Apple's iPhone 13 Pro Max is the Samsung Galaxy Note replacement you're looking for

I'm serious, the iPhone is the perfect large phone

iPhone 12 Pro Max
(Image credit: Apple)

A lot of Samsung Galaxy Note fans are sad that there has been no updated device this year. We don’t know for sure that there won’t be another Note at some point, but we’re pretty sure it won’t happen this year. So I have a proposal for you, it’s time to change to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. 

I can hear the blood boiling across the internet as I type this. “No Ian, I am an Android lover, I shall not become one of the iPhone cult”. But the dark truth is, I know I’m right because I too was a devotee to the Samsung Galaxy Note range. I’m not going to pretend that the iPhone is as open to tweaks as the Note. And if you’re an S-Pen user, there’s no equivalent for the iPhone that’s as accomplished. But as someone who made this exact change, I can tell you it will be okay. 

If the rumours are right, Apple’s flagship iPhone will get the feature that Android users seem to love – a 120Hz screen. To listen to Android owners you’d think that 60Hz is a stuttering mess, but I doubt you could find an iPhone user that really cares. But, if the feature is coming then Note users will have one less reason to complain. 

The iPhone 13 Pro Max may also get a new 1TB storage option too. A lot of the Note faithful will miss their microSD socket, but if the top storage option is a massive terabyte, is it really a big problem? These days I barely notice the lack of external storage, I backup my phone and its photos to the cloud and the iPhone’s backup means if I destroy my device, I could have another one up and running, looking the same, in around an hour or so. 

Plus, while the Note range has always had excellent video and photos, the iPhone 12 Pro Max promises some amazing new features. For example, a new video portrait mode is rumoured that will bring the same background defocus that make photos look amazing, and apply it to video. If Apple has managed this, it could make for some absolutely remarkable quality home movies. Plus, you can shoot in Dolby Vision on an iPhone and that’s some powerful tech. 

Do I think most people will move from Samsung to Apple? No, not really, but I can tell you from personal experience that it’s not the jarring shock you think it will be. I switched a few years ago, and I’ve never looked back. Perhaps it’s just because I’m getting old, and the simplicity of the iPhone just appeals. 

Ian has been involved in technology journalism since 2007, originally writing about AV hardware back when LCDs and plasma TVs were just gaining popularity. Nearly 15 years on, he remains as excited about how tech can make your life better.