By Lucas Coll
Updated
The iPhone 15 Pro Max just dropped, and if you own an iPhone 13 Pro Max, you may be tempted to upgrade. But should you?
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Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Editor's choice
Apple's new iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn't look like a major upgrade but boasts some impressive upgrades under the hood. Its A17 Pro chip is an industry first and delivers excellent performance, plus the camera module has been improved in many ways.
Pros
- A17 Pro chip is great
- Slimmed-down screen bezels
- Feels better in the hand
Cons
- Expensive
- Higher starting MSRP
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Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Still a great phone
Despite its age, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is still a solid phone. It offers good performance with its A15 Bionic chip. It also features a lovely 6.7-inch OLED display, although the thicker bezels and notch are starting to look dated.
Pros
- Big, beautiful OLED display
- Solid camera setup
- Generous battery life
Cons
- No Dynamic Island
- Getting hard to find
$719 at Amazon (Renewed)
The iPhone lineup has always been a subject of excitement for tech enthusiasts and smartphone users, even if Apple doesn't reinvent the wheel with every new release. That's what many appreciate about the company. Although the brand is not afraid to innovate, you usually know what to expect from its yearly product showcases: refined versions of the devices that came out the year before. That was certainly the case with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple's most recent flagship sports some subtle but noticeable improvements over its predecessors, so if you own an iPhone 13 Pro Max and are wondering whether the 15 Pro Max is worth the upgrade, our side-by-side comparison can help you decide.
Price, availability, and specs
The base iPhone 15 Pro Max model starts at $1,199. That is a $100 increase from previous generations, but the 15 Pro Max now comes with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB. Buyers can purchase it through Apple's official website, authorized retailers, and major carriers.
Although the iPhone 13 Pro Max is still available in some locations, it has become less common since the release of its successors. The 128 GB variant launched at $1,099, while the 256GB variant sports a $1,199 price tag. If you want to buy one in 2023, you might have to explore third-party sellers or the refurbished market.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max SoC Apple A17 Pro Apple A15 Bionic Display 6.7-inch OLED Super Retina XDR 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Battery 4,422mAh 4,352mAh Ports USB-C Lightning Operating System iOS 17 Started on iOS 15 Front camera 12MP TrueDepth camera 12MP TrueDepth camera Connectivity USB 3.0, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Thread 5G, Gigabit LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 Dimensions 6.29 x 3.01 x 0.32 inches (159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm) 6.33x3.07x0.3 inches (160.8x78.1x7.65mm) Weight 7.8 ounces (221g) 8.47 ounces (240g) RAM 8GB 6GB Colors Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium Alpine Green, Gold, Silver, Graphite, Sierra Blue Camera 48MP f/1.78 main, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, & 12MP f/2.8 telephoto with 5x optical zoom; 12MP TrueDepth camera Main, ultrawide, telephoto IP Rating IP68 IP68 Price $1,200 $1,099 at launch
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Design
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and 13 Pro Max feature Apple's signature premium build quality and design aesthetics. They sport a similar form factor, although Apple made subtle refinements for the new release. The iPhone 15 series features a slightly more rounded frame, making it more comfortable in the hand while maintaining the overall aesthetic.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is also lighter because Apple used titanium instead of steel for the chassis. It weighs 7.8 ounces, so while not a dainty phone by any means, it's still lighter than the 8.47oz iPhone 13 Pro Max. The dimensions have also changed slightly, with the 15 Pro being slightly less wide and long than the 13 Pro Max due to slimmer screen bezels. However, it's a little thicker at 0.32 inches compared to the 0.3-inch thickness of the 13 Pro Max. That means you'll need to purchase a new case made for the 15 Pro Max, as your old one won't fit.
In terms of ports, you may have already heard that Apple has finally surrendered on the USB-C issue and ditched the Lightning port for the iPhone 15 series. The 15 Pro Max now includes a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, while the 13 Pro Max still uses Lightning. Neither phone features a 3.5mm headphone jack, which has been the norm for Apple for years, so you'll need to rely on wireless audio or an adapter.
Display
Say goodbye to the "notch"
There's nothing groundbreaking about the display on Apple's new devices, and both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and 13 Pro Max sport very nice 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screens. The 15 Pro Max has a slightly better resolution (2796x1290) than the 13 Pro Max (2778x1284), but that's not a noticeable difference. Peak brightness with HDR content cranks up to 2,000 nits in contrast to the 1,200-nit peak brightness of the 13 Pro Max.
The most noteworthy change in the display isn't the screen itself but the bezels surrounding it. Apple has trimmed the bezels on the iPhone 15 lineup, increasing the screen-to-body ratio by a few percentage points. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also features the Dynamic Island introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max; however, the iPhone 13 Pro Max still has the notch. That's not a huge deal, but it's an example of yet another refinement that the newer releases bring to the iPhone design.
Software
iOS 17 tightens up Apple's ecosystem
The iPhone 13 Pro Max ships with iOS 15 and currently supports iOS 17. The release of the iPhone 15 series coincides with the rollout of iOS 17, which brings some new features to iOS apps and tightens up Apple's software ecosystem a bit. Both phones deliver a slick iOS experience, so there's no concern there.
As you can expect, iOS 17 isn't a huge update, but it improves some things and adds impressive new capabilities to communication apps, including FaceTime, Messages, and AirDrop. Also, the new StandBy mode, which turns your phone into an always-on display with custom widgets on your lock screen, is a welcome addition if you keep your phone on a MagSafe stand. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is eligible for the iOS 17 update, which rolled out for most users (owners of iPhone XR and later) in September 2023. You don't have to worry about software differences between these two phones.
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Performance
The new A17 Pro SoC truly shines
Both phones are impressive in terms of raw power, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max naturally takes the lead. It is equipped with Apple's latest A17 Pro, a 3nm chip, which is an industry first. It outclasses even the vaunted Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on paper, so expectations regarding iPhone 15 Pro Max performance were very high. The 15 Pro Max met those expectations in our hands-on tests, delivering snappy responsiveness, seamless multitasking, and smooth mobile gaming and streaming. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also features 8GB of RAM, which helps things along. Storage options range from 256GB to a whopping 1TB.
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The iPhone 13 Pro Max lags behind the 15 Pro Max, which is no shock given we're comparing a two-year-old phone to Apple's latest high-end flagship. It's no slouch, though, and shouldn't feel sluggish by 2024 standards. It runs on the A15 Bionic chip, which is still a formidable performer, with 6GB of memory and storage options ranging from 128GB to 1TB.
That said, for those who demand the absolute best in performance and future-proofing, the iPhone 15 Pro Max's superb new A17 Pro chip and greater RAM options make it the obvious performance winner.
Battery life
Both are great, but the 15 Pro Max is incredible
iPhone 15 Pro Max with titanium frame and round edges
Smartphone battery life is always a significant factor in the mobile age. The iPhone 15 Pro Max again takes the lead with its larger internal battery, made even better by the incredible efficiency of the A17 Pro SoC. To cite just one metric, Apple claims 29 hours of video playback for the 15 Pro Max versus 28 hours of video playback for the 13 Pro Max. In our time with it, we had no trouble using the 15 Pro Max all day without it dropping below 20%.
Either phone can easily last a full day of regular usage, and both support 20W wired charging and 15W MagSafe wireless charging. With a compatible adapter, both should also deliver similar charging speeds. The most noteworthy difference is that you can now use USB-C cables and chargers to juice up your iPhone 15 Pro Max (finally).
Camera
The 15 Pro Max is better, but the 13 Pro Max lags behind is good enough
Apple iPhones have consistently impressed in the camera department, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max continues this tradition with some significant improvements. It features a triple-camera module that looks similar to previous iterations but with some upgrades to the sensors and optics. The primary camera is a 48MP sensor backed up by dual 12MP ultrawide and telephoto lenses. Users also get more control over settings like focal length and zoom, which photographers will appreciate.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max also boasts a formidable camera setup with excellent low-light performance and computational photography features. However, its 12MP primary rear camera is considerably more limited than the 48MP shooter on the 15 Pro Max. Nonetheless, average users will likely be happy enough with it. For photography enthusiasts, though, the iPhone 15 Pro Max again brings some nice upgrades.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: Which is right for you?
This won't come as a shock, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max is clearly the better phone compared side-by-side with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. It packs a fantastic (and incredibly efficient) new processor, an upgraded camera setup, and a lighter and more refined overall design. If you want the absolute best that Apple has to offer and can stomach the premium price tag, the 15 Pro Max is easy to recommend to iPhone users.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Editor's choice
If you want Apple's latest and greatest phone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is easy to recommend. It's big, looks great, and feels great, and subtle refinements improve performance and camera capabilities in noticeable ways. It's expensive, but there's always a price to pay for excellence.
$1200 at Best Buy$1200 at Amazon
However, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is still a fine device in 2023, provided you can find one. It offers excellent performance, a solid camera module, a lovely OLED display, and an all-day battery life. If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is still a worthy choice, though availability is becoming increasingly scarce. On the other hand, if you already own an iPhone 13 Pro Max and are considering upgrading to the 15 Pro Max, you should now have enough information to decide whether it's worth the cost.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Good alternative
Although the iPhone 13 Pro Max pales in direct comparison to the 15 Pro Max, there's no denying it's still a good phone. It's getting hard to find, so it may not be worth chasing one down if you can get a more recent model at a discount. If you already own one and are happy with it, then upgrading to the 15 Pro Max boils down to whether the improvements are worth the steep price.
$719 at Amazon (Renewed)
