Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Vivo X300

Verdict

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Vivo X300 tie on the OH Rank at a score of 75. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max wins on Main Camera and Video; Vivo X300 wins on Battery and Screen. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is 6.1mm wider than Vivo X300. Vivo X300 is the more recent release, from Oct 17, 2025.

Score Breakdown

Category

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

78mm (3.07in) · Sep 19, 2025 · Rank #50

Vivo X300

71.9mm (2.83in) · Oct 17, 2025 · Rank #47
Performance /15
13
13
Battery /15
10
11
Screen /15
11
13
IP Protection /15
12
12
Main Camera /15
14
12
Selfie /5
5
5
Video /5
5
4
SD Memory /5
0
0
Software /5
5
5
Desktop Replacement /5
0
0
TOTAL
75
75
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
78mm (3.07in) · Sep 19, 2025 · Rank #50
13+10+11+12+14+5+5+0+5+0 = 75
FLY* BEST Video* TOP Software* TOP Selfie

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 UI design feels a bit outdated with multiple pages of icons and (while labels can now be removed) the overall design is not as flexible as with Android competition.

PROs
attractive new hardware design and colors, great Apple A19 Pro with NVMe performance, over 30hr of battery life, sub-90min ~35W charging (25W wireless), new anti reflective LTPO HDR OLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection (down to 6m), great pics from 48MP OIS main + 48MP OIS periscope telephoto + 48MP ultrawide (all with PDAF) back lenses, new 18MP Center Stage selfie, the best video recording, 6+ years of OS updates, video out USB-C port and a new 2TB storage option
CONs
wider and heavier then 16 Pro Max, max screen brightness is about 1000nits, no memory expansion slot, no desktop replacement software, expensive for what it is
Vivo X300
71.9mm (2.83in) · Oct 17, 2025 · Rank #47
13+11+13+12+12+5+4+0+5+0 = 75
FLY* TOP Compact* TOP Selfie* TOP Software

EDITORIAL: Like other Cheese phone makers, Vivo is going small. This years X vanilla model is 2mm narrower and almost 10mm shorter to put X300 well into the new "compact size" of 72mm or less. The battery is bigger than before and the Zeiss branded camera system Vivos are known for is also upgraded. It now features a new 200MP main and a new 50MP AF selfie. The built is improved as well with silky finish both on the back glass panel and on a (squarish, iPhone-like) aluminium frame.

PROs
compact and flagship built, very fast Dimensity 9500 with UFS 4.1 performance, >30hr endurance from a 6040mAh Si battery with sub-60min 90W charging (40W wireless). >1600nits bright 450ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with >2000Hz PWM and HDR10+ certification, IP69 protection, excellent pics from Zeiss optics 200MP 23mm OIS PDAF main + 50MP 70mm OIS PDAF 3x periscope telephoto + 50MP 15mm AF ultrawide, new 50MP 20mm AF selfie and up to 4 years of mature and stable OS updates
CONs
limited market availability, no SDmemory slot, no desktop replacement feature or video-out, Vivo trails Samsung, Pixel and Honor in AI implementation

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.

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