Should you buy the iPhone 12 Pro or the iPhone XS Max?

If you’re looking for a new mobile phone, then these two models may well be contenders. They might not be the latest releases but they’re packed with great tech and have gorgeous screens. You’ll also be able to pick them up for less, especially if you buy refurbished, so which should you pick?

iPhone XS Max – big & beautiful with good battery life

The iPhone XS Max is the bigger and heavier of these two phones, although there’s only 19 g in it. The iPhone XS Max weighs 208 g and is just over 11 mm longer and 6 mm wider than the iPhone 12 Pro. The latter measures 146.7 x 71.5 mm compared to the iPhone XS Max at 157.5 x 77.4 mm. Both of these phones have Apple’s gorgeous, bright and sharp OLED screen, although the iPhone 12 Pro has 460 pixels per inch to 458 on the XS Max, it’s not something you’d notice. They both operate with face ID and have a battery that will last you the day. You do get an extra few hours out of the iPhone 12 Pro, but we’re talking 25 vs 29 hours, the difference isn’t huge.

iPhone 12 Pro – Equally beautiful, great cameras and fast processing speeds

The iPhone 12 Pro has a couple of years on the XS Max, and while it isn’t obvious at first glance, this does mean you get a few upgrades, like an A14 bionic processor compared to the A12 on the iPhone XS Max, increased memory, 6 GB instead of 4 GB and better cameras. The iPhone 12 Pro has 3 x 12 MP rear cameras with 2 x optical zoom and an ultra-wide lens, the iPhone XS Max has 2 x 12 MP rear cameras with 2X optical zoom. The front camera also gets an upgrade on the iPhone 12 Pro with 12 MP compared to 7 MP, and 4K video. The iPhone 12 Pro price is also higher.

Which should you buy?

This is a tough one, there’s not that much in it at all. Want a slightly bigger screen get the iPhone XS Max. Want a faster phone with better memory and battery? Get the iPhone 12 Pro. They’re both great phones and can both be upgraded to iOS 16.1.1.