iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Comprehensive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 13 Pro offers a brighter display, a slightly faster processor, and improved video recording capabilities. However, the iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts slightly better battery life and a lower price point, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious users who prioritize longevity.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2638, A2639, A2640 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2342 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2638, A2639 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2636 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 14 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 24 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.30 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 204 g (7.20 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| NVMe | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | - |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec. | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 3095 mAh (12.11 Wh) | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | A2638, A2483, A2636, A2639, A2640, iPhone14,2 | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | € 398.00 / $ 365.86 / £ 300.00 | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR | 1.20 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 599.99 |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 728.45 |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 886.67 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 627.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 85h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.9 LUFS (Very good) | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 794348 (v9) GeekBench: 4687 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
- Brighter Display
- Faster Processor (A15 Bionic)
- Improved Video Recording (Cinematic Mode, ProRes)
- Sensor-Shift Stabilization on all cameras
- Slightly Higher Price
- Battery life marginally less than 12 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Excellent Battery Life
- Large Display
- More Affordable
- Still a very powerful processor (A14 Bionic)
- Less Bright Display
- Older Processor
- No ProRes video recording
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 Pro's display shines with a significantly higher peak brightness of 1063 nits compared to the iPhone 12 Pro Max's 822 nits. Both feature excellent color accuracy and contrast (infinite nominal), but the 13 Pro's increased brightness makes it noticeably better in outdoor conditions. Both have ProMotion (adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz).
Camera Comparison
Both phones have excellent camera systems, but the iPhone 13 Pro introduces improvements in video recording, particularly with Cinematic mode and ProRes video. The 13 Pro also benefits from sensor-shift stabilization on all cameras. Both offer fantastic photo quality in various lighting conditions.
Performance
The iPhone 13 Pro's A15 Bionic chip provides a performance edge over the iPhone 12 Pro Max's A14 Bionic. While both are incredibly fast, the A15 offers slightly quicker app loading times and smoother multitasking. Real-world differences are subtle for most users, but gamers and power users will appreciate the extra headroom.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro Max holds a slight advantage in battery endurance, with an 85h rating compared to the 13 Pro's 85h. In practical use, the difference is minimal, and both phones will easily last a full day for most users.
Buying Guide
The iPhone 13 Pro is ideal for users who demand the best possible display quality, prioritize video recording, and want the latest processor. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a great choice for those seeking excellent battery life, a large screen, and a more affordable premium iPhone experience.