iQOO 15 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with Apple's A19 Pro chip.
iPhone 17 Pro Max (left) and the iQOO 15
iQOO 15 was recently launched in China with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. The new gamer-focussed handset is positioned to challenge premium Android flagships and even more expensive smartphones, such as Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both phones offer similar screen sizes and are water and dust resistant, and have an advanced rear camera setup. The iQOO 15 stands out with some gaming-centric features, cooling, and fast-charging capabilities.
Here's a quick comparison between the iQOO 15 and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
iQOO 15: The newly launched iQOO 15 features a 6.85-inch Samsung M14 AMOLED display with a 2K (1,440×3,168 pixel) resolution and a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. The display is touted to deliver up to 6,000 nits peak brightness, according to the company.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: Apple's premium smartphone (it's the top of the line model in the iPhone 17 series) has a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED LTPO display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. It offers up to 3,000nits peak brightness. It also features the latest Ceramic Shield technology.
iQOO 15: Equipped with a 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, paired with an Adreno 840 GPU, the iQOO 15's CPU has two high-performance cores clocked at 4.6GHz and six efficiency cores at 3.62GHz. It also gets a dedicated Q3 gaming chip for enhanced gaming performance. The phone comes in 12GB and 16GB RAM options and 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options.
The iQOO 15 packs a 7,000mAh battery with 100W wired and 40W wireless fast charging support. The battery is rated to deliver up to 26 hours of short video playback and up to 116 hours of music playback.
Photo Credit: iQOO
iPhone 17 Pro Max: On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Pro Max runs on Apple's latest A19 Pro chip, the most advanced in its lineup. It features a six-core CPU. It is offered in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage options.
Apple claims that the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers the longest battery life ever on an iPhone, offering up to 37 hours of video playback or 33 hours when streaming. Though the exact battery capacity hasn't been disclosed. It is believed to have a 4,832mAh battery. The handset supports up to 40W fast charging.
The iQOO 15 runs on OriginOS 6, which is based on Android 16, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max is preloaded with iOS 26. For thermal management, iPhone 17 Pro Max has an Apple-designed laser-welded vapour chamber that works with the aluminium unibody structure. The iQOO 15 has an advanced 8K vapour chamber (VC) Dome cooling system. It incorporates a double layer of graphite and is claimed to be three times larger than the cooling system in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
iQOO 15: In terms of optics, the iQOO 15 is equipped with a triple rear camera setup, including a 50-megapixel (f/1.88) main sensor, a 50-megapixel (f/2.65) periscope telephoto lens with up to 100x digital zoom, and a 50-megapixel (f/2.05) ultra-wide-angle camera. For selfies, it sports a 32-megapixel (f/2.2) front-facing camera that supports 4K video recording.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: You get a triple 48-megapixel rear camera setup, comprising a main sensor, an ultrawide lens, and a 2x telephoto shooter. On the front, it has an 18-megapixel selfie camera with autofocus.
The iQOO 15 boasts both IP68 and IP69 ratings, making it resistant to dust, water, and even high-pressure water jets. In comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max carries an IP68 rating, which protects against dust and water immersion.
The iQOO 15 measures 163.65×76.80×8.10mm and weighs about 221g, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max measures 163.4×78×8.75mm and weighs 231 grams.
iQOO 15: Priced at CNY 4,199 (roughly Rs. 52,000) for the base variant with 12GB RAM + 256GB storage. The price increases to CNY 5,499 (roughly Rs. 68,000) for the top-end model with 16GB RAM and 1TB storage. The price range is expected to remain similar when the device launches globally. It is offered in Legendary Edition, Lingyun, Track Edition, and Wilderness (translated from Chinese) colourways.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: Apple's flagship smartphone has a significantly higher price tag, starting at Rs. 1,49,900 for the 256GB model, with the top-end 2TB variant costing Rs. 2,29,900. It is launched in Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange and Silver shades.
FAQs:
Q. Where can I buy the iQOO 15?
The iQOO 15 is currently available in China. It is confirmed to launch in India in November.
Q. What is the display of the iQOO 15?
There's a 6.85-inch Samsung M14 AMOLED display with 2K (1,440×3,168 pixel) resolution and up to a 144Hz refresh rate on the iQOO 15.
Q. What are the colour options of iQOO 15?
iQOO 15 is offered in Legendary Edition, Lingyun, Track Edition, and Wilderness (translated from Chinese) colourways.
Q. What is the battery capacity of iQOO 15?
The newly launched iQOO 15 packs a 7,000mAh battery with 100W wired and 40W wireless fast charging support.
Q. Which chipset powers the iQOO 15?
The iQOO 15 runs on a 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, paired with an Adreno 840 GPU.
| Display | |||
| 6.85-inch | 6.90-inch | ||
| Processor | |||
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Apple A19 Pro | ||
| Front Camera | |||
| 32-megapixel | 18-megapixel | ||
| Rear Camera | |||
| 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel | 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel | ||
| RAM | |||
| 12GB | 12GB | ||
| Storage | |||
| 256GB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | ||
| Battery Capacity | |||
| 7,000mAh | - | ||
| OS | |||
| Android 16 | iOS 26 | ||
| Resolution | |||
| 1,440x3,168 pixels | 1320x2868 pixels | ||
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