Huawei P40 Pro vs. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max: which one to buy?

As Huawei phones slowly make their way into the consciousness of American users, many techies have come to realize that their flagship devices are an absolute ode to photographic power, performance, and capacity. And whether you are an Apple fan or not, the P40 Pro from Huawe i deserves a look, so we will analyze both phones to help you make your final decision. In the following comparison Huawei P40 Pro vs. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max faces two of the best big smartphones on the market right now.

Design, display and durability

iPhone 11 Pro Max and Huawei P40 Pro have almost identical chassis design, so we think it’s fair to say they are on par in the durability category. Both smartphones have a metal body with a full glass front and back. Obviously, the presence of so much glass surface makes these devices quite delicate, which is a shame since they both have beautiful designs. We found the Huawei P40 Pro to be a bit thick, but it was still ergonomically impressive just like the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

If you are looking to express yourself through color or the combination of clothes with your smartphone, then you will like the large number of Huawei colors to choose from. This manufacturer offers a variety of matte shades, each more striking than the last. The iPhone 11 Pro Max comes in its usual and familiar options, except for the recent addition “Midnight Green”.

Both OLED displays have nearly identical pixel density and screen size, and a delicate glass body, so in this category we think these phones tie at the moment. However, we haven’t had much time with the Huawei P40 Pro yet, so this conclusion may change after spending a little more time with it.

Winner: tie

Performance, battery life and charge

When looking to analyze the performance and proper functioning of a smartphone, a clue can be found in the RAM of the device. This is a category in which these two models differ quite a bit. Huawei P40 Pro has 8 GB of RAM, which provides a large amount of memory for multitasking and background processing. The iPhone 11 Pro Max comes with half, 4 GB of RAM, but since Android and iOS handle RAM differently, this difference doesn’t have much of an influence. Since the two devices work with completely different mobile operating systems, a direct comparison is not possible, but suffice it to say that both offer fast performance.

While the main security feature of the iPhone 11 Pro Max is now standard Face ID , the Huawei P40 Pro has the ability to unlock with the face and an integrated fingerprint sensor under the screen. It is rumored that Apple has been working on this system for a long time, but it has not yet reached the iPhone.

Both Huawei P40 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have batteries of similar capacity, with 4,200 and 3,969 mAh respectively. Both offer between 18 and 20 hours of video playback and between 80 and 90 hours of audio or call playback. Although we noted that the speaker’s audio quality was not top notch, we believe that the P40 Pro’s slightly larger battery and 40W wireless charging gives it a strong advantage when paired with its strong performance and 90Hz display.

Winner: Huawei P40 Pro

Cameras

Although Apple has recently put its heart and soul into its imaging software and hardware, portrait mode, and “shot on iPhone” advertising, it is still no competition in this category.

The Huawei P40 Pro has a 50-megapixel wide-angle main lens, supported by a 12-megapixel telephoto lens and a 40-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. The telephoto lens has a periscope mechanism that offers a 5x optical zoom along with a 10x hybrid zoom and an incredible 50x digital zoom. This is one of the best features of the phone and a huge selling claim for budding travelers, photojournalists, and photographers.

Winner: Huawei P40 Pro

Software and updates

We enjoy the smooth operation of the P40 Pro with its EMUI layer , which is based on Android. But we can’t help but remember that, at this time (and who knows if there will be changes), the experience with Android is somewhat limited by the lack of the Google Play store and other support systems related to Google, due to the government veto. from the United States.

We are left with the proven reliability of iOS 13 on the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Apple’s App Store houses too much diversity of ancillary features and services to ignore the difference in experience. However, if you go for the P40 Pro, Huawei offers its own app store with a decent selection of third-party apps.

Winner: iPhone 11 Pro Max

Special features

In the race to join a 5G connected world, Huawei has taken the lead with the P40 Pro . So, if being at the forefront of mobile connectivity is important to you, then you will find a great advantage in this model. Along with 5G, Huawei’s EMUI platform features a desktop mode that allows the phone to function as a PC when connected to an external monitor.

But who needs a fancy 5G and a desk in their pocket when they can send a message like a talking bunny? IPhone 11 Pro Max and iOS 13 continue to expand their Face ID features, such as Animojis and Memojis , which are now customizable. Owning an iOS device also offers the advantage of being able to link, with HomeKit, the ecosystem of your smart home.

Although the interconnectivity and integration of Apple with our lives is still rich and widespread, we have to give victory to the Huawei P40 Pro here. This phone is an alternative for the future while we wait for Apple to join the 5G club.

Winner: Huawei P40 Pro

Price and availability

The P40 Pro and iPhone Pro Max are sold at considerable prices, consistent with the high-end. That’s enough to make anyone think twice, although there is no significant price disparity between the two. What is very different is the availability of the devices in the United States. Like the rest of the members of this Huawei family, you can find a released version of the phone on Amazon United States. From there you can link it with the provider of your choice. On the other hand, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is available through any of the major carriers for online ordering or in-store pickup.

Final winner

Unless you can’t live without the full Apple ecosystem with Apple Watch and MacBook , we don’t see a compelling reason to choose the iPhone 11 Pro Max instead of Huawei’s latest flagship phone. The Huawei P40 Pro, our absolute winner, offers one of the best cameras in smartphones, which is an increasingly relevant feature for consumers.

Battery life, display, durability, and price offer no real help to the iPhone to win this battle. While the color options and smart, fast charging of Huawei’s latest flagship phone tip the balance in favor of the P40 Pro.

Specifications