iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Head-to-Head Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 12 Pro Max edges out the iPhone 13 slightly due to its superior battery life and marginally brighter display. However, the iPhone 13 offers a more modern chipset and often comes at a lower price, making it a compelling choice for many. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your priorities.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 13 | 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 - A2633, A2634, A2635 | 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, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6/mmWave - A2633 | 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, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2634, A2635 | 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, aluminum 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 | 174 g (6.14 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, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 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 (4-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 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| NVMe | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm | - |
| 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/1.6, 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, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), 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 3240 mAh (12.41 Wh) | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Red, Green | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | A2633, A2482, A2631, A2634, A2635, iphone14,5 | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | € 304.00 / $ 249.97 / £ 248.00 | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR | 1.18 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 89h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 775519 (v9) GeekBench: 4645 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 13
- More modern A15 Bionic chip
- Sensor-shift stabilization for improved low-light photography
- Cinematic mode for video recording
- Generally more affordable
- Slightly shorter battery life than 12 Pro Max
- Smaller display size
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Exceptional battery life
- Larger display for immersive viewing
- Premium build quality
- Excellent camera system
- Older A14 Bionic chip
- Higher price point
- Larger size may not be ideal for everyone
Display Comparison
Both phones feature stunning Super Retina XDR displays. The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a slightly higher peak brightness of 822 nits compared to the iPhone 13's 802 nits, though the difference is minimal in everyday use. Both offer excellent color accuracy and contrast. The iPhone 12 Pro Max's larger size (6.7 inches vs 6.1 inches) is a key differentiator for those who prefer a bigger screen.
Camera Comparison
Both phones have excellent camera systems. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a triple-lens setup with a 12MP Wide, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto lens. The iPhone 13 also has a dual-lens system (12MP Wide and Ultra Wide) but benefits from sensor-shift stabilization on the main lens, improving low-light performance. Cinematic mode on the iPhone 13 is a significant addition for video recording. Overall, both deliver exceptional photo and video quality.
Performance
The iPhone 12 Pro Max utilizes the A14 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 13 features the A15 Bionic. The A15 offers a noticeable performance boost, particularly in graphics-intensive tasks and machine learning applications. While the A14 remains incredibly capable, the A15 provides a future-proof advantage. Both phones handle demanding games and multitasking with ease.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro Max takes the lead in battery life, boasting an endurance rating of 95 hours compared to the iPhone 13's 89 hours. This translates to noticeably longer usage between charges, especially for heavy users.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the iPhone 13? Users prioritizing a slightly more affordable option, a newer chipset, and a compact design. Who should buy the iPhone 12 Pro Max? Those seeking the absolute best battery life, a larger display, and don't mind paying a premium.