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ToolsKey expose specifications :
- 6.7 inches OLED, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
- Dimensions: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches)
- Resolution: 1284 x 2778 pixels, (~458 ppi density)
- Aspect ratio: 19.5:9
- Refresh rate: 60 Hz
About DXOMARK Display tests : For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a kind of objective and perceptual tests under controlled lab and real-life conditions. This article highlights the most significant results of our testing. note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device ’ s built-in display hardware and its however image ( gallery ) and video recording apps at their nonpayment settings. ( For in-depth information about how we evaluate smartphone and early displays, check out our articles, “ How DXOMARK tests display choice ” and “ A closer look at DXOMARK Display testing. ”
Test summary
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
88
expose
An overall score of 88 places the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max in a necktie for second base stead with the OnePlus 8 Pro in our display rankings, and one point ahead of its smaller sibling, the iPhone 12 Pro. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) holds the top score of 89 .
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max turns in a hard overall performance, accurately rendering subject for readability in most tested conditions and adapting color and luminosity identical smoothly as conditions change. It turned in a particularly hard show in video, where it displays excellent brightness and contrast on HDR10 content ( but curiously, it was excessively blue when displaying SDR content ). The iPhone 12 Pro Max adeptly handles aliasing, a trouble for many other high-end devices, producing smooth curved lines in the bet on use case .
As for the drawbacks, like the other iPhones we ’ ve tested for expose ( namely the 12 Pro and the 11 Pro Max ), the semblance casting of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is strongly chicken — something that can be seen in all tested conditions and in video recording angstrom well as still imagination — and this impacted the seduce. Our engineers besides found the luminosity levels a bite dim, specially in low-light situations, and the aristocratic light trickle adds a strong orange shed and a dimness that impacts legibility .
Let ’ s take a look at the details .
Analyses and comparisons
The DXOMARK Display overall score of 88 for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is derived from its scores across six categories : readability, color, television, motion, touch, and artifacts. In this section, we ’ ll take a closer front at these display quality sub-scores and explain what they mean for the user, and we will compare the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max ’ s operation in several areas against the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, and against two of its key flagship competitors, the OnePlus 8 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Readability
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
72
76
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Best : Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max ( 76 )
DXOMARK uses the device ’ sulfur drift app to show static ( placid image ) capacity when measuring the device ’ sulfur display for brightness, contrast, da gamma, and blue sky light impact, etc .
In practical terms, the most important view of a display is how well you can read the content in assorted ambient lighting conditions. The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max turned in a good overall performance in this assign, landing equitable one item below the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. The device could be brighter in all tested conditions, like its sword siblings the iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro, which besides tested excessively iniquity. The iPhone 12 Pro Max, however, adjusts brightness levels smoothly to changing light conditions, with some slightly noticeable steps. The chemical reaction time is fast when lighting become bright, but a bite slow in fading ignite .
Brightness vs Contrast comparison ( 0 Lux )
Brightness vs Contrast comparison ( 30 000 Lux )
Indoors, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is identifiably less bright than the comparison devices here, including the iPhone 11 Pro Max right next to it .
Indoor light up, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos
).
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for illustration only
here you can see that all four devices lose some legibility in bright outdoor conditions in the shade ; the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max looks less bright than the other phones, but details are still distinct .
Outdoors in the shade, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for example only
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max manages direct sunlight fairly good. In this example, the OnePlus Pro 8 is more clear than all the early devices .
In send sunlight, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for exemplification merely
Brightness uniformity is a ball-shaped have that our engineers analyze with objective tests and perceptually by displaying a 20 percentage grey full screen in the benighted to see if variations are detectable. The iPhone 12 Pro Max fares well in this test, although its corners are reasonably dark. ( You will be able to see an exemplification of this in the color uniformity section in the Color section far on in this review. )
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max loses some brightness when apply at an lean, as you can see in the chart of objective test results below :
Brightness v Angle comparison
The perceptual tests underline the position, showing just how much variability there is as the iPhone 12 Pro Max tilts away from bloc. here is a photograph illustration of the lapp array of smartphone images shot on axis in indoor ignite conditions :
Indoor luminosity on bloc, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo citation : DXOMARK ; for exemplification only
Our perceptual tests for brightness v angle, undertaken by engineers directly observing the screen devices, confirm the objective screen results. All the devices in the comparison lose some luminosity when hold at a 45° angle, but the Apple smartphones lose more luminosity than the OnePlus 8 Pro .
Indoor luminosity at 45°, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for example merely
At nox, the iPhone 12 Max Pro is not bright enough. In the photograph illustration below, you can see how it compares with the early devices. Both iPhones are intelligibly darker than the competition at night .
Brightness in night wake conditions, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for exemplification only
When the amobarbital sodium inner light filter is turned on, the iPhone 12 Pro Max gets evening dimmer, as does its trade name sibling next to it, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro. This has a distinct impact on readability .
brightness with BLF on, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for exemplification only
Color
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
75
89
TCL 20 Pro 5G
Best : TCL 20 Pro 5G ( 89 )
DXOMARK uses the device ’ mho gallery app to show static ( still image ) content when measuring the device ’ s display for white target, gamut, uniformity, color fidelity, and blue lighter filter impact, etc .
semblance on the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a mix bag : its overall seduce compares good with some of the other devices we ’ ve tested but remains well behind the OnePlus 8 Pro, which has the top score of 88. A strong yellow/orange cast appears in all light conditions and dragged down its overall score. One bright period is that the 12 Pro Max did well adapting its white sharpen to the ambient unhorse, unlike many devices .
In the photograph illustration below comparing discolor cast in indoor ignite, you can see the yellow roll of the two Apple devices on the left, slightly more marked on the 12 Pro Max, and the more blue form of the OnePlus Pro 8 and the Galaxy Note20 Ultra ( Exynos ). Our engineers noted that the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max had good semblance impregnation .
Indoor color, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo recognition : DXOMARK ; for exemplification only
Viewed outdoors, the saturation of the 12 Pro Max adjust well, but the yellow/orange cast is still visible .
Outdoor color, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for illustration only
In terms of color fidelity, the charts below show the color tendencies and the direction of the tinge shift of the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max under 1000 lux lighting in both the sRGB ( standard ) color space ( left ) and the broader DCI-P3 discolor space ( right ). The center of each circle is the target discolor ; anything outside the circle represents a detectable color difference. The foster the tip of the arrow is outside of the circle, the more a drug user will notice the dispute between the color on the display and color of the real object or chart following to it. The 12 Pro Max in both cases produces good results .
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the sRGB color space
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the DCI-P3 color distance
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max screen is quite uniform overall except in the corners. In this photograph illustration, you can see the rebuff variations in tinge and luminosity, as mentioned earlier in the legibility section. Of the devices pictured here, the OnePlus 8 Pro has the biggest divergence from uniformity, with some color magnetic declination toward the buttocks and edges of the screen. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) besides shows some non-homogenous variations, but it ’ south hard to see in this photograph because it ’ sulfur bright than the other devices. The iPhone 11 Pro Max, moment from left, is even more consistent than its brand sibling .
Color uniformity, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ).
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for illustration only
White (color) vs angle
Users sometimes hold their smartphones at an angle, which can affect the display of color rendering. The left chart below shows the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max ’ s color tendencies when held at an angle ; in the right-hand graph ( basically a closeup of the leftover graph ), each acid represents a measurement taken at a discrete angle from the device ; dots inside the inner circle exhibit no color switch in fish ; those between the inside and outer encircle have shifts that are just noticeable by educate experts ; but those falling outside the outer circle are noticeable. The 12 Pro Max has a clear-cut fault into a green cast, more intense the greater the tilt away from axis .
White indicate on fish, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
White point on slant spread, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
The photograph below illustrating our perceptual tests ( which are made by direct observation, not by looking at photos ) echo the objective measurements. The first base fixed is shot on bloc ( vertical to the spectator ) ; the moment bent is shot at a 45° slant. On axis, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 11 Pro Max both have more of a yellow casting than the other two devices in the comparison :
Indoor color on axis, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo accredit : DXOMARK ; for exemplification entirely
On angle, the shift toward a green form can be seen in the petals of the sunflowers in the photograph displayed on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The OnePlus 8 Pro does a better job of retaining the original rendering :
Indoor color at 45°, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for illustration alone
With the blue abstemious filter on, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max takes on a discrete orange-yellow cast ; it ’ s besides apparent in the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Though the BLF is effective at removing sleep-disturbing blue light, the orange hurl is a bit distracting. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) barely looks different when the BLF is on, as the filter doesn ’ t remove much blue light .
Color fault with BLF on, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for illustration alone
Video
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
75
90
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G ( Exynos )
Best : Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) ( 90 )
DXOMARK uses the device ’ sulfur video recording ( or browser ) app to show dynamic content when measuring the device ’ second expose for brightness, contrast, gamma, and color .
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max scored fairly well for watching videos, placing it among the better devices for his assign, though below the 83 scored by the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ). It produced an appropriate and pleasing brightness when displaying HDR10 message. ( note that the perceptual seduce is based on direct notice of the tested device, not the photograph illustration here. )
HDR brightness from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for example only
On SDR capacity, however, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max does not perform deoxyadenosine monophosphate well ; the subject is much darker than the HDR10 content, as illustrated with this comparison of video images from the Apple device on the impart and the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) on the right .
brightness when displaying SDR contentedness, from left : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ). . Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for example merely
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max showed low contrast in mid-tones and particularly in reds, but darkness details are well-rendered in HDR10 content. The OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) did not render dark detail identical well, as seen in this photograph example from a video of glass blow .
Video line : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos ) .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for example only
As in the discolor attribute, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max displays a solid yellow draw when playing video recording content, which is besides visible in the 11 Pro Max image next to it in the example below. The chicken cast is besides visible in skin tones, which you can see in the first photograph in the video section above .
Video color, from left to right : Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos. )
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for exemplification only
Motion
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
81
87
Huawei P40 Pro
Best : Huawei P40 Pro ( 87 )
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max scored well in the motion impute, producing identical few stutters at 30 or 60 federal protective service. Our engineers noted that frame drops were besides rare when playing video games. In terms of motion blur, the device doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate prove any frame duplications and appears sharp. When it comes to video playback reactivity, there was a divide of a second of hesitation before playing the video, and the device displays some artifacts in that moment — blocking and pixelation .
Touch
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
61
85
OnePlus 9
Best : OnePlus 9 ( 85 )
For this property, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max tied the grade of its brand sibling, the iPhone 12 Pro, and improved by a few points on the 11 Pro Max. however, it is still well behind the OnePlus 8 Pro, which is the leader here at 83 points. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is very accurate when zooming in the drift app, but there is a miss of smoothness noticeable in all conditions, whether in the drift app, when browsing the web, and when bet on .
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max scored well for accuracy in zooming in the gallery app, accurately following the apparent motion of the exploiter ’ south fingers .
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for illustration merely
Artifacts
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
84
86
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Best : Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max ( 86 )
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max achieved a very good score in artifacts, tying for first base position in this impute with the OnePlus 8 Pro. That said, the quite big notch at the top was a haul on its score because of the way it intrudes on the screen, a detriment to bet on and video-viewing. It is, however, an improvement on the iPhone 12 Pro, as the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has a screen-to-body ration of 87.4 percentage vs. 86 percentage for the iPhone 12 Pro .
Our engineers detected no ghost touches or inappropriate responsiveness to accidental touches of the finger or other parts of the hand, a asset ; and there was no judder visible at 24, 30, or 60 federal protective service .
flicker can be noticeable in low-light conditions .
Flicker comparison
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max produced chiseled lines in the gambling use case. Aliasing — a jarring stair-step effect — much occurs on smooth and curved edges. This exemplification for comparison purposes ( remember, the engineers use address notice of the devices in perceptual tests ) shows good how smooth those lines can be. If you look along the cable car roofline in the images from the OnePlus 8 Pro and the Note20 Ultra 5G ( center and correctly ), you can see some of that stair-stepping .
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for example merely
OnePlus 8 Pro
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for illustration entirely
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G ( Exynos )
Photo credit : DXOMARK ; for example merely
Conclusion
Because of its size and price, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max may not be for everyone, but it continues in the brand ’ s tradition of producing quality devices that maintain a loyal following. The iPhone 12 Pro Max ’ s display does nothing to detract from that custom. It excels at television playback, with great luminosity for HDR10 content. And in general, the device renders colors accurately in most tested conditions, though with the caution that there is a strong yellow draw to both video and still imagery— a consistent characteristic of the Apple devices our display team has tested to this point. The device could besides be undimmed, particularly in low-light and at night, and flicker is besides an offspring in low-light conditions .
Pros
- HDR10 video brightness and contrast are well managed across the board.
- Well-managed gamma ensures that images are rendered well even in sunlight.
- Transitions are smooth between different levels and sources of light .
- Aliasing is particularly well managed in gaming.
Cons
- A yellow cast is visible in all tested conditions in both video and still imagery.
- Brightness is often low, particularly at night.
- The blue light filter diminishes readability and has a strong orange cast.
- Flicker is noticeable in low-light conditions.
