My first cellphone ever was a Nokia 5210. Released in 2002, the handset was capable of making calls, sending texts and playing a few games, but not much else.

Since then, cellphones have become smartphones and there are two major players when it comes to the software that drives the world’s phones – Android and iOS.

Until two months ago I was an ardent supporter of Android smartphones. The fact that there were more customisation options, a wider variety of handset options and the ability to load any app I wanted/needed, made it a great choice for somebody who liked to tinker with their tech.

Over the years I’ve used handsets from Huawei (before the US ban), LG (before they shuttered their mobile division), Samsung, and a litany of other manufacturers. Two months ago, thanks to a gift, I moved to iPhone and it has been a fantastic experience. Transferring data from my Android to the iPhone was incredibly simple and there was a lot more to love as I’ve discovered since moving.

The battery

While the iPhone 13 Pro Max I received is three years old now the battery life has proved to be exceptional. After spending six years with a Samsung, the concept of charging my phone up everyday was one I was accustomed to.

Apple has changed that for me with a charge only being required every three days depending on my usage. Considering that my Samsung Galaxy S10+ required a charge every day with the same usage, this was the first thing I noticed about my new smartphone.

Of course, battery performance will degrade as smartphones get older and depending on your use, but for me, the performance here is better than I expected.

Predictability has its advantages

As Apple is the only company making iPhones, it’s able to make sure that its software works for every smartphone out there, so long as it’s still supported. This has other advantages as well. The biggest for me was when it came to accessories. In the past finding a cover or screen protector has required some work and shopping on my end.

However, getting a cover and screen protector for the iPhone 13 Pro Max was as simple as buying a loaf of bread and given how easily these can be produced, if you aren’t shopping for Apple branded accessories, things can get rather affordable.

Premium performance

Having come from what was a top-end smartphone when it was released, and having used premium Android smartphones for years, I thought I knew what good performance looked like. Apple has made me rethink what I know to be high-performance.

From an experience stand point, even when I forget to close the multitude of apps I use regularly, the Apple A15 Bionic feels snappy and responsive. For those that care about numbers, in Geekbench 6 the iPhone 13 Pro Max scored 2423 in Single-Core benchmarks and 6099 in Multi-Core benchmarks. This is above the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Z Fold5.

Of course, newer iPhones, the iPhone 15 Pro in particular, far outpace this older model.

This performance extends into other areas of the smartphone as well. For example, the NFC range on the iPhone 13 Pro Max is huge. The range alone makes paying with Apple Pay so much easier than Samsung or Google’s solutions.

Similarly, Face ID is great and the ease with which multiple faces can be setup makes using the security measure much easier when wearing sunglasses or a mask.

Nothing beats Retina

While I have reviewed one iPhone in my time at Hypertext (Apple doesn’t really need reviews to move product so it rarely seeds product to local publications) that was an iPhone 6S and we’ve come a long way since 2015.

The Super Retina XDR display is the very definition of crisp thanks to a 458ppi and with OLED tech, a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10 support, the display here wants to be used to consume content.

Even something as simple as scrolling through TikTok is improved by this display. Watching movies and series is a joy as well and looking at my old Samsung made me realise just how crisp Apple’s displays are.

It’s not all Apple Pie

However, while Apple has impressed me, there are something I’m not a fan of.

For one, app updates are a bit of a pain compared to Google’s Play Store. Android nags the hell out of you to update apps but Apple isn’t as much of a nag. The only time I’ve realised that my apps need updating is when my partner reminds me to update my apps. A reminder, especially for frequently used apps would be nice.

The other problem I have is very much a “me” problem. Having spent so much time on Android, I purchased a fair few apps on the platform. While I can get many of those apps through Apple’s digital storefront, I would have to repurchase them again. I haven’t had to do this yet mainly because I don’t need those apps urgently, but it’s something to consider if you make purchases on one platform and want to move.

The other thing I wasn’t prepared for was the charging cable. For years I’ve built my electronics with USB Type-A connectors in mind and Apple uses USB Type-C for all of its charging cables. While I’ve managed to make do, it’s a small thing that I hadn’t considered until I owned an iPhone.

Finally, I dread the day that this thing needs a repair of some fashion. A screen repair for the handset starts at R7 799 so I’m trying my damnedest to make sure nothing damages this display.

Perhaps the most impressive thing however, is that for less than a price of a premium Android smartphone released in 2024, you can have an iPhone that outperforms it. The iPhone 13 Pro Max isn’t the cheapest mind you, but it is definitely worth the price of admission.