Although it’s a bit older, the 2021 Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max still packs a lot of value, one we rate as the best camera phone in 2022. Apple’s relentless release cadence means we’re anticipating the Apple iPhone 15 and its Pro variants this year, but if you’re in the market for a new phone now, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro is a great choice.
In all honesty, its newer sibling takes the lead with a higher-resolution 48MP image sensor and improved image processing, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max is still capable of capturing incredible levels of detail.
iPhone 13 Pro Max: key specs
Price: $1099.00
Screen size: 6.7 inches
Weight: 8.39 ounces (238g)
Memory: 6GB
Battery duration: up to 10 hours of wireless web browsing
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB versions
Warranty: 1 year, expandable with AppleCare.
Operating system: iOS 16
Show: Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion and 2778×1284 resolution.
CPU: Apple A15 chip (8-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)
Ports: lightning port
It’s much of the same design, too, with a 6.7-inch OLED display dominating the front of the sleek chassis (albeit with the notch) and Lightning port (Apple is expected to phase out its proprietary connector in 2023).
Under the hood, the A15 might not have as much grunt as the A16, but it was already leaps and bounds from Android flagship devices all the same. Whether flipping through various apps, playing the latest mobile games, or simply editing photos in Lightroom, the A15 powers through tasks at full speed.
There’s also 5G for anyone with a carrier that supports the fastest network standard, making the iPhone 13 Pro Max a great alternative to Apple’s pricier one.
The problem you may have is finding one. Apple still sells the iPhone 13, but not the iPhone 13 Pro or 13 Pro Max, but there are carrier deals on the latter if you search. Since it originally launched for $1099, having the freedom of choice is certainly an improvement.
Want to take a look at our roundup of other smartphones? Read our guide to best camera phone. But if you need something to get pictures of the night sky, try our best telescopes Y best binoculars guides too.
iPhone 13 Pro Max: Design
- Full screen front with notch
- 6.7-inch OLED panel
- Lightning port but no headphone jack
As you’d expect from any iPhone since 2017, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a glass front for its 6.7-inch display. Apple calls its display a Super Retina XDR display, but the non-trade jargon description is that it’s an OLED panel with curved corners blending into the very, very thin bezels. It’s bright, too, with a peak brightness rating of 1,200 nits, higher than previous iPhone displays but lower than the 14 Pro.
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It also offers a variable refresh rate (up to 120Hz) that Apple calls ProMotion. Many of the most popular apps work with this technology to adjust their refresh rate based on whether your screen is static or scrolling. That means it can be buttery smooth when needed, or lower the refresh rate to save battery life.
The OLED nature of the display also enables deep blacks, helping to make the most of the 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio for vibrant colours.
iPhone 13 Pro Max: Camera and Photography
- great performance all around
- Huge selection of apps and games.
- Great battery life but no charger in the box
Apple may have gone over to the A16 chip, but to put it as simply as possible, there’s nothing in the App Store that the iPhone 13 Pro Max can’t run.
Whether you’re running complex apps or the latest games, you won’t notice any slowdowns. In our tests, we were able to get the iPhone to run League of Legends: Wild Rift up to a full 120 frames per second thanks to the ProMotion display we mentioned earlier.
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Being able to go from Marvel Snap to Messages and then social media or web browser without any perceptible slowdown is great, and battery life remains excellent throughout.
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The iPhone 13 Pro Max, connected to an Apple Watch (and occasionally AirPods), which is used as a browser, music player and gaming device at all times, regularly gets around two days of battery life. Fast charging is also possible, but you’ll need an adapter that’s sold separately; There’s no charger in the box, just a USB-C to Lightning cable.
iPhone 13 Pro Max: User Reviews
We review the reviews of the iPhone 13 Pro Max at Best Buy (opens in a new tab)and customers are definitely satisfied, with an average rating of five stars.
Many have noted that it’s a huge upgrade on older iPhones with home buttons, while others liken it to a “laptop that fits in your pocket” – such is the impressive performance. Others have noted that it helped them leave Android behind, quite a compliment.
Should you buy the iPhone 13 Pro Max?
While the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a better phone, the differences in many areas are negligible. It has a better camera and brighter screen and offers Dynamic Island, but other than that, the iPhone 13 Pro Max matches it almost step for step. If you can find one at a knockdown price, it’s definitely worth checking out.
If the iPhone 13 Pro Max is not for you
If you’re looking for a newer iPhone with a few more bells and whistles, the iPhone 14 Pro Max (opens in a new tab) is the obvious choice. It scales the notch down to a dynamic island, blurring the line between software and hardware to provide a constantly updating section of the screen, and there’s an always-on display, too.
Tea iPhone 13 Pro (opens in a new tab) it also packs the same components into a smaller chassis, so it’s worth looking into smaller hands or pockets. However, outside of the Apple ecosystem, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (opens in a new tab) It’s a great phone that offers Android and a huge 6.8-inch screen but with a whopping 108MP camera.