Updated
Updated · Tom's Guide · Oct 18
iPhone 18 Pro Max Beats iPhone 14 Pro Max by 35% in Battery, 151% in CPU
Updated
Updated · Tom's Guide · Oct 18

iPhone 18 Pro Max Beats iPhone 14 Pro Max by 35% in Battery, 151% in CPU

3 articles · Updated · Tom's Guide · Oct 18

Summary

  • A four-year comparison found the iPhone 18 Pro Max ahead of the iPhone 14 Pro Max across cameras, battery, performance, display and AI, with the review calling the upgrade worthwhile despite a higher price.
  • Battery life reached 18 hours 27 minutes on the iPhone 18 Pro Max versus 13 hours 39 minutes on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, while 60W charging hit 53% in 15 minutes and 80% in 30 minutes.
  • Geekbench scores of 4,741 single-core and 12,789 multi-core for the A20 Pro-powered model topped the older phone's 1,887 and 5,374, and 3DMark graphics rose to 230.37 fps from 74.1 fps.
  • Camera gains were strongest in low light and zoom, helped by a 48MP triple-camera system, variable aperture and 4x optical telephoto, though the iPhone 14 Pro Max still stayed close in daylight color and dynamic range.
  • At $1,299 for 256GB, the iPhone 18 Pro Max costs $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max did at launch, but the review said Apple Intelligence features, a 2,326-nit display and broader video tools widen the gap.

Insights

Are Apple's exclusive new AI features the real reason behind the massive performance gap between the iPhone 18 Pro Max and its predecessor?
Does the whopping $1,299 price tag of the iPhone 18 Pro Max truly justify abandoning a perfectly capable four-year-old flagship?
Can the A20 Pro chip's thermal upgrades finally sustain peak performance, or is the iPhone 18 Pro Max just another benchmark illusion?