Is The iPhone 13 Pro Max Worth It

iPhone 13 Pro Design And Specs

Last year was a big design update for the iPhone, with flat sides, 5G, and MagSafe charging. This years models inherit all of that, changing the design in only minor ways. The most obvious one is the notch on the screen. Its slightly smaller, but only horizontally it still pushes down into what youre looking at to the same degree. Apple also didnt do anything with that extra space at the top, meaning you still cant see your battery percentage without pulling down the control center.

The other design change is that the new iPhones are almost imperceptibly heavier and also thicker across the entire body compared to last years models. But the camera bumps on both phones are significantly bigger, which means that 12 Pro cases are not going to fit on the 13 Pro. I think the tradeoffs are worth it for the improved battery life and camera system.

The design is virtually identical to the iPhone 12 Pro models

The smaller notch on the iPhone 13 Pro Max compared to the 12 Pro Max

Unlike many Android phones with gently curving displays at the edges, Apple does still have a small bezel around the screen. The rails on the edges are glossy stainless steel that pick up fingerprints, the glass on the back is a smooth matte. The front uses Apples Ceramic Shield finish to prevent cracks, and the camera lenses are sapphire. Its a beautiful phone, and I think its a huge step up from the curved sides weve seen on iPhones from the 6 all the way up through the 11.

iPhone 14 Vs iPhone 1: Battery Life

The increases in use time touted in the event correlate with a small-but-welcome upgrade to the battery capacity going up from 3,240mAh to 3,279mAh.

Of course, with the larger 14 Plus comes a far larger battery than that, with an up to 25% increase in longevity over the iPhone 13.

Right now, there is a teardown video of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which shows the battery in it has actually reduced slightly in size, but we’ll have to wait to see the inside of the standard iPhone 14.

iPhone 14 Vs iPhone 1: Design

Whereas the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max benefit from some design tweaks, the standard 14 gives you more of the same. That means an identical display notch to previous generations, very similar dimensions, and that same diagonal camera array layout on the bump.

Of course, one big difference is in the form of a larger iPhone 14 Plus model, which replaces the iPhone mini and provides a big screen mid-range alternative to the Pro Max.

So, its a case of if it aint broke, dont fix it for the aesthetics of the iPhone 14, but after two generations of the same look, we would have hoped for at least some updates maybe the “pill-and-hole” design of the Pro to freshen things up a little.

Dimensions are mostly identical too, with the iPhone 14 measuring in at 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches with a weight of 6.07 ounces same size but slightly lighter than the outgoing iPhone 13 , which means it should fit into your current case.

Obviously, the Max is larger at 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.31 inches, and is heavier too at 7.16 ounces.

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iPhone 13 Pro Max Full Specs

iPhone 13 Pro: Hardware And Design

In terms of hardware and design, the iPhone 13 Pro looks pretty much the same as the iPhone 12 Pro before it, except for two differences: a much larger camera bump and a smaller notch. While the camera modules look very similar, if you have the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro side-by-side, the bigger camera bump is very obvious .

The camera bump may affect some MagSafe accessories due to the larger size.

Also, the phone won’t lay completely flat because of this large camera module, even in most cases. And due to the large size, the fit for certain MagSafe accessories, such as battery packs, may be affected. For example, I often have some issues with my PopSockets MagSafe PopGrip when I use some custom Mickey head-shaped PopTops. Because of the large camera module, the ears of the PopGrip end up obstructing my photos due to the position of the base where you swap out tops. I can only really use circular PopTops with it because of this issue, or I need to rotate my custom Mickey ones so that the ears are out of the way. This is definitely not an issue on the regular iPhone 13 unless using the Ultra-Wide lens.

While the notch is 20% smaller than its predecessor, Apple wastes this space by simply enlarging the text.

The ProMotion display may not be something that everyone notices, but when you do, it’s hard to go back.

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I’m All About Cinematic Mode On The iPhone 13 Pro

All of the iPhones 13 get a new feature called Cinematic mode. It uses the rear cameras or the True Depth camera array to create a 1080p video at 30 frames per second. What makes the video compelling is that everything but your subject is out of focus. The iPhone can even execute a rack focus from one subject to another. The effect is dramatic and impressive.

Like Portrait mode for photos, the feature allows you to change the depth of field. What’s great is the phone can do everything, including choosing who’s in focus and when to change focus. During the recording, you can tap and manually change the focus points and aperture yourself. Or you can do all of that after the fact.

Cinematic mode is a blast to use.

Are Cinematic videos perfect? No, but it’s a blast to use and experiment with. Cinematic mode needs a good amount of light to work best. If conditions are too dark, you’ll get a pop-up prompting you to turn your flash on.

Also, I noticed that fast-moving nonhuman subjects, such as water being poured out of a spout or a shot of espresso being brewed, were hard for Cinematic mode to keep in focus. And when editing a Cinematic mode video, the controls for the focus keyframes are tiny. You can long-press to expand them, but as soon as you let go, it goes back to being small.

Don’t expect Cinematic mode to be your go-to for consistently good-looking videos. It’s a fun-feature but regular video looks better in a majority of situations.

The Battery: An Absolute Beast

When you’re out and about creating content, you don’t want your battery to be at 1% when inspiration strikes. With the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it probably won’t be. This phone has the longest battery life of any iPhone ever, a shocking 18 hours of video playback time in our standard test. That’s two and a half hours longer than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, and three hours longer than the standard iPhone 13. In practice, this means it’s perfectly possible to get two-day battery life here.

You have a range of charging options as well, although they haven’t changed from the iPhone 12. The phone doesn’t come with a power adapter in the box, so you should get a 20W USB-C adapter for fast wired charging. The phone also supports 15W Apple MagSafe wireless charging, and 7.5W Qi wireless charging.

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Is Battery Life A Liability

Battery life could be the iPhone 14 Pros lynchpin. Apples smaller flagship has never been as impressive as the Max model when it comes to battery life, and that hasn’t changed for the iPhone 14 lineup.

The iPhone 14 Pro has a 3,200mAh battery, which is well below the 4,500 to 5,000mAh cells in competing flagships, including the 4,323mAh battery in the 14 Pro Max.

Our test, which involves streaming a YouTube video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to the max, shows the limitations of the 14 Pros battery. It lasted 16 hours, which is the exact same time achieved by the 13 Pro, but well short of the 19 hours we saw from the 14 Pro Max. The Pixel 6 Pro hit 22 hours, for comparison, while the Galaxy S22+ ran for 10 hours.

In practical terms, the phone powered through a full day consistently, with charge to spare. I didnt run into any problems during the test period despite heavy benchmarking and always ended the day at 25% or higher. Your results will vary based on multiple factors, including screen brightness and screen-on time, radio use, and more. I wouldn’t say that battery life is necessarily an issue with the 14 Proit simply falls well short of what you get with the 14 Pro Max.

Wireless charging is no faster than 15W, and only then with a MagSafe-compatible wireless charger. Typical Qi-based wireless chargers can power the iPhone 14 Pro at a maximum rate of 7.5W, which is fairly slow.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Specs

Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro suffers a bit from middle child syndrome. Its a clear step up in features and performance from the standard iPhone 14 , but its not quite as flashy as the larger Pro Max . Fortunately, the more compact Pro is every bit as powerful as the Pro Max with one exception: battery life. But the trade off in longevity is usability. Where the massive Pro Max might simply be too much phone for some people, the Pro is more hand and pocket friendlyin addition to being $100 less. Ultimately, we give the Pro Max our Editors’ Choice award for its longer battery life, but the Pro is otherwise just as capable, and a worthy alternative if you prefer a smaller phone.

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Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Review: Verdict

The iPhone 13 Pro Max isnt a huge upgrade over its predecessor. Its an iterative update that keeps it abreast of the competition at the high end of the smartphone market, and it will keep Apple fans satisfied, especially those who are upgrading from an iPhone 11 Pro Max.

And although the improvements are small, Apple must be applauded for making those small improvements in pretty much all the most important areas, with faster performance, a brighter, smoother display, superior cameras and longer battery life than the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The big question is, do you buy this phone or the regular iPhone 13 Pro in 2021? My answer to that question is that, for most people, the iPhone 13 Pro is the Apple smartphone to buy this year. However, if you absolutely must have the best battery life and a bigger screen, then you should consider paying £100 more.

iPhone 13 Updates List

• iPhone 13 gets trickle-down updates from iPhone 12 Pro it now runs the same 12-megapixel lens with an f/1.6 aperture as 2020s iPhone 12 Pro. The iPhone 13s new ultrawide camera also has a faster f/2.4 lens and 120-degree field of view, as well as sensor-shift stabilization technology.
• All iPhone 13 models feature Cinematic Mode this technology will automatically transition focus in real-time which will make all the phones in the range better for shooting video. Apple used a parody of Knives Out to demonstrate how Cinematic Mode works.
• The iPhone 13 range features a smaller notch. The notch on the iPhone 13 is 20% smaller than it was before.
• iPhone 13 has better 5G performance than the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13s connection to 5G networks is faster, according to Apple, and it will support more than 200 carriers in over 60 countries by the end of 2021.
• The iPhone 13 features Apples new A15 CPU. Apple says the new A15 chipset, while still a 5nm SoC, is 50% faster than its nearest competitor , although these claims have not been tested yet.
• The A15 chipset features two new high-performance cores and four new high-efficiency cores.

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Spend The Extra Money On The Pro

The iPhone 14 Pro may not carry quite the same level of cachet as the Pro Max model, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s any less capable. Other than battery life, Apple’s 14 Pro does everything the larger Max does with equal prowess. Most importantly, its new processor, added camera, faster screen, and Dynamic Island make the 14 Pro a more compelling choice than the standard iPhone 14. So while the iPhone 14 Pro Max is our Editors’ Choice recommendation, the iPhone 14 Pro is only a tick behind it. And for many, the Pro’s smaller form factor might be more appealing than the Max’s additional battery life.

What Are The New iPhone 13 Pro Max Features

The new iPhone 13 Pro Max brings several new features, including a new processor, improved battery life, and an improved display. These new features include:

• Processor: Apple A15 Bionic chip that has a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine.
• Battery Life: Apple stated the iPhone 13 Pro Max battery will offer up to 22 hours of video playback time, and up to 75 hours of audio playback time.
• Display: The iPhone 13 Pro Max display retains the same 6.1 size and 2532 x 1170 resolution as the 12 Pro Max, but it adds ProMotion technology which allows for adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz.

In addition, and as we often see the new iPhone 13 Pro Max has an improved camera. Apple has said the iPhone 13 Pro Max has the most advanced cameras ever on an iPhone. This holds true, however, it may not be necessary for all users especially those who are just trying to grab quick pictures to share with family and friends.

At first glance, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro share many similarities with the rear camera setup. Each of these models has a triple 12MP camera array with telephoto, wide, and ultra-wide lenses. These models also both support Night Mode, Night Mode Portraits, Deep Fusion, and Apple ProRAW. To that point, the iPhone 11 Pro also has a triple 12MP camera array, however, the 11 Pro lacks support for Night Mode Portraits and Apple ProRAW.

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Apple iPhone 1: Should You Upgrade

The iPhone 14 is a slick, responsive phone. Is it worth an upgrade from the iPhone 13, in the same way that the iPhone 14 Pro is worth the upgrade from the iPhone 13 Pro? No. But the iPhone 14 is certainly a great phone. The iPhone 13 is still available for $699, but Id say the 14 is better, and well-worth the extra $100 if you were considering an iPhone 13 today.

If you want the best iPhone, then you need to go with the iPhone Pro or Pro Max. Yes, the prices are higher, but those models feel like a bigger upgrade than the 14 does. And if you can swing the extra bucks for a Pro over an iPhone 14, its well worth it if for the Pros better camera. But if an attractive, fast performer of a phone is all youre after, the iPhone 14 fits the bill.

Again, the Plus is a whole other thing. If you are considering upgrading and you want a bigger display then now, for the first time, theres a way to do that without the huge extra cost associated with the Pro Max. If the iPhone 14 feels like a decent improvement to the iPhone 13, then the iPhone 14 Plus feels like a very special upgrade, assuming you like the bigger size.

iPhone 13 Pro: Price And Availability

The iPhone 13 Pro is available direct from Apple’s retail stores or online. You can get it with your carrier of choice or even unlocked. It’s also available at other retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Costco, and more, though these places usually sell the device locked to a carrier. Finally, you can always get the iPhone 13 Pro from your carrier of choice, like Verizon and Mint Mobile.

The iPhone 13 Pro launched in four colors: Sierra Blue, Graphite, Gold, and Silver. Apple just added a brand new Alpine Green to the lineup, making it the fifth color option. You can get the iPhone 13 Pro in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB for $999, $1099, $1299, or $1499, respectively. You can also go for the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max, which would be $100 more for each storage capacity size, starting at $1099 and going up from there.

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Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Review: Bigger Is Better Now Available In Alpine Green

Better in most ways than its predecessor, but most improvements to the iPhone 13 Pro Max are marginal

Update: Six months following the initial release of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple has added a brand-new colour option to the range. Called ‘Alpine Green’, this new paint job is the fifth colour now available for the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, retaining the same glass-topped textured matte finish and colour-matched reflective stainless steel sides but this time, in dark green.

It’s a particularly swish look, especially since this moody colour isn’t something we come to expect from Apple’s otherwise brightly coloured finishes of recent launches. None of this changes our initial opinion of the phone, of course , but having a new colour option to mull over is always welcome. Doubly so if you weren’t initially sold on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max’s original launch colours.

If you’re curious as to what the phone looks like outside of Apple’s official press shots, we’ve spent some time with the new Alpine Green iPhone 13 Pro Max recently it complements the lime green carpet in our office quite nicely, don’t you think?

Our original iPhone 13 Pro Max review continues below…

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is a very different proposition to its predecessor. Thats not because its all that different from the iPhone 12 Pro Max far from it but rather the gap has closed significantly between the Pro Max and the rest of the new range.