iPhone 12 Pro Max vs iPhone XR: how much difference does 2-years make?

The iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone XR are two of Apple's most popular phones, with their edge-to-edge vibrant touchscreen displays. They are both just 2-years apart which may indicate only small iterations between the 2 models, however we drill deeper into the nitty gritty and find out what’s what below. The iPhone 12 Pro Max was released in November 2020, while the iPhone XR was released in October 2018, making the former more recent in comparison.

iPhone 12 Pro Max vs iPhone XR: camera quality

When it comes to camera quality, the 12 Pro Max has a triple 12 MP rear camera system, plus 12 MP selfie camera, compared to a single 12 MP rear camera and 7 MP selfie camera on the XR. Thus the 12 Pro Max makes it better for taking pictures and videos with higher resolution and clarity. T

iPhone 12 Pro Max vs iPhone XR: battery, resolution, storage and chipset

he battery life of both devices is also different; the 12 Pro Max has a 3687 mAh battery while the XR has a smaller 2942 mAh battery. This means that if you're using your phone for web browsing or video streaming, you can expect up to 10 hours of use from your 12 Pro Max compared to 8 hours from your XR. In terms of display size and resolution, both phones have 6-inch displays but differ in resolution; The 12 Pro Max has a resolution of 1284 x 2778 px while the XR has 828 x 1792 px which makes it slightly less sharp than the newer 12 Pro Max. The storage capacity also differs between these two devices; The 12 Pro Max offers up to 512 GB storage capacity while the XR offers only up to 256 GB storage capacity which is still enough space for storing photos, music files and other documents without running out of space quickly. Both phones have different chipsets with the 12 Pro Max operating on Apple's A14 Bionic chipset, and the XR using an older A12 Bionic chipset in comparison. The RAM capacity is also different between the two models; The 12 Pro Max comes with 6GB RAM compared to 3GB on the XR making the Pro Max faster when multitasking or running multiple apps at once. Finally, both phones are upgradable to the latest 16.3 iOS. In terms of design; The 12 Pro Max features an all-glass design with flat edges whereas the XR model features an aluminum frame with curved edges giving it a more classic look.

verdict: iPhone 12 Pro Max a worthy winner!

Overall, the 12 Pro Max is a significant upgrade if you consider the camera system, resolution, battery, chipset and storage availability. However, that’s not to say that the XR is not a competent phone, but if you had to choose one winner then the 12 Pro Max takes the trophy here. Despite the XR being inferior, if you are price conscious then the XR is a bargain for the price, especially if you go refurbished. Buying refurbished products helps to reduce our environmental impact by reducing waste production so consider buying refurbished products from Back Market where you can save between 30% - 70% off the cost of buying new all year long!