Newsletter
This time around, we’re comparing the OnePlus 11 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. In other words, we’re comparing the best of the best OnePlus and Apple have to offer at the moment. The OnePlus 11 originally launched back in January, but it took it some time to launch in global markets. It has been on the market for a while now. The iPhone 15 Pro Max arrived earlier this month.
Both of these smartphones are compelling in their own way, but they’re also very different. If you’re in the market for a large flagship, however, both of these are worth considering. We’ll list their specs below, and then continue to compare them across a number of categories. This will hopefully help you make a purchasing decision.
Specs
OnePlus 11 vs iPhone 15 Pro Max, respectively
– Screen size:
6.7-inch LTPO3 Fluid AMOLED display (curved, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1,300 nits)
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (flat, 120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
3216 x 1440
2796 x 1290
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Apple A17 Pro
– RAM:
8GB/12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.8 aperture, OIS, multi-directional PDAF), 48MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 115-degree FoV), 32MP (telephoto, f/2.0 aperture, 2x optical zoom)
48MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-gen sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, macro photography), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
16MP (f/2.5 aperture)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
– Battery:
5,000mAh
4,422mAh
– Charging:
100W wired globally, 80W in the US (charger included)
20W wired, 15W wireless, reverse wired charging (charger not included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
163.1 x 74.1 x 8.5mm
159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm
– Weight:
205 grams
221 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
Advanced facial scanning
– OS:
Android 13 with OxygenOS 13
iOS 17
– Price:
$699
$1,199
– Buy:
OnePlus
Apple
OnePlus 11 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
They are very different when it comes to design. The OnePlus 11 is made out of aluminum and glass. It has a curved display, a display camera hole in the top-left corner, and thin bezels. On the back, it utilizes a circular camera module, while its backplate is also curved. The front and back sides of the phone are actually proportional. The power/lock button sits on the right side, along with an alert slider. The volume up and down buttons are located on the left.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, is made out of titanium and glass. It has flat sides all around, with slightly rounded edges. The display is flat here, and its bezels are the same on all sides. A pill-shaped cutout sits at the top of the display, and it’s much larger than the display camera hole on the OnePlus 11. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has its recognizable camera island on the back, in the top-left corner. The backplate on the phone is also flat. The power/lock button sits on the right side, while the volume rocker buttons, and an Action Button are placed on the left.
The OnePlus 11 is slightly taller and narrower than Apple’s handset. The two phones are almost the same in terms of thickness. The OnePlus 11 is lighter, though, at 205 grams compared to 221 grams of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. As a side note, they have the same display size, albeit with different aspect ratios. Still, they belong in the same exact size category. Both feel good in the hand, though entirely different. The OnePlus 11 is IP64 certified, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.
OnePlus 11 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
The OnePlus 11 has a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3216 x 1440) LTPO3 Fluid AMOLED display. That panel is curved, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. Dolby Vision is supported here, and the same goes for HDR10+ content. This display can project up to 1 billion colors, and it goes up to 1,300 nits of brightness at its peak. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, while the Gorilla Glass Victus is here to protect it.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the flip side, has a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display on the front. That panel is flat, and it supports a 120Hz refresh rate. HDR10 content is supported, and so is Dolby Vision. This panel is brighter than the OnePlus 11’s, at 2,000 nits of peak brightness. The display aspect ratio is 19.5:9, and Apple’s Ceramic Shield glass protects the display.
Both of these displays are great. They’re vivid, have excellent viewing angles, and they’re more than sharp enough. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s panel does have the brightness advantage, in case you spend a lot of time outdoors, in direct sunlight. Other than that, do keep in mind that one panel is curved, and the other is not, if that plays a role in your decision. Chances are you won’t be disappointed by either panel.
OnePlus 11 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance
The OnePlus 11 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. That is the most powerful chip Qualcomm has to offer. The phone also includes up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 flash storage. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the flip side, is fueled by the Apple A17 Pro processor. That chip is extremely powerful too, and has a lot of gaming prowess. Apple paired that with 8GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage.
That being said, both smartphones perform really well in day-to-day tasks, they’re extremely smooth. The thing is, the iPhone 15 Pro Max does seem to have problems with heat these days. Those are some early problems that Apple can resolve by lowering the performance of the SoC, and that will probably happen. That shouldn’t really affect the actual performance of the device. It is worth noting, though. The OnePlus 11 does a great job with games, it can run basically anything from the Play Store with ease. It also does a great job with heat management.
OnePlus 11 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery
There is a 5,000mAh battery included inside the OnePlus 11, while a 4,441mAh unit sits inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max. That battery pack is smaller as iPhones usually need less power than Android phones. In case you’re wondering about the battery life, well, it’s great on both smartphones. The OnePlus 11 does have the edge, based on what we’ve seen, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s battery life improved a lot after several charges.
With the OnePlus 11, we managed to cross the 9-hour and 10-hour screen-on-time mark. The iPhone 15 Pro Max did not get us that far. We were able to get around 8 and a half hours of screen-on-time maximum, before the phone required a charge. So it sits a bit below the OnePlus 11, but at the same playing field. Both of these phones are true road warriors, and chances are you won’t need to worry about charging them before going to bed. For some people, they’ll easily last two days even.
When it comes to charging, things are rather interesting. The OnePlus 11 supports 100W wired charging globally, but it’s limited to 80W in the US. It can fully charge the phone in only 25 minutes at 100W. It does not support wireless charging, though. The iPhone 15 Pro Max supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and reverse wired charging. It will also support Qi2 once it launches. Unlike the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the OnePlus 11 includes a charger in the box.
OnePlus 11 vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras
Both of these smartphones have three cameras on the back, not counting the iPhone’s ToF sensor. The OnePlus 11 includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (115-degree FoV), and a 32-megapixel telephoto camera (2x optical zoom). The iPhone 15 Pro Max features a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto unit (5x optical zoom).
It’s worth saying that both smartphones do a really good job when it comes to pictures. They both have pronounced colors without making the images look overprocessed or anything like that. They both provide plenty of detail, though in default mode, the iPhone 15 Pro Max does offer more detailed pics, if you pixel peep. Both ultrawide cameras do a great job, while the telephoto performance is interesting. The iPhone 15 Pro Max shines at 5x, but not as much at 3x. At 2x both are excellent, while the 3x is a close call. In low light, they both do a good job, while the OnePlus 11 does tend to brighten up the scene a bit more. They both manage to preserve quite a bit of detail in low light.
The video performance is good on the OnePlus 11, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max takes the cake in that department. Video recording has been the iPhone’s strong suit for a long time, and the same is the case with this generation.
Audio
You will find a set of stereo speakers on both smartphones. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s speaker does get a bit louder, but not by much. Both sets are quite clear, and don’t sound muffled by any stretch of the imagination.
Neither of the two devices has an audio jack. You can still use their Type-C USB ports to connect your wired headphones, though, without a problem. If you prefer to go wireless, however, Bluetooth 5.3 is available on both phones.