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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a larger screen, significantly better camera system, and longer battery life, which might be appealing to photography enthusiasts and power users, but it comes at a premium price. On the other hand, the iPhone 12 is more affordable and still offers decent camera capabilities and satisfactory performance for everyday use. If budget is a concern and you're looking for a balance between performance and cost, the iPhone 12 could be suitable. However, if you're willing to invest more for the latest technology, improved display with higher refresh rate, and substantial advancements in photography and battery performance, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is an excellent choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 12
- The Apple iPhone 12 has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Excellent for taking photos
- Best in class for recording videos
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class display quality
- Best in class performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.3
9.2
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max has excellent overall camera quality, while the Apple iPhone 12 has good overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max offers superior camera performance, with excellent selfie quality and very good ratings in dynamic range, low light photography, and overall camera versatility, compared to the iPhone 12's good selfie score and lower ratings in these areas. This means that for those valuing top-tier camera capabilities, particularly for selfies and challenging lighting conditions, the iPhone 14 Pro Max stands out, but this comes along with a higher price tag in contrast to the more affordable iPhone 12.
Photo Quality
7.1
9.1
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max takes excellent photos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good photos.
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max takes better selfies than the iPhone 12, which substantially enhances the overall camera experience given the importance of selfie quality. Additionally, the iPhone 14 Pro Max's enhancements in areas such as low light performance add to its superiority in photography over the iPhone 12.
Video Quality
7.2
9.5
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max takes best in class videos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good videos.
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max offers the best video software experience, along with best-in-class video stabilization, dynamic range, low light performance, and microphone quality, making it better suited for high-quality video recording than the iPhone 12, which has very good video capabilities but doesn't match the newer model's performance.
Battery
6.2 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 has 6.2 hours of battery life. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max has 10 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 12 has a screen size of 6.1 inches and the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is 6.7 inches.
Cost
$600
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple iPhone 12 has a price of $600 and the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max costs $1,000.
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How the Apple iPhone 12 and the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 12 | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $1,000 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Apple | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | iOS | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 23, 2020 | September 16, 2022 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.1" | 6.7" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2532 x 1170 | 2796 x 1290 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | Yes | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 460 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A14 | A16 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.1/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 7.3/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 48 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.2 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2815 mAh | 4323 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | No | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 5.78" x 2.81" | 6.33" x 3.06" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.78 oz | 8.47 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Glass | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 6 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, Purple, Green, White, Black, Red | Deep Purple, Gold, Silver, Space Black | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Custom ROM Support | |||
Custom ROM Support | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 12
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Pocket-lint
Stuart Miles | March 2022
"The iPhone 12 offers many of the important things that you want from the iPhone: a decent camera, 5G, great screen, fast processor. For the group of people who want a new iPhone without the price tag of the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 range, this is a great choice. There's no settling for second best with this smartphone."
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Pocket-lint
Britta O'Boyle | March 2023
"The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is not just big in form, it's big in character. There's a refreshed design that's really striking, especially in this larger format, coupled with performance enhancements, battery improvements, camera improvements, the Always-On Display and the Dynamic Island feature. It will be too big for some, but if you're looking for the best iPhone Apple has made to date in the biggest possible format, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is definitely the one - it is excellent."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 or the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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Recommendations made
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About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
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Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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