After just switching to the iPhone 14 Pro Max from the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it’s not always clear how the photography experience has changed from one phone to another. But after spending a lot of time staring at near-identical photos, I can confirm that there is a change, and it is more noticeable when the light is lower.
While the spec sheets for the two iPhones aren’t very different, the changes out there are layered together to make some big differences. Apple’s improvements can still be spotted during daytime photography, but the color and detail improvements on the iPhone 14 Pro Max are more noticeable when night comes, and it can actually flex its processing capabilities to bring out the best in its subjects.
You can read the overall confrontation of the iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. the iPhone 13 Pro Max if you want to see a more general comparison of the two iPhones. But here, we’ll go over exactly what Apple changed about the iPhone 14 Pro Max cameras from the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and how that affects its photos.
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: Camera Specifications
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
| Main (Resolution, Aperture, Sensor Size) | 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.28″ | 12 MP, f/1.5, 1/1.7″ |
| Ultrawide (resolution, aperture, sensor size) | 12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 1/2.55″ | 12 MP, f/1.8, 1/3.5″ |
| Telephoto (Resolution, Aperture, Sensor Size, Zoom Zoom) | 12 MP, ƒ/2.8, 1/3.5″, 3x | 12 MP, f/2.8, 1/3.5″, 3x |
| Selfie (resolution, aperture, sensor size) | 12 MP, ƒ/1.9, 1/3.6″ | 12 MP, f / 2.2, 1 / 3.6″ lens. |
The iPhone 13 Pro Max (and the iPhone 13 Pro too) has three 12MP cameras on the back. These cover major roles, super close-up and triple-shooting duties. There is also another 12MP camera on the front, which is a fixed focus selfie camera.
iPhone 14 Pro Max is making some notable changes. The biggest is that the main camera now has a 48MP sensor, which can shoot in 12MP as before, or in 48MP ProRAW mode when you want to play with the shots in the post. It also allows for a new 2x zoom level using the center of the sensor for more flexibility, but it’s also slightly smaller at 1/1.28″ instead of 1/1.7″.
Moreover, the front camera now comes with autofocus and a wider aperture, which makes taking focus selfies from different distances much easier. There is also an ultra-wide camera with a wider aperture for increased brightness. Finally, there’s the Photonic Engine, Apple’s new photography processing software that aims to provide better color and texture in photos, especially in low light.
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: Pictures
We’ll start with the selfie camera, because this portrait mode shot effectively shows what’s changed between generations. The effect of the portrait cut-out is basically the same on both phones, with the two mostly separating the background neatly. However, the differences in mine are due to the color and details.
On the iPhone 13 Pro Max, I look almost tanned (which I certainly am not), with perfectly smooth skin. But iPhone 14 Pro Max reveals the truth: I’m very pale, and I actually have pores in my skin. It’s a more subtle and natural look I’ve been looking for from iPhones for a while, and I’m glad it’s finally here.
Of course, the main changes are found in the rear cameras, so I took a whole bunch of day and night test shots to see the differences. And while I think today’s shots are fairly similar in quality, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is really ahead when the sun goes down.
First of all we have a shot in the late afternoon, taken with the main cameras while looking at the Shard over St George the Martyr Church. The image of the iPhone 14 Pro Max has brighter highlights, but there are no other significant differences between it and the image of its predecessor.
Next, a super fast shot of The Roebuck Pub near Borough. The sky paled in the iPhone 14 Pro Max photo, but more importantly it got a better texture than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. You can really see how the brickwork on the building or the leaves in the trees are layered, while it’s a little flat on the older iPhone.
Using a telephoto to zoom in on details of the pub’s texture, colors now look more natural when looking at the iPhone 13 Pro Max from my perspective, although the brighter sky on the iPhone 14 Pro Max is nice. The 14 Pro Max is so detailed that you can discern the window texture under the smiley face in the bar more easily.
Now moving on to the night mode shots, this is where Apple’s photonic engine really comes into play to deliver improved results for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Take this main camera shot, and look again at Shard but this time from London Bridge and the River Thames in the foreground. The main difference I’ve noticed here is that the iPhone 13 Pro Max shot is more noisy, especially around the moon. The image of the 14 Pro Max is sharper.
In this next major night shot of a classic London phone box, we see there’s more than just brightness. iPhone 14 Pro Max masterfully handled the highlights in this photo, showing the light from the glowing mark and the light and shadow on top of the phone case more realistic. There’s more detail, too, when you take a closer look to examine the crown’s emblem or the lines that separate the panes of glass.
The new ultra-high-resolution camera on the iPhone 14 Pro Max comes in this shot of the base of the Great Fire of London Memorial. The illuminated areas of the picture are warmer, which is not only more attractive, but also more natural. It helps bring out detail in the stone carving as well, which fades into the dark even more on the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Our final point of comparison will be this close-up shot, again from Shard. The iPhone 14 Pro Max image stays warmer and brighter, while highlighting other details like the house and trees to help frame the shot on the street.
last thoughts
The iPhone 14 Pro Max really improves on the already powerful cameras of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and the newer model deserves its place over the old one on our list of best camera phones. Apple’s hardware upgrades, color science, and detail have paid off, especially in low-light photos, although my favorite change is how natural photos look, whether it’s my face or the face of a building.
However, I still don’t think it’s worth upgrading from the iPhone 13 Pro Max to the 14 Pro Max just for those camera upgrades. It might be worth it if you really want to mess around with the 48MP ProRAW mode, or if you like other new features like Dynamic Island or the always-on display. But for photography, let’s keep things in perspective. iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best camera phone for consistent photos, no matter the lens or the time of day. But the iPhone 13 Pro Max isn’t that far off.
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