Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Vivo X200 Ultra tie on the OH Rank at a score of 78. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max wins on Performance and Battery; Vivo X200 Ultra wins on Screen. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is 1.2mm wider than Vivo X200 Ultra. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is the more recent release, from Sep 19, 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 it's 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 the same. UI design feels outdated with multiple pages of icons and (while labels can now be removed) the overall design is not efficient.
EDITORIAL: Eagerly anticipated Vivo X200 Ultra came with the top hardware and very mature photo and video processing. It improved on the amazing X200 Pro with UFS 4.1, higher pixel density screen, OIS PDAF on all of its back lenses, AF selfie and a dedicated iPhone-like photo hardware slider. An amazing smartphone if you don't care for its big size and heft. It also has an extensive optional camera accessories package that adds controls, battery, and telephoto skills.
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.