r/iPhone13Pro

Like a lot of others here, I went continuously back and forth between whether to upgrade this cycle or wait until the inevitable re-design next year; reading reviews, youtube videos/comments, and digging through this subreddit.

My decision to upgrade was based on the following:

1. Battery. I had already replaced the battery once which gave me an extra 2 years; at 88% now it was still draining fast throughout the day and I did not want to replace it again just to get incremental improvement.
2. Heat. The phone gets hot, no way around it.
3. Camera. The camera can still take great photos, but in harsh lighting or anything requiring zooms, all the artifacting can make it hard to take quality photos.
4. Speed. Yes, the phone is still fast all these years later, but the slowdown is real.
5. Trade-in value. At $255, this is still a good amount of value against the cost of an 18 Pro.
6. USB-C + Fast Charging

With that in mind and after being impressed by the Glacier Blue 18 Pro, I made the move.

Since switching over, all my decisions have been validated.

1. I use the phone all day and end with 60%+. The fast charging is insane.
2. The phone does not heat.
3. The aluminum framing does not bother me like I thought it would.
4. It's blazing fast with no compromises.
5. The camera is remarkably sharper.
6. Now I can play wait and see with future re-designs and either trade-in or just wait until they refine it.

No, it's not the WOW upgrade I felt going from 6 to X, or X to 13 Pro, but it's still pretty impressive. Most of all I just love not having to think about my phone having any compromises given it's an (unfortunately) integral part of my daily life. No judgement on those waiting for next year and can live with another battery replacement. But for those on the fence, I went back and forth for days and days and tried to rationalize not upgrading, but I do not regret upgrading.

Currently on iPhone 13 Pro Max from day one I have a deal to switch to 18 Pro or 17 Pro Max for the same price.
What do you guys recommend?