Consumer Reports have ranked iPhone 12 Max Pro as the ‘Best Smartphone of 2021’ in their latest publication.

This list breaks down the best smartphones of the year and surprisingly, the publication names the iPhone 12 Pro Max as the “best iPhone” to buy.

Consumer Reports does not recommend Apple’s highest-ended iPhone for the masses to patronize.

However, the story is different this time around, Consumer Reports have endorsed the new iPhone 12 Max Pro in their publication, ranking it as the best iPhone to buy.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max comes in at $1,099, making it notably more expensive than the $829 iPhone 12.

Consumer Reports says that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has done enough to justify its high price on the market, though it notes the iPhone 12 Pro is also an excellent choice:

“While the 12 Pro Max will cost you $100 more than its smaller sibling, the 12 Pro, it packs in several more hours of battery life, a slightly larger display, and a 2.5x zoom camera that gets you just a hair closer to the action than the 12 Pro’s 2x camera.

On the flip side, the Max version is significantly heavier and can be tough to use one-handed, even for people with long fingers. If you’re wary of bulky phones, you might be happier with the 12 Pro,” Consumer Reports said.

Interestingly, per Consumer Reports rankings for smartphones, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is ranked above the iPhone 12 Pro, at scores of 85 and 84, respectively.

The iPhone 12 mini has a score of 79, while the iPhone 12 is ranked at an overall score of 78.

The story is similar on the Android side of things, where Consumer Reports recommends the high-end Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.

The best “budget phone,” according to the publication, is the $300 OnePlus Nord N10 5G.