iPhone 17 Pro Max vs OnePlus 13: preview and expectations
Intro
Alright, at this point it's barely a secret that we are waiting for another set of iPhones to launch at the end of summer, right? Apple typically launches its new phone models in September and there's no reason to believe 2025 will be different. There's also no reason to believe there won't be an iPhone 17 Pro Max yet again. On the contrary — we've even seen a few leaks about the top-tier iPhone.
The question now is — how is it going to compare to the top tier Samsung phone? Regular Samsung phone, of course, we are not going to be touching on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 here. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra launched in early 2025 and has had plenty of time to gather momentum. How do we think it will compare to the newly launched iPhone 17 Pro Max when that comes out? Let's see what we know:
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra expected differences:
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| Design facelift with camera bar module on the back | The latest iteration of the OnePlus style, with the huge off-center camera circle |
| Slightly thicker 8.7 mm, possibly switching back to aluminum | About as thick — 8.5 mm, aluminum |
| Triple 48 MP cameras on the back 24 MP front camera | Triple 50 MP cameras on back 32 MP front camera |
| 8K video recording possilbe | 8K video recording possilbe |
| Apple A19 Pro chipset (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) |
| Likely 12 GB of RAM | 12/16 GB RAM |
| Brighter screen 3,000 nits peak | 4,500 nits peak |
| Miniaturized Dynamic Island notch possible | Small punch-hole for selfie camera |
| Possibly a battery larger than 4,700 mAh | 6,000 mAh battery |
| 27 W wired charging 25 W wireless MagSafe 2 | 80 W wired charging 50 W wireless charging |
| Possible reverse wireless charging | Reverse wireless charging |
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Design and Size
Design refresh vs signature looks
The iPhone might look like this (Image Credit-Weibo)
Numerous leaks have been reaffirming a design change in the iPhone family. Instead of the single off-center camera square we had before, there's going to be a horizontal bar on the back now. Considering how often this leaks, it is likely true (or has been at some point), but we have no idea what the motivation behind such a big change might be. Is it aesthetics or does Apple need more room for some special hardware? Oh, it's space for the AI brain, that's why we couldn't get the Siri update in March!
The OnePlus 13 has its own distinct look with the big circular camera on the back and different finishes depending on what color you pick — it can be glassy or leather-y. While the iPhone will most likely have the Action Button and Camera Control Button, alongside the standard volume and power controls, the OnePlus 13 also has a unique hardware switch of its own — the mute slider. It has 3 stages for complete silence, vibration, or sound on.
We expect the phones will be about the same in thickness and size:
| Phone model | iPhone 17 Pro Max | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 8.73 mm | 8.5 mm |
Display Differences
The iPhone 17 Pro Max should have a 6.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR OLED display with dynamic 1-120 Hz ProMotion, just as before. The OnePlus 13 rivals that with its own 6.8-inch AMOLED panel with 120 Hz.
The OnePlus 13 does have the impressive-sounding 4,500 nit peak brightness, but that's a momentary measurement for a small section of the screen. It won't be much brighter, in general, than the iPhone (as it's not much brighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max).
| Phone model | iPhone 17 Pro Max | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.9-inch | 6.8-inch |
| Peak brightness | ~3,000 nits | 4,500 nits |
The iPhone 17 Pro Max should still have a Dynamic Island cutout — the pill-shaped home for the selfie camera and Face ID sensors. But rumor is that it may be a little bit smaller. The OnePlus 13, of course, only has the small punch-hole for its own selfie camera.
Performance and Software
Pro versus Elite
Apple should have a new A19 Pro chip for the next iPhones. Probably built on a 3 nm process, though faint rumors have suggested 2 nm. It's probably a bit early for this development. In any case, the Apple A18 Pro was already great and if Apple achieves better thermal management for the A19 Pro, it should be great.
Same goes for the 3 nm Snapdragon 8 Elite inside the OnePlus 13 — it rivals Apple's silicon and, depending on manufacturer and implementation, can even get sustained results. While the OnePlus 13 isn't a gaming phone or anything, it had some pretty impressive thermal management, managing to keep benchmark scores high for longer.
| iPhone model | iPhone 17 Pro Max | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Apple A19 Pro | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Manufacturing process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Memory | 12 GB | 12 GB / 16 GB RAM |
It looks like the iPhone 17 Pro Max might finally break the 12 GB RAM barrier—and honestly, it makes sense. Apple has traditionally been conservative with RAM, relying instead on tight hardware-software integration. But the game is changing. With AI features slowly becoming a staple and Apple Intelligence pushing more on-device processing, the need for more memory is no longer optional—it’s necessary. We already saw a bunch of 2024 Apple hardware quietly upgraded to support these new capabilities. Rumor has it all 2025 iPhones are getting 12 GB of RAM across the board. Not just for performance today, but to keep them relevant over Apple’s usual 5+ year support window.
The OnePlus 13 already comes with 12 GB RAM at its base 256 GB storage tier, but goes up to 16 GB RAM on the 512 GB model.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will probably have the same options as before — 256 GB minimum, then 512 GB and 1 TB upgrades.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to land alongside iOS 19, which — if the whispers hold water — should come with a fresh coat of paint that borrows heavily from the sleek, glassy vibes of visionOS. Think translucency and layered UI galore. On the Apple Intelligence side of things, we might finally see some actual movement. After the company’s rather underwhelming showing with iOS 18 (read: lofty promises, little follow-through), it’s safe to assume the Cupertino crew is now in full-on scramble mode trying to whip up something that at least looks like progress.
OnePlus 13 launched with Android 15 early this year, with a light reskin and light on the AI features. OnePlus did throw a couple in there, but most of them are the job of Google's Gemini, as it comes bundled with Android anyway. Update promise says 4 years of Android updates, 6 years of security support.
Camera
Cheaper doesn't mean worse
Apple throws everything at the camera, and it does show — iPhones are very consistent and dependable with photos, easily the best for recording video. The OnePlus 13 costs about $300 less than the current iPhone 16 Pro Max, so it will definitely be more affordable than the 17 Pro Max. But that doesn't mean its cameras are $300 worse — OnePlus has been putting a lot of muscle (and a Hasselblad partnership) behind that, too!
| Phone model | iPhone 17 Pro Max | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48MP F1.8 | 50MP F1.6 |
| Ultrawide camera | 48MP F2.2 | 50MP F2.0 |
| Periscope camera | 48MP F2.8 5X | 50MP F2.6 3X |
| Front camera | 24MP | 32MP |
After Apple updated its main, ultra-wide, and zoom cameras to have high-res sensors, we now expect the front-facing camera to get some love, but nothing too extreme. A jump from 12 MP to 24 MP — we'll see what improvements that brings.
The OnePlus 13 feels really nice with its triple cameras, offering a lot of versatility and pretty good quality. It got 145 overall points on our camera benchmark test, which is only 9 points below the iPhone 16 Pro Max. We don't imagine that the 17 Pro Max would widen that gap by much.
Battery Life and Charging
To 5,000, then beyond
Apple's iPhones don't bet a lot on huge batteries — they achieve endurance with hardware and software optimizations. That said, the Pro Max units have felt the pressure from the other top-tier competitors, and every year inch closer and closer to that 5,000 mAh cell, which is now standard in Android line. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to have between 4,700 and 5,000 mAh.
Meanwhile, OnePlus has already passed that threshold comfortably, offering a pretty enduring OnePlus 13 with its 6,000 mAh cell that also charges quite feast with the proprietary 100 W charger.
| iPhone model | iPhone 17 Pro Max | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery size | 4,700-5,000 mAh | 6,000 mAh |
| Wired charging speed | 27W | 100W |
| Wireless charging speed | 25W | 50W |
Specs Comparison
So, here's what we know so far about the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs OnePlus 13 specs:
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 163.0 x 77.6 x 8.73 mm | Size, weight 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm 218 g |
| Screen 6.9" OLED 120Hz ProMotion 3,000 nits peak brightness | Screen 6.8" AMOLED 120Hz 4,500 nits peak brightness |
| Processor A19 Pro 3nm | Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm |
| Versions: 12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1TB LPDDR5 | Versions: 12GB/256GB 16GB/512GB LPDDR5X |
| Cameras: 48MP main 48MP ultra 48MP 5X zoom 24MP front | Cameras: 50MP main 50MP ultra 50MP 3X zoom 32MP front |
| Battery: 4,700+ mAh | Battery: 6,000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 27W wired 25W MagSafe 2.0 | Charging: USB-C 100W SuperVOOC wired 50W AirVOOC wireless |
Summary
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will very probably be another incremental step up. Mostly dependable, predictable, with a high performance and good quality overall, all priced comfortably north of $1,000. It's a well-known package, and one that users evidently don't mind paying for, as they either enjoy the ecosystem, like what they get, or just prefer that consistency you get with an iPhone.
That said, the OnePlus 13 is not really a risky purchase. The company has now been around for quite a while, it has had its peaks, it has had its valleys. The OnePlus 13 is a well-polished product, which wouldn't let you down and we never have a problem recommending it to anyone looking for a flagship below that $1k mark.
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