iPhone 13 Pro Upgraded from the XS Max to the 13 Pro and I expected more from the prime camera!

[aarontsuru]

I disagree. The camera now delivers consistent results in tricky situations. Night mode alone is a major upgrade. ProRAW another. Photographic styles an unexpected third. As a point-and-shoot it is great.

I don’t use photographic styles, preferring to edit in post when needed.
ProRAW is nice, but that’s really more of a software update.
I mention night mode in my write up, it is really handy! But I also did night mode in 3rd party apps that were pretty good too on the XS Max.
It’s a good upgrade from the XS Max, just not nearly as good as I thought it would be after 3 years and all the hype when this phone came out, that’s all.
I’m happy with the device, the extra lenses, the battery, and screen are all great to have, but just not 3 years better, imo.

 

[aarontsuru]

I took beautiful photos with the original SE but I was photographing beautiful places in Europe and Japan. ?

my first iphone after years on Android was a used iPhone 5c - took it with me to Japan and got great photos! — if you scroll to the bottom of the article, you’ll find some photos from my older smartphones!

 

[myhaksown]

Great great post, and great article. You talked me into keeping my 11PM yet again.

I upgraded from a XS Max and I’m shocked at how much better the cameras are. Low light is a totally different experience (even without long exposures) and the software to handle longer exposures which started on the 11 is a massive upgrade for me. Extremely low light results in practically no grain at all.

Daytime photos are somewhat similar but zoom and wide angle lenses make this such a large improvement imo. If you don’t use them then the average user won’t notice a difference. I shoot on a canon eos 60d and the 13 pro max shoots objectively better quality photos (in raw) than comparable lenses on my 60d.

At bear minimum go check out the 13 pro/pro max and see for yourself. You may not see as huge a difference as I do since some features are not new for you.

 

[aarontsuru]

I upgraded from a XS Max and I’m shocked at how much better the cameras are. Low light is a totally different experience (even without long exposures) and the software to handle longer exposures which started on the 11 is a massive upgrade for me. Extremely low light results in practically no grain at all.

Daytime photos are somewhat similar but zoom and wide angle lenses make this such a large improvement imo. If you don’t use them then the average user won’t notice a difference. I shoot on a canon eos 60d and the 13 pro max shoots objectively better quality photos (in raw) than comparable lenses on my 60d.

At bear minimum go check out the 13 pro/pro max and see for yourself. You may not see as huge a difference as I do since some features are not new for you.

check out the article, I go into low light. If you often shoot in low light, a newer iPhone is definitely an advantage, but the XS Max actually beat the 13 Pro in a few shots when the sun was starting to go down.

 

[Fatus_Asticus]

What will be interesting is seeing what kind of carrot Apple and the other phone manufacturers will dangle before our eyes to try and get us to upgrade in the future.

 

[boss.king]

I had the Xs Max. Traded it in. Bought the 13 Pro Max.

I must be in the minority here because I honestly think that the 13 Pro Max takes worse daytime pictures than Xs Max.

Yes, 13 Pro Max has night mode, but without it, regular low-light pictures are not that much better than the Xs Max.

Unfortunately, I can't get the Xs Max back because it was already traded in... otherwise I would have kept it and waited for iPhone 14 or 15 Pro Max.

I totally get what you mean. I recently went from a 7 Plus to a 13 (non-Pro) and while this camera is better in a lot of ways, I feel like the end result really suffers from post processing. Shots that would have been mostly fine, if a little noisy on my 7 Plus are much brighter and crisper in the 13, but the moment I zoom in they turn to a smeary, painty mess.

Whatever extra processing Apple is doing here is hurting as much as it’s helping.

 

[Student of Life]

Im still rocking my Xs Max, honestly I plan to keep it a while longer. Im happy with the pictures it takes. The 13 Pro Max is nice but its not really enticing me, also the Notch is basically a deal breaker. From the Xs to the the 13 we have a 4 year gap and the Notch got barely reduced.

 

[doolar]

I moved from a XS to a 13 Pro this year. I'm happy with my upgrade, but it has to be said that I would not mind the XS a year or two longer. So why did I upgrade? Well I really need the lidar for a business 3D-scanning app, it means that I don't have to lug around a separate camera in most cases, and the almost doubled battery life is really handy. Also I use the macro mode a lot for work.

 

[djcerla]

I think there is no comparison between the two. No comparison.

The 13 pro camera is in another league altogether even compared to the 11.

 

[MhaelK]

After 3 years and traveling the world with my XS Max, it was finally time to upgrade to the 13 Pro. While there were some nice upgrades, such as the battery, screen, and the additional lens, I was honestly surprised how little else felt like an upgrade, especially comparing the prime cameras.

I wrote an article with lots of side-by-side comparison shots:

The 3 Year Upgrade Cycle: From iPhone XS Max To iPhone 13 Pro — A Lot Has Changed… Or Has It?

Anyone else expect a lot more after a 3 year upgrade cycle?

Great article and important topic/conclusion, sometimes we do get caugth up in the idea of new tech. Reviewers today are more hypers than anything else, depending on predicting and feeding the hype to drawing in views - more than offering a useable service.

And on that note, as I am also under the hype spell, how is the difference in Video between the XS Max and the 13 pro? Is that worth the upgrade if planing to use for a bit more than random videos from holiday and family gatherings?

 

[Saladin12]

I went from the XS to the 13 Pro Max. My wife still has her XS. And for us, we can see the difference, night and day, between our two camera systems. And we are absolutely not camera geeks or people who have any real photography knowledge - though that might be part of the issue?

 

[dantracht]

I totally get what you mean. I recently went from a 7 Plus to a 13 (non-Pro) and while this camera is better in a lot of ways, I feel like the end result really suffers from post processing. Shots that would have been mostly fine, if a little noisy on my 7 Plus are much brighter and crisper in the 13, but the moment I zoom in they turn to a smeary, painty mess.

Whatever extra processing Apple is doing here is hurting as much as it’s helping.

This right here, along with the delays (now down to 2 weeks, but 5 weeks a month ago when I looked into upgrading) and the fact that I can trade my 11PM in outright (ATT Next) next fall for the 14PM led me to decide to just hang onto my 11PM for a 3rd year. I used to upgrade every year, but stopped last year. Just not as compelled as I used to. I also.....don't use my phone as much as I used to, especially since I work from home half the week. I am on my M1 MBA and Mini, and, in a few days, my M1 Max MBP (can't wait) so much that the phone sits. I am also reading way too many posts about camera HDR processing/oil painting effect issues, touch screen issues, reception issues. All told, it just put me off. Yes, this is all software-related and likely will be corrected, but by that point, when they correct these issues, might as well wait for the 14PM, which promises still further camera improvements, and possibly a new design.

My GF has a XS Max and decided to keep it for the simple reason that she didn't like the look and bulk of the 13PM. I had a XS Max and noticed a huge difference in the camera from the XS Max to the 11, but every comparison on YouTube I watch (Max tech isn't THAT hype-y after the first few weeks of a product release) that I see......I just can't tell that much of a difference in any photo comparison. Yes, the photos look better, but only slightly, and nothing I can't do in editing if I really wanted to take the time. None of the 13PM images in any image comparison I've seen between the 11PM, 12PM, and 13PM made me lust over the 13PM. In a few instances, the 11PM even bettered the newer models.

That all being said, I remain tempted, but by the 13pro, not the PM.

In the end, this is just my opinion. Doesn't mean the 13PM isn't a great device.

 

[krewger]

I have a xs max, a 12pro max and a 13pro max. 13pro gets left in raw mode at all times and takes better photos than the predecessors.

 

[Stevenyo]

After 3 years and traveling the world with my XS Max, it was finally time to upgrade to the 13 Pro. While there were some nice upgrades, such as the battery, screen, and the additional lens, I was honestly surprised how little else felt like an upgrade, especially comparing the prime cameras.

I wrote an article with lots of side-by-side comparison shots:

The 3 Year Upgrade Cycle: From iPhone XS Max To iPhone 13 Pro — A Lot Has Changed… Or Has It?

Anyone else expect a lot more after a 3 year upgrade cycle?

Did the same upgrade. Agree that there’s not a lot of difference, but I didn’t expect much. It’s still a microscopic sensor that only takes passable pictures because of all the post processing magic. Even today, I’d argue that phone cameras are only good for quick snapshots and that you should carry a dedicated camera for anything you want a decent picture of. (I’m not a photographer and use my camera maybe 5 days a month, but carry a micro four thirds camera and three lenses everyday just in case I need to snap a picture).

 

[Chips Stephens]

In my mind the 13 is really the 12s.

But what do I know.
I am still rocking a 7.

But do have a 13 pro on order.

 

[mbkthrowaway]

I upgraded from a 7plus to a XS Max then to a 12 Pro Max. XS Max to 12 Pro Max felt like a bigger jump than 7plus to XS Max. In fact, I always felt very underwhelmed by the XS Max and regretted trading in my 7plus instead of holding onto it a little longer. To my eye, my XS Max photos and video were always a bit too noisy. Low light performance was of course abysmal, as was the battery life. Very happy with my 12 Pro Max.

 

[chaospet]

Good article, I pretty much agree with everything you say. I upgraded from the 11 pro to the 13 pro. It's a definite improvement, even with the night mode, though not as drastic as if you were upgrading from the XS. But as you say, in good/normal lighting conditions, iPhone (and other smartphone) cameras have been quite good for quite a while!

 

[aarontsuru]

I moved from a XS to a 13 Pro this year. I'm happy with my upgrade, but it has to be said that I would not mind the XS a year or two longer. So why did I upgrade? Well I really need the lidar for a business 3D-scanning app, it means that I don't have to lug around a separate camera in most cases, and the almost doubled battery life is really handy. Also I use the macro mode a lot for work.

that's super fair and yeah, the extra lens and modes are great - I love the super wide! My main let down was the prime camera lens, it just didn't have that "3 years better" results I was expecting and Apple's processing leaves much to be desired to.

 

[aarontsuru]

Good article, I pretty much agree with everything you say. I upgraded from the 11 pro to the 13 pro. It's a definite improvement, even with the night mode, though not as drastic as if you were upgrading from the XS. But as you say, in good/normal lighting conditions, iPhone (and other smartphone) cameras have been quite good for quite a while!

Cheers! Thanks! Yeah, I hope people read the whole thing - the 13Pro is a great device with lots of upgrades from the XS Max, but yeah, prime lens to prime lens, less so.

I think what frustrated me most was both, how youtubers/blogs (like the Verge) just trashed the XS cameras on the reg, even up until the 13's release! And then how they lost their minds over the 13 Pro cameras - which are good, but goodness... easy tiger! lol

 

[Jake3231]

I went from a XS to a 13 Pro, and it's been interesting. Overall, I think the XS is a better phone (design, comfort, size), but the 13 Pro is a technically far superior phone. Like the ProMotion display is a huge upgrade, and the performance is a nice (but not huge) increase. The battery life is a really massive improvement though, which was one of my biggest issues with my XS. Surprisingly, cameras range from somewhat nicer to no different, depending on conditions. Things like night mode are night and day, but regular photos in good lighting are only marginally better.

Though it's nice to be able to take advantage of all of the last few years' advancements (new camera systems, Wifi 6, 5G, U1, LiDAR, MagSafe, Night Mode/Deep Fusion) I'm not sure if it's worth the cost of a phone that was much nicer to actually use day-to-day. I almost regret not just getting a new battery on my XS and keeping it for another year or two.

@aarontsuru I had almost the exact same reaction to the new phones as you detailed in your article

 

[Berti10]

After 3 years and traveling the world with my XS Max, it was finally time to upgrade to the 13 Pro. While there were some nice upgrades, such as the battery, screen, and the additional lens, I was honestly surprised how little else felt like an upgrade, especially comparing the prime cameras.

I wrote an article with lots of side-by-side comparison shots:

The 3 Year Upgrade Cycle: From iPhone XS Max To iPhone 13 Pro — A Lot Has Changed… Or Has It?

Anyone else expect a lot more after a 3 year upgrade cycle?

Same for me, and the upgrade from my 8+

 

[aarontsuru]

I went from a XS to a 13 Pro, and it's been interesting. Overall, I think the XS is a better phone (design, comfort, size), but the 13 Pro is a technically far superior phone. Like the ProMotion display is a huge upgrade, and the performance is a nice (but not huge) increase. The battery life is a really massive improvement though, which was one of my biggest issues with my XS. Surprisingly, cameras range from somewhat nicer to no different, depending on conditions. Things like night mode are night and day, but regular photos in good lighting are only marginally better.

Though it's nice to be able to take advantage of all of the last few years' advancements (new camera systems, Wifi 6, 5G, U1, LiDAR, MagSafe, Night Mode/Deep Fusion) I'm not sure if it's worth the cost of a phone that was much nicer to actually use day-to-day. I almost regret not just getting a new battery on my XS and keeping it for another year or two.

@aarontsuru I had almost the exact same reaction to the new phones as you detailed in your article

How are you feeling about the weight? 13 Pro is a brick of a phone! About the same weight as the XS Max!

 

[Jake3231]

How are you feeling about the weight? 13 Pro is a brick of a phone! About the same weight as the XS Max!

It was noticeably heavier. I got used to it pretty quickly, but I would still prefer a lighter phone. The XS also felt way heavier than my 7 before it, so I wasn't surprised, but the XS felt like a pretty good balance of size/weight/comfort. It hasn't really bothered me, but that just contributes to the phone being less comfortable to use than the XS.

 

[aarontsuru]

It was noticeably heavier. I got used to it pretty quickly, but I would still prefer a lighter phone. The XS also felt way heavier than my 7 before it, so I wasn't surprised, but the XS felt like a pretty good balance of size/weight/comfort. It hasn't really bothered me, but that just contributes to the phone being less comfortable to use than the XS.

After 3 years on the XS Max, was actually excited for a smaller phone - imagine my surprise when I get the phone and it's the same weight of the XS Max! lol and since it's more compact, it's a brick-uva-phone.

 

[Tsepz]

IMO; the XS Max was a $1,100 luxury smartphone when it launched three years ago. The XS Max camera was the first iPhone to use smart HDR which made a huge difference in the photos taken.

If anything, it shows how worth it was to pay that price back in 2018 because you can still use the XS Max as your current phone in 2021 and everything is smooth. Photos would still come out great for social media.

I think I read somewhere on a youtube comment: "the XS Max era of iphones is when things got 'serious' for Apple when it came to their flagship phones"

The Xs Max is still a fabulous device indeed, it’s only let down was the battery being average to decent at best compared to what was out back then, I would still be rocking my Xs Max now if it didn’t get stolen.

I think after that, Apple with the 11 Pro/Max Apple definitely hit peak iPhone camera after taking things a step further with Deep Fusion, Night Mode and a Wide Angle lens and since then the upgrades have definitely been greater in what the software does. Night time photographer is where the Xs Max falls behind significantly.

That being said the 12 Pro Max and 13 Pro range have larger and larger (respectively) camera sensors so I would have expected a bigger jump given the software and hardware bumps to the main sensor.