It was in the fall of 2021 when we met the new iPhone 13, which were nothing more and nothing less than four new models.
On the one hand, the mini model, which is the smallest and cheapest option. On the other hand, the standard model, the iPhone 13. But then, we have two Pro models, the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, making our choice of new iPhone even more complicated.
Below we compare both models to help you choose the best purchase option: iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max?
Design
As usual in the Pro models, both have a practically identical design. The squarer edges that debuted on the iPhone 12 series have been retained, making the iPhone 13 Pro something of an ultra-modern take on the classic iPhone 5 form factor.
Both are obviously much larger than their august predecessor, with the following dimensions:
- iPhone 13 Pro: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm; 203g
- iPhone 13 Pro Max: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65mm; 238g
As you can see, the Max is a larger and heavier unit, adding 35g to the weight, making it a bit heavy, at least in iPhone terms. The reason for this is to accommodate the 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel, which is wider than the iPhone 13 Pro’s 6.1-inch panel.
Apart from this obvious difference, there is little between the two devices. In either of them you will find a stainless steel chassis, Ceramic Shield protection on the screen, IP68 protection against water and dust, triple camera on the back and Face ID on the front, Lightning connectors, MagSafe charging, stereo speakers, volume controls, side button and a slider switch for mute.
Both come in a range of colors including graphite, gold, silver, sierra blue and alpine green.
So they’re essentially the same, but the Pro Max is bigger, heavier, has a bigger screen, and costs a bit more.
Features and specifications
Since these carry the Pro name, you’ll see that Apple hasn’t held anything back when it comes to components or features. Any one of these devices is the best iPhone you can get right now.
Screen
As we’ve already established, the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display, while the Pro has a more compact 6.1-inch panel. This means that the resolution and ppi (pixels per inch) scores of the two are slightly different:
- iPhone 13 Pro: 2532 x 1170 resolution, 460 ppi
- iPhone 13 Pro Max: 2778 x 1284 resolution; 458ppi
Other than that, you’ll find some of the best displays available today, with Super Retina XDR panels offering HDR, ProMotion for super-smooth scrolling enabled by 120Hz refresh rates, True Tone technology that adjusts the color temperature of the screen to suit your environment, plus a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits in normal use (1,200 in HDR) that will make the panels easier to read when you’re outside in bright sunlight.
However, all this extra space has not been enough to remove the infamous notch. If you’re not a fan, get ready for the news that 2022 isn’t going to be the year you get that coveted edge-to-edge screen. (In fact, it probably won’t happen until 2024.)
Processor
Again, Apple packs its most powerful A-series processor into the Pro and Pro Max (as well as the standard iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini), which this year is the A15 Bionic.
It is a 6-core CPU that has 4 efficiency cores and 2 performance cores, so the iPhone juggles less demanding tasks on the former to save battery life.
There’s also a 5-core GPU that handles the heavy lifting for graphics, plus a 16-core Neural Engine that enables some of the more advanced camera features that we’ll describe below.
It is a very powerful SoC (System on a Chip) that introduces the annual improvements over its predecessor that we expect from the new iPhones.
cameras
One of the main reasons people go for an iPhone Pro is because of the additional camera capabilities that are often offered. This remains the same on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, as you get a triple-camera array on the rear that’s made up of the following:
- 12Mp telephoto: f/2.8
- 12MP Wide Angle: f/1.5
- 12MP Ultra Wide: f/1.8
The difference between this lineup and the standard iPhone 13 is the telephoto lens, but the Pros can also capture images in Apple ProRAW, as well as record Apple ProRes video at up to 4K/30fps.
These formats are only for those who are serious about photography and videography, so if you don’t like to pixelate or get into editing, the iPhone 13 will probably be the most sensible option.
For the Pros, you also get an additional night mode, plus 3x optical zoom, 2x optical zoom, and a 6x optical zoom range, not to mention the 15x digital zoom you get. it slightly embarrasses the 5x magnification offered by the iPhone 13.
But other than that, it’s a very similar set of features to those found across the entire iPhone 13 range.
This includes Shift Sensor Stabilization for rock-solid recording, Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, Night Mode, Photo Styles, 4K/60fps Video Recording, Audio Zoom, Time Lapse with stabilization (and night mode now), plus new cinematic mode for video that lets you have a shallow depth of field so you can blur the foreground or background and make your footage look professional.
The 12 MP f/2.2 TrueDepth front camera is no slouch, with Smart HDR 4 that makes photos look rich and colourful, portrait modes and photo styles that let you create great selfies, plus cinematic mode for video, night mode, Slo-Mo (1080p), and 4K/60fps capabilities.
Storage
You can get any of the two models in one of these four storage capacities
battery and power
The larger frame of the iPhone 13 Pro Max means that Apple has been able to include a larger battery than in the iPhone 13 Pro. The former receives a 4,352mAh cell, while the Pro comes with a 3,095mAh one. Apple claims that these will respectively offer 28 hours and 22 hours of video playback.
If you do find yourself running low on battery, the fast-charging capability of both will get you back to 50% in 30 minutes, though you’ll have to buy the charger yourself, of course, as Apple doesn’t include one in the box. If you have a Qi charger or a MagSafe charger, both should work fine on either Pro device.
connectivity
Apple brought 5G to iPhone with the iPhone 12 lineup, and now it’s standard on all iPhone 13 models. You’ll also find Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, GPS, and NFC for payments with Apple Pay.
Prices
The name Pro already tells you that you are going to pay a good amount of money for any of these models. We explain the price breakdown below:
iPhone 13 Pro:
iPhone 13 Pro Max:
You can buy it directly from Apple, at any consumer technology store, or with a contract with your mobile service provider. Be sure to check out our guide to the best iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max deals to see if there are any deals available right now.
Verdict
Apple has made it very easy when deciding between its current iPhone 13 Pro models. It more or less comes down to the size of the device. If you want the biggest screen and longest battery life, then the Pro Max is the obvious choice. But those who prefer a more compact device will be happy with the Pro. Otherwise, they are virtually identical and packed with all the latest features and components the company has to offer.
