Like many of you, I unboxed and set up my brand new iPhone 13 Pro Max Friday afternoon. As usual, it was effortless other than getting it to activate correctly on Verizon's network, which required a phone call to Verizon's support team. But the phone itself got all set up while I was waiting on hold, and I was up and running relatively quickly. After a very solid weekend of use, I think it's safe to say that the iPhone 13 Pro Max is my new favorite model of all time.
I don't say that lightly. The iPhone 4 has always been my favorite since the beginning of iPhones. Other than the bad antenna, (don't @ me, it was a bad antenna and I'll never defend it), it was an absolute jewel. The first time I ever picked one up to use it, I felt like I was swiping my fingers around on a professionally printed glossy color brochure rather than a phone screen. It took a month to come in at the AT&T store, and that entire month was like being 5 years old and waiting for Christmas to come. I still get excited about new iPhones every year, but not like I was for the iPhone 4.
For reference, here is a general summary of my first weekend of 13 Pro Max use:
Friday
--Unboxing, setup, updating, etc. Regular first day new phone type stuff. Was pretty busy so didn't get much time to really mess with it.
--Put it on the charger that night to get a fresh start on Saturday.
Saturday
--Took off the charger at about 6:30 or 7:00 AM
--Used the phone all morning for various things, including gaming, reading, social media, work, Safari, etc.
--Plugged it in to the car for CarPlay for a couple of relatively short car trips--nothing that would fully top it off to 100%.
--Used for navigation and music playback in the car
--Took a 15 minute 4K 60 FPS video of my son at a school event
--Played TONS of Lego Star Wars Battles and Pokemon Unite on it that night.
--all the other normal smartphone stuff
--Did NOT put it on the charger.
Sunday
--Was woken up VERY early in the morning by my dog, so picked it up and started using it at about 6:30 AM.
--Played more of the above mentioned games.
--Used for Sonos Roam playback on the back patio.
--Used to take some pictures of my awesome dog.
--Used as a TV remote for several hours.
--Called my mom for her bday
--all the other normal smartphone stuff
The main upgrades this year are processor, screen, cameras, and battery. Apple didn't make any secret of that. But because those were the "only" upgrades, some people seem to be sleeping on them, which I firmly believe is a mistake. This is not a "tock" year or an "S" year. This is a major upgrade. Why?
1. After that entire list of stuff above, I ended the day yesterday with still 20% battery left. Yes, I got a couple of quick boosts from CarPlay, but nothing that filled the battery back up. That's a major step up from last year which was also a step up for at least some of the models.
2. If the iPhone 4's retina display looked like a printed, color glossy brochure, the iPhone 13 Pro Max's display looks like an animated version of that due to the OLED screen and the high refresh rate. It's difficult to put into words. It sometimes feels like the screen reacts before you even do anything.
3. The cameras and processor defy the laws of physics. I do not know how they continue to pack this much incredibly high tech into such a slim, rugged form factor.
4. Speaking of rugged form factors, my iPhone 4 could not get wet or be dropped without severe risk of major damage. I've seen people on YouTube unable to put a nick in the iPhone 13 Pro/Max antenna bands. I had a microfiber lined iFrogz case put un-removable black streaks on my iPhone 4's antenna band.
So, is the average user going to notice any of the above? Maybe not. But I've been pining after that iPhone 4 magic for a long time, and this phone feels like it for me. Of course I'll upgrade it next year, but it will remain a favorite of all time.
I don't say that lightly. The iPhone 4 has always been my favorite since the beginning of iPhones. Other than the bad antenna, (don't @ me, it was a bad antenna and I'll never defend it), it was an absolute jewel. The first time I ever picked one up to use it, I felt like I was swiping my fingers around on a professionally printed glossy color brochure rather than a phone screen. It took a month to come in at the AT&T store, and that entire month was like being 5 years old and waiting for Christmas to come. I still get excited about new iPhones every year, but not like I was for the iPhone 4.
For reference, here is a general summary of my first weekend of 13 Pro Max use:
Friday
--Unboxing, setup, updating, etc. Regular first day new phone type stuff. Was pretty busy so didn't get much time to really mess with it.
--Put it on the charger that night to get a fresh start on Saturday.
Saturday
--Took off the charger at about 6:30 or 7:00 AM
--Used the phone all morning for various things, including gaming, reading, social media, work, Safari, etc.
--Plugged it in to the car for CarPlay for a couple of relatively short car trips--nothing that would fully top it off to 100%.
--Used for navigation and music playback in the car
--Took a 15 minute 4K 60 FPS video of my son at a school event
--Played TONS of Lego Star Wars Battles and Pokemon Unite on it that night.
--all the other normal smartphone stuff
--Did NOT put it on the charger.
Sunday
--Was woken up VERY early in the morning by my dog, so picked it up and started using it at about 6:30 AM.
--Played more of the above mentioned games.
--Used for Sonos Roam playback on the back patio.
--Used to take some pictures of my awesome dog.
--Used as a TV remote for several hours.
--Called my mom for her bday
--all the other normal smartphone stuff
The main upgrades this year are processor, screen, cameras, and battery. Apple didn't make any secret of that. But because those were the "only" upgrades, some people seem to be sleeping on them, which I firmly believe is a mistake. This is not a "tock" year or an "S" year. This is a major upgrade. Why?
1. After that entire list of stuff above, I ended the day yesterday with still 20% battery left. Yes, I got a couple of quick boosts from CarPlay, but nothing that filled the battery back up. That's a major step up from last year which was also a step up for at least some of the models.
2. If the iPhone 4's retina display looked like a printed, color glossy brochure, the iPhone 13 Pro Max's display looks like an animated version of that due to the OLED screen and the high refresh rate. It's difficult to put into words. It sometimes feels like the screen reacts before you even do anything.
3. The cameras and processor defy the laws of physics. I do not know how they continue to pack this much incredibly high tech into such a slim, rugged form factor.
4. Speaking of rugged form factors, my iPhone 4 could not get wet or be dropped without severe risk of major damage. I've seen people on YouTube unable to put a nick in the iPhone 13 Pro/Max antenna bands. I had a microfiber lined iFrogz case put un-removable black streaks on my iPhone 4's antenna band.
So, is the average user going to notice any of the above? Maybe not. But I've been pining after that iPhone 4 magic for a long time, and this phone feels like it for me. Of course I'll upgrade it next year, but it will remain a favorite of all time.
