iPhone 13 Pro Max Review

Hey Y’all,

I just upgraded from an iPhone XR to the new iPhone 13 Pro Max. I know, kind of a jump, but a much needed one. It was a birthday present to myself since pre-order started on my birthday this year. It took about three weeks to get to me, now here’s what I’ve noticed are different compared to the previous models and some pros and cons of the new phone.

A little bit of backstory, I used to have an iPhone 6s Plus before I got the iPhone XR and the one thing I missed was the size of the phone. Although the XR was not the smallest phone at the time, but it wasn’t the biggest either. I missed they way the 6s plus fit in my hands and the big screen. It may have felt like it had a bigger screen, the XR really had more screen coverage. I’m aware, it just felt smaller because the phone body was smaller.

I have also owned an iPhone 5s and a 6 and I knew I didn’t want to go back to those sizes. I used to think “the 6 is too big, who in the world would want a phone that big…” look at me now with the iPhone 13 PRO MAX!

Let’s start with packaging. Nothing different from the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max. Comes in the black box without the plastic wrap to be more environmentally friendly. Inside it comes with the standard paperwork and Apple sticker along with the USB-C to Lightning charging cable. No brick. No EarPods either. Apple started removing the brick and the EarPods when the iPhone 12 came out to encourage recycling, but I think it also gives them an excuse to charge extra to buy one from them.

I am in love with the new Sierra Blue color! Plus one for Apple with the new color. It's chic and airy, and the reflective edges give me more of an edger look (no pun intended). I’m size and shape, there isn’t much of a difference between the 12 pro max and the 13 pro max. Small cosmetic changes were made, however, and very slight at that.

• The camera bump is bigger and the lenses are larger.
• The power button has shifted down some and so has the volume buttons
• The phone grill on the front is on the edge rather than in the middle of the notch.
• Flat edges instead of rounded. I personally prefer the flat over the arounded. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to slip out of my hands.

Cosmetic changes weren’t the only thing that’s new, this phone has some weight to it. Compared to my XR, it’s got some heft. Yes, they are different sizes, but the amount of weight added for a slightly bigger screen was surprising. Apple has a good reason for this though!

It has a bigger and more powerful battery. Apple claims it holds two and a half hours more charge than the 12 Pro Max and a faster charging speed.

Some of you might think, this is great, but what software features are new compared to the previous models. Apple says it's the best cameras of all iPhones. What's new?

Well, I am very glad you asked. Apple introduced a cinematic mode to the iPhone Pro and Pro Max that give your videos the depth of field of a cinematic movie. The control is at your finger tips. Some of you might say, that’s great, but what is depth of field? Again, I’m glad you asked. I’m a professional photographer and here’s my quick run down of depth of field.

Essentially, the camera is focusing on either the foreground, middle ground, or background and whatever it’s not focusing on is blurred or extremely blurred. Your eyes also do this when you’re perhaps looking at your finger, everything behind your finger is blurry. Then you look at what’s behind your finger and then your finger gets blurry. The depth of field in movies adds another dimension to what you’re looking at so the audience knows what to focus on. If there was no depth of field, then the people watching your move would have so many things to look at. There are ways to get away with no having depth of field, and that’s by making your object you want your audience to focus on being mobile. Keep it moving. But I digress, I’m here to talk about the iPhone 13 Pro Max, not how to make a movie (Check out some of my other posts for that! 😉)