iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: 5 big changes

They look about the same, but under the hood a lot has changed. In this comparison, we pit the new iPhone 13 Pro Max against its predecessor, the iPhone 12 Pro Max. These are the biggest differences.

iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

1. Design: notch is finally smaller

If you put the iPhone 13 Pro Max next to its predecessor, you have to look closely to find the differences. Those who are sharp, however, can discover them. An important design difference is, for example, that the notch of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a lot smaller. According to Apple, the ‘bite’ from the screen has shrunk about 20 percent.

That kite doesn’t hold up for the main design change on the rear. The cameras of the new iPhone have actually grown.

Maybe that’s why the device has become a bit heavier. With a weight of 240 grams, you can rightly call the largest iPhone of 2021 ‘Max’. For reference: the iPhone 12 Pro Max is slightly more nimble at 228 grams.

The latest design change of the iPhone 13 Pro Max has to do with the available colors. Like its predecessor, the device is available in four versions, but the blue version is slightly different. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is for sale in Sierra Blue, instead of ocean blue. In total you can choose from the following flavors: Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue and Silver.

Also interesting: iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro: 6 differences in a row

2. ‘Smooth’ screen

The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen, just like its predecessor. But, as soon as you turn on the display, you will definitely encounter changes. The most important is without a doubt the addition of the ProMotion display.

The 13 Pro (Max) refreshes its pixels up to 120 times per second, while the 12 Pro (Max) gets stuck at 60 times. In short, the image of the 13 Pro Max looks smoother. You notice this, for example, when you scroll through social media or while playing certain games.

The difference between a screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hertz (Hz) and 60Hz is especially noticeable when you put them side by side. In other words, if you now have the 12 Pro Max “you don’t know what you’re missing”. Only when you make the switch do you notice how nice a ‘smooth’ screen is in practice.

That also applies to the next screen improvement of this year. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a maximum brightness of 1000 nits. By comparison, the 12 Pro Max doesn’t go beyond 800 nits. A higher maximum brightness is especially nice when the sun is shining. In that case you can simply read the screen.

3. Hardware: A15 vs A14

Have you ever been annoyed by the slowness of the iPhone 12 Pro Max? We neither. The device was (and is) lightning fast. This is mainly due to the A14 Bionic, a chip made by Apple that blows away competing (Android) smartphones.

The A15 Bionic proves that it can always be done even faster. This logical successor to the A14 chip is even more powerful. Normally, the company always announces how much faster the new chip is compared to the previous generation, but not this time.

On paper, however, the speed difference between the two iPhone chips seems to be not that bad. The real gain of the A15 chip is therefore not in the higher speed, but in the extended battery life. The new iPhone chip seems to be a lot more energy efficient.

4. Battery Life

Which brings us to the next improvement: the battery life. All iPhone 13 phones last longer than their predecessors, but the speed gain of the 13 Pro Max is by far the biggest.

Apple itself never discloses the exact size of the smartphone batteries, but thanks to information from Chemtrec we know that the new device has a capacity of 4373 mAh. The 12 Pro Max has to do with a battery of 3687 mAh.

In its own words, the 13 Pro Max can stream videos continuously for 25 hours, while the 12 Pro Max can ‘only’ last for 12 hours. This is not a typo: thanks to the larger battery capacity and faster A15 chip, the battery life seems to improve considerably.

At least, that’s what Apple itself is bringing out. We haven’t been able to test the iPhone 13 Pro Max yet, so here’s this nuance.

5. Camera

The iPhone 13 Pro Max has three new cameras on the back. The resolutions have not been tinkered with (all three are still 12 megapixels), but the specifications have changed.

For example, the (ultra) wide-angle lens of the new model has been given a different aperture value, so that the lenses receive more light. This is especially good at night, because your photos and videos are better exposed.

Furthermore, the telephoto lens now has a 3X zoom, instead of 2.5X. This allows you to get the image closer more often (without loss of quality).

Apple has also made some software improvements. Take Cinematic Mode for example. This feature automatically shifts focus when you shoot a video. You probably know this effect from cinema films. Cinematic Mode also keeps the image stable, so your final video doesn’t look so choppy.

Also read: iPhone 13 (Pro) camera: the 6 new functions in a row

Conclusion: iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

An evolution, not a revolution. This is how we can best describe the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The device has some nice improvements on board. Think of the promoted screen, longer battery life and improved cameras.

In terms of design and hardware, however, little has changed and the increased weight will not be to everyone’s liking. It remains to be seen to what extent the battery life has actually improved. Of course you can read that in our review, which we will publish as soon as possible.

To buy

Are you going to buy the iPhone 13 Pro Max? The device can be pre-ordered from September 17 (at 14:00). The actual release will start on September 24. Since the delivery times increase rapidly every year, we advise you to order the device as soon as possible.

You can still buy the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but not from Apple. The manufacturer has removed the device from its range. Fortunately, many (web) stores still have the device in stock. In addition, the device has now dropped significantly in price.