After the iPhone 13 Pro Max, you might be wondering what is there to improve for Apple? After all, the 13 Pro Max nailed it with an incredible battery life, it's still the fastest phone on the planet before the iPhone 14 series launch, and it's got an excellent camera.
Well, with the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple seems to be improving the one thing that might be stopping some people from buying the Pro Max: its physical size! With a thinner border around the screen and narrower overall screen aspect ratio, the iPhone 14 Pro Max might be just as powerful, but in a body that is easier to grasp with one hand.
Of course, Apple is bringing its most advanced A16 Bionic chip, as well as a rumored brand new 48MP main camera to up the ante in speed and photo quality.
But will all of that also result in a higher price tag?
In this article, we sum up all you need to know about the iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max, but don't forget that we are looking at the leaks and rumors, so none of the information in this comparison is final. For that, we'd have to wait until mid September when Apple traditionally unveils its new iPhones, but right now, let's start with the...
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max differences in a nutshell:
Thinner borders, taller aspect ratio for the screen
i-shaped cutout instead of the notch
Faster A16 Bionic chip
New 48MP main camera
Possibly, $100 higher starting price
Possibly, satellite connectivity
Design and Display Quality
The new 14 Pro Max will feel a bit less gigantic
The iPhone 14 Pro Max largely keeps the looks from its predecessor with the same screen size, flat sides and same glass and stainless steel materials.
What is changing, however, are the dimensions of the new 14 Pro Max. Thanks to a taller aspect ratio for the display, the phone itself will be narrower and easier to grip with one hand.
What you will notice even more, though, is that "i" shaped Face ID system on the front that replaces the notch. It still eats up quite a bit of space, but less than the notch and arguably, it gives the new iPhone 14 Pro series a look unlike any other phone.
Both the 14 Pro Max and 13 Pro Max come in a selection of four colors, three of them nearly identical: Graphite, Silver and Gold. The fourth color option, however, will change from the current Sierra Blue hue to a new shade of purple.
Performance and Software
What does the new Apple A16 chip bring?
So far, we only know that Apple is expected to use the new Apple A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 Pro Max, an upgrade over the A15 processor used in the 13 Pro Max.
Apple was shooting for the iPhone 14 Pro to be its first one with a 3nm processor, but it seems that issues will prevent that from happening and the A16 might be built using 4nm technology, a smaller leap from the 5nm process used on the 13 series.
Apple is also said to be sticking with 6GB of RAM on the 14 Pro Max, just as it did on its predecessor.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is also expected to debut the newest iOS 16 software. Just like always, the 13 Pro Max is also due to get updated to iOS 16 at the same time.
Camera
A new 48MP main camera comes with big expectations
Apple has been a leader in camera quality, especially video, but what new does it bring to the table this year?
First, expect to see a brand new and bigger 48-megapixel sensor for the main, 1X camera, a change from the current 12MP one. This is not just for the sake of 48MP landscape photos with stunning detail (although we do look forward to that), but it's also about enabling 8K video recording, which might just be the killer feature for the 14 Pro Max.
We also hope for improvements to Cinematic Mode, the signature iPhone 13 Pro Max feature that blurs the background in video much like Portrait Mode for photos. Apple was super proud of it, but there are some kinks to work out and the resolution there is still limited to 1080p.
One thing that is not happening on the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the inclusion of a long-anticipated periscope lens. Android rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra have had a native long-range zoom lens for several years now, a feature iPhones will not be able to match this year.
Audio Quality and Haptics
The iPhone 13 series made a huge leap in audio quality with boomier, richer sound on all three models, and while we have not heard anything in the rumor mill about sound quality improvements, we keep our fingers crossed for the 14 series.
Finally, don't forget that there is no headphone jack on either one (and it's probably not coming back ever).
Battery Life and Charging
Even if it remains as long-lasting as its predecessor, the 14 Pro Max will be a big win
The iPhone 13 Pro Max brought a big leap in battery life, not least thanks to an increase in the physical capacity of the battery from its predecessor.
So far, we have not heard anything specific about the iPhone 14 Pro Max battery size, but considering the ever growing demands from our smartphones, we would expect the same or larger battery.
iPhone 14 Pro Max expected battery size: 4,352mAh or more
iPhone 13 Pro Max battery size: 4,352mAh
On the charging front, we don't expect changes. The 13 Pro Max supports charging at 27W speeds, which means a full top-up with a compatible charger takes around 2 hours. We expect roughly the same to be the case on the newer 14 Pro Max.
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