iPhone 13 Pro Max Review: Bigger is better
Verdict
A big phone that impresses thanks to a standout display, finally with a 120Hz refresh rate, all-time in the business photographic camera and stellar bombardment life.
Pros
- Huge screen is gorgeous
- Three very expert cameras
- Actually impressive battery life
- ProMotion finally on an iPhone
Cons
- Selfie camera needs an upgrade
- Notch feels tired
- Other phones accept ameliorate zoom
Availability
- UK RRP: £1049
- USA RRP: $1099
- Europe RRP: €1259
- Canada RRP: CA$1549
- Australia RRP: AU$1849
Fundamental Features
- Brandish The 6.7-inch OLED screen has ProMotion for a 120Hz refresh rate
- Photographic camera Three rear 12MP cameras with big upgrades
- Specs A15 Bionic, 5G, 6GB RAM and upward to 1TB storage
Introduction
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the ultimate iPhone model, but it'due south also comfortably the priciest.
I often go asked what are the about important things to expect for when buying a telephone. My usual answer to this is to get the phone with the best battery life, screen and camera you can afford.
By this logic, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the best phone around – if you lot can afford it. Out of all the flagship devices I have reviewed this yr, Apple's top-tier device has the best screen, best camera and best battery life. That's quite an accomplishment.
Screen and blueprint
- Similar design to the iPhone 12 Pro simply heavier
- New Sierra Blue colour
- 120Hz screen for the showtime fourth dimension on an iPhone
Apple's Max version of the thirteen Pro is a big device. Like, really large. The 6.seven-inch screen makes for a phone that requires two hands for comfortable use and the boxy, squared-off design feels abrupt. More than so than with whatever other iPhone 13 model, I much prefer using the Pro Max with a softer case.
It's heavy likewise. Taking information technology out of the box it was noticeably heavier than the already hefty iPhone 12 Pro Max. Information technology took me a few days to get used to the added weight and it can certainly exist felt in a pocket. Y'all tin can come across in the pictures below how it compares to the smaller Pro.
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Just, this is forgivable given that it's being targeted at people who desire a big telephone. If yous don't, the iPhone 13 Pro has a well-nigh identical feature set and is much smaller. If you lot're even thinking about the Pro Max you know the benefits, and drawbacks, of the size.
There are reasons why this is heavier than earlier. The battery, which I will delve into a lot, is larger and once you've read my thoughts on that you'll probably accept those actress few grams. The camera module is as well larger and again, the benefits are worth it based on my fourth dimension with the phone.
While information technology might not exist the most ergonomic phone, there'south no doubting it'due south gorgeous. The flat, industrial look introduced with the iPhone 12 Pro returns, along with a new Sierra Blue hue y'all can see in the sample images. This is a lighter blue than the Pacific Blue we had last year and I remember it looks neat. The less said about the garish gilt the better, though. Graphite and Silver round out the collection.
The body is IP68 for some water-resistant and the front is covered by what Apple calls Ceramic Shield. I used the iPhone 12 for nearly of the year and I found the Ceramic Shield in that location did a proficient chore at keeping the screen in good status. A screen protector is always best though if y'all want to keep those micro-scratches away.
As great every bit the design is, at that place is one irritating aspect. The stainless steel sides pick upwards smudges similar zilch else and they require constant attention to continue them looking anything other than quite grim.
The design of the iPhone 13 Pro Max might be similar to the older model, but the display is a big upgrade.
Each previous generation of iPhones (including the regular iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini) have included 60Hz panels and then they attempt to refresh 60 times every 2d. On the iPhone xiii Pro Max, the panel tin now refresh up to 120Hz – so 120 times a second. This makes deportment, similar swiping through homescreens and opening apps, feel much faster.
Refreshing at 120Hz is great sometimes, merely not all the time. This is why many Android phones that were locked to 120Hz suffered from awful battery life. To avoid this, the LTPO panel used hither is adaptive. It can motility between refresh rates depending on the task at hand. This is what Apple tree calls ProMotion and it'll be familiar to anyone who has used a recent iPad Pro.
If you're doing something where 120Hz is likely to make a visible difference, such as scrolling Instagram or gaming, the panel will aim for that – and, in my feel striking information technology. Nonetheless, if yous're watching an online video, most of which are shot at 30fps, the screen will slow downward. Information technology can go as low equally 10Hz in activities such as reading.
ProMotion is a existent step forward and I noticed information technology immediately. One time you lot've used a 120Hz brandish, information technology tin can be difficult to become back.
At 6.7-inches, the screen here is ideal for content. Be information technology reading, Netflix, games or editing snaps. The OLED console is bright and readable outdoors, while the smaller notch (Apple says it's 20% smaller) makes Netflix binges a little more than immersive. The notch volition remain an irritant even in its smaller size to those who disliked it earlier and it's hard non to experience like, all these years afterwards, Apple tree could have adopted something a fiddling less intrusive.
I watched a few episodes of the Apple TV+ bear witness Foundation in HDR on the big display and information technology certainly gave adept results. Blacks are perfect, colours are natural and the actress brightness is especially welcome in scenes with bright calorie-free and explosions.
Camera
- 3 rear cameras, plus a LiDAR sensor
- Wide, ultra broad and optical zoom
- Cinematic fashion for video
Along with the large upgrades to display and battery life, the iPhone xiii Pro Max also packs Apple tree'southward most impressive camera system to date.
You don't need to become for the Max model this twelvemonth to become the true flagship camera experience though, with both Pro models packing the same exact specs.
The triple-camera array consists of a 12-megapixel wide sensor with an f/1.5 lens along with a 12-megapixel f/one.8 ultra-wide with a 120-caste field of view. The set up is completed by a 12-megapixel 77mm telephoto capable of 3x optical zoom. At that place's also a LiDAR sensor to aid with low-light portraits.
That 12-megapixel wide camera has far larger pixels and a wider aperture than the 12 Pro Max, allowing more light into the sensor for better low-light operation and a more than natural depth of field effect.
The benefit of both of these becomes clear when shooting at night, where pictures are clear and detailed without equally much reliance on the slower night mode. The shots of cheeses and nutrient beneath were taken, with night mode off, in virtually-total darkness with the simply source of light coming from a few candles. Yet, particular is plentiful and colours are nice. There'southward also none of the overly bright areas often seen on nighttime manner shots. There are however bouts of odd lens flare when shooting at dark which tin can certainly exist abrasive.
The optical zoom is 3x this yr, then 77mm, but it does have a slower f/2.8 aperture. This ways it's better in daytime for getting closer and taking portraits and worse at nighttime when compared to the f/two.0 lens on the 12 Pro Max. I'll take the sacrifice, as I mainly utilise the zoom in the twenty-four hour period.
I exercise wish the iPhone had a zoom that could rival the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, though.
In daylight situations each of the sensors is swell. The ultra wide has the fewest upgrades, although you tin now utilise night mode here for some striking low-lite landscapes.
The ultra wide is also used for the new Macro mode, which enables (oftentimes frustratingly) every time you get shut to something. The results are really skilful, simply sometimes I would just prefer the natural bokeh from the main sensor. Apple has said it'due south releasing an iOS update to alter the way this works later in the year.
The bigger pixels and wider f/i.v discontinuity on the main sensor make information technology incredibly capable of capturing the lovely depth of field, while the Deep Fusion computational tech pulls extra detail in things similar fur. Y'all can meet this in the moving-picture show of the dog beneath.
There are as well some new options for making the photos a little more personal, with Photography Styles. These tin upwards the contrast, upwards the colours and brand pictures warmer or cooler. If y'all're coming from a Samsung telephone and like its punchy colours, endeavour the Vibrant mode.
These are a step further than a filter, equally they change certain $.25 of the snap only and can't be reversed once used. It feels very un-Apple to accept this much control and hopefully it'll filter through to other areas of the OS in the coming years.
For the 'Pros', in that location's ProRAW – Apple tree's take on the RAW format – and, coming in a future update, ProRes video recording. While I can't brand a sentence on ProRes yet, ProRAW is bully and I often switch it on when I have time to really gear up up a photo and spend a bit of time editing it afterwards. The RAW format holds much more data and allows much more control when information technology comes to the edit, but it likewise keeps all that computational goodness accomplished by Deep Fusion and Smart HDR.
What's less Pro is the Cinematic manner, which is a video portrait mode that has some focus racking included too. This means it tin smartly switch focus betwixt objects and faces to requite a 'cinematic' look. The racking stuff is very expert, so it's a shame the portrait effect feels very artificial and fake. Hopefully, similar portrait way earlier it, it improves with software updates. The fact this way tops out at 1080p 30fps means almost will stick with the standard video modes, which remain best-in-class.
I'd have liked to take seen some more upgrades to the front camera. The 12-megapixel selfie camera has been the same for generations now, and it could actually do with a little more attention.
Performance
- Apple A15 Bionic chipset
- 6GB RAM, up to 1TB storage
- More 5G bands
Performance across the whole iPhone xiii range is very much the aforementioned, even though the Pro models have a slightly more graphically capable version of the A15 Bionic within, I can't say you'll notice that actress core.
The A15 doesn't feel like a huge upgrade on the A14, at least on the surface. Scores in benchmarking apps are a petty higher and it helps enable features like the Cinematic mode and the forthcoming support for ProRes.
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Geekbench five single core
Geekbench 5 multi cadre
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I played countless games from Apple tree Arcade and they ran similar a dream. You'll also get college frame rates, if the title supports information technology, thanks to the ProMotion display.
Alongside the A15 Bionic there's 6GB RAM (2GB more than than the regular iPhone xiii). I've found apps stay in memory longer than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, even though the amount of RAM is the same. Storage starts at 128GB, merely you're better off ignoring that and going for either 256GB or 512GB – you'll thank me when you start downloading games, HDR videos and shooting in Apple tree's ProRaw format. If you program on shooting a lot of ProRes video, the 1TB storage option is for you.
There'southward a wider selection of 5G bands this twelvemonth thanks to a new 5G modem. Some regions, such as the The states, will get a model with mmWave 5G. We don't have mmWave 5G yet in the Uk, then don't expect to see that hither. There's no Wi-Fi 6E which might annoy those who invested early on in a uniform router. Call quality, Wi-Fi reception and speaker quality are all excellent.
I oasis't spent much time on iOS 15 in any of my iPhone 13 reviews, more often than not because it's bachelor fifty-fifty on older models. Yet, it does experience like more than attention should have been given to the bigger screen size available here. It baffles me that at that place isn't split-screen back up for multitasking. Some sort of smaller Apple Pencil would be great for annotation-taking, also.
Bombardment Life
- Very proficient bombardment life
- No USB-C with Apple tree nonetheless using Lightning
- MagSafe charging supported
The battery life on the iPhone xiii Pro Max is truly first-class. I'd say it'south the all-time on whatsoever mainstream flagship phone I have reviewed this year, far outlasting big releases from Samsung, OnePlus and others.
For instance, in the commencement weekend I spent with the phone it lasted from 9am on Sabbatum morning to 7pm on Sunday. That's nearly two full days of moderate, weekend use from a single charge. On a typical workday throughout the review period, I was often left with forty% come bedtime.
This changed how I used the telephone. Charging it upwardly less at night, and more in the morning or in the evening.
The powerful screen nonetheless sucks through juice when yous're streaming HDR content, and then it'southward possible to swallow through the bombardment much quicker if you're really pushing it.
You lot'll need to provide your own charging block for the iPhone thirteen Pro Max every bit a cable is all that'southward included in the box. If y'all're upgrading from an older iPhone like the 10 or XS (or older) yous should ditch the slow 5w charger that came with those and get yourself a faster i, ideally 20w.
With a 20w plug, a full charge took me only effectually xc minutes. While charging to fifty% took around 30 minutes. This is far from the quickest around (Xiaomi's 11T Pro can go from 0-100% in about 17 minutes) but it'south still adequate.
Wireless charging is an option, though it'southward always going to be slower fifty-fifty if yous use a 15w enabled MagSafe charger. Most Qi chargers tend to superlative out at vii.5w when you're charging an iPhone, and then they'll have a skillful number of hours to requite you a full charge.
Apple'south conclusion to stick with the Lightning port feels like a misstep, peculiarly on these Pro phones. USB-C is far faster for data transfers, something important if you lot plan to shoot a lot of ProRaw and ProRes with this phone.
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Should you buy it?
You want the best iPhone: If its price and weight are non problematic, and then this is the best iPhone xiii model going. It has a great screen, long battery life and impressive cameras.
You have minor pockets: This phone is big, really big. It's also very heavy and hard to use with one hand.
Final Thoughts
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is everything I want in a large telephone. The screen is glorious, the battery life unmatched in the flagship space and the camera exceptional. If you tin can handle the size, and the price, you won't regret it.
How nosotros test
We exam every mobile phone we review thoroughly. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly and nosotros use the phone every bit our main device over the review period. We'll always tell y'all what nosotros find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Used as our main handset during examination period
Camera tested in multifariousness of situations with all modes
Tested with constructed benchmarks and real world utilize
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FAQs
Is the iPhone 13 Pro Max waterproof?
Information technology's not waterproof, merely the phone has an IP68 rating
Does the iPhone xiii Pro Max come with a charger?
There is no charger included, but a cablevision
How much RAM does the iPhone 13 Pro Max have?
In that location is 6GB RAM hither
Trusted Reviews exam data
All the examination information nosotros collected from the iPhone thirteen Pro Max, forth with the same data from the iPhone 13.
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Geekbench 5 single core
Geekbench 5 multi cadre
sRGB
Adobe RGB
DCI-P3
Max brightness
i hour video playback (Netflix, HDR)
30 minute gaming (intensive)
30 minute gaming (light)
1 hr music straming (online)
ane hr music streaming (offline)
Time from 0-100% charge
Time from 0-50% accuse
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Total specs
Hither are all the specs for each iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro model.
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Uk RRP
USA RRP
EU RRP
CA RRP
AUD RRP
Manufacturer
Screen Size
Storage Capacity
Rear Camera
Front Camera
Video Recording
Wirless charging
Fast Charging
Size (Dimensions)
Weight
Release Date
First Reviewed Date
Resolution
HDR
Refresh Rate
Ports
Chipset
RAM
Colours
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Jargon buster
5G
Offering faster download and upload speeds when compared to 4G. Great for game streaming and HDR video playback. Not supported everywhere yet and speeds vary wildly.
HLG (Hybrid-Log Gamma)
HLG is a HDR format co-developed by the BBC and Japanese national broadcaster NHK for transmission of circulate and live streamed content in HDR. It'southward backwards compatible with SDR transmission standards, enabling people without a HDR TV to receive the same feed but downsampled.
Dolby Vision
Dolby Vision is a variant of HDR, calculation a layer of dynamic metadata to the core HDR signal. This dynamic metadata carries scene-past-scene (or frame-by-frame) instructions from content creators on how a TV should present the images to improve everything from brightness to contrast, detailing and colour reproduction.
HDR
HDR stands for Loftier Dynamic Range and refers to contrast (or departure) between the brightest and darkest parts of an image. HDR content preserves details in the darkest and brightest areas of a picture, details that are often lost in old imaging standards. HDR10 is mandated to be included on all HDR TVs. It'due south as well supported by 4K projectors.
Lightning
Apple's port of selection for charging and information transfer. Y'all'll find information technology on the cheaper iPads and all of Apple tree's phones.
USB-C
The modern USB connector you lot'll find on most Android phones, new laptops, cameras and games consoles. It's reversible and used for charging forth with information-transfer.
iOS
The operating system that powers Apple'due south mobile devices.
Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/iphone-13-pro-max
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