iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. iPhone 13 Pro: The comparison of the heavyweights

Since these two smartphones come from two different years, they should logically be very different from each other, especially in the area of photography. In practice, however, they are more similar than they seem. Here is some useful information to help you choose the right model.

iPhone 12 Pro Max, a high-quality display

The two smartphones are quite distinctive in terms of size - the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a larger 6.7-inch screen, whilst the iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen isntead. The weight is also very different between the two smartphones, as the 12 Pro Max model weighs 230 grams, and the iPhone 13 Pro weighs just under 200 grams in comparison. The difference technically becomes even greater when you consider the screen's refresh rate. The iPhone 13 Pro is able to adjust its refresh rate in real time to limit power consumption in order to conserve battery while working more smoothly, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max lacks the same efficiency, however this is hardly noticeable in everyday use to be perfecly honest.

iPhone 13 Pro, the fastest iPhone

With the new A15 Bionic chip (A14 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max), the iPhone 13 Pro is the faster of the two. It is also the most powerful device when it comes to taking photos, but also videos, especially at night. Its rear sensor gains in brightness and quality through larger apertures, but also through the presence of a 3x optical zoom. 

The iPhone 12 Pro Max can keep up with it during the day, but suffers from a lack of stability at night. The same is true for videos. Therefore, if photography plays a central role among your criteria, the iPhone 13 Pro is best suited.

The extra large display of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is ideal for video content, but this smartphone needs to be operated with two hands, which might put some people off. If you like compact formats, you should prefer the iPhone 13 Pro. It also gains in performance as the screen refresh rate is doubled with a new, very fast chip. It's also newer, so you can take advantage of Apple's software updates for longer.