Starting off the year, the OnePlus 13 is proving to be a much more improved Android phone. One could argue that it really is the best phone the company has delivered to date, especially when it comes to its photo-taking capabilities. Of course, it can’t afford to come up short against the iPhone 16 Pro Max — which tops our best camera phones list. That's why a OnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max photo shootout is necessary.
In his OnePlus 13 review, my colleague says how “it's the improved cameras that are the OnePlus 13's crowning achievement.” I absolutely agree with him on this topic, as I’ve also put the OnePlus 13 cameras to the test, like shooting cinematic video and capturing astrophotography with the flagship model. All of this proves to me why it’s a contender.
However, I need to remind you about the outcome between my OnePlus 12 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max photo shootout. It was a landslide win for Apple’s flagship, which features a 48MP main shooter, 48MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 12MP selfie camera. This time the outcome may be different because the OnePlus 13 is packing a different set of cameras — a trio of 50MP shooters for the rear cameras and a 32MP selfie cam.
As with all of my other 200 photo face-offs, I take both phones out to capture the same set of photos. After snapping them, I then preview all of my images on the same monitor to inspect all of their differences. Here’s what I found.
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Main Camera
At first glance, my eyes gravitate to the OnePlus 13’s main camera shot above because it casts a brighter, overall picture than the iPhone 16 Pro Max — but that’s where it ends. That’s because as I inspect more of the details, it becomes abundantly clear that the iPhone’s image has the sharper details and more balanced exposure.
The bouquet of flowers in the vase have more definition with the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s shot, while the neon sign in the upper left retains its distinct green and pink colors. In contrast, the OnePlus 13 overexposes the sign resulting in the colors appearing more blown out.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Dynamic Range
Considering how I notice how the OnePlus 13 tends to cast the brighter image, I’m not surprised to see how it beats the iPhone 16 Pro Max when it comes to dynamic range. With the sun peeking from behind the tree, I see more of a silhouette with the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s capture — whereas the OnePlus 13 brightens the shadows better to expose those details in the branches.
Since I’m judging the images here solely on dynamic range performance, I’m not letting the softer details of the OnePlus 13’s snapshots influence my decision.
Winner: OnePlus 13
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Ultrawide
I’m happy to report that the OnePlus 13 now features a 50MP ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view, which is wider than the 114-degree one with the previous OnePlus 12. It’s now more of an even match because the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 48MP ultrawide shooter has the same 120-degree FoV.
Now, the difference between the two shots above is found when I zoom into each photo. I will admit I like the more dramatic look of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, due largely to how it casts a warmer color temperature, but the OnePlus 13 has better definition throughout the shot. From the sign in the middle, to the grass closest to me in the foreground, there’s more definition with the OnePlus 13.
Winner: OnePlus 13
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Colors
Yet another quick glance in the images above proves it difficult for me to say which phone is better at replicating colors. I will say, however, that I love how both phones capture deep, vibrant colors with all the flowers in the scene.
I can tell that the OnePlus 13’s penchant for boosting the highlights causes some of the colors, namely yellow and orange, to appear slightly more blown out. The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s richer color tones make it stand out more side-by-side.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Selfie
On paper it appears as though there’s an advantage for the OnePlus 13 and its pixel crunching 32MP selfie camera, but this is yet another reason why you can’t just lean on specs alone. That’s because the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 12MP TrueDepth selfie cam takes the better looking images.
It’s mainly due to the amount of detail it captures, evident in the scruff around my face and the texture of my hoodie. If you look close enough, you can also see how the Ray-Ban logo on my sunglasses looks prominent with the iPhone’s capture.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Portrait
The OnePlus 13’s fondness of brightening photos is apparent again in these side-by-side comparisons of these portrait photos. I really enjoy the amount of sharpness, detail, and clarity between the two, but the OnePlus 13 really cranks up the exposure with the shadows — resulting in my face and the darker parts of my hoodie to appear unrealistically brighter.
In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro Max captures a more accurate looking portrait shot. Aside from that, I think that both phones do an excellent job of isolating myself from the background.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Macro
I’m really shocked here because the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s macro shooting performance has been unmatchable. That’s up until now because the OnePlus 13 shows me it’s a bit better, which should be telling given how I prefer its ultrawide camera performance over the iPhone.
Overall, both captures look stunning with the amount of detail in them. When I inspect closer into each shot, I much prefer the stronger contrast and definition of the OnePlus 13’s photos. They’re minor details, but enough to make me choose a winner.
Winner: OnePlus 13
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Zoom
Now comes the most interesting part about this OnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max photo shootout: their telephoto zoom performance. First of all, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a longer 5x optical zoom paired with its telephoto camera. However, you can’t count out the OnePlus 13 just yet because of its new image processing algorithms and AI-enhancing assistance.
I want to start off with the first set of zoom photos of the sign above, which are at 5x zoom to make it. For a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, I’m really impressed with how the OnePlus 13 matches the iPhone 16 Pro Max when it comes to the details. In particular, the wood grain and textures almost seem identical — but I would give it to the iPhone for getting a tiny bit more.
However, there’s some AI magic going on behind the scenes with the 25x zoom photos I captured above of the emblem in the wooden sign. Not only does the OnePlus 13 have more contrast, but I’m blown away by how it captures more of the textures in the wood. I see this happening in real time too because the image looks indistinct through the OnePlus 13’s display, but when it’s done capturing the shot, I can see that it enhances the image quality.
Winner: OnePlus 13
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Panorama
Just as with my OnePlus 12 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max photo shootout, I have to pixel peep to uncover how they handle panoramas. What’s clearly different about the two images above is that the iPhone 16 Pro Max does a better job at reducing the intensity of the sun, which appears overblown and overexposed with the OnePlus 13.
Furthermore, I much prefer the warmer color temperature that the iPhone 16 Pro Max casts, which is most apparent with the dunes on the left side of the scene. And finally, the iPhone also has just a smidge more definition with the wooden rails.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Low Light
Oddly enough, the OnePlus 13 still can’t seem to beat the iPhone in the low-light department — and that’s despite how I frequently notice how it casts the brighter picture in normal lighting conditions. As usual, my go-to for this testing is in my backyard where it’s nearly pitch black.
While it’s an improvement over its predecessor’s shot, the OnePlus 13’s low light shot doesn’t match the brighter exposure of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. On top of that, there’s more detail in the tree’s branches with the iPhone. Overall, I can say that this is the best low light performance I’ve seen to date with a OnePlus phone, but it still trails Apple.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Verdict
I didn’t think it was going to be such a close race, but this OnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max photo shootout proved me otherwise. For the first time since its release, the iPhone 16 Pro Max barely escaped with a win — but it shows how less of a gap there is between these flagships than prior models.
Even though it still came up a little short at the end, I have to hand it to the OnePlus 13 for proving that it’s come a far way from ditching the stigma that accompanied all prior OnePlus phones. Most notably, its strong dynamic range performance and AI-enhanced zoom photos show how much impact newer image processing algorithms have on the outcome. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how OnePlus leans on AI to enhance its zoom photos, despite having the shorter optical zoom camera.
Apple might’ve won this battle, but considering how the OnePlus came close to beating it, I’m eager to see what the rest of the year holds for other Android releases.
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