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iPhone 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max in 2022: Should You Upgrade?

iPhone 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max in 2022: Should You Upgrade?

The iPhone 13 Pro shares most of the features with the latest iPhone 14 Pro, and is still a very capable device.

Written by Ishaan Singh, Edited by Roydon Cerejo | Updated: 18 November 2022 12:25 IST

iPhone 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max in 2022: Should You Upgrade?

Photo Credit: Apple

iPhone 13 Pro Max (pictured) was launched in India in September 2021

Highlights

iPhone 13 Pro Max comes equipped with the A15 Bionic SoC
The phone features Face ID with a slightly trimmed notch
iPhone 13 Pro Max sports ProMotion adaptive refresh rate display

It's been quite some time since the new 2022 iPhones launched in India but Apple is now struggling to keep up with the demand of its iPhone 14 Pro models, ever since its primary assembly facility in China was impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Apple itself has put out an official statement regarding the delays in the production of the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. The question then is, should you wait for the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max or pick up last year's iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max right away? For those who own an iPhone 13 Pro Max, does it make sense to upgrade this year? We'll try to answer that in this article.

Every year, there's a new iPhone that's launched and one does not typically need to upgrade their smartphone every time, because most of the upgrades are usually incremental, and this year is no different. The iPhone 14 Pro line up looks and feels like last year's iPhone 13 Pro or even the iPhone 12 Pro line up from 2020. If you have an iPhone 13 Pro or the Pro Max, it's hard to tell the difference between those and the 2022 models by simply looking at the backs of the phones. The iPhone 13 Pro line up and the 14 Pro series are built using very similar materials, have almost the same dimensions, and share two of the same colour options, Gold and Silver.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro - display

When it comes to the display, Apple introduced the 120Hz ProMotion display with the iPhone 13 Pro line up and it's the same tech used in the 14 Pro line up too. I don't think you'll notice much of a difference when it comes to refresh rate, whether you're using the iPhone 14 Pro (Review) series or the 13 Pro series. The display of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is very sharp, has a high peak brightness, and is protected by Ceramic Shield. The only upgrades that the iPhone 14 Pro line up brings are higher peak brightness levels of up to 2000 nits, and the Always-On display, which has received mixed reactions from consumers.

iPhone 14 Pro Review: Islands in the Screen

Talking about the notch, the iPhone 13 Pro series has a slightly smaller notch than its predecessor, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro line up uses the Dynamic Island, Apple's method of concealing the gap between the front camera and the Face ID cameras, both of which are now detached from the display bezel, thereby resembling an island in the screen. It certainly feels fresh and innovative.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro - cameras

Each year, Apple introduces a new camera feature with added advancements to their hardware and software. For the iPhone 13 line up, it introduced Cinematic Mode and a larger sensor for both, the 13 Pro and the 13 Pro Max. The iPhone 13 Pro series still has some of the best smartphone cameras in the market right now. The pictures come out amazing, computational photography is improved drastically, macro photos are some of the best that I've come across to date, and recorded video is excellent. It can capture some of the best-looking 4K videos at 60fps in DolbyVision HDR, which is still a distant dream for most other premium smartphones.

Coming to the iPhone 14 Pro line up, both the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max come with a bumped-up main camera resolution of 48 megapixels, compared to the 12-megapixel resolution which we've been seeing since the iPhone 6s (Review). The new phones have a bunch of hardware as well as exciting software features. Take Action Mode for instance, which lets you record some of the best stabilised videos on any smartphone camera.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max Review

The iPhone 14 Pro series debuted the new Dynamic Island for the front cameras

The iPhone 14 Pro series also uses the new Photonic Engine for more realistic details and colours in photos. Night mode photos are better thanks to the added resolution and take less time to process. Cinematic Mode videos on the iPhone 14 Pro series can now be recorded in 4K 30fps, which is much appreciated as it is a plus if you need to crop the video while editing. The front camera on the iPhone 14 Pro line up now has autofocus which aids in sharper and more accurate selfies or videos.

Apple iPhone 13 mini vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: Best Compact Flagship?

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro - battery

When I first started using my iPhone 13 Pro Max a year ago, it would last a solid one and a half days with my typical usage habits which included frequent use of social media, binge-watching, and occasionally recording videos. But as it ages, I noticed that I need to charge it at the end of the day since the battery health has now dropped to 88 percent after roughly eight months of rigorous use. However, this is just my personal experience as others might have different experiences depending on individual usage habits. Apple claims up to 28 hours of runtime with video playback on a single charge of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a claimed runtime of up to 29 hours, which is not a big upgrade.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro - processor

The iPhone 13 Pro series uses the A15 Bionic SoC, which is still very much capable and way ahead of its Android counterparts. Games still run well at their highest settings, multi-tasking is still great, and I have not felt any deficiency in performance, whatsoever, to date.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have the A16 Bionic, which has a billion more transistors than the A15 Bionic, higher memory bandwidth, and small overall improvements which result in slightly higher benchmark numbers, however, you might not notice a huge performance jump in day-to-day activities.

iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max: What’s the Difference?

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro - price

Now, coming to the most important aspect — the price. The iPhone 14 Pro Max officially starts at Rs. 1,39,900 for the 128GB variant and for that amount or even lower (based on discounts), you can get a 256GB variant of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. It is readily available on popular online stores in India as well as offline retail outlets, while the 14 Pro Max currently has a waiting period. One thing to note is, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is officially discontinued this year so you will not be able to buy it directly from Apple.com.

To put it simply, if you already own an iPhone 13 Pro Max, it doesn't make sense going for the 14 Pro Max. But if you are still using something older such as the iPhone 11 Pro and are not in any hurry, then get yourself an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max because some of the new features and improvements kind of justify the premium.

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company's latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max comparison

	iPhone 14 Pro Max	iPhone 13 Pro Max
Key Specs
Display	6.70-inch	6.70-inch
Processor	Apple A16 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic
Front Camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Rear Camera	48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel	12-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
OS	iOS 16	iOS 15
Resolution	2796x1290 pixels	1284x2778 pixels

See full Comparison »

iPhone 13 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Bright, crisp 120Hz display
Excellent construction quality
Stellar battery life
Great overall performance
Versatile cameras

Bad
Extremely expensive
Bulky and heavy
Display notch in 2021

Read detailed Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 15

Resolution 1284x2778 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 14 Pro Max

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 2796x1290 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro Max Specifications, iPhone 14 Pro Max Specifications

Ishaan Singh

Email Ishaan Singh

Ishaan Singh is an Anchor and Producer at Gadgets360. He has worked as an Assistant Director, a video producer, and a photographer and content developer in the film and media sector for over half a decade now. Most of his work has been for Visual Platforms over the years, from trying out the latest devices to making video content on technology. He knows everything there is to know about filmmaking and content development. He's worked in cinematography, direction, editing, and anchoring, ...More