A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
iPhone 12
Company ProductName Specs




iPhone 15 Pro Max
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

Chevron down
PerfectRec Logo
The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

Given that the iPhone 12 is often significantly less expensive than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, if you're looking to save money and still get a reliable device, the iPhone 12 might be the right choice for you. However, if camera quality is paramount, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers advanced photography capabilities. For users who prioritize battery life, the iPhone 15 Pro Max tends to have a longer-lasting battery. If a larger screen is important, the iPhone 15 Pro Max also provides a more immersive viewing experience with a bigger display. Additionally, you'll need to consider that the two phones have different operating systems. Choose the iPhone 12 for a balance between cost and quality, or the iPhone 15 Pro Max if you're willing to invest in top-tier features. 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 15 Pro Max.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • Best in class for taking photos
  • Best in class for recording videos
  • Excellent battery life
  • Best in class display quality
  • Best in class performance

Key differences

Chevron down

Overall Camera Quality

7.3
iPhone 12
iPhone 15 Pro Max
10.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has best in class overall camera quality, while the Apple iPhone 12 has good overall camera quality.

Photo Quality

7.1
iPhone 12
iPhone 15 Pro Max
10.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class photos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good photos.

Video Quality

7.2
iPhone 12
iPhone 15 Pro Max
10.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class videos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good videos.

Battery

6.2 Hours
iPhone 12
iPhone 15 Pro Max
9.8 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 has 6.2 hours of battery life. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has 9.8 hours of battery life.

Screen Size

The Apple iPhone 12 has a screen size of 6.1 inches and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is 6.7 inches.

Cost

$600
iPhone 12
iPhone 15 Pro Max
$1,100
Product image
Product image

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

The Apple iPhone 12 has a price of $600 and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max costs $1,100.
Image of Phones
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Phone
Find your new phone

Give feedback

We’re constantly working to improve.

How the Apple iPhone 12 and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max compare to other phones

Chevron down

Spec Comparison

Chevron down
Apple iPhone 12Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 12Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

GENERAL

Price
$600
$1,100
Brand
AppleApple
Operating System
iOSiOS
Release Date
October 23, 2020September 22, 2023

SCREEN

Screen Size
6.1"6.7"
Resolution
2532 x 11702796 x 1290
Variable refresh rate
NoYes
Pixels Per Inch
460460
Display Type
OLEDOLED

INTERNAL

Processor
A14A17
Internal Storage
64 GB256 GB
RAM
4 GB8 GB

CAMERA

Overall Camera Quality Score
7.4/1010/10
Photos Score
7.1/1010/10
Videos Score
7.3/1010/10
Rear Cameras
Main, UltrawideMain, Ultrawide, Super Telephoto
Main Camera
12 megapixels + OIS48 megapixels + OIS

BATTERY

Battery Life
6.2 Hours9.8 Hours
Battery Capacity
2815 mAh4441 mAh
Wireless Charging
YesYes
Wireless charging Speed
15 W15 W
Reverse wireless charging
NoNo

PHYSICAL

Size
5.78" x 2.81"6.3" x 3.02"
Weight
5.78 oz7.80 oz
Back Material
GlassGlass
Stereo Speakers
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

Dual SIM
YesYes
Bluetooth Version
5.05.3
A2DP
YesYes
WiFi Version
66e
NFC
YesYes
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, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79

OTHER FEATURES

Biometric unlock
Face unlockFace unlock
Unlockable Bootloader
NoNo
Color
Blue, Purple, Green, White, Black, RedBlue Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium
SD Card
NoNo
Custom ROM Support
NoNo

Shopping

Chevron down

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 15 Pro Max

See more

Dig into reviews and images

Tom's Guide

Mark Spoonauer | September 2023
"The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a powerful flagship phone that delivers upgrade-worthy features, including a lighter and more compact titanium design, a bigger 5x zoom and a useful Action button. The A17 Pro chip is the fastest around and enables console-quality gameplay, while the battery lasts an epic 14 hours."

Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 or the Apple iPhone 15 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.

Give feedback

We're constantly perfecting our model

Phone guides you might be interested in

Chevron down

FAQs

Chevron down

FAQs about phones

Questions about PerfectRec >

Why trust us

Chevron down
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

68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
129,600
Recommendations made
73,440
Consumer hours saved

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.

Efthimis Kotanidis

Phones Expert
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.

Featured in

Color LTT LogoGeekwire logo9to5 Mac logoPhone Arena LogoColor Daring Fireball logo