Flagships compared: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 13

The OnePlus 13 and the iPhone 16 Pro Max are both top devices. Read how the smartphones fare in a direct comparison!

iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 13

OnePlus recently released its newest flagship has been released, the OnePlus 13. That is without a doubt a lightning-fast smartphone with a beautiful screen, excellent cameras and an impressive battery life. And that for a price of 1000 euros, almost 350 euros lower than that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Housing and screen

Both devices are almost the same size. The iPhone 16 Pro Max measures 163 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm, the OnePlus 13 measures 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.9 mm. And there is not much difference in terms of weight (227 and 210 grams respectively). The housing of the OnePlus 13 is made of glass and aluminum, that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max of glass and titanium. The sides of the OnePlus are glossy and therefore more sensitive to fingerprints. Partly because of this, we find them less attractive than those of the iPhone.

The OnePlus 13 has a modern design and a screen with rounded edges. This still makes it look a bit like the screen is on top of it. At 6.82 inches, the screen is slightly smaller than that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max (6.9 inches). On the other hand, the OnePlus’ screen with 1440 x 3168 pixels has a higher resolution than that of the iPhone (1320 x 2868 pixels). In addition, the OnePlus’ screen has a higher maximum brightness.

Processor and memory

The iPhone 16 Pro Max runs on the lightning-fast Apple A18 Pro, the OnePlus has a Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite. That doesn’t say much. It becomes a little clearer when we name the CPUs. The iPhone has a Hexa-core (2x 4.05 GHz + 4x 2.42 GHz), the OnePlus an Octa-core (2x 4.32 GHz + 6x 3.53 GHz). On paper, the OnePlus seems faster than the iPhone. However, the Geekbench 6 Single benchmark shows something different: the OnePlus 13 scores 2967, the iPhone 16 Pro Max 3331.

With both devices you have the same options in terms of storage capacity, namely 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB. But the OnePlus 13 offers more options when it comes to RAM: 12 GB, 16 GB and even 24 GB of RAM. With the iPhone you always get 8 GB of RAM. However, in practice this does not mean that the iPhone is slower than the OnePlus. Apple has always managed to get more out of RAM than other brands and that is no different now.

iPhone cameras are better anyway

The OnePlus 13 has three cameras on the back, namely:

• A 50 MP main camera with an aperture of f/1.6 and optical image stabilization.
• A 50 MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an aperture of f/2.0 and a 120-degree angle of view.
• A 50 MP periscope lens with an aperture of f/2.6 and a 3x optical zoom.

The device can record videos in 8K up to 30 fps and in 4K up to 60 fps, which ensures sharp and detailed images.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has the following three cameras on the back:

• A 48 MP main camera with an aperture of f/1.78 and sensor shift optical image stabilization.
• A 48 MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an aperture of f/2.2 and a 120-degree angle of view.
• A 12 MP telephoto lens with an aperture of f/2.8 and a 5x optical zoom.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max records video in 4K at up to 120 fps. In addition, advanced photography options such as Photonic Engine and Deep Fusion ensure improved image quality.

Here too, the OnePlus 13 seems to beat the iPhone 16 Pro Max on paper. But numbers don’t say everything and in practice the differences are less significant. For example, although the main camera of the OnePlus 13 delivers a clearer, sharper image than that of the iPhone, the dark tint of the iPhone camera is better for more contrast in the shadows. The OnePlus also seems to add more of an HDR effect and the photos from the iPhone are slightly more realistic. What you like better is of course very personal. Furthermore, the night mode of the OnePlus 13 performs slightly less well than that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The OnePlus battery lasts longer

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a battery with a capacity of 4685 mAh, the OnePlus 13 has a capacity of 6000 mAh. The latter is mainly because the OnePlus has a Si/C battery, which has a higher storage capacity than a Li-Ion battery like the one in the iPhone.

Here too, Apple generally manages to get more out of the battery than other brands. But thanks to the new battery type, the OnePlus 13 lasts longer in a benchmark than the iPhone 16 Pro Max (17 hours and 38 minutes compared to 19 hours and 45 minutes). When Apple also starts using this type of battery in an iPhone, we expect a significant leap forward in battery life.

Conclusion: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 13

The OnePlus 13 is without a doubt a fantastic smartphone that is also relatively affordable. In a direct comparison, the OnePlus seems to be the winner on paper, but in practice this is not entirely true. For example, the iPhone takes objectively better photos (which does not mean that you also like them better). In terms of speed, both devices are certainly evenly matched, but with the iPhone you get two years longer software support (7 years compared to 5). Only the battery life of the OnePlus beats the iPhone. And the lower price can of course be a reason to choose the OnePlus.

If you’d rather have an iPhone 16 Pro Max, be sure to check out the deals below. This way you can be sure that you don’t pay too much!