ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus VS Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
We are comparing the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus (ZTE) with the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (Apple). Scroll down to the pros and cons of each phone, in-depth specs, and performance highlights.
Overall Comparison
KEY DIFFERENCES OF ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus AND Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Here’s how ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus and Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max stack up against each other in their most impactful areas.
Reasons to consider the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus
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54% smoother display (185 Hz vs 120 Hz)
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51% larger battery (8400 mAh vs 5567 mAh)
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55% higher AnTuTu v11 score (4541625 vs 2935466)
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33% more RAM (16GB vs 12GB)
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6% higher multi-core Geekbench score (13894 vs 13093)
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100% faster charging (120 W vs 60 W)
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10% lighter at 223g
Reasons to consider the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
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4% higher single-core Geekbench score (4259 vs 4102)
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Higher resolution (1320 x 2868)
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Higher Selfie Camera Resolution of 18 MP
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100% more storage (2 TB vs 1 TB)
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Selfie video of 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fps
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1% larger display (6.9 inches vs 6.85 inches)
SPECIFICATION TABLE COMPARISON OF ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus AND Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Below is the detailed specification table comparing ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus and Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Note: Highlighted specs mean that Phone wins that spec row.
If neither side is highlighted, it is a tie or there is not enough data for both specs.
| Specification | ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
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General Information
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| Brand: | ZTE | Apple |
| Release Date: | October 15, 2026 | September 18, 2026 |
| Mobile Chipset: | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 | A20 Pro |
| GPU: | Adreno 850 | Apple A20 Pro GPU |
| Operating System: | Android 17 | iOS 27 |
| Weight: | 223 g | 249 g |
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Display
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| Display Size: | 6.85 inches | 6.9 inches |
| Display Resolution: | 1216 x 2688 | 1320 x 2868 |
| Display Pixels Per Inch: | 431 | 458 |
| Display Technology: | AMOLED | OLED |
| Display Refresh Rate: | 185 | 120 |
| Display Brightness: | — | 1000 nits |
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Camera
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| Main Camera Setup: | Triple Camera | Triple Camera |
| Main Camera: | 50 MP + 50 MP + 2 MP | 48 MP |
| Main Camera Features: | LED flash, Bokeh mode, Pro mode | Adaptive True Tone flash, Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 5, Night mode, ProRAW, macro photography |
| Main Camera Video: | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 60 fps | 4K at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps, 720p at 30 fps |
| Selfie Camera: | 16 MP | 18 MP |
| Selfie Camera Video: | 1080p at 60 fps | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fps |
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Standard Lens
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| Megapixels | 50 MP | 48 MP |
| Image Resolution | 8160 x 6120 | 8064 x 6048 |
| Aperture | f/1.9 | f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4.0 |
| Focal Length | — | 24 mm |
| Sensor | OmniVision OV50E40 | — |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.55" | 1/1.28" |
| Pixel Size | 1 micron | 1.22 micron |
| Autofocus | PDAF | PDAF |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
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Telephoto Lens
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| Megapixels | — | 48 MP |
| Aperture | — | f/2.8 |
| Focal Length | — | 100 mm |
| Sensor Size | — | 1/2.55" |
| Pixel Size | — | 0.7 micron |
| Autofocus | — | PDAF |
| Stabilization | — | Optical |
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Ultra-wide Lens
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| Megapixels | 50 MP | 48 MP |
| Aperture | f/2.0 | f/2.2 |
| Focal Length | 13 mm | 13 mm |
| Sensor Size | 1/2.88" | 1/2.55" |
| Pixel Size | 0.61 micron | 0.7 micron |
| Autofocus | — | PDAF |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
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Selfie Lens
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| Megapixels | 16 MP | 18 MP |
| Image Resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4896 x 3672 |
| Aperture | f/2.0 | f/1.9 |
| Focal Length | — | 20 mm |
| Sensor | — | CMOS |
| Sensor Size | 1/2.8" | — |
| Pixel Size | 1.12 micron | 1 micron |
| Autofocus | No | PDAF |
| Stabilization | Digital | — |
|
Battery & Charging
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| Battery Capacity: | 8400 mAh | 5567 mAh |
| Battery Life (in hours tested): | — | 30 |
| Battery Type: | Si/C Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Charging Speed: | 120W | 60W |
| Wireless Charging: |
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Performance
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| RAM: | 16 GB, 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage: | 1 TB, 512 GB, 256 GB | 2 TB, 1 TB, 512 GB, 256 GB |
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GEEKBENCH V6
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| Single-Core (V6) | 4102 | 4259 |
| Multi-Core (V6) | 13894 | 13093 |
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ANTUTU SCORE
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| Overall (AnTuTu V11) | 4541625 | 2935466 |
| CPU | 1586980 | 920410 |
| GPU | 1458511 | 1397374 |
| MEM | 579862 | 470245 |
| UX | 916272 | 763044 |
| Overall (AnTuTu V10) | 5195978 | — |
| CPU | 1407243 | — |
| GPU | 1940214 | — |
| MEM | 739539 | — |
| UX | 1108982 | — |
|
Connectivity
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| Network Technology: | 5G | 5G |
| SIM Type: | Dual Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Wi-Fi: |
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| Bluetooth: |
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| GPS: |
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| NFC: |
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| USB: | USB Type-C 3.2 | USB Type-C 3.2 |
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Extras & Build
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| Fingerprint Sensor: |
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| Fingerprint Sensor Type: | Under Display | — |
| Face Recognition: |
—
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| Water Resistance: |
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| Speaker: | Stereo Speakers | Stereo Speakers |
| Audio Jack: | No | No |
Tip: ▲ indicates a higher-is-better spec advantage, while ▼ indicates a lower-is-better advantage.
PERFORMANCE CHART COMPARISON OF ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus AND Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
The charts below visualize how ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus and Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max stack up in key performance metrics.
Radar Chart Comparison
Bullet Chart Comparison
SCREEN SIZE COMPARISON OF ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus AND Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Here’s a proportional visualization of the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus’s 6.85 inches screen compared to the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max’s 6.9 inches display.
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus
6.85 inches″
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
6.9 inches″
Value For Money Calculator
Prices use available launch or current data. Enter your own prices to see which phone gives better value.
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
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Domain Score Summary
Scores are generated by Comparigon's scoring algorithm and are intended as a high-level guide. They may not map 1-to-1 with the individual spec-by-spec comparisons shown in the table.
Our Verdict
In conclusion, the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus has a narrow overall lead compared to the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max. Its strongest advantages are in Performance, Display and Battery. The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max is the better fit if your top priority is Camera.
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Frequently Asked Questions about ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max scores 3.8% higher than ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus in Geekbench 6 single-core (4,259 vs 4,102). ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus scores 6.1% higher than Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max in Geekbench 6 multi-core (13,894 vs 13,093).
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus scores 54.7% higher than Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max in AnTuTu v11 (4,541,625 vs 2,935,466).
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, while Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the A20 Pro chipset.
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus has a 6.85 inches display, while Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 6.9 inches display. ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus uses a AMOLED panel, while Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max uses a OLED panel. ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus lists a 185 Hz refresh rate, while Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max lists a 120 Hz refresh rate.
Both list Triple Camera for rear camera setup. ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus lists 50 MP + 50 MP + 2 MP for main camera, while Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max lists 48 MP for main camera. ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus lists 16 MP for selfie camera, while Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max lists 18 MP for selfie camera.
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus has 50.9% more battery capacity than Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (8400 mAh vs 5567 mAh).
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus has 100% higher listed wired charging power than Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (120W vs 60W).
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus lists 16 GB, 12 GB for RAM options, while Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max lists 12 GB for RAM options. ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus lists 1 TB, 512 GB, 256 GB for storage options, while Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max lists 2 TB, 1 TB, 512 GB, 256 GB for storage options.
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus weighs 10.4% less than Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (223 g vs 249 g).
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus was released on October 15, 2026. Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max was released on September 18, 2026. ZTE Nubia Red Magic 12 Pro Plus was released 27 days after Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Disclaimer: Specs, pricing, and benchmarks are sourced from official manufacturer data and verified test results. While we strive for precision, product details and pricing may change. Comparigon may earn an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases.