Are you thinking of picking up a new iPhone? If you’re in the market for a more affordable iPhone model, you’ll want an iPhone 13 instead of a new iPhone 14 Pro Max (which can be a bit pricey for many Americans, even with Black Friday deals around the corner).
That said, you’ll also need to choose between the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max: two very similar yet distinct handsets. We’ve taken a hard look at both phone models, so let us break down the similarities and differences in this iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max review.
What’s the Same Between the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max?
The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max have many vital similarities to remember when choosing between these stellar handsets.
Design
Both the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are reasonably similar in terms of their design. They have the same square camera bumps, flat edges, and Face ID notches at the tops of their displays. They also have LiDAR sensors on their backs and are available in four colors: Sierra blue, silver, gold, and graphite.
Both are made from stainless steel and come with water resistance and chargers, so you don’t have to spend more cash immediately. Of course, you can always purchase accessories like MagSafe wireless charging tools or a compatible Apple Watch.
Software updates, of course, are included, which let you use new features from Apple, like smart notifications and adaptive refresh rates.
Display
Also similar is the refresh rate and display. Both iPhone 13 Pro models feature a
rate thanks to the ProMotion displays they are equipped with. More importantly, these displays can dynamically scale down to 10 Hz to save battery life when necessary.
Even better, the display adapts via sensor-shift settings, and its HDR low-light specs make it easy to enjoy your favorite apps anywhere. Compared to similar models, like last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max, both 13 Pro models are far superior in this regard.
Camera Suites
Then there are the camera suites. These cameras have three photo sensors in total, including a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 12-
main camera, and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom capabilities. The front camera’s telephoto lens is excellent.
More importantly, the phones come equipped with features ranging from Apple's Cinematic Mode, Portrait Mode, the Photographic Styles features, and high-detail video recording options.
Note that some camera system features are limited based on your storage choices, regardless of which phone you pick.
For instance, the ProRes video feature lets you capture high-detail video recordings and only supports 4K video capture and resolution if you have 256 GB of storage or more in your phone. Keep this in mind when deciding how much you want to pay for your new handset.
Night mode settings are included for the rear cameras for both phones, too, as are stabilization features.
Performance
The Pro and Pro Max feature the same A15 Bionic chip with a 5-core GPU and 6 GB of RAM. As a result, you shouldn’t expect any significant differences between these phones under the hood; they’re good enough at multitasking and have good graphics performance, which can be vital if you like to play games with high FPS on your mobile device.
Storage
As far as storage is concerned, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max have the same storage options. Depending on your preferences, they start with 128 GB of storage, but you can go up to 1 TB of storage.
Software
Last is software. Each iPhone 13, regardless of model, comes with iOS 15 right out of the box. This means you’ll automatically have all the recent upgrades and updates to the Apple iOS software and won’t have to worry about manually updating your phone after booting it up for the first time.
What’s Different Between the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max?
That said, there are some critical differences between the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max to consider when choosing between one or the other.
Price
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is a little more expensive, with a starting price of $1099 compared to the standard iPhone 13 Pro’s $999 starting price. Note that these prices do not reflect extra storage options; for example, the iPhone 13 Pro with 1 TB of storage costs $1499.
Display Size
There are also a few notable differences in terms of display size. For example, the iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel with a 2532 x 1170 P resolution. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display with a 2778 x 1284 P resolution.
As a result, the more expensive of the two phones have slightly more viewing space and marginally better resolution: potentially a critical concern if you like to use your phone to watch shows on Apple TV or if you FaceTime friends frequently.
Battery Life
Battery life showcases another essential difference. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 4373 mAh battery, compared to the iPhone 13 Pro’s 3125 mAh battery.
As a result, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a slightly longer battery life, clocking in at about 12 hours and 16 minutes or even longer if you don’t use video playback. In comparison, the iPhone 13 Pro has 11 hours and 48 minutes or so of battery life.
It’s not a significant discrepancy, but it is something to keep in mind if you frequently run down your phone’s battery and don’t want to pick up a new handset that requires you to charge it more often.
Charging Capabilities
Speaking of charging, both of these iPhone 13 models come without charging bricks, unfortunately. They can be powered with 21 W wired connections or 15 W wireless MagSafe connections.
The big difference comes with charging speeds, likely because of the different-sized batteries the phones are equipped with. For example, the iPhone 13 Pro Max can reach 40% full battery in half an hour, compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which can get 53% or so of its
in the same time spent.
In summary, the iPhone 13 Pro charges a little more quickly than the Pro Max, but not to a significant degree.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are some crucial differences between the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The iPhone 13 Pro is a little cheaper than the Pro Max, but not by much. It also has a slightly smaller screen and somewhat worse resolution. That said, it's the better of the two choices for most, as a slightly larger screen and little longer battery life may not be worth an extra $100 for many. No matter what you choose, Navi can help you find the best iPhone 13 Pro deal for your needs and budget. Our Phone Navigator service is perfect for folks looking for the ideal handset — check it out today.
