iPhone 12 Pro Max price in Pakistan in 2025: should you still buy it? 

LAHORE: When Apple dropped the iPhone 12 Pro Max back in October 2020, it was the star of the iPhone 12 lineup. Pakistan didn’t get an official launch, but that didn’t stop it from hitting local shops through legit importers like Mercantile.

If you wanted one with all the PTA taxes sorted, you’d shell out at least Rs237,000 for the 128GB version, Rs258,000 for 256GB, or Rs288,000 for the 512GB model.

Still, plenty of folks in Pakistan went for the non-PTA versions instead. Why? They were a good Rs60,000 to Rs70,000 cheaper. For a lot of buyers, that was worth the hassle of dodging PTA restrictions or sorting out approval later.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max wasn’t just a slight upgrade; it was a whole new vibe compared to the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Apple brought back those sharp, flat edges, giving it that nostalgic iPhone 4 and 5 look, ditching the curvy design of the 11 series. Plus, it rocked a huge 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR screen, bigger than the 6.5 inches on the 11 Pro Max, making it Apple’s chunkiest phone yet at the time.

Inside, the A14 Bionic chip was a beast. Built on a 5nm process, it was faster and sipped less battery than the A13 in the 11 Pro Max. Whether you were gaming, editing photos, or flipping between apps, this thing handled it like a champ.

Oh, and it had 5G. Cool, right? Well, maybe not so much in Pakistan, where we’re still waiting for 5G to actually show up in 2025. Still, it was nice to know the phone was ready for it.

The cameras? Total game-changer. The 12 Pro Max kept the triple-lens setup including wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens, but the main sensor was beefier, pulling in more light for killer low-light shots. Night Mode photos popped like never before. The telephoto lens also got a boost, with 2.5x optical zoom compared to 2x on the older model.

Then there’s the Sensor-Shift stabilisation, which made videos and photos super steady, even if your hands were shaky. And don’t sleep on the LiDAR scanner — it made focusing in low light a breeze and added some cool AR tricks, plus Night Mode portraits that looked unreal.

Durability was another flex. The Ceramic Shield front was supposedly four times tougher against drops, and the IP68 rating meant it could chill underwater up to 6 metres for half an hour. With its stainless-steel frame and frosted glass back, this phone felt like it could take a beating and still look sleek.

Even pushing five years old, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is no slouch. It runs the latest iOS like a dream and still gets Apple’s updates, which is a big deal. If you want a premium iPhone without paying insane flagship prices, this is your guy.

In Pakistan’s used market, you’ll find the 12 Pro Max everywhere. A PTA-approved iPhone 12 Pro Max with decent battery health (80 per cent or better) can go for as low as Rs180,000. Want to save more? Non-PTA versions are floating around for about Rs125,000. Compare that to the new iPhone 16 base model, which starts at a wild Rs317,000 through Mercantile, and the 12 Pro Max feels like a bargain.

The models of the 12 Pro Max currently available in Pakistan in the market and on online platforms come with one physical and one eSIM. But if you want to go old school or use two physical SIMs in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, you can go for the Hong Kong variant, which is also called the dual physical SIM model.

The dual physical models of the iPhone 12 Pro Max are listed for sale at a slightly higher price of Rs210,000 on online platforms, as they can run two physical SIMs.

In short, if you are looking for a good iPhone 12 Pro Max now, you should have a budget of Rs230,000 to find a clean phone with good battery health.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max came out swinging with features that were honestly ahead of their time. Even now, it’s got the performance, cameras, and build quality to keep up with most users’ needs.  

For anyone in Pakistan hunting for a solid iPhone on a budget in 2025, the used 12 Pro Max is a steal. It’s especially great for students or professionals who want a phone that looks good, takes awesome photos, and doesn’t lag when you’re scrolling through TikTok or editing Reels.

Sure, newer iPhones have some extra bells and whistles, but the 12 Pro Max still delivers where it counts. It’s like buying a slightly older luxury car, it’s still got the looks, the power, and the vibe, just without the crazy price tag. 

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