There are loads of iPhones in the marketplace proper now, and so they’re just about all good. Apple at the moment sells a surprising eight fashions, from the $399 iPhone SE to the $1,099 iPhone 13 Professional Max. We’re not going to suggest each one, as a result of we’re right here that can assist you make shopping for selections, and meaning chopping down the alternatives. So the admirable iPhone 13 Professional (beginning at $999) does not fairly earn high honors this yr. It is a completely good cellphone, notably for content material creators in search of a top-notch picture and video expertise. However for most individuals, we extra extremely suggest the usual iPhone 13 (beginning at $799) for its steadiness of efficiency and worth, whereas skilled customers are higher off spending the additional $100 on the Professional Max for its longer battery life.
iPhone 13 Professional vs. iPhone 13 Professional Max
Whereas there’s a distinct characteristic distinction between the iPhone 12 Professional and the 12 Professional Max, with the 12 Professional Max’s higher-zoom digicam, higher picture stabilization, and stronger low-light efficiency making it a simple selection, the iPhone 13 Professional is far more much like the 13 Professional Max.
The 13 Professional and 13 Professional Max have the identical 4 cameras, three on the again and one on the entrance, in addition to the identical 120Hz show refresh fee, the identical enhanced A15 processor with a greater GPU than on the usual iPhone 13, and so they are available in the identical 4 colours. Learn my iPhone 13 Professional Max evaluate for all of these particulars.
Left to proper: iPhone 13 mini, 13, 13 Professional, 13 Professional Max
(Picture: Molly Flores)
So that you’re most likely questioning, if the telephones are just about the identical, why not save $100 and go together with the Professional as a substitute of the Professional Max? And the reply, in fact, is the iPhone 13 line’s flagship enchancment: battery life.
The iPhone 13 Professional has superb battery life—in our assessments, it is nearly on the stage of the iPhone 12 Professional Max. However the iPhone 13 Professional Max has completely killer battery life, one of the best we have seen on any iPhone. So this yr we’re recommending the Max extra closely; we predict it is price the additional $100.
PCMag-Really helpful Apple iPhone 13 Professional Equipment
iPhone 13 Professional vs. iPhone 12 Professional
The iPhone 13 Professional appears to be like quite a bit just like the 12 Professional. It measures virtually precisely the identical, at 5.8 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches, though it is half an oz heavier at 7.2 ounces. iPhone 12 Professional circumstances do not match on the 13 Professional due to the considerably greater digicam bump on the again, so you may wish to take a look at our roundup of one of the best suitable circumstances.
The iPhone 13 Professional (proper) has a noticeably smaller front-camera notch than the iPhone 12 Professional (left)
(Picture: Molly Flores)
The primary main noticeable change is within the 6.1-inch, 2,532-by-1,170-pixel, 120Hz display, which just like the display on the iPhone 13 Professional Max has been amped up from 800 cd/m2 of brightness to 1,000 cd/m2. The show now flows at 120Hz in Apple’s native apps. (Third-party app creators will typically should replace their apps(Opens in a brand new window) to make use of the brand new refresh fee.) The smoother scrolling is most noticeable in Safari, which feels jittery if you return to an older iPhone (or to a base iPhone 13) from this one.
It may need a smaller notch, however the iPhone 13 Professional (proper) has bigger digicam lenses than the iPhone 12 Professional (left)
(Picture: Molly Flores)
See How We Take a look at Telephones
The zoom digicam lens additionally faces a serious change. The iPhone 11 Professional and 12 Professional have 2x zoom lenses, whereas the iPhone 13 Professional has a 3x zoom. That brings the smaller Professional to parity with its Professional Max sibling, which wasn’t true final yr, when the 12 Professional Max had 2.5x zoom.
That, in flip, enables you to get nearer to the motion. Here is the iPhone 13 Professional’s and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely’s 3x zoom in contrast with the iPhone 12 Professional’s 2x:
Going from 2x zoom with the iPhone 12 (left) to 3x zoom with the iPhone 13 Professional (heart) or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely (proper) enables you to get nearer to particulars
There’s additionally a brand new macro images mode, which lets the iPhone 13 Professional focus in on objects very near the digicam. The 13 Professional Max and up to date Android flagships even have macro modes; the usual 13, and earlier iPhones, do not.
The iPhone 13 Professional (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely (heart) have macro modes, whereas the usual iPhone 13 (proper) does not
Enhancements to low-light images are extra refined. The iPhone 13 Professional has considerably greater sensors than the iPhone 12 Professional, Apple says, however in photographs just like the one beneath, I am hard-pressed to see a lot of a distinction.
It is fairly tough to inform the distinction between these photographs taken with the 13 Professional (left) and the 12 Professional (proper)
You additionally will not but really feel a lot when it comes to variations in app, 5G, or Wi-Fi efficiency from final yr’s cellphone to this one. The iPhone 12 Professional’s extra GPU energy is primarily going to run that 120Hz display, which might be nice for video games and different apps as soon as third-party builders replace their software program. By way of 5G, I noticed the identical efficient speeds on all iPhone 13 and 12 fashions; their modems are at the moment forward of the place the US networks are.
iPhone 13 Professional vs. Android Telephones
How does the iPhone 13 examine with Android telephones in the identical worth vary, just like the intriguing Samsung Galaxy Flip or the OnePlus 9 Professional? That is very a lot all the way down to iOS versus Android and Apple companies versus Google companies, as a result of every of these Android gadgets has its personal benefit over the iPhone. The Galaxy Flip has quick battery life, however its type issue is completely superb—it folds up into your pocket. The OnePlus 9 Professional has terrific cameras, speedy efficiency, and an even bigger display for about the identical worth because the iPhone 13 Professional, however that will not matter if what you need is iOS digicam apps or blue iMessage bubbles.
The iPhone 13 Professional is considerably simpler to make use of than the Professional Max for folks with small fingers
(Picture: Molly Flores)
It Would possibly Be Proper for You
I am not saying do not buy the iPhone 13 Professional. We simply should have preferences, and I feel severe content material creators might be happier with the big-screen viewfinder and two-day battery lifetime of the iPhone 13 Professional Max, whereas the typical iPhone purchaser might be happy balancing worth and efficiency with the primary iPhone 13. However if you would like one of the best iPhone digicam in a extra pocketable measurement, to not point out higher battery life than the usual iPhone 13, you may be pleased with the 13 Professional—it does not have main downsides. It simply does not stand out in its crowd of rivals.
The Backside Line
Apple’s iPhone 13 Professional presents all the identical nice options for content material creators because the bigger Professional Max, its battery simply does not final as lengthy.
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