iPhone 12 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
43.9Performance80.4
32.4Display65.9
38Camera63.7
30.7Battery69.3
89.3Features89.3
2 spec wins — iPhone 12 Pro Max16 spec wins — iPhone 17 Pro Max
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 72.8 to 42.3, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+39) and performance (+37). 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
- 15% lower thickness: 7.4 mm vs 8.8 mm
Reasons to pick the iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 80 vs 44
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 32
- Stronger camera score: 64 vs 38
- Stronger battery score: 69 vs 31
- 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP
Display
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.7 ″ | 6.9 ″+3% |
| Panel type | OLED | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Resolution | 2778x1284 | 1320x2868 |
| Pixel density | 458 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 1,200 nits | 3,000 nits+150% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 91.2 % |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic | Apple A19 Pro |
| AnTuTu 10 | 950,000Top 51% | 2,150,000+126%Top 10% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,080Top 28% | 3,850+85%Top 1% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 4,900Top 35% | 9,700+98%Top 4% |
| RAM (max) | 6 GB | 12 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 256/512GB/1TB/2TB |
| Storage type | NVMe | NVMe |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Main aperture | f/1.6 | f/1.78 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Telephoto | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Optical zoom | 2.5 x | 4 x+60% |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 4K@120fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 18 MP+50% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 3,687 mAh | 5,088 mAh+38% |
| Wired charging | 20 W | 40 W+100% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 25 W+67% |
| Active use endurance | — | 14 h |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 228 g+2% | 233 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm+15% | 8.8 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Stainless steel | Aluminum unibody |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 14 | iOS 26 |
| OS update pledge | 6 years | 6 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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