Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs vivo X80 Pro: which is better

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs vivo X80 Pro: Both the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the vivo X80 Pro are no doubt one of the best phones you can buy in 2022. But, between these two smartphones which is better and why?

In this post, I’ll compare the specs of the iPhone 13 Pro Max vs vivo X80 Pro side-by-side to help you know which is better. At the end of this post, you should know which of these phones to buy and why.

iPhone 13 Pro Max vs vivo X80 Pro Specs

Specs	iPhone 13 Pro Max	vivo X80 Pro
Display	6.7-inch, 120Hz	6.78-inch, 120Hz
RAM	6GB	8/12GB
Storage	128GB – 1TB	256/512GB
Back Camera	12 + 12 + 12MP + TOF	50 + 48 + 12 + 8MP
Front Camera	12MP + SL 3D	32MP
Chipset	Apple A15 Bionic	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Software	Apple iOS 15	Android 12
Battery	4,352mAh (27W)	4,700mAh (80W)
IP Rating	IP68	IP68

Display and Design

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max comes with a 6.7-inch display, features an OLED panel, has support for HDR10+, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Dolby vision. It has a 1440 x 3200 pixels resolution and its display is protected by Gorilla Glass. Its build material is Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), and stainless steel frame. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is also Scratch-resistant ceramic glass with an oleophobic coating and its rated IP68 water and dust resistant.

The vivo X80 Pro on the other hand comes with a slightly bigger 6.78-inch display, features a 120Hz refresh rate, an AMOLED panel, and has support for HDR10+. It has a 1440 x 3200 pixels resolution and its peak brightness is 1500 nits. It has a glass front, glass back or ceramic back or eco leatherback, and an aluminum frame. Its also rated IP68 water and dust resistant.

The display of both phones is really bright and gives you some of the best colors you’ll get in a smartphone. And for those who need a big display that is slightly curved on both sides, the vivo X80 Pro gives you that. But, in addition to its display quality, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is more durable. Both vivo X80 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are rated IP68. However, only the iPhone includes additional materials such as ceramic glass and oleophobic coating for extra protection.

Camera

The vivo X80 Pro features a quad rear camera set-up and a single front camera. It has a 50MP main camera with PDAF, Laser AF, and gimbal OIS features. It also comes with an 8MP periscope lens that has OIS and 5x optical zoom capability. Then there is a 12MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and a 48MP ultra-wide lens to complete the four cameras at the rear. Upfront, it has a 32MP selfie camera.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max also comes with a quad rear camera setup but with different sensors: a 12MP main camera with sensor-shift stabilization, a 12MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a TOF 3D LiDAR scanner. Upfront it comes with a dual front camera, a 12MP camera, and an SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor).

Both the iPhone 13 Pro Max and vivo X80 Pro are very good camera smartphones. The vivo X80 Pro has a 50MP main camera that features Laser AF and gimbals OIS. This makes it take incredible photos even in low light conditions. So, when it comes to photography, both phones are truly amazing. But, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is the better phone for videography.

The vivo X80 Pro can shoot videos in 8k resolution while the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max can only shoot videos in 4k resolution. But, when it comes to videography features, the iPhone 13 Pro Max gives users more options. Some of the videography features of the iPhone 13 Pro Max are 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode, and stereo sound rec. You won’t get most of these videography features inside the vivo X80 Pro.

Performance | Storage | RAM | 5G

Although both phones have support for 5G connectivity, the performance of both phones is very different. This is because both phones feature chipsets from different companies. The iPhone 13 Pro Max features the Apple A15 Bionic while the vivo X80 Pro features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 from Qualcomm is a very powerful chipset, but the Apple A15 Bionic chip is still the best and most powerful chipset you’ll get in a 2022 smartphone. The A15 Bionic chip is also more power-efficient and does not get heated up easily. Read this A15 Bionic vs Snapdragon 8 Gen article to know more about both chipsets.

The RAM inside the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 6GB while the vivo X80 Pro comes with 8/12GB RAM. The minimum internal storage capacity on both phones is 128GB. The maximum storage capacity on the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 1TB while that of the vivo X80 Pro is 512GB. None of these phones have space for storage via a microSD card.

Software

The vivo X80 Pro boots Origin OS Ocean based on Android 12 out of the box. vivo has promised three years of major software updates and security patches for this device. The iPhone 13 Pro Max boots Apple iOS 15 out of the box. Apple has promised years of major software updates and years of monthly security patches for the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Apple is the best phone company when it comes to software updates. So even though the software update plans for the vivo X80 Pro are good, that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is better.

Battery

The vivo X80 Pro is powered by a 4,700mAh battery capacity with 80W fast charge support. While the iPhone 13 Pro Max is powered by a 4,352mAh battery with support for a 27W fast charge. Both phones have support for a fast wireless charge but only the iPhone 13 Pro Max has support for Magsafe wireless charge.

The battery of the iPhone 13 Pro Max lasts longer thanks to the power efficiency of the A15 Bionic chipset.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs vivo X80 Pro: Price

The price of the iPhone 13 Pro Max with 6 + 256GB storage option is about $1,200 and the 8 + 256GB storage option of the vivo X80 Pro is priced at $999. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the more expensive device to buy but is it also the better device to buy? Check out the verdict below the table.

Buy iPhone 13 Pro Max and vivo X80 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro Max	Price	vivo X80 Pro	Price
Buy on Gazelle	$1,069	Buy on Giztop	$999

iPhone 13 Pro Max vs vivo X80 Pro: Verdict

So, between the vivo X80 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max which is better? The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is the better phone but it’s not necessarily the phone you should buy among these two phones. Allow me to explain.

Yes, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max has a better chipset, its cameras are better for videography, has better battery life, and it’s also the more durable device here. But, the vivo X80 Pro offers these features and it’s also cheaper. With the vivo X80 Pro, you can take good photos, enjoy a good performance, awesome display, still comes with high-quality build materials, and is also very durable. Buying the vivo X80 Pro will save you about $200 without compromising on quality.

If I’m to score both phones, I’ll score the vivo X80 Pro (49%) and the iPhone 13 Pro Max (49%). The vivo X80 Pro offers the best value for the money and this is why it’s one point better than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Its value for money is why I’ll recommend the vivo X80 Pro ahead of the iPhone 13 Pro Max.