iPhone 12 pro max vs iPhone 13 pro max
The iPhone 13 Pro Max may resemble its predecessor, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, almost perfectly, but it has undergone some major improvements that could make it the most intriguing upgrade of the entire iPhone 13 series.
The phone now comfortably lasts two days between charges thanks to a significant boost in battery size, and the second major innovation is a 120Hz ProMotion display that allows for buttery smooth scrolling.
It all comes together to create something truly impressive when a variety of other improvements are added, including increased brightness, a larger sensor size for the triple camera system, and professional features like ProRes video recording. Should you purchase the more recent iPhone 13 Pro Max or the older 12 Pro Max in order to save money?
Let’s start by comparing the main new features of the iPhone 13 Pro Max to those of the 12 Pro Max.
iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone 12 Pro Max in a nutshell:
The updated phone’s shape and aesthetics are nearly identical, however, it is a little thicker and heavier.
Same 6.7" screen size, 120Hz ProMotion as opposed to 60Hz, 20% smaller Notch
The newest model’s brighter screen
Apple A15 is faster than Apple A14 on previous models.
Significant battery life improvement: Usually 2.5 hours longer
larger sensors, quicker apertures, and new cameras
3X zoom lens (vs 2.5X on 12 Pro Max)
The latest model records videos in ProRes format.
the new shade of Sierra Blue
Also read: Should You Buy an iPhone 13 Pro or a Regular iPhone 13?
A worthy upgrade between the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro?
Comparison of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the iPhone 11 Pro Max
Display and Design
An improved display is one of the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s most intriguing new features. A 6.7-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 1284 x 2778 pixels is what you get on both screens, but what’s new is that Apple is finally bringing 120Hz ProMotion for smoother scrolling on the 13 Pro Max.
The screen refreshes 60 times per second on the 12 Pro Max and earlier iPhone models, which makes them appear choppy in comparison to 120Hz models.
Display measurements and quality
Both devices have Face ID, however, the notch on the 13 Pro Max is 20% smaller.
There aren’t any significant changes in the design; the 13 Pro Max still has flat sides and a similar overall appearance, but it is a little bit thicker and heavier. Given that the 13 Pro Max now weighs 240g, compared to the 12 Pro Max’s 228g, this might actually be a bigger deal than it first appears. Are we nearing a limit at this point? It’s not the most pleasant experience to carry this phone in your pocket.
Both phones are made of stainless steel rather than the more affordable aluminum used in most other phones. The sides are glossy and shiny, which makes it easy to identify the steel content and also accounts for some of the extra weight in this case. Both phones have sapphire cover glass for the camera lenses for increased scratch protection on the front, which is identical and uses Apple’s Ceramic Shield toughened glass. With the same IP68 rating for water and dust protection on both, there is also no discernible difference in their practicality.
The new hues for the iPhone 13 Pro Max, however, come next. The 13 Pro Max generally stays very conservative, and pro models seldom quite receive the exciting color options of the standard iPhone models, but it does have that new Sierra Blue version that actually looks really nice! We have the Graphite model up for evaluation, followed by the vivid Silver model and finally, the Gold model, which is more like a glass of light champagne and also has a really fashionable appearance.
Battery and Charging
All iPhone 13 models receive a battery bump over the previous model, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max receives the most.
Compared to the 3,687mAh battery on the 12 Pro Max, the 13 Pro Max has a 4,352mAh cell. It just so happens that this increase of about 20% results in the biggest improvement in iPhone battery life since the iPhone 11 Pro Max!
So how long does a battery last? According to official company statistics, the iPhone 13 Pro’s battery life is 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s on average. Additionally, take a look at the official projections for battery life when streaming video:
iPhone 13 Pro Max — 25 hours
iPhone 12 Pro Max — 12 hours
Yes, that sounds absurd — doubling the battery life while streaming video — but let’s put the two to the test on our own PhoneArena battery test table to see how they compare.