Apple‘s iconic iPhone range has achieved cult status, with fans eagerly awaiting new models every year that manage to raise the bar. The iPhone 12 Pro Max won rave reviews in 2020 as Apple‘s camera and battery life champion. But the iPhone 13 Pro Max takes things up a notch further with enhancements like next-gen ProMotion display, an improved triple camera system and all-day battery life.
But just how much better is the newer iPhone 13 Pro Max? As an iPhone enthusiast and technology analyst, I will cover all the details in this comprehensive comparison guide to help you decide if upgrading is worthwhile. Expect insightful analysis backed by hard data!
Overview
First unveiled in 2007, the iPhone revolutionized the smartphone industry and firmly established Apple as an innovation leader. Each generation has built incrementally to reach an exceptional gold standard in terms of performance, cameras and premium build quality.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max was lauded in 2020 for pushing boundaries with its flagship features:
- All-new flat-edge design in stainless steel frame
- Huge 6.7” Super Retina XDR OLED display
- Lightning-fast A14 Bionic, Apple‘s best chip yet
- Next-level triple camera system with cutting-edge photography capabilities
- Support for superfast 5G cellular networks
Come 2021, expectations were justifiably high from its successor iPhone 13 Pro Max. And barring a radical design overhaul, Apple delivered meaningful enhancements particularly in areas like battery life, display and optics that make this newest proposition incredibly enticing, even for iPhone 12 Pro Max users.
Let‘s dive in for an exhaustive look at exactly how the iPhone 13 Pro Max improves upon its predecessor!
Detailed Side-by-Side Comparison
Here is a comprehensive specs table contrasting the iPhone 12 Pro Max against the iPhone 13 Pro Max to set the context across key hardware and software:
| Specification | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 13 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Date | Nov 2020 | Sept 2021 |
| Weight | 228g | 240g |
| Dimensions | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4mm | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7mm |
| OS | iOS 14 | iOS 15 |
| Screen size | 6.7-inch | 6.7-inch |
| Display | Super Retina XDR, OLED, 60Hz | Super Retina XDR, OLED, 120Hz ProMotion |
| Resolution | 2778 x 1284 | 2778 x 1284 |
| Pixel Density | 458 ppi | 458 ppi |
| Brightness (Typical) | 800 nits | 1000 nits |
| processors | Apple A14 Bionic | Apple A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512 GB | 128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB |
| MicroSD slot | No | No |
| Rear cameras | 12MP (f/1.6) main + 12MP (f/2.2) telephoto + 12MP (f/2.4) ultra-wide | 12MP (f/1.5) main + 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto + 12MP (f/1.8) ultra-wide |
| Front camera | 12MP, f/2.2 aperture | 12MP, f/2.2 aperture |
| Video recording | 4K at 60 fps | 4K at 60 fps + Pro Res video |
| Battery size | 3,687 mAh | 4,352 mAh |
| Fast charging | 20W | 27W |
| MagSafe charging | 15W wireless | 15W wireless |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Water resistance | IP68 (6m) | IP68 (6m) |
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Display and Design
Both phones share the same industrial sleek design with flat edges, stainless steel frames and rear glass enclosures. The ceramic shield front protects against scratches and drops. Overall, the build quality is top-notch and extremely durable.
The screen is also unchanged at a sizeable 6.7-inch stretch edge-to-edge. Both leverage AMOLED panels with similar resolution and pixel density for an immersive, vibrant visual experience with inky blacks and punchy contrast. Support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision translate to excellent dynamic range whether enjoying movies or high-fidelity mobile games.
But the iPhone 13 Pro Max display takes a dramatic step up with its ProMotion technology featuring an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz compared to standard 60Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 12 Pro Max screen. This allows motion content and animations to refresh at twice the rate making scrolling and navigation far more responsive. iOS UI interactions feel snappier as effects play out instantly without any lag.
Apple calls it the company‘s best and brightest iPhone display yet for good reason. In DisplayMate tests, the iPhone 13 Pro Max achieves close to 1000 nits peak brightness under typical usage compared to 800 nits on iPhone 12 Pro Max. This allows better outdoor visibility under sunlight. The excellent 1500:1 contrast ratio also enables finer discernible brightness differentiation across the spectrum.
Overall, while the displays seem similar on paper, real-world experience on the iPhone 13 Pro Max is transformational thanks to ProMotion elevating fluidity alongside ample brightness headroom to significantly boost viewability.
Cameras
The iPhone range has stayed consistently at the top of the camera game redefining smartphone photography year on year. The iPhone 12 Pro Max itself shoots incredible photos and videos in all lighting conditions that outmatched any competition until recently.
That bar has been raised to new heights by the iPhone 13 Pro Max triple camera setup…
