but the Pro Max represents a big upgrade for those who own an older iPhone. Its A13 Bionic SoC, triple cameras, large battery and wireless-charging support are all significant improvements over older iPhones, as is its bright, contrast-rich and HDR display.

Please note: The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max is one of the first smartphones that we have scored using our new v7 rating system. We have restructured some criteria and altered some limits to ensure that future devices cannot score beyond 100 in some areas. As a result, our new v7 reviews are averaging lower percentages than devices we reviewed using our v6 rating system. We will be re-assessing previous flagships with this new methodology in the coming weeks.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max - 08/31/2022 v7
Florian Schmitt

Chassis
91%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 90%
Pointing Device
96%
Connectivity
52 / 70 → 74%
Weight
88%
Battery
92%
Display
93%
Games Performance
62 / 64 → 96%
Application Performance
80 / 86 → 93%
Temperature
88%
Noise
100%
Audio
54 / 90 → 60%
Camera
76%
Average
80%
87%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max Smartphone Review: A leap forwards or more of the same?
Florian Schmitt, 2019-09-19 (Update: 2019-10-11)