DisplayMate Says iPhone 12 Pro Max Has Best Smartphone Display It's Ever Tested

DisplayMate today published its in-depth analysis of the iPhone 12 Pro Max's Super Retina XDR display, with the device earning a "Best Smartphone Display Award" and highest-ever display performance grade of A+.

iphone 12 pro display video
DisplayMate said the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a "state-of-the-art" display that sets or matches 11 smartphone display performance records, including high peak brightness, high contrast ratio, low reflectance, and color accuracy. DisplayMate said the iPhone 12 Pro Max's display is also up to 10 percent more power efficient than the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display.

With a 6.7-inch display, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the largest iPhone ever, sporting a 2778x1284 pixels resolution, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, peak brightness of 800 nits or 1,200 nits for HDR content, and P3 wide color gamut support.

Read the full DisplayMate article for in-depth analysis of the iPhone 12 Pro Max's display and the methodology behind its testing.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

When Is iPhone 17 Coming Out?

Thursday July 24, 2025 9:11 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Saturday July 26, 2025 5:50 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should launch in late September, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

Tipster: iPhone 17 Pro to Feature 8x Zoom, Pro Camera App, and More

Sunday July 27, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will have several new camera-related features, according to an anonymous tipster who contacted MacRumors today. The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by a film company that has publicly listed Apple as one of its clients. MacRumors has not independently confirmed any of the information shared ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Thursday July 24, 2025 7:08 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
Apple Partridge Creek

Apple Store in Michigan Permanently Closing Next Month

Saturday July 26, 2025 1:51 pm PDT by
Earlier this month, MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to permanently close its Partridge Creek store, just outside of Detroit, Michigan, and now the company has announced a closure date for the location. Apple Partridge Creek Apple Partridge Creek's final day of business will be Saturday, August 16, with the store set to close for good at 8 p.m. local time that day. All of ...
iOS 18

Apple Shares iOS 18.6 Release Notes

Thursday July 24, 2025 6:33 am PDT by
While the focus is now on iOS 26, there is still an iOS 18.6 update incoming. As noted by Aaron Zollo, Apple on Wednesday re-labeled iOS 18.6 Beta 4 as simply iOS 18.6, meaning that it is the Release Candidate version. This change effectively confirms that the update will be released to the public next week. Alongside the new label, Apple shared release notes for iOS 18.6, which is a...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Leaked

Friday July 25, 2025 6:20 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a Macworld report this month, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Tuesday July 22, 2025 5:00 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...

Top Rated Comments

Ron21 Avatar
61 months ago
MR members say otherwise... ;)

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/yellow-screen-tint-display-seem-warm-check-here-first.2262691/
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
61 months ago

A DisplayMate review is completely irrelevant. Apple pays DisplayMate for a glowing review. I know this for a fact considering I worked at Google and we paid DisplayMate for a positive review on Pixel.
Wait. Your "proof" that Apple does something is that Google does it? Not sure you know how evidence works.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
themanofsteeel Avatar
61 months ago
A DisplayMate review is completely irrelevant. Apple pays DisplayMate for a glowing review. I know this for a fact considering I worked at Google and we paid DisplayMate for a positive review on Pixel.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
61 months ago
But there’s no 120 Hz so it’s just useless.
Throw it away, get rid of it, one of the worst screens I’ve ever seen.
Tim Crook and his worthless little minions, not giving me what I want when I want it and how I want it.
/S
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
csalm87 Avatar
61 months ago

A DisplayMate review is completely irrelevant. Apple pays DisplayMate for a glowing review. I know this for a fact considering I worked at Google and we paid DisplayMate for a positive review on Pixel.
lol so because Google paid them it means Apple does too?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Refurbished_ Avatar
61 months ago

MR members say otherwise... ;)

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/yellow-screen-tint-display-seem-warm-check-here-first.2262691/
I heavily prefer my XS Max’s screen.

All of the display 12’s had yellow tinted screens at the T-Mobile store I returned my phone to.

BTW, I calibrate my TVs with ISF calibration. I care about calibration. The 12 Pro looked yellow compared to my TVs and iMac, which all have calibrated screens.

Since then I have returned my 12 Pro, with one of the reasons being the yellow screen. The XS Max has much more pop and better white balance. Glad to be home, sorry I abandoned you XS Max.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)