If youโ€™re currently using an iPhone 11 Pro Max, you might be wondering if the new iPhone 13 Pro Max is worth the investment. Or, you just simply want to know the differences and know which one to purchase. Letโ€™s review these two powerful Apple phones to help you decide, including pros, cons, and a comprehensive comparison of every feature. Letโ€™s get started!

iPhone 11 Pro Max: Pros and cons

Pros

  • Night Mode is still excellent
  • Excellent video recording quality with XDR
  • A cheap option for a still high-end phone if you buy it refurbished
  • Big but lighter than other high-end smartphones

Cons

  • Big notch
  • No 5G connectivity
  • No headphone jack
  • No USB-C

iPhone 13 Pro Max: Pros and cons

Pros

  • The camera has seen a significant improvement
  • Excellent video recording quality
  • Cinematic Mode and Photographic Styles
  • Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
  • Much better battery life
  • Exceptional screen with 120Hz refresh rate
  • ProMotion display technology

Cons

  • A bit oversized and heavy
  • Itโ€™s expensive
  • No USB-C
  • No fast charging

iPhone 11 Pro Max vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: Specs Comparison Table

FeatureiPhone 11 Pro MaxiPhone 13 Pro Max
Screen6.5-inch Super Retina XDR (OLED)6.7-inch Super Retina XDR (OLED) with ProMotion technology
Screen-to-body ratio83.7%87.4%
Resolution2,688 x 1,242 at 458 pixels per inch2,278 x 1,284 at 458 pixels per inch
Brightness1,000 nits (typical) and up to 1,200 nits (HDR)800 nits (typical) and up to 1,200 nits (HDR)
Dimensions6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in
15.8 x 7.7 x 0.81 cm
6.33 x 3.07 x 0.3 in
16 x 7.8 x 0.76 cm
Weight7.97 oz
226 g
8.47 oz
240 g
ColorsSilver
Gold
Gray
Dark gray
Silver
Black
Gold
Blue
Green
WaterproofIP68IP68
CPUA13 Bionic with 8-core Neural EngineA15 Bionic with 16-core Neural Engine
RAM4GB6GB
Storage64GB
256GB
512GB
128 GB
256 GB
512 GB
1 TB
Front camera12MP lens with f/2.2 aperture12MP lens with f/2.2 aperture
Rear cameraWide-angle: 12MP with f/1.8 aperture
Ultra wide-angle: 12MP with f/2.4 aperture
Telephoto: 12MP with f/2.0 aperture
Wide-angle: 12MP with f/1.5 aperture
Ultra wide-angle: 12MP with f/1.8 aperture
Telephoto: 12MP with f/2.8 aperture
Optical image stabilizationYesYes (sensor-shift stabilization)
Photographic StylesNoYes
Cinematic ModeNoYes
Battery capacity3969 mAh4352 mAh
Battery life20 hours of video playback
15 hours of video streaming
80 hours of audio playback
28 hours of video playback
25 hours of video streaming
95 hours of audio playback
Wireless chargingYes (7.5W)Yes (7.5W)
Charge power18W27W
ConnectorLightningLightning
Face IDYesYes
Original priceStarting at $1,099Starting at $1,099
Price (refurbished)Starting at Starting at

iPhone 11 Pro Max vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: How do they compare?

In this section, weโ€™ll have a look at the main differences between the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Design

The design of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is similar to that of the iPhone 11 Pro Max, but youโ€™ll notice a clear difference: the size. Indeed, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is bigger and heavier than the standard smartphone and even bigger than the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Specifically, the iPhone 13 Pro Max measures 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.3 inches and weighs 8.47 oz, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max measures 6.22 x 3.06 x 0.3 inches and weighs 7.97 oz.

The most recent model comes with flat edges compared to the curved ones of previous releases. This can look great, but it might feel harder to grip. In addition, they both feature IP68 water and dust resistance.

In short, the iPhone 11 Pro Max seems more comfortable to use due to its smaller size, less weight, and curved edges.

Black iPhone 13 Pro Max screen
iPhone 13 Pro Max

Screen

Both phones enjoy a high-quality OLED display with vibrant colors, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max screen is a bit bigger at 6.7 inches, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max has 6.5 inches. An important difference is that the 13 has a Ceramic Shield screen protection with an 87.4% screen-to-body ratio, while the 11 stays with tempered glass and 83.7%.

Itโ€™s also worth noting that the latest model enjoys a 120 Hz refresh rate with ProMotion technology. This allows super smooth scrolling since the screen automatically varies from 10 Hz to 120 Hz. Last but not least, the screen reaches a higher peak brightness at 1,000 nits compared to the 800 nits on the 11 Pro max.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Worth considering: 30 Best Widgets for iPhone in 2024

Performance

Apple has led the smartphone market with its powerful chips. In this case, the A15 chip built on a 5nm technology is much faster than the A13 chip of the 11 Pro Max built on 7nm, with 3200 Mhz of maximum clock frequency instead of 2650 Mhz and almost doubled the number of transistors: up to 15 billion from the A13.

According to the benchmarks by Geekbench 5, the 13 Pro Max recent model delivers an improvement of 32% on single-core and 37% on multi-core. If you are a demanding gamer or need your smartphone to process the latest apps at the highest possible speeds, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is your choice.

Camera

Apple releases new iPhones with significant improvements in the camera hardware, and this is no exception. The Night Mode of the iPhone 11 Pro Max was a breakthrough at the time, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max only improved it with faster apertures and bigger sensors.

Both phones have a triple-camera system with wide, telephoto, and ultra-wide lenses and are capable of 4K video recording, 240 FPS slow-motion recording at 1080p, and include optical stabilization.

Another essential difference is that the 13 Pro Max takes only 1 second to capture a night photo compared to the 11 Pro Max at 3 seconds. Sharper details and a more natural are also on the menu, along with the new Photographic Styles on the 13 series that can make powerful edits in real time and the Cinematic Mode. In addition, the 13 can take high-quality close-ups as close as 2cm.

iPhone photographic styles
Photographic Styles
Image: Apple

On top of that, the new LiDAR scanner is only present in the 13 Pro Max, which is used for AR and Night Mode portraits. The handset includes sensor-shift optical image stabilization to stabilize your photos and videos even more.

Storage

Both phones have non-expandable storage. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has four configurations to choose from: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, while the 11 Pro Max has 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB options. So, if you need a lot of storage on your phone, the 13 Pro Max is the better option.

Connectivity

Regarding connectivity, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a big step up from the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The 13 Pro Max features 5G support for faster connectivity, now available in multiple areas. In contrast, the iPhone 11 Pro Max only offers 4G LTE connectivity. If you prioritize 5G connectivity in your smartphone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max should be your choice.

Battery life

The battery of the iPhone 13 Pro Max reaches up to 28 hours in video playback, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max reaches 20 hours. Regarding video streaming, the difference is big; the 13 Pro Max has up to 25 hours, while the 11 Pro Max has up to 12 hours, setting one of the biggest differences between the two handsets.

Finally, the iPhone 13 Pro Max reaches up to 95 hours of battery life, while the 11 Pro reaches up to 80 hours. Thereโ€™s a clear advantage in terms of battery autonomy, especially when streaming videos.

iPhone 11 Pro Max with original box and Apple Pencil
iPhone 11 Pro Max

Charging

The iPhone 13 Pro Max charging rate is set at 27W and the iPhone 11 Pro Max at 18W. Both phones are compatible with Qi wireless charging, but only the most recent model is compatible with MagSafe charging. However, the total charging time of the two is quite similar.

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Takeaway

The iPhone 13 Pro Max offers a range of new features that make it superior to the iPhone 11 Pro Max. It has the latest Apple technologies, such as an A15 Bionic processor and 6GB of RAM for exceptional performance, 5G connectivity, substantial camera improvement, a better screen, and improved battery life, and it still has long years of support.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Learn more: 6 Best Places to Buy Refurbished iPhones

With these powerful features combined with the signature Apple reliability and design standards, you can have peace of mind knowing that you can have one of the best phones on the market today. If you are looking for 5G connectivity with improved performance and cameras, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the best choice.