iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone XS Max: battle of the big screens!

Apple has continued the trend of large screen phones ever since the release of the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and the iPhone XS are no different! Both equipped with a huge screen display, you may wonder what the improvements have been since the 2018 XS Max to the 13 Pro Max 3-years on? We explore the intricate details of what you get with both phones to help you make your next purchase decision.

iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone XS Max: camera quality

Starting with camera quality, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a considerably more impressive setup. The 13 Pro Max is built with a triple camera system of 12 MP each, which offers wide, telephoto, and ultrawide plus 3x optical zoom, and a TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (for depth). Compared to the XS Max, this is only a dual camera system setup which offers only wide and telephoto lens only, and only 2x optical zoom. Furthermore, the video capability on the 13  Pro Max also comes with Dolby Vision HDR, ProRes and Cinematic mode to really capture unique footage like never before. The XS Max only offers 4K quality recording, which already exists on the 13 Pro Max. However, not to be too harsh to the XS Max, do remember this model was released 3-years prior to the 13 Pro Max after all, so you would expect some significant upgrades between both models. The selfie camera is also superior on the 13 Pro Max with a 12 MP lens, whereas the XS Max only has 7 MP.

iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone XS Max: battery, storage, and design

The battery life of each device is also quite different; the iPhone 13 Pro Max has an upgraded battery of 4352 mAh, in comparison to the 3174 mAh battery on the XS Max, which is quite a jump for extended web browsing or video streaming. The display size and resolution are also different between these two models; while both have 6-inch displays, the resolution on the newer model (1284 x 2778 px) is higher than that of the XS Max (1242 x 2688 px). Both devices come in a variety of colors, but the 13 Pro Max has a couple of new colors to the series with sierra blue and alpine green. Storage capacity also differs slightly between them; the 64GB option was scrapped with the 13 series, with 128GB the smallest option available, but also new to the 13 Pro series is a 1TB option given to customers. The XS Max starts from 64GB and goes as high as 512GB. Additionally, RAM capacity differs between them with 6 GB on the new model compared to 4 GB on its predecessor. Both models can be upgraded to the latest iOS 16.3. Finally, design-wise they are quite similar but there are some differences; for example, while both have stainless steel frames and glass backs they differ slightly in weight with 240 g for the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 208 g for the iPhone XS Max respectively.

iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone XS Max: verdict

To conclude this battle, it’s quite obvious which phone is the obvious winner here. 3 years apart in release dates has shown some significant upgrades since the XS Max model. So if you’re after a smartphone which is in line with the latest technology today, then you’ll be happy with the 13 Pro Max. However, if you’re happy with the size of an XS Max, and could do without the additional weight, and if the latest photography and video specs is not a priority for yourself, then you can save a lot of money and be more than happy with an older iPhone model like the iPhone XS Max - the choice is yours. On a parting note, to help reduce our environmental impact, be sure to consider buying refurbished products from Back Market which can save you up to 70% off the cost of buying new all year long!