My experience coming from an Android S21+ has been quite challenging for many reasons with size being one of the biggest. I bring it up here because it gives good reference to the size of the Pro Max and what I have learned after trying both the iPhone Pro and Max for several days.
I originally went with the PM which according to GSMArena has similar dimensions to my S21+ (which IMO is the perfect size). The display size is identical at 6.7". You might ask why I am switching which is a whole other issue. Here are the deets:
S21+ - 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm (6.36 x 2.98 x 0.31 in), weight 200g
iPhone 13 Pro Max - 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in). weight 240g
In reality the PM "felt" considerably bigger in terms of thickness despite technically being fairly similar. I am still baffled at how much bigger it feels but I think this has to do with the camera bump which is even more pronounced with any sort of decent case and of course the weight. I found it to be quite bulky and could not comfortably carry in my front pocket and was a tight fit in my vest chest pocket (felt like I was carrying a brick). Despite this, I loved the screen real estate for reading articles and general use, however I decided it was just too big and exchanged for the Pro. Unfortunately, the regular Pro feels quite a swing in the other direction. While compact and easy to handle, fits in pocket, etc... it just feels cramped. The biggest issue I have is reading articles and web content which some text can be very small. You can adjust the zoom or text size to make up for some of this but it makes the rest of the phone blown up way too big.
In summary, the screen size of the Max is very appealing, but be prepared to deal with a heavier and bulkier phone as a trade off. If this doesn't matter to you then Max is the way to go. The regular pro is nice and compact but you def feel a bit cramped when doing some tasks IMO. TBH, I haven't made up my mind which trade off I am going to live with.
Which brings me back full circle... the S21+ was perfect in terms of hardware. Literally, perfect. I am somewhat resentful that I am now having to figure out which trade off I am going to accept to be a blue bubble in life and coexist with my iPhone carrying friends and family. I'm just tired of not being able to share and participate in media, Facetime, etc. Thx Apple.
I currently have the iphone X. i’m thinking of upgrading to the iphone 13 pro max, i want to specifically get the max version because i would like to try it out as my X is the regular size and i was thinking my next upgrade would be a max version. the only thing is i am just a bit concerned about how exactly it would be to move around with a max version as it is quite big. is it hard to fit into most pockets? harder to hold? i feel like sometimes just my X can feel quite big in my bank jean pocket or just a regular jacket pocket, so how hard will it be to put a max version into one?
another thing is the iphone 13 pro max is so expensive. i’m in canada so the phone here is literally 1.7k. the regular 13 pro is 1.5. i do want the pro max, but the price is really bugging me out. is it really worth it in the end, and on the audiences pov, is it better to get the pro max version and just get it bc i wanted the pro max version anyway or should i just get the normal pro?
any advice or tips would be helpful!
I made the switch to Apple with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. I came from years of Android use, but my last phone was the OnePlus 9 Pro. I loved the size and feel of the OnePlus 9, so I figured I would want the size of the Max. Well after 4 months, I grew to hate the Max. Constantly having to do 2 hand maneuvers to reach the top of the phone, and the weight would get uncomfortable after only a short amount of time. The one thing that kept me from switching was the battery. Geezz that thing is a beast and I had no chance of draining it in a day. I finally got fed up with it though, and found a good deal on a 13 Pro on marketplace and snagged it. I've been using it for a couple weeks now and WOW do I wish I had gone this route to begin with. Yes, the battery is noticeably worse, but I can still easily get a full day out of it. The decreased screen size has had no impact whatsoever, and the phone is just more comfortable in the hand. Honestly if the Max was a little less wide, and had rounded edges it would probably have stayed my phone, but since Apple is going with the squared slab style, the Pro is the size to go.
Reference I'm 6'5", so I have larger than average hands, still hated the Max! Bigger isn't always better... ;)
Edit: Here's the battery life of the 13 Pro.. Still lasts a full day of use for me easily, just won't last that 2nd day in the event I forget to charge it at night like the Pro Max can.
I posted a thread a while ago asking user about their Pro Max decision. Most people said they don’t regret it.
Now that the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have the same camera system and their battery lives are closer, what’s your opinion?
I was 100% sure to get the Pro Max, partly due to the battery life, but also because of the slightly superior camera system.
Now? Well, I tend to the iPhone 13 Pro because of the handling. The slightly worse battery might be worth it. Coming from an iPhone X, this is still a HUGE upgrade.
What do you think? What are you going to buy?
EDIT: Just ordered the Pro Max 256GB. What a difficult decision that was. Quite risky since I‘m not sure that I‘m gonna be happy. But here we are. Since I‘m using my phone heavily and far more than my iPad and MBP for Media consuming, I went with the bigger screen and battery size. I just really hope I‘ll be fine with the handling, especially the fit in my pocket.
EDIT2: My experience:
It’s a great phone. In comparison, my iPhone X feels absolutely tiny. And here’s the deal: I slowly start to regret my decision.
The bigger screen is not that much of a benefit. It’s big, it’s beautiful, but it hasn’t any practical advantages (software-side) to the Pro with its 6.1“. I expected more of a benefit while streaming, gaming or reading. But much mislead.
The battery life is fantastic, although I don’t quite get 2 full days with my usage (Browsing, streaming, Reddit, some productivity and reading). I feel like it’s draining more battery in standby than it should be (1% per hour). Nonetheless, it’s by far the best battery life I‘ve ever experienced on a mobile device.
Overall, I wish I had the 13 Pro. It has roughly about 20-25% less battery life but more than enough to get me through a day. The Pro Max doesn’t quite last 2 days at all, so basically it doesn’t make a huge difference if it’s 1.5 days or 1 day - I‘d charge it overnight anyway. The handling is what I miss the most. I permanently feel like the Pro Max could slip out of my hand. My iPhone X though has the perfect size for me - and the 13 Pro would‘ve been similar in size, but it has a 0.3“ bigger display. Which is great and enough for my usage.
The Pro would‘ve been perfect.