Buzz
Here, we pit two top smartphones against each other: Huawei P50 Pro, released on July 29, 2021, and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, powered by the Apple A14 Bionic chip and launched last October.
Design Comparison
At first glance, the design styles of the Huawei P50 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are completely different. The P50 Pro offers a fresh feel, with a large rear camera module that appears to have two giant lenses but actually houses additional smaller cameras inside. The design features sharp edges, with curved edges on the sides and screen for comfortable handling. The back of the device is made of glossy glass, prone to fingerprints and sweat marks.
In contrast, the iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a more classic design, reminiscent of the Steve Jobs era iPhones, with square edges and a flat screen and sides. The back of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is made of frosted glass, providing a pleasant texture and minimizing dirt and fingerprint smudges.
Both of these product models support dual SIM usage and feature IP68 water and dust resistance standard.
Comparison regarding screen:
Both devices provide a display of excellent quality. According to reviews, the Huawei P50 Pro with its 6.6-inch screen offers a comfortable and wider viewing experience due to its slim bezels and pinhole design, unlike the iPhone 12 Pro Max with its long notch. Additionally, the P50 Pro's 120Hz screen refresh rate stands out compared to the iPhone.
The iPhone 12, although with only a 60Hz refresh rate, still provides users with a sharp, authentic screen experience without feeling constrained.
Comparison regarding performance:
The Huawei P50 Pro is equipped with the Kirin 9000 chip (5nm), while the iPhone 12 Pro Max features the A14 chipset, both manufactured using the 5nm process. Overall, these chips provide a smooth and responsive user experience. However, in comparison, the Kirin 9000 chip of Huawei still lags behind Apple's A14. Specifically, the iPhone 12 Pro Max outperforms by 18% in the AnTuTu Benchmark test (720K versus 608K) and is 53% faster in the GeekBench 5 single-core test: 1610 versus 1052 points.
In terms of software, Apple's iOS 14 operating system needs little discussion as it's highly optimized. Likewise, Huawei's self-developed HarmonyOS 2.0 is equally competitive, featuring user-friendly interface and solid optimization.
Comparison regarding camera:
Regarding the camera, both devices perform admirably, each excelling in certain aspects.
The camera specifications of the P50 Pro include a total of 5 lenses: a 50MP wide-angle camera, a 40MP True-Chroma white balance camera, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera (with f/2.2 aperture), a 64MP telephoto camera (with f/3.5 aperture, OIS), and a 13MP selfie camera.
On the other hand, the iPhone 12 Pro Max features a triple rear camera setup with 12MP sensors for wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses, along with a 12MP front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture.
Under normal lighting conditions, the image quality of both devices promises to satisfy users. However, there are slight differences in quality. The P50 Pro delivers whiter tones and smoother skin tones, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro Max offers a more true-to-life feel with more accurate colors.
When taking portrait photos, the iPhone 12 Pro Max offers a wider dynamic range, smoother and more stable background blur compared to the P50 Pro. Under indoor lighting, the iPhone 12 Pro Max tends to shift towards cooler tones, while the P50 Pro produces colors closer to reality. Finally, in low-light conditions, the P50 Pro tends to perform better than the iPhone 12 Pro Max with clearer details when zoomed in.
Speaking of video recording, the iPhone 12 Pro Max undoubtedly outperforms the P50 Pro in every aspect. Autofocus, stabilization, color reproduction, and audio quality are all notably sharper and more precise than the P50 Pro.
Below are some photos taken from both phone models:
Comparison regarding battery:
The iPhone 12 Pro Max features a 3687 mAh battery providing approximately 7 hours of usage with typical tasks, while the P50 Pro edges slightly ahead with a 4360 mAh battery.
Charging is also an area where Huawei excels over Apple. The P50 Pro is equipped with SuperCharge fast charging (Max 66W) and SuperCharge wireless charging (Max 50W), whereas the iPhone 12 Pro Max offers 20W fast charging and 15W wireless charging.
Conclusion
The smartphone from Apple offers more consistent quality and performs well in every aspect, while Huawei still has some slight advantages such as screen display, charging, or even in some photo shooting scenarios.
In Vietnam, you can easily purchase the iPhone 12 Pro Max with official prices ranging from 31 to 36 million Vietnamese dong depending on the storage version. As for the Huawei P50 Pro, users can only buy it through unofficial channels or import it themselves, with prices around 21.2 million Vietnamese dong for the 8GB/128GB version.
