Should I buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max?
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent low light photography performance | Big and bulky |
| Ultra smooth 120Hz refresh rate | Relatively slow charging |
| Incredible battery life | Movie mode is limited to 1080p |
| A15 Bionic undefeated | Expensive |
Our decision
The iPhone 13 Pro Max offers the best battery of any iPhone to date, but the lack of differences between it and the more affordable iPhone 13 Pro, including ProMotion technology and advanced cameras, makes it difficult to recommend to many.
When considering the price
$1,099 (128GB), $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB)
Full review of Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the culmination of Apple‘s work over the past few years and offers the fastest display and best battery life to date. However, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is also the most expensive iPhone currently available, and unlike last year’s improvements, this year’s Pro Max is unique.
With that in mind, is it worth paying extra for a bigger screen and longer battery life, or should you save a little money and go for an iPhone 13 Pro with the same capabilities? Read on to find out.
Design and build
- It is slightly thicker and heavier than its predecessor
- 20% smaller Face ID notch
- New color coatings
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the largest in the iPhone 13 series in terms of both screen size and overall weight, and even the transition from the iPhone 12 Pro to the 13 Pro Max is noteworthy. It’s something you set up very quickly, but when I first got my smartphone, I didn’t expect it to be a very difficult experience.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not an amazing set piece, but if you like the industrial look of the iPhone 12 series for the first time, you’ll love the iPhone 13 Pro Max because it’s basically the same as the iPhone 13 Pro Max. the same stainless steel frames, frosted glass back and edge display, protected by the same IP68 dust and water resistance as the previous model, and ceramic shield technology on the front.
It’s a bit thicker and heavier at 7.7mm and 240g, probably due to the increased battery capacity later, and the camera bubble comes out more than usual, but considering that most people will put the box in the smartphone right away, probably. , is yours. Not for nothing. I will notice
The biggest change compared to its predecessor is in the notch department, it still exists, but this time it is 20% smaller. Hardcore Apple fans will appreciate the size reduction, which doesn’t affect Face ID performance, but they won’t notice it when most people aren’t around.
Unfortunately, Apple has done nothing with the same clock alarm and notification signs as previous smartphones, with additional screen space simply centered on either side of the notch.
Before you ask, Apple, as mentioned, did not re-introduce Touch ID along with Face ID. Given our reliance on technology, especially face masks and the struggle with Face ID, the built-in power button on the iPad Air and iPad mini is a bit embarrassing. Recognizing the faces and considering that this is a feature of most Android contests, let’s leave the Apple choice to us.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is also available in updated Gold along with regular Silver and Graphite, and the new Sierra Blue, available for review, has new color options to help set it apart from its predecessor. Another addition came in March 2022 with the introduction of Alpine Green
The new blue is lighter and lighter than the Pacific shade of the 12 Pro series compared to the more vibrant blue found on the standard iPhone 13, and is complemented by a matching blue stainless steel strap that covers the edges of the smartphone and cameras. clean appearance
Display
- Live 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
- 120Hz ProMotion is an excellent addition
- Improved refresh rate does not affect battery life
For most Apple fans, the screen will be the main reason to switch to this year’s iPhone. Why? Finally, high update speed as it offers one of the most required features
The entire iPhone 13 series features Apple’s high-quality Super Retina XDR OLED displays with excellent color and detail support for HDR and True Tone and more, while Apple’s 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max and smaller 6.1-inch Pro offers 120Hz ProMotion technology.
Although part of the iPad Pro series since 2017, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are the first iPhones to offer a smooth 120Hz update frequency. higher frame rates in programs and games
It’s hard for some to notice, but it’s a joy for technology enthusiasts who can fully appreciate the 60Hz to 120Hz transition. Everything on the iPhone 13 Pro Max feels more sensitive than ever when playing Star Trek Legends or just looking at my Twitter schedule, and how much I get used to quickly
Now I’ve set it to a higher refresh rate, the iPad mini’s 60Hz display, which I only praised weeks ago, looks a bit slow now, even though it has the same A15 Bionic.
Of course, a higher refresh rate means more battery consumption; therefore, Apple has chosen an LTPO display that can be dynamically adjusted between 10 and 120 Hz if needed. It will increase speed when it detects you are slipping, and this is most likely a factor in the excellent battery life found in this year’s model, but more on that later.
It’s not as capable of some Android as the premium Oppo Find X3 Pro, which can reduce the effective 1Hz frequency for better battery efficiency, and you can’t connect the screen to a certain update frequency, but it’s still a nice change. The iPhone significantly improves the screen experience
Aside from ProMotion, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a brighter screen than its predecessor with an impressive peak brightness of 1600nits when looking at HDR content, although as I found out during testing, it drops to a respectable 830nit during daily use.
Simply put, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a solid choice if you’re on the market for a large display with great colors with detailed image size and high refresh rates that are perfect for gaming.
Features and performance
- A15 Bionic undefeated
- New 1TB memory option for videographers
- Frequent iOS updates
Another iPhone means another chipset developed by Apple, and the 5nm A15 Bionic, which is at the heart of the iPhone 13 Pro Max this year, certainly doesn’t disappoint.
In terms of sheer power, the iPhone 13 Pro Max‘s A15 Bionic is incredible compared to even the highest-end Android smartphones, and as our Geekbench 5 tests show, some of our benchmark results outperform most of the competition. , especially in the CPU department.
As you can see from the GFXBench results, there is a caveat, iOS apps need to be manually updated to support faster 120Hz refresh rates, meaning our benchmark results are currently limited to 60 frames / s, although we can provide more frames to focus on. 120Hz for update and repeat tests if available
Of course, the criteria are just numbers, and it doesn’t really tell you how your smartphone works on a daily basis. . Exporting iPhone 13 Pro Max to mobile or iMovie in the highest graphics settings of the video, no matter what I throw, never stuttered in general use.
The increase in machine learning capabilities also means that smart tasks like adjusting the focus in the iPhone 13’s Kinematic mode, which I’ll discuss later, are almost instantaneous and more accurate than ever.
Simply put, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has enough power and speed to last a few years under the hood, and has yet to fail standard tests.
Along with the 128GB, 256GB and 512GB options, there is also a significant increase in internal memory with the new 1TB memory option available. While most iPhone users, especially those using iCloud, value the 128GB model, the 1TB model will definitely be useful. Those who want to use the phone’s high-end cameras to record Apple ProRes video in 4K
In terms of connectivity, you can find 5G, although support varies depending on the market. For example, the faster mmWave 5G technology typical of the United States is covered by NFC for Apple Pay Advanced My Technology tap Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-6
There is also the iOS experience to consider. The iPhone 13 Pro Max takes iOS 15 out of the box with major improvements, including major notifications to the notification system and the introduction of Focus modes.
Focus mode allows you to create different profiles for tasks, such as personal sleep time, and monitor not only incoming notifications and calls, but also the display of the iPhone’s home screens. do it on iOS 15
Features like this, along with Apple’s unbeatable ecosystem, mean that the iPhone will play very well with products like the iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Mac, and Apple TV that make the iOS experience the way it is. All in all, it’s business as usual for iPhone users, and although Android conversions take some time to set up, there’s not much to dislike.
There is also the benefit of software updates; While Android competition is finally improving on this front, with some manufacturers promising 3 years of OS updates, it’s still a long way off from the support Apple offers. Take iOS 15 for example: a smartphone released in 2015 is available on the iPhone 6S
If software longevity is important to you, then iOS is the way forward
Camera
- Excellent daily performance
- The low-light focus camera improvements were remarkable
- Cinema Mode is a lot of fun
While the entire iPhone 13 series benefits from the OIS sensor replacement introduced in the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year, there are other advantages that make the iPhone 13 Pro Max‘s rear-facing triple-camera installation one of the best on the market right now.
Starting with the main wide camera, the 12Mp snapper has the largest sensor ever installed on the iPhone, combined with a faster f/1.5 aperture to dramatically improve the amount of light received in any shot.
Not surprisingly, in normal lighting, the iPhone can create stunningly detailed photos, but that’s the way it is with almost any flagship right now. This is where the low light performance and iPhone 13 Pro can change dramatically. Max comes forward.
Regardless of the model, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is able to emit more light from the stage without the need for a tripod, although a lot of grain is visible, which is a factor in most low light modes. describe in more detail. In fact, in some scenarios, the iPhone took more pictures than I could see with the naked eye.
It’s not the perfect night mode with particularly bright spots like the nearby street lights, but it’s something Apple could replace with future OS updates.
Similarly, the 12Mp 120-degree ultra-wide sensor has been improved to improve low light performance with an impressive jump from f / 2.4 to f / 1.8, making it one of the widest apertures in the ultra-wide range currently in use. any smartphone ..
As with the main sensor, excellent light photography is amazing with Apple’s anti-distortion technology, eliminating most of the distortion found on most ultra-wide cameras, especially in wide-angle shots, but it’s the faint light that sees the real benefit.
If you have a tripod, you are able to create low-light images that can stand on an ultrawide main lens, but without OIS, if you just hold the phone, this task is not entirely appropriate. Since Apple introduced this technology in an ultra-wide sensor, this time there is more light around making Night Mode an affordable choice on an ultra-wide screen.
This is not the only change to increase the number of cameras instead of adding a special macro lens, as in cheap Android smartphones. Apple has decided to cook this feature in an ultra-wide lens.
While macro lenses can sometimes be a little tricky, they are surprisingly good on the iPhone 13 Pro Max as long as you frame the shot correctly. You need to be at least 2 cm away from the object to focus and usually fight. The shadows caused by the phone have only great macro photo potential due to the lighting conditions
The only real concern is that Apple’s logic in the game only works, there is no special macro mode switch in the Camera app. blurred animation that hides the camera button
Apple has added a switch to turn off automatic macro mode in iOS 15.1, but it still doesn’t include a manual switch in place. macro mode is actually enabled Multi-user interface optimization still needs to be done, but these can be easily fixed
Finally, the telephoto lens was raised from 2.5x to 3x. While not as obvious as jumping 2x to 3x on the iPhone 13 Pro, the longer zoom distance is great for shooting distant objects and allows you to zoom in without moving.
However, there is a downside to using Portrait mode, which is the main purpose of a telephoto lens. The additional magnification offered by the 3x lens means that you have to move further away from your object to frame it properly, which is not always possible. Environment
With a narrower f / 2.8 aperture than other lenses, it is not as uniform in the low illumination section. This is still possible and has the potential to shoot in well-magnified low light, but is not the same standard as is understood
The iPhone launch event also focused on Photo Styles with five different preset Standard Rich Live Hot and Cool Camera apps that you can instantly switch to give your photos a different feel.
You can show natural shots more intensely with a live filter, and Autumn pictures look great with a Hot Filter, but it’s so annoying that you can’t apply or refine them after shooting. However, by creating your own initial settings, you can give your images a special different look.
But while most of the improvements have focused on photography, Apple hasn’t overlooked another powerful costume – video. This is an area where Apple outperforms its Android rival, offering Dolby Vision HDR shooting at 4K @ 60 frames / s, and from iOS 15.1 on Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro Max with a more limited 1080p @ professional-level Apple ProRes codec. There are 60 frames or 4K @. 30 frames/s.
While ProRes is undoubtedly a big plus for videographers who want to use their iPhone to capture video, the more popular new addition is Cinema Mode. Described as Portrait Mode for a leaked video before release, Cinema Mode offers a fake bokeh effect found in Portrait mode in real time and is completely customizable.
The camera application will do its best to intelligently identify the subject of the shooting identified by the yellow box and blur the background around it. It will shift other focus points on the stage, such as the person in the background and the quick touch focus from one to the other. Otherwise AI is great, but not perfect as a result
The best part is that after shooting the video, you can completely edit its main point. You can do as much as you want, allowing you to get incredible cinematic shots that are ideal not only for social media, but for any creative video.
The only problem is that the iPhone 13 Pro Max is limited to 1080p instead of the full 4K @ 60 frames it can do.
Not to mention the front camera, or the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the same 12Mp f/2.2 snapper, but given the excellent selfie quality and access to features like Slow-motion Night, this is one of the most capable cameras. Adjustable wide-angle mode and movie mode
Battery life and charging
- True multi-day battery life
- 15W MagSafe charging
- Improved wired charging speed, but still not at the Android level
The iPhone’s Pro Max has always had the best battery life in the series, and that certainly applies to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, but it manages to go even further for real delivery all day or even a few days. battery life.
The 4352 mAh battery inside the iPhone 13 Pro Max offers an additional two hours of battery life compared to the 12 Pro Max, according to Apple, and according to our money test, the iPhone 13 Pro Max gained 11 hours and 36 minutes on our battery. work at 120nits in comparison, a big leap from last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max to 9:08
In a real sense, the iPhone 13 Pro Max will probably save you from battery worries you’ve never experienced. Use it all day with about 40% battery left, and if you use your phone less than I do, you can probably squeeze in two days of use from the highest-end iPhone.
It combines a similar story with its predecessor, the same 15W MagSafe charger and 7.5W Qi charger, but supports faster wired charging with the Lightning cable, yes, no, no switch to USB-C up to 27W, keep Apple in the box again . not included, so you need to provide a USB-C plug with at least 27 watts to get the most out of the charging system.
If you can get a charger strong enough to take advantage of the 27W charging capacity, expect the iPhone 13 Pro Max to gain 22% in 15 minutes and 52% in 30 minutes with a full charge in less than 90 minutes.
Price
Despite the starting price, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the most expensive in the iPhone 13 collection and only grows with extra memory. How is the iPhone 13 Pro Max formed?
- iPhone 13 Pro Max (128GB) – £1,049 / $1,099
- iPhone 13 Pro Max (256GB) – £1,149 / $1,199
- iPhone 13 Pro Max (512GB) – £1,349 / $1,399
- iPhone 13 Pro Max (1TB) – £1,549 / $1,599
It costs £ 100 / $ 100 more than the iPhone 13 Pro, and unlike last year, the Pro Max doesn’t offer any unique upgrades other than a larger screen and better battery life. So, if you can handle a slightly smaller iPhone, the iPhone 13 Pro offers the best bang for your buck considering the premium features it offers.
If you can’t stand the iPhone 13 Pro Max‘s big screen or long battery life, it can be purchased from Apple Amazon and more, and includes the latest Alpine Green.
If you’re wondering how the iPhone 13 Pro Max compares to other flagships like the Galaxy S21 Ultra and OnePlus 9 Pro, take a look at our best flagship phone options or our best iPhone charts to see how it compares to others. range
Decision
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is without a doubt the biggest and best iPhone. The 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display and improved 120 Hz refresh rate offer significant improvements over the iPhone 12 Pro Max and its flagship A15 Bionic, and the base A15 Bionic is unmatched in terms of comparable results. Whatever you throw at this phone, whatever. challenging game or instant video editing
The f / 1.5 aperture of the main lens and the larger sensor combined with the sensor-modified OIS provide incredible low-light photos that can be compared to those taken on high-end Android smartphones. and a similar story with well-lit images. The introduction of ProRes video recording is a blessing for professionals, but for many it will steal the Cinematic Mode show.
Battery life is another area where the iPhone 13 Pro Max is perfect, and for the first time in iPhone history, it’s multi-day battery life.
However, is this the iPhone we would recommend to most people? Probably not. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is a larger phone that is thicker and thicker than the iPhone 12 Pro Max and has a fairly wide 19.5: 9 aspect ratio by Android standards. The ratio that makes the iPhone 13 Pro difficult to use with one hand
This means that while the iPhone 13 Pro offers the same major upgrades as the Pro Max at a £ 100 / $ 100 discount, it’s hard to say whether the iPhone 13 Pro Max will appeal to your iPhone. like me and love the big screen and long battery life, something to definitely consider
