Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max scores higher on the OH Rank (75 vs 74), winning 3 of 10 categories including Main Camera and Selfie. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is 1.2mm wider than (Vivo) IQOO 15. (Vivo) IQOO 15 is the more recent release, from Oct 20, 2025.
EDITORIAL: Apple decided to introduce an aluminium frame for it's Pro phones after years of promoting steel and titanium as better options. The camera bump now stretches across the top portion of the back to allow for a bigger battery and the new cooling chamber. These make for the biggest design changes in years and its a needed move considering there is much more Android competition in the premium segment. All of the back cameras are now 48MP but photography is not showing improvement over 16 Pro Max while phones from Vivo, Huawei, Vivo and Xiaomi now offer better pics. A new 18MP selfie produces great photos (as did the old one) and iPhone Pros still record the best videos, front and back. New A19 Pro is a good processor but not as powerful as are the latest SnapDragon and Mediatec chips. iOS 26 brings Liquid Glass design language while keeping the fundamentals same. UI design feels a bit outdated with multiple pages of icons and (while labels can now be removed) the overall design is not as flexible as with Android competition.
EDITORIAL: This year Vivo meaningfully improved the battery (from 6000mAh to 7000) and upgraded last year's 2x zoom camera to a proper 3x periscope telephoto. Vivo is adding other improvments too making it's IQOO line a true flagship killer. The screen is now as good as any phone's screen with proper Dolby and HDR10+ certification and off-the-chart brightness, added SuperComputing Q3 chip assists the top-of-the-line Qualcomm processor in intensive tasks, OS update promise is now 5 years, a LED ring around the camera island signals notification and battery status, gaming is made even better... This phone is a great option if great imaging is not on your must-have list
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.