We subjected the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max to our rigorous SBMARK Display test suite to measure its performance Cons six criteria. In the results of this test, we will analyze how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Main display specifications:
- 6.7 inch OLED display
- Dimensions: 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches (160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65mm)
- Resolution: 2778 x 1284 (~ 458 ppi)
- Maximum brightness 1000 nits (typical); Maximum brightness 1200 nit (HDR)
- Aspect Ratio: 19.5: 9
- ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz
- Chipset: A15 Bionic
Pros
- Excellent readability in almost all conditions.
- Excellent color fidelity, even when viewed at an angle.
- The device is responsive and smooth when navigating.
- Very enjoyable HDR10 video experience with the right brightness, contrast and color fidelity.
- Excellent control of artifacts.
versus
- The device is not bright enough at the default settings for comfortable nighttime reading.
- The display has a strong orange cast when the blue light filter is active.
- The device may run smoother while playing.
The Apple iPhone13 Pro Max test results clearly demonstrate important improvements over the iPhone 12 Pro Max in several key areas of display performance. Best of all, the exceptionally smooth adaptation of the screen to changing lighting conditions in all use cases means that users will have a consistently pleasing viewing experience in terms of brightness, contrast and color. The iPhone 13 Pro Max may not have the highest level of brightness compared to its competitors, but the device more than makes up for this with its optimized and excellent content rendering.
Test summary
Learn about SBMARK visualization tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective and perceptual tests in controlled laboratory and under real-life conditions. Please note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and related still image (gallery) and video apps with default settings. (For in-depth information on how we rate smartphones and other displays, see our articles, “How SBMARK Tests Display Quality” and “A Closer Look at SBMARK Display Tests”.
The following section collects the key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyzes performed in SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
How the screen readability score is composed
Readability evaluates the ease and comfort with which users can read stationary content (photos and web) on the display in various real-life conditions. SBMARK uses its Display Bench to recreate ambient light conditions ranging from total darkness to bright sunlight. In addition to laboratory tests, perceptual analysis is also carried out in real-life environments.
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max achieves a new maximum score in terms of readability, with better brightness than its predecessor and better performance than the OnePlus and Samsung devices.
Interestingly, iPhone devices have the ability to display photos taken with iPhone (HEIC files) as HDR content. With higher peak brightness (1180 nits measured for the 13 Pro Max versus 1100 nits for the 12 Pro Max), the 13 Pro Max can make very bright tones in photos even better. This extended dynamic range produces a flattering effect most of the time, although we did notice an unnatural look in some cases. None of the tested competitors offer this HDR rendering feature.
Overall readability is exceptional both inside and out. In indoor conditions (as in the illustration below), the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) is brighter but shows less detail in the hair than the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which provides the most faithful image rendering.
Readability indoors (1000 lux).
Left to right: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro
Photo for illustrative purposes only
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is very readable in sunlight, while maintaining a natural-looking color rendering. The 13 Pro Max shows a big improvement over the 12 Pro Max in terms of brightness, but also in terms of the visibility of details in dark areas. Note that in the illustration below, the Samsung image appears brighter than the 13 Pro Max image (1379 nits measured on the Samsung and 1066 nits measured on the iPhone), but our engineers found that after a few minutes in sunlight , the S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) would reduce its brightness, presumably to avoid overheating. The 13 Pro Max had no problems in similar conditions and maintained its brightness.
Readability in a sunlight environment (> 90 0000 lux).
Left to right: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro
Photo for illustrative purposes only
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max adjusts its brightness very smoothly to changing lighting conditions. With the default settings, however, the device is still too dark during night reading (blue light filter disabled):
Readability in a low light environment (0 lux).
BLF off, left to right: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro
Photo for illustrative purposes only
How the Display Color score is composed
The color attribute evaluates the device’s ability to accurately reproduce colors. The measurements made are for fidelity, white point color and gamma coverage. We perform color assessments for different lighting conditions to see how well the device can handle color in its surroundings. Colors are measured using a spectrophotometer in a controlled lighting environment. The perceptual analysis of the color rendering is compared to the reference model displayed on a calibrated professional monitor.
Color fidelity measurements
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, 1000 lux color fidelity, sRGB color space. Note that no arrows come out of the circles, which is indicative of excellent color fidelity.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), 1000 lux color fidelity, sRGB color space. Many arrows extend outside the circles, which means that the color differences are noticeable.
Each arrow represents the color difference between a target color model (arrow base) and its actual measurement (arrowhead). The longer the arrow, the more visible the color difference. If the arrow stays inside the circle, the color difference will only be visible to trained eyes.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max adapts its white point to the lighting conditions. It has good color fidelity and is far less yellow than the iPhone 12 Pro Max in general. In the example below, the Samsung image is clearly oversaturated.
Indoor color rendering (1000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro
Photo for illustrative purposes only
Although the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a slight green cast on the outside, it is even more accurate and pleasing than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), which is too saturated and orange.
Color rendering in sunlight (> 90 0000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro
Photo for illustrative purposes only
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max shows no major color changes when held in an angled position, which is once again a big improvement over its predecessor. At an angle, the iPhone 13 Pro Max retains its colors, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max turns green and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) turns very blue.
Behavior of the color on the corner
Top row: no corner; bottom row: color rendering at 45 degree angle, from left to right: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro
Photo for illustrative purposes only
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, close-up of the white point showing the scattering. Note that the scatter stays quite close to the outer circle, which means that the color differences are barely noticeable.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, close-up of the white point showing the scattering. The scatter heading towards the blue-green becomes more and more evident the further it is from the outer circle.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), close-up of the white dot showing the scatter. The scatter that goes through the violet towards the blue-cyan becomes more evident the further it is from the outer circle.
This graph shows the shift of color when the screen is tilted. Each point represents a measurement with a particular angle. The points inside the inner circle show no color change in the corner; those between the inner and outer circle have shifts that only trained experts will see; but those who fall outside the outer circle are noted.
But while its overall color rendering is much improved over the 12 Pro Max, the iPhone 13 Pro Max still has the same very noticeable orange cast with the 12 Pro Max’s activated blue light filter.
Color temperature rendering with BLF ON in a low light environment (0 lux).
BLF on, left to right: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro
Photo for illustrative purposes only
How the Display Video score is composed
Our video attribute evaluates the Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR10) video handling of each device indoors and in low light conditions. We measure the tone mapping, color gamut, brightness and contrast of the display. We perform perceptual analysis Cons our professional reference monitor (Sony BVM-HX310) to ensure that the rendering respects the artistic intent.
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is great for watching HDR10 videos. There are no dropped frames or vibrations, and its HDR rendering is outstanding. Additionally, it has wider dynamic range and good brightness, and does a better job with contrast and tone mapping than the 12 Pro Max.
Video rendering in a low light environment (0 lux).
Video contrast (HDR), clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro. Note that although the clouds and trees in the photo illustrating the performance of the iPhone 13 Pro Max may appear cropped, the actual rendering on the device itself does not show any cropping.
Photo for illustrative purposes only
In low light, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is significantly dimmer than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) when playing SDR content, and Apple users may want to manually increase the brightness:
Video contrast (SDR), clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro
Photo for illustrative purposes only
The video colors of the iPhone 13 Pro Max are faithful, especially compared to the 12 Pro Max, which has a visibly yellow cast. When evaluated Cons the test reference photo, the colors of both the 13 Pro Max and Samsung only land on both sides, with the 13 Pro Max on the warmer side and the Samsung appearing a bit cooler.
Video rendering in a low light environment (0 lux).
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), OnePlus 9 Pro. Skin tones are actually rendered more accurately, with the The hotter iPhone 13 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) a little cooler.
Photo for illustrative purposes only
How the score of Display Motion is composed
The motion attribute evaluates the handling of dynamic content. Frame drops, motion blur, and playback artifacts are investigated using games and videos.
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max shows no frame drops or stutters when playing videos, unlike the 12 Pro Max, S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) and OnePlus 9 Pro. Furthermore, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has no tremors at 24, 30 and 60 fps, which also applies to the Samsung device. To show a 24fps video on a 60Hz display, like on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the device must perform a 3: 2 pulldown as shown in the photo below.
Moving objects appear sharp in videos. The device is responsive when jumping forward or backward in videos; however, there may be some blocking or pixeling artifacts in some cases, but this behavior is quite rare.
While gaming, our testers found no frame drops with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, although some were visible on the 12 Pro Max and S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon).
The video frame drops
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, illustration of frame drops on a 24 fps video; no frame falls or visible vibrations
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, illustration of frame drops on a 24 fps video; 3: 2 pulldown judder pattern and two visible stammers
OnePlus 9 Pro, illustration of frame drops on a 24 fps video; 3: 2 pulldown pattern and some visible frame drops
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), illustration of frame drops on a 24 fps video; no jerks, but some stammering is visible
How the Display Touch score is composed
To evaluate touch, SBMARK uses a touch robot and a high-speed camera to reproduce and record a series of scenarios for the evaluation of fluidity, accuracy and response time.
Touching on the iPhone 13 Pro Max is precise and very smooth in the gallery app, when browsing the web and in general use (switching apps, browsing the phone, etc.). In these cases it is indeed smoother than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, thus showing the benefits of its adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz, but the 13 Pro Max shows no improvement when it comes to smoothness while gaming.
This response time test accurately evaluates the time elapsed between a single tap of the robot on the screen and the action displayed. This test is applied to activities that require high responsiveness, such as play.
How the Display Artifacts score is composed
Evaluating artifacts means checking performance, image rendering, and motion defects that can affect the end-user experience. SBMARK accurately measures device reflectance and the presence of flickering and evaluates the impact of residual aliasing when playing video games, among other characteristics.
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max exhibits excellent artifact control. It doesn’t respond to ghost touches and handles flicker well. In fact, both the Samsung device and the iPhone 12 Pro Max have noticeable flickering at 240Hz intervals in the video below. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 flash twice as fast as the other devices (i.e. 480Hz), which makes the flicker less noticeable on these newer Apple devices.
Looking at the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s bright streaks, however, one is bright (and quite white) and the next is less bright (and even pinkish), creating an alternating pattern of bright streaks and darker streaks. The stark visual effect for some users may result in a prolongation of the dark zone, making the flicker a little more visible on the iPhone 13 Pro Max than on the iPhone 13.
Video shot with a high-speed camera at 1500 frames per second and displayed at 5 frames per second, which is 300 times slower than the real thing. Left to right: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
Even though the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s notch is smaller than that of the 12 Pro Max, the screen-to-body ratio remains lower than that of its competitors.
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max shows improvements over the iPhone 12 Pro Max and does a much better job of handling aliasing than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), as shown below.
Alias (foreground)
Close-up of aliasing, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Close-up of aliasing, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Close-up of aliasing, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
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