Is it worth buying a flagship smartphone from previous years? Let’s take a look at the iPhone 13 Pro Max

In reviews of new smartphones, you can often see comparisons with old flagships, especially when it comes to cost. For example, remnants of once-top models that are two or three years old can still be found in stores (refurbished or window models, for example). Or there are many second-hand options that, for example, can be inherited from relatives or friends. And these “old” flagships cost half, if not more, than their current successors. But even so, they are still quite good devices, although they have indeed made some compromises over time.

In this article, using the example of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, we will try to figure out in which cases such a smartphone can be considered as a replacement for the previous one, and what concessions the new owner should expect in relation to the old smartphone.

Specifications

Almost up-to-date appearance?

Just as in the world of cars, where the appearance of a particular model lasts for several years with minimal cosmetic updates once a year, the design of the iPhone does not undergo fundamental changes every fall. Therefore, those who want to get an old flagship will still get a relatively up-to-date design of the device, albeit not the freshest one.

Like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the 13 Pro Max will also offer frosted glass on the back, a large and recognizable main camera unit, a flat bezel, and more. That is, the silhouette of the device will definitely be a flagship, and it can hardly be called very outdated if you look at the current model.

At the same time, these smartphones have the same IP68 water and dust protection, support for stereo sound (which is really one of the best in smartphones in general), the location of the main controls, etc.

But there have also been some pretty big differences in recent years. So, looking at the iPhone 13 Pro Max from the front, the notch for the front camera and Face ID will definitely tell you that the device is not new (we’ll come back to it a little later). The shiny steel frame, which has been replaced by a matte one made of titanium, is also one of the indicators of the smartphone’s “age”. Although the latter, let’s face it, is likely to be hidden by a protective case.

However, there are even more changes with this year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max. The case has added a few millimeters to the already large device, and while the dimensions of the iPhone 13 Pro Max are 160.8×78.1×7.7 mm, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 163×77.6×8.3 mm. Interestingly, the body of the old model outweighed the new one – 240 versus 227 grams. However, this is not as noticeable as the dimensions themselves.

The difference is even more pronounced in the controls, where the standard call mode switch has been replaced by the Action button, and a new Camera Control button has been introduced, the name of which clearly describes its functionality. And the iPhone 16 line also became the second to replace the Lightning port with USB-C. In addition to all the nice bonuses of such an upgrade, there are some inconveniences to be mentioned – the existing accessories. This means that all the old Lightning cables become obsolete, as well as the classic docking stations. However, this is a separate topic.

In general, the iPhone remains quite relevant. Yes, this design has already become a bit familiar and we want something more interesting. But even if you buy a gadget that’s quite old (in terms of the world of technology), its appearance will not differ much from the current versions. Functionally, it is slightly inferior to the newer models, but you can still control the camera from the display, and a certain set of additional switches that are in the Action button are quite conveniently located in the Control Center. It’s a matter of habit.

Is the display much inferior?

The short answer is not so much. iPhone switched to OLED Super Retina XDR panels a long time ago. And it still retains the fairly accurate coverage of the DCI-P3 color space that its IPS predecessors had. Moreover, the user is not left with a wide range of settings, such as saturation, as is the case with competitive Android smartphones.

So, in general, the picture will remain very similar, and if there is a minimal difference, it will be noticed by the colorimeter rather than the average user’s eye. Again, the iPhone 13 Pro Max had one of the best displays back in the day, and the screen hasn’t lost its strengths in a few years.

However, the iPhone 16 Pro Max still has its advantages. For starters, it has a larger diagonal – 6.9 versus 6.7 inches. The resolution has increased minimally, but only to maintain the same ppi level (approximately 460 pixels/inch), so this is not a strong point.

But there are more noticeable improvements. Starting with the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple’s lineup of smartphones now supports the Always-On display feature. You can live without it, of course, but it is still an important point. The refresh rate of such screens can vary from 1 to 120 Hz, while the iPhone 13 Pro (Max) is capable of reducing it to 10.

Another strong point of the newer screens is the brighter backlighting, which in the iPhone 16 Pro Max can reach 2,000 cd/m² outdoors and up to 1,600 when viewing HDR. The older iPhone 13 Pro Max will also provide up to 1,000 cd/m² of typical brightness, and up to 1,200 when playing HDR. However, you will not have to count on more. This year, Apple also emphasized the minimum display brightness of the iPhone 16 Pro Max at 1 cd/m², but the iPhone 13 Pro Max is not much worse at 2 cd/m².

A feature of the newer iPhone 13 Pro Max models is also the use of a new notch in the display – Dynamic Island. The company has managed to play with such a large display element surprisingly well at the software level, “drawing” a lot of interesting animations around it, which can even speed up certain actions. It’s not a completely fundamental solution, either, but it’s something of a “nice to have”.

What about the cameras?

The difference between the “old” and the “new” flagship will be felt most in the camera capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, like the two previous models, has a 48-megapixel main sensor. In addition, the ultra-wide-angle camera will now offer the same resolution. And the 12-megapixel telephoto has basically changed its design and is now a tetraprismatic camera. Whereas the iPhone 13 Pro Max, also having a set of three rear cameras, operates with only 12 MP in each of them, and will logically give way in all cases.

Yes, you can still take good photos during the day. In most cases, their quality will be enough for social media or your own collection of memories. The iPhone also records video very well. However, compared to the latest model, there will still be a clear difference.

iPhone 13 Pro Max telephoto

When it comes to low-light conditions, the new models outperform the old ones without any additional effort. For example, the ultra-wide-angle camera of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, even with support for night mode, loses a lot of performance in the dark. The macro mode will not be able to replicate the results of the new cameras, at least purely because of the resolution. And telephoto boasts only 3x optical zoom, not 5x.

Also, newer models are more convenient for helping sensors with image processing thanks to the Photonic Engine, support Smart HDR 5 (not 4), a newer portrait mode, updated sensor-shift optical stabilization and True Tone adaptive flash, improved Photographic Styles, and support for taking spatial photos.

Evening shots with the wide-angle camera of the iPhone 13 Pro Max

With video, there are also more options, such as Action mode, ProRes recording in 4K at 120 frames per second (also to an external medium, which the iPhone 13 Pro Max cannot do in principle), Log image recording for further color correction, and sound will help to record more microphones with, as the manufacturer says, studio quality, wind absorption and sound mixing. And in Full HD, you can record spatial video for, again, Apple Vision Pro.

Are these features essential? Yes. Indeed, it will be difficult to recommend an old flagship to users who need the advanced camera capabilities of their smartphone. In the right hands, of course, you can take great shots with older models, but compared to the dexterity of the new ones, the gaps will be severe.

 

Wide-angle camera of the iPhone 13 Pro Max in artificial light

Is this a fundamental point for all users? No. For those who are not mobile photographers and don’t really pay much attention to the details of photos, the old flagship will be able to fully satisfy their current needs. Yes, it may not take the best shots today, but three years ago it was still a flagship, and at the same time a strong competitor among the best.

The front cameras are a little easier. The resolution still remains at 12 MP. But the aperture value is now ƒ/1.9, not ƒ/2.2. That is, in low light, the camera will be a little easier. The new model will also benefit from the aforementioned Photonic Engine, Smart HDR 5, improved portrait mode, updated Photographic Styles, and in Cinematic mode, you can record video up to 4K at 30 fps.

Will it work quickly? And what about the hardware?

The annual upgrade of processors in absolute terms creates a lot of problems for “old” smartphones. The difference between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro will not be so fundamental. But if you contrast the new model with the iPhone 13 Pro, it will be much easier to find weaknesses.

For now, we can leave the issue of benchmarks behind. Even if the A15 Bionic processor really loses to the A18 Pro (according to Apple’s calculations, the new chip has a 40% more powerful CPU and 50% more graphics), this will not affect daily work so much. The only tangible difference may be in games, where the new top AAA titles are not available for iPhone models older than 15 Pro. And the situation is the same with Apple Intelligence features, which require current and last year’s iPhone versions. As for the rest, the performance of the flagship models is really enough for years. 

Again, the devil is in the details. For example, last year the iPhone increased the amount of RAM to 8 GB, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max has 6. If you dig even deeper, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will also offer: Wi-Fi 7, not 6; Bluetooth 5.3, not 5.0; an updated Ultra Wideband chip; dual-band GPS; improved gyroscope and accelerometer; dual light sensor; and support for the Thread protocol. Once again, I’ll mention support for the much faster USB 3 standard. 

We would like to mention the support of emergency satellite communications such as Emergency SOS, Crash Detection, Roadside Assistance, and sending “satellite” messages. Currently, this is relevant in only a few countries, and Ukraine is not yet on this modest list.

In general, the list of improvements does not mean that the iPhone 13 Pro Max will suddenly stop coping with most functions. Apple’s engineers have done a lot of work before, and the point upgrades of the new models just bring some tasks to a better level.

So, in general, if the DEATH STRANDING port and the earliest possible introduction to artificial intelligence in iOS 18 are not on the list of things you need, it is quite possible to do without the latest gadget. Moreover, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is likely to remain relatively up-to-date for a couple of years, receiving major operating system updates. Unless, perhaps, it won’t see certain features due to hardware resource limitations.

What about battery life?

Generally speaking, not only the latest models have a huge battery life. For example, the expected time of streaming video playback for the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 25 hours, while the new iPhone 16 Pro Max has 29 hours. But if we are talking about a smartphone that has been lying idle for some time, or vice versa, constantly in use, its battery may indeed have some problems.

And if you do need to replace the battery in an old gadget, the estimated cost of such a battery in a certified service center will be 4,400 hryvnias, and the replacement procedure will take a couple of hours. The capacity of the new battery is 4,352 mAh (compared to 4,685 in the current model). An additional bonus from such an “operation” will be the renewal of moisture protection, which loses its original qualities over time in any case.

When it comes to charging, the situation is very similar. The iPhone 16 Pro Max supports slightly more powerful power supplies, but Apple still focuses primarily on 50% charge within 35 minutes. The same is true for the iPhone 13 Pro Max. And both smartphones also support induction charging via MagSafe and Qi2.

To summarize, the enlarged body of the iPhone 16 Pro Max did indeed allow for a slightly larger battery, which, coupled with the improved energy efficiency of the new processors, allowed for additional operating time. However, the iPhone 13 Pro Max, with a relatively “whole” or new battery, is also quite capable of providing the user with a long operating time.

So, will you be able to save money?

As always, the question is subjective. Those users who are accustomed to getting the best of the best, demanding the best possible performance and quality of photos and videos, are unlikely to like the solution with the “old” flagship. In all other cases, if you don’t have strict requirements for low-light shooting quality and are very dependent on Apple Intelligence and demanding games, you can really afford to save money with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Moreover, not all buyers of flagship iPhones “squeeze” the maximum capabilities of such devices. So in such cases, it really makes sense to take a closer look at previous tops that can be found at a hefty discount.