iPhone 13 Pro Max review

Our Decision

The iPhone 13 Pro Max offers the best battery of any iPhone to date, but the lack of differences with the more affordable iPhone 13 Pro, including ProMotion technology and advanced cameras, makes it hard to recommend to most users.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max full research

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the culmination of Apple’s work over the past few years and offers the largest, fastest display and best battery life of any iPhone to date. However, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is also the most expensive iPhone currently available, and unlike last year, there are no improvements for this year’s Pro Max.

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 equally capable iPhone 13 Pro? Read on to find out

Design

Slightly thicker and heavier than its predecessor, the Face ID notch is 20% smaller. During the next 13 Pro Max so make a difference. is done. It’s something you can set up pretty quickly, but I didn’t expect such a difficult experience when I first got my smartphone.

Still, that doesn’t mean it’s not an amazing piece; If you like the industrial look of the iPhone 12 series for the first time, you will like the iPhone 13 Pro Max because it is basically the same. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has the same stainless steel frame as its predecessor, frosted glass back and side-to-side screen. It is also protected by the same IP68 dust and water resistance and front-facing ceramic shield technology.

It’s a bit thicker and heavier at 7.7mm and 240g, respectively, which is probably due to the increase in battery capacity – more on that later – and the camera shell also comes out more than usual, but most people’s smartphone case considering that it will put. received immediately, is probably not something you will notice

The main change compared to its predecessor is in the notch section; There are still, but this time 20% smaller. Hardcore Apple fans will appreciate the size reduction, which doesn’t affect Face ID performance, but most people won’t notice it unless they’re side by side.

Unfortunately, Apple didn’t do anything with the extra screen space on either side of the notch, with previous smartphones, as well as signal and notification icons, it was just centralized.

Before you ask, no, Apple has not re-introduced Touch ID along with Face ID as advertised. Considering that the technology is included in the power button of the iPad Air and iPad mini, it’s a bit embarrassing, especially considering that face masks and Face ID have difficulty recognizing faces, and that’s a feature of most Android. competition too. Come on Apple, leave us the choice

The iPhone 13 Pro Max also has new color options that help it stand out from its predecessor; Available in Ordinary Silver and Graphite, an updated Gold Cover and new Sierra Blue colors for review. Another addition came in March 2022 with the launch of the Alpine Green Cover.

The new blue is lighter than the more vibrant blue found on the standard iPhone 13, and brighter than the Pacific color of the 12 Pro series, complete with a matching blue stainless steel strap that covers the edges of the smartphone and cameras. for a clean look

Display

Live 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display 120Hz ProMotion is an excellent addition. Improved refresh rate will not affect battery life For most Apple fans, the display will be the main reason to improve this year’s iPhone. Why? Finally, to introduce one of the most required features: high refresh rate

All iPhone 13 series feature Apple’s superior color and detail Super Retina XDR OLED displays, HDR and True Tone support, etc., while the 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max (and smaller 6.1-inch Pro) Introduce inch Pro Hz 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 refresh rate. For the uninitiated, a higher refresh rate allows the screen to be updated more frequently to ensure smoother sliding in apps and higher frame rates in games.

While it’s hard for some to notice, it’s a pleasure for technology enthusiasts who can fully appreciate the bounce from 60 Hz to 120 Hz. Everything on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, whether it’s Star Trek: Legends, or just looking at my Twitter chart, responds faster than ever, and I’m amazed at how quickly I get used to it.

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 when needed. When the screen is static, for example, when reading text, it will switch to a lower refresh rate and increase its speed when it detects a slip, which is probably a factor in the excellent battery life found in this year’s model – but more so later.

Not as capable as some Android, likes of the premium Oppo Find X3 Pro can lower the effective 1Hz for better battery efficiency, and you can’t lock the screen to a certain refresh rate, but it’s still a nice change that greatly improves. iPhone screen experience

Aside from ProMotion, the iPhone 13 Pro has a brighter screen than its predecessor, with an impressive peak brightness of 1,600 nits when looking at HDR content, but as I found out during the test, it drops to (respectable) 830 nits in daily use.

Simply put, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a solid choice if you’re looking for a large screen with detailed image size, beautiful colors, and a high refresh rate that’s perfect for gaming.

Features and performance

An incredible new 1TB memory option for videographers, the A15 Bionic Frequent iOS Updates Another iPhone means a chipset developed by another 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 transparent power, the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s A15 Bionic is incredible compared to even the highest-end Android smartphones – and some of our benchmark results outperform most of its competitors, especially the CPU department. Geekbench shows 5 tests

However, there is a caveat: as you can see from the GFXBench results, iOS apps need to be updated manually to support faster 120Hz refresh rates, which means that while we can show more frames, our benchmark results are currently limited to 60 frames / second. I will look for a 120Hz update and run the tests again if it is available.

Of course, the criteria are just numbers, and this does not mean that the smartphone actually works on a daily basis. Given Apple’s control over both hardware and software, you should expect lightning-fast experience no matter what you’re doing, whether you’re running Call of Duty Mobile at the highest graphics settings or exporting video to iMovie. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, no matter what I threw, never stuttered in public use.

The increase in machine learning capabilities means that smart tasks like adjusting the focus in the Kinematic mode of the iPhone 13 (which I’ll discuss later) are almost instantaneous and more accurate than ever.

Simply put, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is fast, has enough power to last several years under the hood, and has yet to fail benchmark tests.

There is a significant increase in internal memory with 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB options, as well as a new 1 TB memory option. While most iPhone users – especially those using iCloud – will be happy with the 128GB model, the 1TB model will no doubt be useful for those who want to use the phone’s high-end cameras to record Apple ProRes videos in 4K.

In terms of connectivity, you can find 5G with variable support depending on the market. For example, faster mmWave 5G technology is still exclusive to the United States. It is covered by NFC for Apple Pay, Ultra Broadband technology, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 for advanced Tap My technology.

There is also the iOS experience to consider. The iPhone 13 Pro Max takes iOS 15 out of the box and has major improvements, including major improvements to the notification system and the introduction of Focus Modes.

Focus mode allows you to create different profiles for tasks such as work, sleep, personal time, and control not only incoming notifications and calls, but also which iPhone’s main screens are displayed. Want a Home Screen mode that is devoid of social media and gaming apps? It’s easy to do in iOS 15

Features like this, along with Apple’s invincible ecosystem, mean that the iPhone will play very well with products that offer iOS, such as the iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Mac and Apple TV. All in all, this is a job for iPhone users as always, and while setting up Android conversions takes some time, there isn’t much to dislike.

There are also benefits to software updates; While Android competition has finally improved on this front, some manufacturers are promising 3-year OS updates, still far from the support offered by Apple. Take iOS 15, for example: it is available on the iPhone 6S, released in 2015. Also, the Samsung Galaxy S6, released in 2015, did not even upgrade to Android 8, let alone this year’s Android 12.

If software longevity is important to you, iOS is the way forward

Camera

Excellent daily performance Low-light focus camera improvements have been remarkable Movie mode is a lot of fun While the entire iPhone 13 series benefits from OIS, the sensor change introduced in the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year, there are other advantages that define the iPhone. separate The 13 Pro Max’s triple rear camera unit is currently one of the best on the market

Let’s start 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.

It should come as no surprise that in normal lighting, the iPhone can take amazing photos in great detail, but this is true for almost any flagship right now. It’s a low-light performance that can change drastically, and that’s where the iPhone 13 Pro Max stands out.

Although there is still a lot of grain (which is a factor in most low light modes, regardless of the model), the iPhone 13 Pro Max is able to emit more light from the stage without the need for a tripod. more detailed picture. In fact, in some scenarios, the iPhone took more scenes than I could see with the naked eye.

It’s not the perfect night mode to see particularly bright spots, such as nearby street lights, but it’s something Apple could replace with future OS updates.

Similarly, the 12Mp 120-degree ultra-wide sensor has been upgraded to improve performance in low light with an impressive jump from f / 2.4 to f / 1.8, making it one of the widest ranges in the ultra-wide range currently in use. brought to any smartphone.

As with the main sensor, photos in excellent light are amazing, as Apple’s anti-distortion technology eliminates most of the distortions found in most ultra-wide cameras, especially in wide-angle shots, but the main advantage is low light.

If you have a tripod in your hand, you can create low-light images that can stand against an ultra-wide main lens, but without OIS, if you just hold the phone, the task is not entirely appropriate. Still, even in shorter exposures, there is more light this time around, making it an affordable choice for ultra-wide Night mode for the first time since Apple introduced the technology in an ultra-wide sensor.

This is not the only change; Instead of adding a custom macro lens and increasing the number of cameras, as with cheap Android smartphones, Apple has decided to turn on functionality in the 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 subject to focus, and you usually have to deal with the shadows created by the phone, depending on the lighting conditions, but it has great macro photographic potential.

The only real concern is that in the game with Apple’s “just works” mentality, there is no special macro mode switch in the Camera app. Instead, the iPhone decides you’re close enough to the subject to activate macro mode – and this happens very often with annoying blurry animations that hide 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. Instead, you should switch to an ultra-wide lens and approach your object without an icon to indicate that the macro mode is indeed active. There are still many UI optimizations to see, but these can be easily fixed

Finally, the telephoto lens was increased 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 depending on the environment.

As it has a narrower f / 2.8 aperture than other lenses, it is also not fully compatible in the low light section. This is still possible and has the potential to shoot well-magnified low-light shots, but (understandably) not to the same standard.

The iPhone presentation also focused on Photo Styles; The camera app now includes five different initial settings – Standard, Rich Contrast, Live, Warm and Cool – instantly switching between them to give your photos a different feel.

You can show natural shots more intensely with a live filter, and Autumn photos 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 unique look.

But while most of the improvements have been focused on photography, Apple hasn’t overlooked another powerful costume – video. This is an area where Apple outperforms Android’s competition, offering Dolby Vision HDR shooting at 4K @ 60fps and more limited 1080p @ 60fps or 4K @ 30fps from iOS 15.1.

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 video during a pre-broadcast leak, Cinematic Mode offers a real-time fake bokeh effect found in Portrait mode and is fully adjustable.

The camera program will do its best to intelligently identify the shooting object identified by the yellow box and blur the background around it. It will analyze other focal points on the stage, such as the person in the background, and quickly shift the focus from one to the other. What if the focus is not entirely correct? 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. It is also very easy to do; Simply pause the video you want to change focus on and click on the area you want to change the focus. You can do it as much as you want, allowing you to get incredible cinematic-like shots that are ideal not only for social media, but for any creative video.

The only dealbreaker is that captured is limited to 1080p, rather than the full 4K@60fps the iPhone 13 Pro Max is capable of

Let’s not forget the front camera; It’s still the same 12Mp f / 2.2 snapper as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but it’s one of the best considering its excellent selfie quality and access to features like adjustable wide-angle Slow Motion, Night Mode, and Movie Mode. talented

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 Pro version of the iPhone always has the best battery life, and this, of course, applies to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, but it goes even further and has a full day (or even a few days of use) battery life.

According to Apple, the 4352 mAh battery inside the iPhone 13 Pro Max offers two hours more battery life than the 12 Pro Max, and in our tests, it’s worth the money. A big leap over last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max at 9:08 a.m., the iPhone 13 Pro Max won 11 hours and 36 minutes in our 120-bit battery test.

In a real sense, the iPhone 13 Pro Max will probably save you from battery worries you’ve never experienced. I didn’t have to worry about long FaceTime conversations, mobile game sessions, or surfing on TikTok away from the charger, about 40% battery left, and if you use your phone less than I did, it allowed me to spend the whole day comfortably. . , you will probably be able to get a two-day use of the highest level iPhone.

This is combined with a MagSafe charger rated at the same 15 watts as the previous model, and this is a similar story with the 7.5 W Qi charger, but it supports faster wired charging via the Lightning cable (yes, no USB-C switch!) Up to 27W. to catch? Again, Apple does not include a charger in the box, so you will need at least a 27-watt USB-C plug to get the most out of the charger.

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

Even at the starting price, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the most expensive model in the iPhone 13 collection, only growing with additional memory. Here’s how the iPhone 13 Pro Max is formed

• iPhone 13 Pro Max (128 GB) – 1,049 £ / 1,099 $
• iPhone 13 Pro Max (256 GB) – 1,149 £ / 1,199 $
• iPhone 13 Pro Max (512 GB) – 1,349 £ / 1,399 $
• iPhone 13 Pro Max (1 TB) – 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 resist the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s big screen or long battery life, it can be obtained from Apple, Amazon and other products – and this includes the latest Alpine Green finish.

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 graphics. the rest of the 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 120Hz refresh rate offer significant improvements over the iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the A15 Bionic benchmark in its main body is unrivaled in results. Whatever you throw at this phone, whether it’s a hard game or instant video editing, it can handle it.

There are also significant camera improvements, especially in the low-light section. The f / 1.5 aperture of the main lens and the larger sensor combined with the sensor-modified OIS provide incredible low-light photos comparable to those taken on high-end Android smartphones, and this is a story similar to well-lit images. more. The introduction of ProRes video recording is a boon for professionals, but for many it is a cinematic mode that will steal the show.

Battery life is another area where the iPhone 13 Pro Max is superior, and for the first time in iPhone history, it boasts a true multi-day battery life. Charging is still slow compared to Android’s competition, but it’s respectable at 27W

However, is this the iPhone we would recommend to most people? Probably not. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is a large phone with a much wider thickness and thickness than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which makes it difficult to use a single phone, combined with a fairly wide (compared to Android standards) 19.5: 9 aspect ratio. Delivered more than iPhone 13 Pro

In addition, while the iPhone 13 Pro offers the same major upgrades as the Pro Max with a £ 100 / $ 100 discount, it’s hard to say that the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the iPhone you should go for. But if you’re like me and love the big screen and long battery life, this is something to consider.