Review: iPhone 13 Pro Max iOS 16 Official Update - Impressive Performance and Battery Life, but Overheating?

Even though Apple has released the official iOS 16 update, many users are still hesitant, especially those with iPhone 13 Pro Max. What's new with iPhone 13 Pro Max on iOS 16? Does iOS 16 drain the battery faster? Is the performance of iPhone 13 Pro Max still strong after the iOS 16 update? Find the answers in this official review of iPhone 13 Pro Max with iOS 16 update below!

Explore more: 

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• Apple Ends Support for iOS 15.6.1, But Downgrading to iOS 16 is Still Possible

iOS 16 Official Update Overview

For those who may have forgotten, on the early morning of September 13 (Vietnam time), Apple officially released the iOS 16 update for eligible iPhone users globally, and the iPhone 14 series is the first line of iPhones to run on this operating system. I've updated my iPhone 13 Pro Max to iOS 16 (approximately over 3 GB in size), and the battery status is at 100%.

Without further delay, let's dive into assessing the performance of the iPhone 13 Pro Max after the official iOS 16 update.

iPhone 13 Pro Max Performance on iOS 16 Still Impressive!

• iPhone 13 Pro Max Official iOS 16 Performance Score

I'll use specialized benchmarking tools such as AnTuTu Benchmark, GeekBench 5, 3DMark Wild Life to assess the performance of the iPhone 13 Pro Max after the iOS 16 update. Before sharing the results, let's quickly go through the conditions for scoring:

• The device battery must be between 90 - 100% (battery below 90% can affect the device's performance).
• No charging during the benchmarking process.
• Conduct 3 tests and average the results after 3 consecutive runs.

Firstly, in the single/multi-core and GPU Compute tests in GeekBench 5, the iPhone 13 Pro Max achieved impressive results. Although this phone has been around for over a year, its performance still places it among the top iPhones currently available. A little sneak peek for you: we'll soon be comparing the performance and battery life of the iPhone 13 Pro Max with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, so stay tuned!

- GeekBench 5:

• Single/Multi-core: 1,739 points / 4,517 points.
• GPU Compute: 14,376 points.

Moving on to the AnTuTu Benchmark app, it seems this software isn't well-optimized for iOS 16. Specifically, during the test on my iPhone 13 Pro Max, the screen only displayed vertically, and rotating it horizontally caused a perplexing error, similar to the image below (even in the 3DMark Wild Life app). Despite these issues, I believe they will be addressed with future updates. Additionally, this version of iOS 16 is still new, and minor glitches are inevitable.

Returning to the AnTuTu Benchmark test, despite encountering errors, the iPhone 13 Pro Max still delivered results. From the image below, we can see that the iPhone 13 Pro Max achieved an impressive score of 800,013 points after updating to the new iOS, especially when compared to contemporaneous rivals.

Moving on to the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test (assessing graphics processing at a moderate level), the iPhone 13 Pro Max running iOS 16 achieved a total score of 2,365 with an average FPS of 14.2. With such lightweight graphics tests, the Apple A15 Bionic chip undoubtedly performs well, ensuring minimal battery drain during the test.

A crucial highlight in this performance assessment is the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, a demanding graphics test. For those who may have forgotten, this test repeats 20 times to evaluate the device's performance during prolonged activities (such as gaming or video editing). Check out the results below, paying attention to the Stability metric!

Looking at the results table above, we easily observe that the iPhone 13 Pro Max, after updating to iOS 16, exhibits excellent stability at 83.2%. This result is commendable for a one-year-old iPhone like the 13 Pro Max, as evidenced by the relatively small difference between the highest loop score and the lowest loop score (2,447 - 2,037 = 410 points). During the test, my iPhone 13 Pro Max heated up quickly, but the battery only decreased by about 5% (from 100% to 95%).

Based on the above benchmark results, I can somewhat conclude that the iPhone 13 Pro Max remains exceptionally powerful at the current moment, both in CPU processing speed and GPU graphics handling. Unfortunately, I forgot to benchmark its performance before updating to iOS 16; I hope you can understand and overlook this. If Apple releases future iOS versions like 16.1 or 16.2, I will strive to compare and showcase the differences for you.

• Gaming Experience on iPhone 13 Pro Max After Updating to iOS 16

Honestly, I can't perceive any notable differences in gaming on the iPhone 13 Pro Max running iOS 16 compared to the previous version. The device's performance still handles popular games smoothly, such as Arena of Valor, Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and even Genshin Impact.

Additionally, I'm unable to use Perfdog to measure FPS while gaming on the iPhone 13 Pro Max at the moment, as this tool still lacks good support for iOS 16. Perhaps we'll have to wait for some time for developers to refine and optimize it better; then, I'll update the information for you.

Due to the inability to measure FPS, I recorded the screen while using the iPhone 13 Pro Max to play the mentioned games. You can check out the quick experience-sharing videos below! In a brief summary, I found that the iPhone 13 Pro Max delivers a smooth gaming experience with minimal frame drops in games like Arena of Valor, Call of Duty Mobile, and PUBG Mobile. I could also set the graphics to almost the highest level for these games.

For Genshin Impact, I've noticed more frame drops on the iPhone 13 Pro Max running iOS 16, especially during character skill execution or intense battles with multiple enemies. Additionally, the device heats up quickly after about 10 minutes of playing (screen brightness at 70% and volume at 50%), which is understandable given the heavy graphics load of the game.

Regardless, as I'm not a frequent gamer, I find the gaming experience on iPhone 13 Pro Max post the latest iOS update satisfying. For basic tasks like checking emails, browsing, watching videos, the device still handles smoothly without encountering significant issues.

Does iPhone 13 Pro Max experience battery drain after updating to iOS 16?

The familiar concern of rapid battery drain with each iOS update may not be new to iFans. So, after the iOS 16 update, how does the battery life hold up for iPhone 13 Pro Max? To answer this question, I'll conduct a battery test following the standards of The Gioi Di Dong with specific conditions:

• Experience 4 rotating tasks: Playing Arena of Valor (settings as pictured below), watching YouTube, scrolling Facebook, and using Safari.

• Each task runs for 1 hour.
• Screen brightness: 100%.
• External speaker turned on with volume set at 50%.
• WiFi and social media notifications enabled.
• No power-saving mode, adaptive brightness, GPS, and Bluetooth.
• Drain from 100% to 0%.
• Battery status: 100%.

The obtained results are as follows:

As you can see in the results table above, despite the rigorous conditions of the battery test, iPhone 13 Pro Max running iOS 16 still provides an onscreen time of over 8 and a half hours (specifically 8 hours and 34 minutes). Personally using the device for basic tasks without heavy gaming, the phone can last for more than a day, needing a recharge only around noon the next day.

Additionally, I'm fortunate that my iPhone 13 Pro Max doesn't experience overheating issues after upgrading to iOS 16, unlike some of my friends. Hence, the device's battery performance is even better as it is not affected by temperature-related factors.

What's new in iPhone 13 Pro Max with the latest iOS 16 update? Any issues?

In this section, I'll briefly highlight a few features that I find interesting and useful. If you want to explore more exciting changes in the latest iOS, you can check out the iOS 16 review for additional insights!

• iOS 16 introduces customizable lock screen

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best features of iOS 16, allowing iPhone users to personalize their devices in various ways.

I personally find this feature quite intriguing and plan to utilize it alongside the Focus Mode. For instance, upon arriving at the office, the machine will automatically activate the Focus Mode with a captivating new wallpaper.

• Copy screenshots to temporary storage

As someone who frequently captures screen moments to share interesting stories on social media, I unintentionally end up cluttering my iPhone with unnecessary photos, leading to memory-related issues. With iOS 16 update, iPhone 13 Pro Max now supports copying screenshots to temporary storage.

Fortunately, with the iOS 16 update, Apple has introduced the 'Copy and Delete' feature. Screenshots are now stored in temporary memory and automatically deleted to prevent device storage overload.

Despite these enhancements, I still find the procedures a bit cumbersome. After taking a screenshot, I have to tap on the image and press 'Done' for new options to appear. Hopefully, Apple will find a more user-friendly approach to enhance the overall user experience.

• Medication reminders to ensure you never miss a dose of your healthcare supplements

I believe this will be an invaluable feature for individuals dealing with chronic illnesses or those requiring regular medication intake. Consider elderly individuals managing high blood pressure; they need to take medication daily to maintain stable blood pressure levels. Currently, most people rely on conventional pill organizers without any reminder system other than relying on memory.

What I appreciate about Medications on iOS 16 is the ability to choose the shape and color of the pills. Some may deem this unnecessary, but I find it practical as remembering drug names is not easy for many. People often recall the pill shape, like a red oval or a small blue pill. Another enticing aspect is the seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem. Information entered on the phone is transferred to the Apple Watch, making medication reminders more easily manageable.

Lastly, regarding any issues post the iOS 16 update, my iPhone 13 Pro Max hasn't encountered anything unusual, and the device continues to operate smoothly. If any of you come across any glitches after upgrading to iOS 16, feel free to leave a comment below to share with me and others!

Conclusion

Overall, I find that the iOS 16 update enhances the experience quite well on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. However, I recommend waiting for a few more iOS updates to allow Apple to optimize the user experience further and address any minor issues caused by iOS 16. What are your thoughts on iOS 16? Feel free to leave a comment below to share with me and others! Thank you for your interest and for following my article.

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