Realme 9 vs iPhone 18 Pro Max

Direct side-by-side battle analyzing display brightness, chipset benchmark percentiles, multi-camera arrays, battery capacity, and charging speeds.

Smartphone Battle

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Realme · 2022

Realme 9

Price on request

76.3/ 100

Overall

Exceptional

BeastScore

76.3

Benchmark

Performance72/100

Camera78/100

Battery86/100

Apple · 2026

iPhone 18 Pro Max

$1499

92.8/ 100

Overall

Exceptional

BeastScore

92.8

Benchmark

Performance96/100

Camera94/100

Battery94/100

Which Phone Should You Buy: Key Reasons & Hardware Advantages

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Reasons to buy Realme 9:

✓61g lighter chassis (188g) optimized for one-handed ergonomics
✓48MP primary camera sensor with 4K/120fps video recording
✓6.5" display with 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate

Reasons to buy iPhone 18 Pro Max:

✓$8500 lower launch MSRP ($1499 vs $9999)
✓Larger 5,567 mAh battery capacity (+567 mAh more capacity)
✓48MP primary camera sensor with 4K/120fps video recording

How Do the Specifications Compare Side-by-Side?

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Specification	Realme 9	iPhone 18 Pro Max
1. Display & Screen
Screen Type & Tech	IPS TFT LCD	LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision
Screen Size	6.5"	6.9"
Resolution & Density	1080x2400 (405 ppi)	1320 x 2868 pixels (19.5:9 ratio) (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate	90 Hz ProMotion	120 Hz ProMotion
Brightness	N/A	1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak)
Screen Protection	Scratch-resistant glass	Ceramic Shield 2, Anti-reflective coating, Always-On display
2. Platform & Performance
Chipset / Processor	High performance SoC	Apple A20 Pro (2 nm) (2nm)
CPU Cores	Multi-core high performance	Hexa-core (2x High Performance + 4x Efficiency)
GPU Graphics	Integrated Graphics	Apple GPU (7-core graphics)
Operating System	Android 11	iOS 27
3. Memory & Storage
RAM Memory	6 GB LPDDR	12GB LPDDR5X
Internal Storage	64GB / 128GB	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Storage Speed	High-speed flash	NVMe fast flash
Card Slot	No	No
4. Main Camera Optics
Primary Camera	48 MP	48 MP, f/1.5, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, OIS, Dual pixel PDAF, Sensor-shift OIS (gen 2)
Telephoto Zoom	None (Digital zoom only)	48 MP (4x optical zoom), f/2.8, 100mm (periscope telephoto), OIS
Ultrawide Camera	N/A	48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide)
LiDAR / Depth	None	TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth sensing & night portrait)
5. Video Recording Capabilities
Main Camera Video	4K@60fps1080p@240fpsHDR	4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps1080p@240fps10-bit HDRDolby Vision HDR (up to 120fps)ProRes RAWApple Log 2Spatial 3D video & stereo sound
Front Video	4K@60fps1080p@60fpsgyro-EIS	4K@24/25/30/60fps1080p@120fpsgyro-EISDolby Vision HDR
6. Selfie Camera
Selfie Lens	15.9 MP	18 MP, f/1.9, 20mm (ultrawide multi-aspect)
7. Body & Dimensions
Dimensions	162.5 x 74.8 x 8.5 mm	163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)
Weight	188 g	249 g (8.78 oz)
Build Materials	Glass front, metal/glass frame	Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), aluminum frame, aluminum/glass back
SIM Type	Nano-SIM / eSIM support	Nano-SIM + eSIM + dual eSIM support
Water Resistance	Not certified	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min)
8. Battery & Charging
Battery Capacity	5,000 mAh	5,567 mAh
Wired Fast Charging	18W wired fast charging	45W wired fast charging
Wireless Charging	Not supported	25W wireless charging
Reverse Charging	Reverse wireless charging	Reverse wireless charging
9. Sound & Audio
Loudspeaker	Stereo speakers	Yes, with stereo speakers (Spatial Audio)
3.5mm Headphone Jack	No	No
10. Connectivity & Comms
Wi-Fi Standard	Wi-Fi 7 / 6E tri-band	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be, tri-band, hotspot)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.1	Bluetooth 6.0, A2DP, LE
USB Port & Speed	USB C reversible	USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10Gbps), DisplayPort video out
NFC	Yes	Yes (Apple Pay Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
11. Sensors & Security
Sensors	Biometric fingerprint/face, accelerometer, gyro, compass	Face ID, LiDAR scanner, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Satellite Features	Emergency SOS via satellite (select markets)	Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite
12. Colors & Overview
Colors	Standard finishes	Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy
Launch Price	Price on request	$1,499 / €1,600

Editorial Lab Verdict

iPhone 18 Pro Max edges ahead with a BeastScore of 92.8/100

After comprehensive hardware benchmark comparisons, iPhone 18 Pro Max ranks as the overall top pick in this matchup. Key differentiators include its Apple A20 Pro (2 nm) architecture and verified 94/100 camera rating.

When to buy Realme 9:

Lighter body: 188g (61g lighter in hand)

When to buy iPhone 18 Pro Max:

Higher overall BeastScore: 92.8 vs top rival 76.3 · Larger battery capacity: 5,567 mAh (+567 mAh more)

Quick Answers

Frequently Asked Questions: Realme 9 vs iPhone 18 Pro Max

Which phone is better: Realme 9 or iPhone 18 Pro Max?

iPhone 18 Pro Max leads with an overall BeastScore of 92.8/100 compared to Realme 9 (76.3/100), driven by advantages in Higher overall BeastScore: 92.8 vs top rival 76.3 and Larger battery capacity: 5,567 mAh (+567 mAh more).