Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Which is better

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Apple has launched the iPhone 14 Pro Max which is meant to be the upgrade to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. But, some users feel the iPhone 14 Pro Max is not much of an upgrade and hence not a worthy successor to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Some users even advise the iPhone 13 Pro Max owners to stick with the device and not upgrade to the latest iPhone 14 Pro Max.

So, we asked our team to take a look and confirm if, behind the Dynamic Island display of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, there are other upgrades that make it a good successor to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. This is why in this Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max specs comparison, we’ll be bringing you details of our findings. We carefully looked into the small details to confirm if there is any change and here are our findings.

See Also: Apple iPhone 14 models debut with important and useful features

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max

Quick Note: The difference between the Pro-Max and PRO versions of the iPhone 14 and 13 is the display size. Hence, this article also serves as a specs comparison of the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro.

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Display, Design, and Durability

At first glance, the display of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro Max are the same. The display on both smartphones is 6.7-inches, both have an LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel that supports a 120Hz refresh rate, and both have support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision. But, the peak brightness of the iPhone 13 Pro Max display is 1200nits while that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is 2000nits. This means the display of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is about 2x brighter than that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Another difference is the front screen design and features. The front screen of both phones is flat but the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a notch on the top while the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a rectangular punch hole that Apple refers to as Dynamic Island. The iPhone 14 Pro Max now also supports an Always-on display but the iPhone 13 Pro Max does not. Some might say these upgrades are subtle but it doesn’t make them less of an upgrade.

Both phones are still made of a Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), stainless steel frame, still IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 mins), and still have Scratch-resistant ceramic glass and oleophobic coating. So both devices basically get the same level of durability and since the protection features of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is already of top quality, there are no complaints here and this brings us to design.

When you see both iPhones side by side from the rear, there is practically no difference between both phones. They have the same camera module, the same camera sensors, the same flat back, etc. The case of the iPhone 13 Pro Max should fit the iPhone 14 Pro Max just fine. So, from our findings, there is no huge change in the overall design of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

But, that is just typical of Apple. The company wants you to be able to differentiate the iPhones from other phones. If they start making the iPhone look like other phones, then the iPhone won’t stand out. Although there is no big change in the design and durability features between these iPhones, Apple made some subtle but good upgrades in the display segment. The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a brighter display and a new front screen design.

See Also: Apple iPhone 14 Plus Price, Specifications, and release date

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Camera

For the first time since 2018, Apple is using a new camera sensor for its main camera. The camera setup of the iPhone 14 Pro Max 48MP + 12MP + 12MP + TOF 3D LiDAR scanner and 12MP + SL 3D while that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 12MP + 12MP + 12MP + TOF 3D LiDAR scanner and 12MP + SL 3D. At first, one would think the 48MP sensor is the only difference, but it gets interesting.

Camera	iPhone 14 Pro Max	iPhone 13 Pro Max
Main	48MP	12MP
Telephoto	12MP	12MP
Ultra-wide	12MP	12MP
Depth	TOF 3D LiDAR scanner	TOF 3D LiDAR scanner
Front	12MP + SL 3D	12MP + SL 3D

The 48MP main camera of the iPhone 14 Pro Max has an f/1.8 aperture, 1.22µm quad pixel PDAF, and 24mm focal length while the 12MP main camera of the iPhone 13 Pro Max has an f/1.5 aperture, 1.9µm dual pixel PDAF, and 26mm focal length. The main camera of the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a faster aperture and a wider focal length. So, the 48MP main camera of the iPhone 14 Pro Max might take slightly more detailed photos but the range of area it can capture is smaller than what the 12MP of the iPhone 13 Pro Max can capture.

The 12MP telephoto lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens, TOF 3D LiDAR scanner, 12MP front camera, and SL 3D sensors are pretty much the same. The telephoto and ultra-wide lenses have very similar apertures and focal lengths. The SL 3D sensor is for biometrics sensors like your Face ID and the TOF 3D LiDAR scanner is a depth sensor.

The camera features available on these are 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (1080p@30fps), stereo sound rec., dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, and HDR (photo/panorama). But, only the iPhone 14 Pro Max has the ACTION MODE stabilization feature and can shoot 4K videos in an additional 25fps.

So, the significant differences in the camera are the new 48MP main camera, a new ACTION MODE stabilization feature, cinematic mode now up to 4K@30fps (iPhone 13 Pro Max is 1080p@30fps), and an additional option to record 4K videos in 25fps (iPhone 13 Pro Max is 24/30/60fps). Again, the upgrades in the camera are not substantial as some would put it, but it’s there.

See Also: Apple Airpods Pro 2 debuts with a new chip and better noise cancellation

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Chipset, RAM & Storage

The chipset in the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the Apple A16 Bionic chip while that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the Apple A15 Bionic chip. Both chipsets are 5G capable but the A16 bionic is built on a 4nm process technology while the A15 Bionic is built on a 5nm process technology.

The A16 and A15 Bionic chipsets have a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. Apple is yet to give out the full details of the A16 Bionic chip but it seems to have the same CPU cores and Apple GPU (5-core graphics) as the A15 Bionic. And if the CPU cores are the same as the A15, then it could have two Avalanche high-performance cores with a speed clocked at 3.23GHz and four Blizzard power-efficiency cores with a speed clocked at 1.82GHz.

The aim of Apple with this chipset is not primarily performance but heat management and power efficiency. According to Apple, the A16 Bionic chip has 20% improvements in power efficiency. This means the iPhone 14 Pro Max will have longer battery life, consistent performance, and not get hot very easily.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has the same RAM and storage options as the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The RAM option available on both iPhones is 6GB and the storage option is up to 1TB (starts at 128GB of storage). There is no space for storage expansion via a microSD card slot.

See Also: Apple New Smartwatches bring Important updates to users

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Software

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max boots iOS 16 out of the box while the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max boots iOS 15 out of the box. However, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is currently getting the iOS 16 updates. iPhone 14 Pro max will get about five more years of software updates while the iPhone 13 Pro Max will get four.

The software and user experience on both iPhones are good but the iPhone 14 Pro Max gives you a new user experience thanks to the software built around its Dynamic Island punch hole. App minimization, notification, and quick response experience on the iPhone 14 Pro Max are cooler. It’s possible for Apple to roll out a software update that will bring this feature to the iPhone 13 Pro Max but then it might slow the sales of the iPhone 14 Pro Max as it’s a feature that is currently unique only to this iPhone.

See Also: Apple Watch Ultra European Pricing; The Toughest Watch Ever!

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Battery Charging & Sensors

A 4,352mAh battery powers the iPhone 13 Pro Max while a 4,323mAh battery powers the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This is about a 30mAh reduction in the battery capacity but the new power-efficient 4nm A16 Bionic chipset makes the iPhone 14 Pro Max battery last long. The charging features of the battery on both iPhones are the same. Available charging features include 15W MagSafe wireless charging, 27W wired fast charging, USB Power Delivery 2.0, and 7.5W Qi magnetic fast wireless charging.

The sensors available in both iPhones are Face ID, NFC, Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified), and Ultra Wideband (UWB) support. The sensors exclusive to only the iPhone 14 Pro Max are Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving), Crash Detection, and eSIM support only for users in the United States.

See Also: iPhone 14 Pro Max Price in UK and Availability

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Price

The starting price of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro Max is $1,099. The use of older camera sensors and the removal of the SIM card tray are some of the ways Apple is able to sell the iPhone 14 Pro Max at the same price as the iPhone 13 Pro Max. But since the iPhone 14 Pro Max models that will be sold outside the US will have SIM card trays, the prices of the device will be a little higher in those regions (specifically in Europe, Asia, and Africa).

iPhone 14 Pro Max	Price
Buy on Amazon(UK)	$1099
Buy on Amazon(EUR)	€1,499

iPhone 13 Pro Max	Price
Buy on Amazon	$1,199.00
Buy on Amazon(UK)	£1,049.00
Buy on Gazelle	$1,069.00

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Summary

Specs	iPhone 14 Pro Max	iPhone 13 Pro Max
Display	6.7-inches, OLED, 120Hz	6.7-inches, OLED, 120Hz
RAM	6GB	6GB
Storage	up to 1TB	up to 1TB
Back Camera	48MP + 12MP + 12MP + TOF 3D LiDAR	12MP + 12MP + 12MP + TOF 3D LiDAR
Front Camera	12MP + SL 3D	12MP + SL 3D
Chipset	Apple A16 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic
Software	Apple iOS 16	Apple iOS 15
Battery	Unspecified	4,352mAh(27W)
IP Rating	IP68	IP68

From this Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max specs comparison, it’s safe to say that the iPhone 14 Pro Max brings some subtle but useful upgrades. The chipset is now more power efficient, with a new 48MP main camera sensor, a new punch-hole design, Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving), Crash Detection, and some new camera features.

These might not be the upgrade many people hoped for but these upgrades are sure important. So YES, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is better than the iPhone 13 Pro Max in key areas. However, now that the iPhone 14 Pro Max is out, Apple might drop the price of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and this makes it a good device to buy.

Especially if you live in the US and you need a good iPhone that supports physical SIM cards, then you should buy an iPhone 13 Pro Max as soon you see its price drop. If you already own an iPhone 13 Pro Max and wish to upgrade to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you can do a trade-in and get up to $1000 off. But note that if you live in the US, you’ll be giving up access to a physical SIM card slot and if you don’t mind using multiple eSIMs, then you should consider the upgrade.