I've made up my mind. I'm waiting in the virtual pre-order queue.

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I'm ordering an iPhone 13 Pro Max.

So why is Apple getting a good chunk of change off me?

I've three reasons.

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First and foremost, it's the improved battery life. I'm a heavy-duty iPhone user. The thing is always with me.

I use it for work, rest, and play.

To be fair, if I didn't use my iPhone so heavily for work, I'd probably not buy such an expensive smartphone.

I'm not convinced that anyone needs such an expensive phone. But I find the large screen and, hopefully, larger battery very useful.

I'm far more productive on a big iPhone than a small iPhone.

And far more productive than being on an Android phone.

Secondly, there's the bigger base storage option.

It's become tough to fit everything into 64GB. But paying Apple extra money for storage always feels like a bad deal. Maybe in the long run it pays off, but for someone who keeps their phone for a year or two (because I use it for work, and because I use it so heavily that in that time the battery is getting to the point where it needs replacing), I find myself going for the base option.

This year that gets bumped up to 128GB.

Nice.

Finally, my iPhone is quite battle-scarred. The display has taken the brunt of that and now looks like the surface of the moon. For a phone that's always been in a case with a lip around the rim, and that hasn't gone for a face-down skid across asphalt, it's in a bad state.

In fact, it's so bad that after comparing it to other people's iPhones, I'm thinking that the display wasn't hardened properly and seriously considering making a warranty claim.

So, that's why I'm in the queue.

Anyone else waiting in the virtual line?

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