JOMO: The joy of missing out

At first glance, each generation has introduced some cool new features that are certainly a great addition to the iPhone lineup (and they are), but this is especially true if you are upgrading from an older or lower-priced iPhone. iPhone 13 Pro Max is not far behind its successors in the essential aspects that make a good phone.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max debuted a 48MP high-resolution main camera and the new Dynamic Island Notch, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max was arguably a far more significant upgrade, introducing a new titanium design, a 5x telephoto camera and USB-C port, as well as a super-fast 3nm chip.

On paper, these are all excellent features. And I am definitely part of the target group, especially with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. After briefly testing the two iPhone 14 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro Max Shortly after their respective launches, I was still not convinced that an upgrade was necessary.

Don’t get me wrong, both are exceptional devices in their own right, but it will take a lot more to make me part with the iPhone 13 Pro Max which is still very much alive.

Three years with the iPhone 13 Pro Max

The all-rounder phone

Yes, three years have passed, but Apple’s 2021 flagship doesn’t feel dated to me. Of course, your experience may be different, so what’s good for me may not necessarily be good for you, and vice versa. I could easily squeeze a few more years out of this phone. Here are some long-term impressions I’ve gathered over the years.

Battery life: ageing beautifully

One of the main reasons why I jumped on the bandwagon so quickly, iPhone 13 Pro Max move three years ago was simple: battery life. I was already invested in the iOS ecosystem, but after our iPhone 13 Pro Max Battery tests and first impressions of the phone were complete, and it was clear that it was something special in terms of battery life. Keyword: I’m a fan of anything with long battery life.

Back then, in its heyday, iPhone 13 Pro Max Not only was the iPhone with the best battery life, it was also one of the mainstream devices with the best battery life on the market. It was a solid two-day phone that could get over ten hours of screen time with normal use.

However, the situation is different today. I have already drained the battery to 87% after almost 500 charging cycles. That is a large part of the potential battery life that has been lost. The battery life is shorter than it was three years ago, which is the expected result after such intensive use.

Right now, I usually get around six to seven hours of screen time, which still feels pretty okay to me.

Display: Silky smooth and bright enough … mostly

Another reason why I immediately left the ship to iPhone 13 Pro Max was the 120Hz ProMotion display that debuted on this iPhone model. Well, I’m apparently tainted as I don’t think I can go back to 60Hz phones. I consider 120Hz displays a staple for any modern phone (shame on you, Apple, for still selling 60Hz phones in 2024).

For people who have always used 60Hz phones (and we all have at some point), this may not seem like a problem. However, once you’ve moved to 120Hz, it’s pretty difficult to go back to a lower refresh rate as everything seems choppier and the experience just isn’t as great.

This may sound bad from the perspective of the iPhone 13 Pro Maxbut that couldn’t be further from the truth – the display is still bright enough for my purposes…

… as long as the phone doesn’t overheat.

Overheating, especially during the hot European summer, is a major problem in iPhone 13 Pro Maxespecially when you’re outside in the sun or using your phone for navigation in the car. Even simple tasks cause temperatures to rise so high that the device has to resort to a familiar Apple tactic – gradually reducing the maximum brightness until the phone cools down. It gets to the point where the display is barely visible, especially in bright daylight. Not something I like.

Performance: No problems

The iPhone 13 Pro Max still performs admirably in 2024. I don’t play games or use super heavy apps, so I never feel like the device lacks power. Honestly, I never thought about the performance itself when using it, which may be a testament to the fact that it delivers power in abundance.

Camera: Absolutely beautiful photos, even without a large zoom

Yes, it is a 12MP device and yes, it lacks a long 5x telephoto zoom, but the camera package on the iPhone 13 Pro Max still meets my needs perfectly. Looking through my photo gallery, I estimate that less than 10% of all images were taken with anything other than the standard wide angle camera.

On the other hand, a telephoto camera with 3x zoom is still perfectly adequate for most use cases I can think of, including taking absolutely gorgeous portraits.

The size paradox

I would like to share an interesting observation with you.

There is this well-known saying that goes: “You’ll get used to it over time!”I generally think this is true for most and all occasions, but in the case of iPhone 13 Pro Max and strangely enough, the size doesn’t seem credible to me.

The longer I have the phone, the less practical it seems to become. At first, the honeymoon phase certainly helped me to overlook the size, but after three years, size seems to be the main issue for me. I know it sounds weird and totally illogical, but I find myself dreaming of the slightly smaller iPhones that are easier to use with one hand.

Honestly, what would motivate me to upgrade?

The one smartphone feature that really excites me and makes my heart beat faster is battery life. Although we’ve hit a plateau in recent years and smartphones have reached their limits when it comes to battery life, I’m optimistic that we’re on the verge of major advances in endurance. Technology is advancing at a breathtaking pace, so I’m optimistic that phones will have much better battery life over time.