Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $332 | $379 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 3,687 mAh | 4,352 mAh |
| Wired charging | 20W | 20W |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.7 in | 6.7 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 228 g | 240 g |
| Released | Nov 2020 | Sep 2021 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is ahead on our rating, battery.
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is the cheaper option.
Display
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision | Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion, HDR10, Dolby Vision |
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.7 inches |
| Resolution | 2778 x 1284 pixels, 458 ppi | 2778 x 1284 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Brightness | 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak HDR) | — |
| Features | True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch, Ceramic Shield front | 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (10-120Hz), 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) brightness, True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Ceramic Shield glass protection |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x Firestorm + 4x Icestorm) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| Operating System | iOS 14.1, upgradable | — |
| Neural Engine | — | 16-core |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 6GB | 6GB LPDDR4X |
| Internal Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB NVMe |
| Card Slot | No | No |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Modules | Triple 12 MP | Triple 12 MP system: Wide (f/1.5, sensor-shift OIS, dual pixel PDAF), Ultra Wide (f/1.8, 120˚ FOV, PDAF, macro), Telephoto (f/2.8, OIS, 3x optical zoom) |
| Wide | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS | — |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) | — |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 2.5x optical zoom, OIS, PDAF | — |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), LiDAR Scanner | LiDAR Scanner, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), Night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Apple ProRAW, Cinematic mode (1080p@30fps) |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR with Dolby Vision, ProRes video recording (up to 4K@30fps for 256GB/512GB/1TB models, 1080p@30fps for 128GB model) |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Modules | Dual 12 MP | 12 MP TrueDepth, f/2.2 aperture |
| Wide | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide) | — |
| Features | SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor), HDR | Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, Animoji, Memoji, Night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4 |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 3687 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4352 mAh, non-removable (16.75 Wh) |
| Charging | Fast charging 20W, 50% in 30 min (advertised) | Fast charging (50% in ~30 min with 20W adapter), 15W MagSafe wireless charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging |
| Endurance | — | Video playback: Up to 28 hours, Audio playback: Up to 95 hours |
Body
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches) |
| Weight | 228 g (8.04 oz) | 240 g (8.46 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield), glass back (Gorilla Glass), stainless steel frame | Glass front (Ceramic Shield), glass back, stainless steel frame |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) - for China | Nano-SIM and eSIM |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (for Apple Pay) |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 13, 2020 | September 2021 |
| Status | Released November 13, 2020 | Released September 24, 2021 |
| OS at Launch | iOS 14.1, upgradable to latest iOS | — |
| OS | — | iOS 15, upgradable to latest iOS versions |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max or Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max?
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max — 3,687 mAh for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max versus 4,352 mAh for the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max or Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max?
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max — 228 g for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max versus 240 g for the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max or Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max?
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max — Nov 2020 for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max versus Sep 2021 for the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Is the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max or the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 8/10 and the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 9/10.