iPhone 13 Pro Max, three years on: the iPhone that aged best

I bought the iPhone 13 Pro Max on launch day, September 2021. I used it daily as my primary phone until I switched to the 16 Pro Max in September 2024. Three years.

What aged well

ProMotion was the killer feature. 120Hz scrolling on a phone is the kind of thing you stop noticing on day three and notice immediately the moment you pick up a 60Hz phone. After three years, this is still the feature that defines the modern iPhone Pro line.

Battery. By year three, the battery had dropped from 100% maximum capacity to 84%. I went from a comfortable full day to a comfortable full day, with the difference noticeable only on extremely heavy use days.

Camera. The Pro Max camera in 2021 is still better than most phones in 2024. Apple did not push the boundary as much in subsequent models as they should have.

What aged badly

Weight. 240g felt fine in 2021 because phones were trending heavier. In 2024 the 16 Pro Max at 227g feels light by comparison.

Lightning. The transition to USB-C in the 15 line means a 13 Pro Max user cannot share cables with new iPads, MacBooks, or anyone with an Android phone.

No Action Button. The 15 Pro added it. The 16 Pro made it useful. The 13 Pro is stuck with the silence/ring switch.

What I would do again

Buy the Pro Max version. Skip the regular Pro. The battery difference alone justifies the size penalty.

Skip every "S" or incremental year. Phones are good enough that two-year cycles are too aggressive. Three years is right.

What I would not do

Upgrade just because the new one is here. The 13 Pro Max is still entirely usable. I am switching because three years is my cycle, not because the phone is failing me.