iPhone 11 Pro Max Outperforms Competing Smartphones to Earn DisplayMate's Highest Ever A+ Grade

Apple's new iPhone 11 Pro Max has earned display testing and calibration firm DisplayMate's "highest ever A+ grade" for providing "considerably better display performance than other competing smartphones."

iphone 11 pro display
DisplayMate tested the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display and found "major" performance improvements compared to the iPhone XS Max's display, including increased peak brightness, improved absolute color accuracy, and slightly lower screen reflectance, all while being up to 15 percent more power efficient.

DisplayMate:

The iPhone 11 Pro Max is a Very Impressive Top Tier Smartphone Display

Apple has continued to raise the on-screen Absolute Picture Quality and Absolute Color Accuracy of their displays by implementing Precision Factory Display Calibration, moving the overall iPhone 11 Pro Max display performance up to Record Setting Outstanding levels, and setting or matching many Display Performance Records, including Absolute Color Accuracy at a very impressive 0.9 JNCD that is Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect, and almost certainly considerably better than your existing Smartphone, 4K UHD TV, Tablet, Laptop and computer monitor.

The iPhone 11 Pro Max also has a Record Full Screen Peak Brightness of 770 nits, and 820 nits for the typical Average Picture Level of 50%, which is roughly double of most high-end Smartphones. Compared to the iPhone XS Max, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a number of notable improvements including 17% higher Full Screen Peak Brightness and up to 15% higher Display Power Efficiency.

Read the full DisplayMate article for in-depth analysis of the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display and the methodology behind its testing.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...

Top Rated Comments

Pepe4life Avatar
83 months ago
But macrumors forum users tell me the screen is piss yellow and I need to return the phone 20x to get a perfect one???
Score: 70 Votes (Like | Disagree)
benshive Avatar
83 months ago
Wow Apple really has gone downhill under Cook. If Jobs was still CEO it would have scored a A++++ :(
/s
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Maclver Avatar
83 months ago

Imagine the score if a chunk of the screen wasn’t missing.
Ohhh. FFS give up on the notch... you act like it's half the display......
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rosegoldoli Avatar
83 months ago
cant wait to see how the negative nancys spin this to their favor on how iphones are doomed
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baymowe335 Avatar
83 months ago

So predictable.

“The new iPhone has the best camera, cpu, gpu, display, <insert component name> that we have ever measured”.

Rinse repeat.
It needs to be repeated because many people around here claim the iPhone is "behind the times" and particularly behind in hardware.

Reality is the iPhone (particularly the Pro) has a world class screen, among the best cameras, best video, best silicon, and best GPU.

The software is also miles ahead in security, support, and privacy with an ecosystem unmatched by any competitor.

The iPhone is the clear leader for these reasons.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baymowe335 Avatar
83 months ago
I thought iPhones were behind in hardware?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)