Design and Build

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is not only good-looking but also its build is high-end and strong, being made out of a surgical-grade stainless steel frame, a Ceramic Shield front, and the matte glass on its back, which, by the way, is textured and thus does not attract fingerprints. The phone has the same length and width as the Samsung Galaxy Note20 but the latter is only 6.7 mm slim and weighs only 192g, a full 48g less than what the next Pro series has. The color palette of the device is so tasteful. It is released in five beautiful colors, Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, and Alpine Green; it has a quarter-sized notch (20% reduction from iPhone 12), thus offering a more immersive display. The phone comes with a Lightning port, and it supports the insertion of a physical nano-SIM and an eSIM at the same time in most areas, but with both being eSIM in some markets.

• Surgical-grade stainless steel frame
• Ceramic Shield front (tougher than any smartphone glass)
• Textured matte glass back for fingerprint resistance
• IP68 rating (water and dust resistance up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)
• Smaller notch (20% smaller than iPhone 12)
• Lightning port for charging and data transfer
• Physical nano-SIM + eSIM or dual eSIM (region-dependent)

iPhone 13 Pro Max Display

The large screen of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, has a resolution of 2778 x 1284 pixels (458 PPI), and it is capable of displaying HDR10 and Dolby Vision content in all their glory. Aside from more screen space, the presence of pro-motion technology enables the display to cover a wide range of refresh rates ( from 10Hz to 120Hz) according to the type of content of the operation. This paves the way for clearer and smoother image transitions and paging. Additionally, the phone can reach the maximum brightness of 1000 nits typical and 1200 nits peak (in HDR mode), meaning even under direct sunlight it can be clearly discerned, albeit the Always-On Display feature is not found in it, which we can enjoy in the following generations of such models.

• 6.7-inch OLED (Super Retina XDR)
• 2778 x 1284 resolution, 458 PPI
• HDR10 and Dolby Vision support
• 1000 nits (typical), 1200 nits (peak HDR)
• Ceramic Shield protection
• 120Hz ProMotion (10Hz–120Hz, no Always-On Display)

Performance and Software

Drained from the A15 Bionic chip, the fastest in the market ($3.7B) in 2021, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the device that one would prefer, taking into account its excellent efficiency. Also, call it the iPhone 13 Pro Max 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine without a problem, as this powerful combo is willing to let you engage in multitasking, play games, and hash out your next computational masterpiece of a picture. Even after a couple of years of learning, the phone has matured from 4 to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM. Concerning the storage options, customers can choose among four: 128GB ($1099), 256GB ($1199), 512GB ($1399), and 1TB ($1599). It is factory-provided with iOS 15 and it can be updated to iOS 18, yet owing to its early release and dated hardware, a couple of features, such as the Dynamic Island or Always-On Display, are missing.

• A15 Bionic chip with 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
• 6GB LPDDR4X RAM
• Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
• iOS 15 (upgradable to iOS 18)
• Optimized for gaming and computational photography

The A15 Bionic delivers outstanding performance, though it’s slightly slower than the A16 in newer models. Reviewers praise its speed for AAA games and video editing, but its LPDDR4X RAM and lack of newer AI features limit future-proofing compared to the iPhone 14 series.

Camera System

The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a triple-camera system feature with a 12MP Main (f1.5, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS), a 12MP Ultra-Wide (f1.8, 13mm, 120° FOV), and a 12MP 3x Telephoto (f2.8, 77mm), which is great. The widely improved sensor and the much brighter ultra-wide lens help you to shoot better in low light, while the 3x zoom telephoto lets you get much closer without any loss of quality. The front camera is equipped with the same 12MP and f2.2 specifications as last year and supports Face ID. We can find the front camera with the same 12MP f2.2 specifications as in previously released models, and its features for keeping our phone secure and easy to operate were unused. Video recording on the iPhone 13 Pro Max comes with the following features: 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps, Cinematic Mode (1080p 30 fps), and ProRes video (4K 30 fps for 256 GB+ models). The True Tone flash helps to get good images even in places with low light.

• Rear: 12MP Main (26mm, f/1.5, OIS), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, f/1.8), 12MP 3x Telephoto (77mm, f/2.8)
• Front: 12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2)
• Video: 4K Dolby Vision 60 fps, Cinematic Mode (1080p 30 fps), ProRes (4K 30 fps, 256GB+)
• Modes: Night mode, Portrait, Photographic Styles, Macro
• True Tone flash

Battery and Charging

The lithium-ion battery of the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a capacity of 4352mAh and, as such, delivers a video playback time of up to 28 hours, and in practice, the time is rather about 20–22 hours for mixed use. 20W wired charging, which in half an hour gives 50% power, 15W MagSafe, and 7.5W Qi wireless charging are the methods of charging that the device supports. The package contains only a Lightning to USB-C cable and a user manual, but no power brick. It is undoubtedly equipped with top battery life and has been able to outlast most of the flagships of 2021. The A15 chip's energy efficiency and the battery's ample size contributed to it outdoing its rivals.

• 4352mAh battery
• Up to 28 hours video playback, ~20–22 hours real-world
• 20W wired charging (50% in 30 min)
• 15W MagSafe, 7.5W Qi wireless charging
• No charger included (Lightning cable only)

Connectivity

The modem in the iPhone 13 Pro Max is Qualcomm X60 5G, which supports 516GHz and mmWave for data transmission and reception (for U.S.A. only), providing fast internet service. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, and the possibility of physical nano-SIM and eSIM or dual eSIM (with equipment according to the region) are the features you might find. A U1 ultra-wideband chip brings Precision Findings to AirTags. It marks the first models where Apple has decided to exclude satellite connectivity for Emergency SOS. GPS can communicate with many different systems such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, thus making the tracking of places easier.

• Qualcomm X60 5G modem (sub-6 GHz, mmWave in U.S.)
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Physical nano-SIM + eSIM or dual eSIM (region-dependent)
• U1 ultra-wideband chip (Precision Finding)
• No satellite connectivity
• GPS: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou

Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 13 Pro Max can be purchased at this price point: 128GB for $1099, 256GB for $1199, 512GB for $1399, 1TB for $1599. The pre-order begins from September 17, 2021, whereas sales started on September 24, 2021, both via Apple, carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and stores like Best Buy.