Okay, this won’t take long because things that could have been better are nit-pickings rather than serious complaints. That’s how good the pro iPhone 13s are. But we can’t help point out, they would have been even better had Apple—
- removed the notch rather than whatever it is it tried to do on this one. The notch is up to 20% smaller this year but it makes no sense whatsoever. It’s got taller and all the extra screen real estate that Apple has seemingly achieved hasn’t been put to any use to show additional information. Moreover, it broke many apps like Instagram in the process although all this has been fixed now,
- upgraded the 12MP selfie camera which—aside from the fact that it supports Cinematic mode and Photographic Styles—is complete trash,
- added some kind of always-on display feature, and
- brought USB C and fast(er) charging. Apple says you can charge the iPhone 13 Pro Max to up to 50% in 35 minutes and iPhone 13 Pro in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher—that you need to buy separately because there’s no charger in the box.
iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max | should you buy
There is no reason why someone who owns an iPhone 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max should switch to an iPhone 13 Pro or 13 Pro Max unless they absolutely want to have the latest and greatest iPhone. Those are the discerning loyalists who’d buy anything and everything that Apple makes year on year. Some also do it because they might have opted for one of its upgrade programs.
The bigger share is that of people who’re coming in from older iPhones, even those who are doing it for the first time—say for instance, Android users—and for them the all-important question would be, should they buy the pro iPhone 13 and if yes, which one. Also, what about the pro iPhone 12? Wouldn’t that save them some money? Those are all very valid questions, so let’s try to answer them one by one.
- First the iPhone 13 Pro versus iPhone 13 Pro Max bit. Both these iPhones are so similar, it all narrows down to two things—screen size and battery. The pro max will give you a larger 6.7-inch display and up to 2-day battery life. That makes things easier because you know what you’re getting into.
- Unlike last year, there are much bigger differences between the pro and non-pro iPhones which means both are targeted towards very different people so that clears out the pro iPhone 13 versus non-pro iPhone 13 bit.
- Things are a little more complicated in the case of pro iPhone 13 versus pro iPhone 12. To be clear, Apple has discontinued the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max but you can get them via third-party stores—at lower prices—until stocks last. The 128GB iPhone 12 Pro is currently listed for Rs 1,09,900 on Flipkart. The 128GB iPhone 13 Pro Max for Rs 1,19,900. Bundle that with bank offers and you could get them even cheaper.
But here’s the thing, if you’re going to shell out close to 1 lakh on a phone, wouldn’t you want your money’s worth? It’s not about having the absolute best although, some people want that too. It’s hard to explain, but the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max—especially the iPhone 13 Pro—are such terrific value, it would be wrong to pick anything else if your budget allows it.
The iPhone 13 Pro with its luxurious design, fast and smooth display, amazing cameras and phenomenal battery life is the first ‘pro’ iPhone worthy of the title. Nothing else comes close.
Pros: Luxurious design, Fast 120Hz display, Great performance and battery life, Fantastic cameras
Cons: Bulky, No always-on display, No USB Type-C, Selfie camera could be better, Pricey