The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021) introduced ProMotion 120 Hz and macro photography to iPhone Pro Max, alongside ProRAW DNG support. No mechanical shutter — the image counter stored in each ProRAW DNG records total electronic captures.
Check Image Counter →The iPhone 13 Pro Max is powered by the A15 Bionic chip (5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) and brings three headline improvements over the 12 Pro Max: ProMotion adaptive 1–120 Hz display (the first 120 Hz iPhone), the widest main aperture ever on an iPhone at f/1.5 (vs f/1.6 on 12 Pro Max), and a new macro ultrawide with autofocus enabling close-up photography at a 2 cm minimum focus distance.
The camera system features a 12 MP main sensor (f/1.5, sensor-shift OIS, PDAF, improved 1.9 μm photosites), a 12 MP ultrawide with autofocus (f/1.8, macro), and a 12 MP 3× telephoto (f/2.8, 77 mm equiv, OIS). Cinematic Mode (rack focus video effects) debuted on this generation. Like all iPhones, the 13 Pro Max uses CMOS electronic readout only with no mechanical focal-plane shutter.
| Model | Release | Display | Shutter Type | RAW Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 Pro Max | 2021 | 6.7-inch OLED ProMotion (120 Hz) | Electronic only | ProRAW (DNG) |
| iPhone 13 Pro | 2021 | 6.1-inch OLED ProMotion (120 Hz) | Electronic only | ProRAW (DNG) |
| iPhone 12 Pro Max | 2020 | 6.7-inch OLED (60 Hz) | Electronic only | ProRAW (DNG) |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | 2022 | 6.7-inch OLED ProMotion (120 Hz) | Electronic only | ProRAW (DNG) |
.dng extension.exiftool -ImageNumber yourfile.DNG to read the counter directly.| Spec | iPhone 13 Pro Max | iPhone 13 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.7-inch OLED ProMotion (120 Hz) | 6.1-inch OLED ProMotion (120 Hz) |
| Battery | 4352 mAh | 3095 mAh |
| Weight | ~238 g | ~204 g |
| Main camera | 12 MP f/1.5, sensor-shift OIS | 12 MP f/1.5, sensor-shift OIS |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP f/1.8 AF (macro) | 12 MP f/1.8 AF (macro) |
| Telephoto | 12 MP 3× f/2.8 | 12 MP 3× f/2.8 |
| ProRAW / DNG | Yes | Yes |
For image counter purposes, both models are entirely equivalent — the DNG format, ImageNumber field location, and counter behaviour are identical.
No. All iPhones use CMOS electronic readout. There is no focal-plane shutter mechanism and no rated mechanical lifespan.
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and enable Apple ProRAW. In the Camera app, tap the RAW badge at the top of the screen to activate ProRAW for the current session.
No. The image counter is stored in persistent hardware memory and cannot be reset by a factory reset, iOS update, or any user action. This makes it a reliable indicator of total device usage.
The 13 Pro Max adds ProMotion 120 Hz display, a wider f/1.5 aperture (vs f/1.6 on 12 Pro Max), autofocus on the ultrawide for macro photography, and Cinematic Mode video. The 13 Pro Max also has a longer 3× telephoto vs 2.5× on the 12 Pro Max. Both support ProRAW DNG and have sensor-shift OIS on the main camera.
A casual user accumulates roughly 5,000–20,000 captures per year; an active photographer may exceed 50,000 per year. There is no mechanical wear threshold — a high count indicates heavy use, not proximity to failure.