Back in 2019, aside from the US and Huawei tensions, we’ve made a head-to-head flagship duel between the iPhone 11 Pro Max and Huawei Mate 30 Pro. Fast forward three years after, the two companies met again in a very feature-focused camera showdown.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max (together with its smaller Pro sibling) are just two of the best smartphone cameras in the market right now.

Meanwhile, after two years, Huawei has decide to bring back something that was already considered “dead” — their Mate line. And just like past Mate smartphones, the Mate 50 Pro is also a big contender in today’s flagship smartphone category.

Camera specs

Huawei Mate 50 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max
Wide 50MP f/1.4-4.0 Dual Variable Aperture
OIS + PDAF + Laser AF		 48MP f/1.78
Sensor-Shift OIS + Dual-Pixel PDAF
Ultra-Wide 13MP f/2.2 120º 12MP f/2.2 120º
Telephoto 64MP f/3.5
3.5x optical zoom
100x digital zoom
OIS		 12MP f/2.8
3x optical zoom
15x digital zoom
Selfie 13MP f/2.4 + ToF 3D Depth 12MP f/1.9
Others LED Flash
Up to 4K/60fps		 Dual-LED Dual-Tone Flash
Up to 4K/60fps
Cinematic Mode 4K
LiDAR Scanner

While there are many differences between the imaging system of these two smartphones, they are close enough to be considered direct rivals of one another. Ultra-wide cameras that seem too similar, main sensors and selfie cameras that are close enough in megapixel count.

But what makes the Mate 50 Pro stand out at least on paper? If you’re still not aware, the new Mate features an “Ultra-Aperture Camera” with a dual variable aperture system that switches between f/1.4 to f/4.0. Other than that, it offers a revolutionary periscope telephoto lens with a zoom range between 3.5x up to 100x.

For the iPhone, it’s got a nifty LiDAR scanner with a dual-LED dual-tone flash, as well as its ever-stable Sensor-Shift OIS and 4K Cinematic Mode. And oh, did I mention that Apple added a 2x crop zoom based on the large 48MP sensor?

But just like what we always say in this website, numbers and tech specs aren’t everything. We’re here to show you how the cameras of these phones perform IRL by comparing photo samples side-by-side through this camera shootout test.

Wide

The megapixel count between these two phones is a close call: 48MP vs 50MP. But what really sets one apart from the other?

As previously emphasized, the Mate 50 Pro highlights a dual-variable aperture system between f/1.4 to f/4.0 (versus iPhone 14 Pro Max’s f/1.78). But does it really offer anything significant in terms of photo quality?

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13A (Portrait OFF)

#13B (Portrait ON)

#14

#15

Ultra-wide

Offering the same 120-degree FoV (Field of View) and f/2.2 aperture, do we really expect anything grand between these two?

#16

#17

#18A

Telephoto

The major difference has got to be the telephoto lenses of these two smartphones.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max offers a measly 12MP f/2.8 that can zoom between 3x to 15x. However, the Mate 50 Pro is just miles ahead with its 64MP f/3.5 periscope telephoto lens can zoom between 3.5x to 100x. But what does it really tell in photo quality?

#18B (3.5x zoom)

#19A (3.5x zoom)

#19B (10x zoom)

#19C (10x zoom)

#20 (3.5x zoom)

#21 (3.5x zoom)

Night Mode

While iPhones aren’t the best when it comes to night time smartphone photography, it can still shoot Night Mode photos ever since the iPhone 11 release.

Concurrently, Huawei highlights its “Super Night Mode” capabilities thanks to its new Ultra Aperture Camera, RYYB Sensor, and XD Fusion Pro image engine.

#22 (Wide)

#23 (Wide)

#24 (Ultra-wide)

#25 (Wide)

#26 (Ultra-wide)

#27A (Wide)

#27B (Ultra-wide)

#28 (3.5x zoom)

#29A (Wide)

#29B (3.5x zoom)

#30 (10x zoom)

BONUS: Selfie

The iPhone 14 Pro Max features an all-new 12MP f/1.9 selfie camera with autofocus capabilities. Meanwhile. the Huawei Mate 50 Pro offers a 13MP f/2.4 with an additional ToF 3D depth sensor.

Results

A lot of you might have been confused or tricked but here are the corresponding photos for each phone:

Photo A – Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Photo B – iPhone 14 Pro Max

Conclusion

Both phones showed decent amounts of highlights, shadows, contrast, sharpness, and an overall desirable High Dynamic Range. What sets these two phones apart from each other though is how each phone identifies AWB (Auto White Balance).

Having to use the Huawei P50 Pro during the early months of 2022 (and even compared it against the iPhone 13 Pro Max), I was expecting that the Mate 50 Pro would perform the same way as P50 Pro: having warm photos all throughout the board.

The (literally) cooler photos tell otherwise. In some instances, the Mate 50 Pro took “warmer shots” based on how its AI mode processed photos such as in indoor wide shots #4 / #8 / #9 / #12 and outdoor UWA photos #16 and #17. However, the same thing cannot be said in night mode. They all resulted to warmer shots versus the iPhone.

Not that it’s a bad thing as I actually prefer them over the iPhone. Having an eyesight that is clear enough than the rest of the population, I can tell that what the Mate 50 Pro is closer to reality than what the iPhone 14 Pro Max offered. Specifically in shots #23 and #28, it was able to preserve a decent amount of highlights instead of blowing them out. Most of all, the shots on the Mate 50 Pro are more lifelike / vivid.

The Mate 50 Pro shines the most with its prowess in zooming in thanks to its powerful periscope telephoto zoom plus its Super Night Mode capability. It truly excelled in making zoomed and low-light shots into something that’s lively and closer to the naked eye.

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