Skip to content
InnoReviews

iPhone 12 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max

A
42.3Inno Score
VS
WINNER
iPhone 16 Pro Max
66Inno Score
43.9Performance69.5
32.4Display60.4
38Camera59.3
30.7Battery61.3
89.3Features89.3
1 spec wins — iPhone 12 Pro Max15 spec wins — iPhone 16 Pro Max

InnoReviews verdict

iPhone 16 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 66 to 42.3, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+31) and display (+28). iPhone 12 Pro Max still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the iPhone 12 Pro Max

  • 10% lower thickness: 7.4 mm vs 8.3 mm

Reasons to pick the iPhone 16 Pro Max

  • Stronger performance score: 70 vs 44
  • Stronger display score: 60 vs 32
  • Stronger camera score: 59 vs 38
  • Stronger battery score: 61 vs 31
  • 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP

Display

Display comparison: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus iPhone 16 Pro Max
SpeciPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max
Screen size6.7 ″6.9 ″+3%
Panel typeOLEDLTPO Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution2778x12841320x2868
Pixel density458 ppi460 ppi
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz+100%
Peak brightness1,200 nits2,000 nits+67%
Screen-to-body—91.4 %

Performance

Performance comparison: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus iPhone 16 Pro Max
SpeciPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max
ChipsetApple A14 BionicApple A18 Pro
AnTuTu 10950,000Top 51%1,720,000+81%Top 20%
Geekbench 6 (single)2,080Top 28%3,400+63%Top 4%
Geekbench 6 (multi)4,900Top 35%8,450+72%Top 9%
RAM (max)6 GB8 GB+33%
Storage options128GB / 256GB / 512GB256/512GB/1TB
Storage typeNVMeNVMe

Camera

Camera comparison: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus iPhone 16 Pro Max
SpeciPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max
Main camera12 MP48 MP+300%
Main aperturef/1.6f/1.78
Ultra-wide12 MP48 MP+300%
Telephoto12 MP12 MP
Optical zoom2.5 x5 x+100%
Max video4K@60fps4K@120fps
Front camera12 MP12 MP
OISYesYes

Battery

Battery comparison: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus iPhone 16 Pro Max
SpeciPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max
Capacity3,687 mAh4,685 mAh+27%
Wired charging20 W30 W+50%
Wireless charging15 W25 W+67%
Active use endurance—13 h

Design

Design comparison: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus iPhone 16 Pro Max
SpeciPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max
Weight228 g227 g
Thickness7.4 mm+10%8.3 mm
IP ratingIP68IP68
Frame materialStainless steelTitanium

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus iPhone 16 Pro Max
SpeciPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.05.3
NFCYesYes
USBLightningUSB-C 3.2 Gen 2
eSIMYesYes

Software

Software comparison: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus iPhone 16 Pro Max
SpeciPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max
OS at launchiOS 14iOS 18
OS update pledge6 years6 years

Audio

Audio comparison: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus iPhone 16 Pro Max
SpeciPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max
Stereo speakersYesYes
3.5mm jackNoNo

Related comparisons

iPhone 12 Pro Maxvs POCO X3 ProVSiPhone 12 Pro Maxvs Samsung Galaxy A53 5GVSiPhone 12 Pro Maxvs iPhone 13 miniVSiPhone 12 Pro Maxvs Samsung Galaxy A34 5GVSiPhone 16 Pro Maxvs Realme P4s 5GVSiPhone 16 Pro Maxvs iPhone 17VSiPhone 16 Pro Maxvs OnePlus 13RVSiPhone 16 Pro Maxvs Google Pixel 10 ProVS

Try another matchup